St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School The Broadway, Barking, Essex IG11 7AR

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Rowena Lumber. This school is part of The Good Shepherd Catholic Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Anthony. The chief accounting officer is Michael Corcoran who is also an executive headteacher, responsible for this school and two others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school community has a distinct sense of family and belonging where everyone is kind and respectful to each other. Pupils make strong friendships. They spoke about the happy memories they make at school. Pupils are safe in school because there are adults they can talk to and who help them if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations that all pupils will be well-prepared socially, emotionally and academically when they leave the school. The school nurtures pupils’ interests and ambitions so that pupils are keen to learn and attentive to their teachers right from when they join the school. Pupils’ learning is enriched by opportunities which broaden their outlook. Pupils regularly go on educational visits, such as to the seaside, bringing to life their geography learning about coastal areas. During the recent whole-school Poetry Slam, pupils performed confidently to an appreciative audience, reciting the poems they had learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave sensibly and are proud to take on responsibilities. ‘Guardian Angels’ look out for others who might need a friend; the ‘Mini Vinnies’ aim to model the values of St Vincent de Paul, to ‘see, think, do and care’, and raise funds for a wide range of charities in Great Britain and across the world. 20 and 21 March 2024

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects. The school’s curriculum is well organised. Leaders have identified the key facts they expect pupils to learn and build upon from the start of Nursery to the end of Year 6. Regular and consistent routines across the school ensure that pupils recall and recap their prior learning. Teachers check that pupils’ learning is secure before moving on to learning more complex ideas. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and are alert to pupils’ common misconceptions and promptly resolve any misunderstanding.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school places a high priority on all pupils having equality of opportunity to learn the curriculum and to access the wider opportunities organised by the school. Leaders ensure that staff are suitably trained and experienced to identify pupils who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and to provide the right support to meet their needs. Teachers use well-chosen resources and adapt their teaching to ensure that pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils achieve highly. Staff feel well supported by leaders. They appreciate the training they receive and opportunities to develop their careers. Staff value leaders’ initiatives and encouragement to achieve a healthy work–life balance.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils learn to read fluently. From the earliest opportunity, children are taught to recognise the sounds that letters make. Leaders have thought carefully about their approach to teaching pupils to read, taking into account those who need extra help with speech, language and communication when they start at the school. High-quality training ensures that staff develop their expertise in the teaching of phonics. Pupils swiftly develop their reading skills, learning to decode and blend sounds and to read with confidence and expression. The school provides targeted support for any pupils who need extra help and ensures that they do not fall behind.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The joy of reading is promoted strongly throughout the school. Pupils have regular access to high-quality fiction and non-fiction books. They develop confident use of a wide vocabulary including subject-specific technical terms. In the early years, the youngest children were enthralled as they listened to their teachers read to them. Well-established routines and teachers’ engaging delivery of the curriculum ensures that pupils develop and maintain exceptionally positive attitudes to learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school teaches pupils about careers associated with different subject so that pupils understand the importance and relevance of their learning to fulfil their future ambitions.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils benefit from an extensive range of extra-curricular opportunities. Pupils enjoy taking part in sporting competitions with other schools. They are keen to help others in the school and the wider community through taking on roles including as eco-warriors, digital leaders, pupil chaplains and pupil librarians.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

There are clear processes in the school to record pupils’ attendance and follow up absence. Most pupils attend regularly. Leaders carefully analyse attendance information. They identify swiftly any pupils who are regularly absent from school. Through clear and 20 and 21 March 2024

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positive communication with families, staff help pupils to improve their attendance rates and to overcome any difficulties affecting their attendance at school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Joesph’s Catholic Primary School, to be good in September 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 20 and 21 March 2024

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School details

Website www.stjosephsschoolbarking.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there have been several changes to the senior leadership team.  The school has a religious character. The last Catholic Schools Inspection, carried out under section 48 of the Education Act, took place in April 2023.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2019 and is part of The Good Shepherd Catholic Trust. When its predecessor school, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 20 and 21 March 2024

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 The inspector met with school leaders, including representatives of the trust board and governing body. The inspector held a telephone conversation with the school’s external partner.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the views of parents, staff and pupils in their responses to

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the online survey. The inspector also met with representatives of the parents’ support group.

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Inspection team

Amanda Fraser, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 March 2024

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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