St Benet's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Benet’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School Fulwell Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR6 9QU

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Inspection dates: 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Outcome

St Benet’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a solid sense of community at St Benet’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School. The Catholic ethos is palpable within this inclusive, welcoming community. Adults know pupils well. Strong, trusting relationships are evident. Pupils are proud of their school. Pupils are respectful of one another and of staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Playtimes are joyful occasions. Older pupils act as buddies. They support younger children in their play. Some pupils are what the school calls ‘Happiness Heroes’. They keep a watchful eye on their peers to ensure everyone is happy and safe. Pupils who need a quiet space enjoy playing games in the ‘you are not alone club’. Pupils are safe in school. They know that staff or an anti-bullying ambassador will help them if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. Pupils respond well to these expectations. They work hard in lessons and demonstrate exemplary behaviour. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve highly in most subjects. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The development of pupils’ character is exceptional. The school provides a vast range of leadership opportunities for pupils. Pupils speak with pride and enthusiasm about their roles. They say their voice is listened to and valued.

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

The school has redesigned its ambitious and broad curriculum. This new curriculum is progressive and well sequenced. Essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary are clearly identified for each subject. Children in early years get off to a good start. Activities are carefully designed to support children’s learning and enjoyment. There is a sharp focus on 30 April and 1 May 2024

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communication and language skills. Children in the early years are well prepared for learning in key stage 1.

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In key stage 1 and 2, there is variability in the school’s implementation of the curriculum. In many subjects, teachers have the expertise to deliver the curriculum well. Where this is the case, they introduce new learning clearly and provide activities that help pupils to develop understanding. However, in some subjects, the tasks selected for pupils to complete do not help them to learn as well as they could. At times, the school’s checks on what pupils know and can do are not as effective as they need to be. They do not provide the school with clear information about next steps in learning. As a result, in some subjects, at times learning is not always maximised.

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Reading is a school priority. In the early years, children start their reading journey in Nursery sharing lots of books, rhymes and songs. In Reception class, children learn to read through a highly structured phonics programme. The school has trained some staff to be reading experts. They deliver the reading programme with success. However, a small number of staff have received only basic training. They are unable to implement the programme with precision. This delays progress for some pupils in gaining the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers.

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The school successfully promotes a love of reading. Younger pupils enjoy sharing books with the older pupils who act as ‘Reading Champions’. Enticing reading areas and a rich variety of texts help pupils to develop a genuine love of reading.

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Mathematics is a strength of the school. The curriculum has been carefully sequenced and planned to enable pupils to build on prior learning effectively. Pupils regularly solve problems and use reasoning in mathematics. They are very positive about mathematics. Many pupils say it is one of their favourite subjects.

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The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. It works well with external agencies to ensure that these pupils receive timely, high-quality support. As a result, pupils with SEND successfully learn the same curriculum as their peers and achieve well.

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Pupils consistently display high standards of behaviour. They behave extremely well in lessons and concentrate on their learning. Pupils attend school regularly. Leaders support families effectively when barriers to attending school arise.

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The school has designed an impressive programme of learning and enrichment activities to support pupils’ wider development. Pupils show a mature understanding of diversity and equality. Pupils understand the fundamental British values. They can relate these to their everyday lives and talk about them with confidence. The school places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ talents and broadening their interests. Pupils benefit from regular opportunities to take part in a wide range of sporting events, clubs and visits.

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Governors have a clear picture of the school’s strengths and priorities. They regularly ask questions to check that improvements are being made. Leaders have created a school 30 April and 1 May 2024

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where staff are happy and feel valued. Staff appreciate leaders’ consideration of their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school’s delivery of curriculum content and use of assessment to identify, and address, gaps in pupils’ knowledge is not as effective as it needs to be. This is limiting the achievement of pupils in some subjects. The school should provide training and support for staff so that they can implement the curriculum successfully and assess pupils’ understanding effectively in order to ensure that pupils develop knowledge and skills consistently well across the curriculum.  The school does not deliver its early reading scheme consistently. This means that some pupils do not receive the precise support they need to help them to read as quickly, or successfully, as they could. The school should review the training it provides to staff to ensure that all staff have the expertise to implement the early reading scheme successfully.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2014.

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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. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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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). 30 April and 1 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Denise Joan Willis

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School details

Website www.stbenetsschoolsunderland.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its most recent section 48 inspection was in June 2015. Its next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, members of the local governing body, curriculum leaders and other staff members.  The inspector held telephone conversations with representatives of the local authority and the diocese. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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 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.  The inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s parent surveys, Parent View, and spoke with a range of staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 30 April and 1 May 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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