St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

Inspection of a good school: St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy St Wilfrid’s Circus, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS8 3PF

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Outcome

St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Susan O’Brien. This school is part of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Peter Hughes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Shaun Vickers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School. The kind and caring Catholic community supports pupils to reach their ambitious goals. The school gives pupils a memorable school experience. Pupils value their school. They speak proudly about how everyone is welcome in this diverse environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils strive to reach the school’s high expectations for their behaviour and achievement. Pupils are quick to settle into their learning. They relish sharing their ideas with adults and peers alike. Pupils achieve well in end-of-key-stage tests and assessments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils join the school from a range of different starting points. Some are new to the country. Pupils develop their language skills quickly. They become an important and valued member of the school community. Pupils benefit strongly from the exceptional care the school provides. This supports them to feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school carefully crafts a range of trips, visits and experiences for all pupils. Children in early years enjoy staying for hot chocolate during their ‘bedtime stories’. This cosy story time supports the school in fostering a love of reading in children from the earliest age. Pupils in Year 6 visit the seaside for their residential. Pupils of different ages also enjoy a visit to the cinema during Roald Dahl Week. 14 and 15 May 2024

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

The school places great importance on reading and language acquisition. Skilled adults support pupils to develop their reading skills. Pupils who need extra support are swiftly identified and receive personalised support to keep up. Pupils enjoy reading. They share their favourite books and authors with great enthusiasm. They are keen to describe why they like them so much. The school prioritises dedicated time for children to read aloud and listen to adults read. Year 3 pupils enjoy ‘The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark’. Year 6 pupils engage in detailed discussions about ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’.

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

The well-sequenced maths curriculum helps pupils to access increasingly challenging content. During lessons, staff check how well pupils are learning this content. For example, pupils regularly share their answers with the teacher. Any misunderstandings are swiftly addressed. Carefully planned assessment is also used to understand what pupils remember longer term.

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

In the foundation subjects, the curriculum is equally well constructed. Pupils enjoy the responsibility of completing increasingly difficult tasks. For example, in physical education, pupils adapt dribbling tasks to make it more difficult. In some of the practical foundation subjects, pupils develop misconceptions that are not swiftly identified. This means that they do not use the precise skills and techniques that will help them as they progress through the curriculum.

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

In early years, children benefit from a happy and safe start to their education. The curriculum prepares pupils for their next stage of learning well. Language development is central to the experience of children. The school identifies key vocabulary for all activities. This means that children have high-quality interactions with adults. Children enjoy learning about differences. During the ‘All around the World’ topic, children learn about where their class were born. Children remember this learning over time. They enjoy showing visitors these locations on a map.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. The school quickly identifies needs and ensures the correct support is in place. For example, the school works with translators to assure accurate identification. Pupils access an ambitious curriculum. The school ensures adaptations are in place where needed. For example, in mathematics, pupils can use manipulatives such as counters when learning about place value. This supports them to understand ones, tens and hundreds.

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

The behaviour of pupils is impressive. Pupils’ attitudes contribute well to the happy and caring school. Pupils take responsibility for supporting their peers. They are quick to offer help to those who need it. Pupils show great empathy for one another. Pupils benefit from a wide range of leadership opportunities. The ‘Faith in Action’ group takes part in a local area litter pick. Subject ambassadors share feedback about their subject with adults. Pupils are keen to discuss learning with their teachers.

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

The school, trust, academy council and diocese are resolute in their pupil-centred approach. They are proud to serve the community and the families within it. One parent represented the views of many stating, ‘The school goes above and beyond for my child.’ 14 and 15 May 2024

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Adults are proud to work in the school. They recognise that their workload and well-being are at the forefront of the school’s decisions. Adults feel they are valued by the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some practical foundation subjects, teachers do not identify misconceptions promptly. Pupils lack precision in identified key knowledge and skills. The school should ensure staff use carefully targeted feedback in lessons so that pupils accurately develop their knowledge, technique and skills.

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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 Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, to be good in March 2018.

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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 14 and 15 May 2024

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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). 14 and 15 May 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of St Gregory the Great Catholic Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is designated as having a religious character. It is inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The last section 48 inspection of the school was in June 2019.  A high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.

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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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the 14 and 15 May 2024

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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 discussed the curriculum in art and design and technology.  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 met with the chair and vice-chair of the trust board. They also spoke with members of the local academy council, including the chair.  The inspector spoke with the deputy director of education for the Diocese of Leeds.  The inspector met with the chief executive officer.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans.

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 The inspector considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.  The inspector considered the views of pupils through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils and through meetings held with pupils across the two days of the inspection.  The inspector considered the views of staff through meetings and through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Andrew Gibbins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 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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