Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary School Piccadilly, Bulwell, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG6 9FN

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Outcome

Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Fiona Wadsley. The school is part of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by a chief executive officer (CEO), James McGeachie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nigel Stevenson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at this school, and thrive. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the warm welcome given to the children and to themselves. One parent commented, typical of many, ‘I am very grateful for the love and care taken towards my child’s education and well-being.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They treat each other with respect. Leaders invite people into school from a range of backgrounds, including, for example, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Pupils learned how the Sheriff has overcome barriers in their life. Pupils have a deep sense of tolerance and equality. They spoke confidently about treating everyone equally, regardless of how people may be different to themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school organises a range of innovative enrichment activities to inspire pupils’ creativity. For example, a filmmaker came into school recently, and pupils re-enacted scenes from their history topics. These short video clips were collated into one film and shown at a cinema in Nottingham for families to enjoy. 8 and 9 October 2024

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Pupils work hard in class and are achieving well. The school has high expectations. Pupils read well. Older pupils are using more ambitious vocabulary in their writing. Pupils write legibly and fluently.

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

Leaders at all levels have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Trust leaders have effective systems to check the performance of the school. They support the school well. Collectively, the drive for improvement has led to pupils achieving well. The school puts the interests of pupils first. All staff know the pupils well. There is a harmonious working atmosphere. Staff are highly committed and morale is very high.

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

The school teaches pupils to read well. The phonics programme has been embedded since the last inspection and is taught well. Children in the Reception Year are shown how to say the sounds of the alphabet correctly. Reading books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know. Extra support is provided to pupils who need more practice to become fluent readers. Pupils are heard to read regularly.

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

In mathematics, pupils learn to problem-solve and reason about number from an early age. In the Nursery, children were seen sorting coloured counters that had been mixed up. In Year 1, pupils were given statements such as ‘Mo has more cubes than Eva.’ Pupils had to say if they agreed or disagreed and explain why. Pupils responded well and justified their answers. Older pupils complete formal calculations well.

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

The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. On occasion, staff do not consistently adapt what they teach well enough to support pupils with SEND in their learning. As a result, these pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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

In many subjects, the school has written new curriculum aims for pupils to achieve. The curriculum is in its early stages of design and implementation. Where the school has identified the knowledge that should be taught and when, pupils are able to talk with confidence about what they have learned. For example, pupils could recall learning about the artist Cara Peters and how she hid her self-portrait in her paintings. However, where the school has not set out clearly what pupils should know and by when, pupils struggle to build their knowledge over time. For example, while pupils could explain why children were evacuated in the Second World War, they were less knowledgeable about how historians use a range of sources to construct knowledge of the past.

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

Attendance is high. Pupils conduct themselves well around school. They strive to achieve a ‘star in a jar’ for good work. Pupils have opportunities to take on roles of responsibility, such as being eco angels and digital leaders, which they enjoy. They are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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

The school has established good links with other organisations, including the universities in Nottingham, to raise pupils’ aspirations. Staff from Nottingham University have helped 8 and 9 October 2024

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pupils build a miniature car. The car is powered by electricity, which pupils said is important for the environment. They enjoyed racing the car on a special track against similar cars.

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Pupils have a good understanding of fundamental British values. They understand democracy and recently held elections for the house captains. Pupils invited the local member of parliament into school. They discussed their concerns about homelessness. Each year, pupils sleep overnight in cardboard boxes in the school hall to show empathy. Pupils show great care for everyone in their community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not consistently adapt how they teach the curriculum to help pupils with SEND achieve well. Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that staff know how best to adapt their teaching to help meet the needs of this group of pupils consistently.  The curriculum design in some subjects does not clearly set out the knowledge that pupils should build over time. As a result, pupils struggle to recall essential knowledge. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum in each subject identifies what should be learned and when, to support pupils to learn key knowledge.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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. 8 and 9 October 2024

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary Academy, to be good for overall effectiveness in March 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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust.  The most recent section 48 inspection of this Catholic school was in October 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due by October 2031.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and the trust director for performance and standards. 8 and 9 October 2024

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The inspector met with the chief executive officer, the deputy chief executive officer and a trustee in the same meeting. The inspector met with three representatives of the governing body, including the vice-chair of governors.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their work, looked at samples of pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  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.

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Inspection team

Martin Finch, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 October 2024

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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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