St Augustine's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Augustine's Catholic Primary School Gunnergate Lane, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough TS8 0TE

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Outcome

St Augustine's 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 Joanne Coe. This school is part of Nicholas Postgate 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, Hugh Hegarty, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Joseph Hughes. The headteacher, Joanne Coe, is responsible for this school and one other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community at this school. Caring and inclusive school values are shared by leaders, staff and pupils alike. Pupils are happy and safe. Staff nurture pupils’ development well. Across the school day, pupils are polite and well-mannered. They set a good example to each other in their attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s curriculum is highly ambitious. Leaders and staff want all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to reach their potential. Pupils rise to these high expectations and do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take pride in the purposeful roles and responsibilities they have in school. Lunch time clubs are celebrated by pupils who lead them and those that attend. Pupil leadership groups, such as those linked to well-being or the rights of children, talk passionately about the impact and difference that they are making to the school, the local community and beyond. Pupils feel listened to by the school. Pupils are proactive in making changes to the school, such as the redevelopment of the school library.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are positive about the school, describing it, for example, as ‘a wonderful school where the children are nurtured and feel part of a family.’ 8 and 9 October 2024

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

The school understands the community it serves well. The curriculum is shaped to give pupils the important knowledge and skills they need to be successful whatever their next steps are. This starts in the early years and builds through school.

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

Pupils benefit from well-structured lessons. Pupils articulate clearly how lessons help them understand new knowledge and then practise their skills. Across school, pupils talk excitedly about their learning. Like many aspects of school life, they are proud of their achievements. In subjects, such as mathematics, they have daily opportunities to practise their prior knowledge and skills.

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

Pupils recall their recent learning with clarity. Older pupils use resources to prompt their thinking and have detailed knowledge and understanding of what they have been taught. For example, pupils can explain clearly why the United States air force based themselves in East Anglia during World War Two. However, some staff do not consistently use their skills to intervene and support pupils in their learning. Sometimes, opportunities to move learning on or support pupils with any misconceptions are missed.

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

The school ensures that all pupils make a prompt start to learning to read, including pupils with SEND. Reading is taught effectively. Phonics lessons match the aims and ambitions of the curriculum. Most books given to early readers help them build fluency. The texts pupils read in class are diverse. Children in early years enjoy sharing favourite books with each other and singing rhymes they have learnt. Pupils recall previous books they have enjoyed, including, recently ‘Secrets of a Sun King’.

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

Pupils with SEND learn effectively alongside their peers. They access the same ambitious curriculum. The school meets the needs of pupils with SEND well. Leaders take carefully considered steps to support pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND explain with confidence the different resources they use to help them do well in school.

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

The school carefully considers the wider opportunities pupils have beyond classroom learning. This work is enabling pupils to be active citizens in school and the community. In the early years, children have jobs across the school day. This gives them an early sense of responsibility. Leaders are proactive in gathering pupils’ views on school. This helps pupils to improve the school further. Pupils are proactive in promoting the mental health and well-being of each other. Older pupils provide a range of support to younger peers each day. This includes helping pupils play on the school yard, to looking after the school allotment. Pupils’ knowledge of fundamental British values is detailed. They explain with enthusiasm where they live out these values in school life. This includes, for example, how they use voting to choose books for the library and to select the pupils for various leadership roles.

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

The school establishes warm and caring relationships with children from early years onwards. These relationships flourish as pupils move through school. Leaders and staff know pupils well. During lessons and around school pupils are respectful to each other, 8 and 9 October 2024

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staff and visitors. The school responds sensitively to pupils who need extra support for their behaviour. Pupil rewards and achievements are celebrated by pupils and staff. Pupils share their achievements with pride.

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Leaders and staff work together collaboratively. They focus on making sure everyone is working together in the best interests of children. Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported and listened to by leaders and those responsible for governance, who provide effective support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The support provided to pupils during lessons can be inconsistent. This means that some pupils’ misconceptions are not consistently identified and addressed promptly to move their learning on. The school should continue to train staff to ensure they have a range of strategies to identify misconceptions and act on these effectively.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Augustine’s RC Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2012. 8 and 9 October 2024

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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

Website https://staugustines.npcat.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed to the school in September 2023.  The school is part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust.  The school is a member of the Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough and has a Christian character.  Its most recent section 48 inspection was in July 2022.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school offers a breakfast club and after-school club. They are both managed by the school.  The school has nursery provision for three-year-olds.  The headteacher leads this school and one other, St Gerard’s RC Primary School. 8 and 9 October 2024

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Prior to the inspection, the inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance and previous Ofsted inspections.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other leaders in school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector held discussions with leaders responsible for attendance and behaviour.  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

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Information about this inspection

the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector gathered views of parents informally in person and formally through responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text responses. The views of staff were considered through the staff survey and through meetings with them. Pupils’ views were considered through the pupil survey and pupil meetings.  The inspector spoke with representatives from the local governing body, the chair of the trust, the CEO and assistant CEO for the trust, school improvement leaders from the trust and a representative from the diocese.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in classes, during breaks and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Emily Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty's 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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