St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Crownest Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16 4HQ

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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Outcome

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Louise Robinson. This school is part of Blessed Christopher Wharton 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 (CEO), Christopher James Hanson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Joe McDonnell.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a positive view of the school. Staff help them to achieve well, including in national assessments. The vast majority of pupils enjoy learning and playing with their peers. They are considerate of others. Pupils understand the importance of treating one another with kindness. This fosters the school’s inclusive culture of care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils routinely meet the school’s high expectations. Their behaviour is of a high standard. Lessons are calm. Bullying and other unkind behaviours are rare. Pupils are confident to challenge the poor conduct of others. They trust adults to help them to resolve the small number of disagreements that do occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils participate in clubs, such as the school cheerleading club. Others compete as part of a school team. Many pupils have experienced a school visit. Pupils speak of their enjoyment of these. For example, some key stage 2 pupils explained to the inspector how they had enjoyed visiting a wildlife park when they were learning about different animals in science. 22 and 23 October 2024

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Staff promote the importance of being a positive member of the school community. Pupils are rewarded when they demonstrate the school virtues, such as respect or patience. Pupils model these well in discussions with others.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum for pupils across subjects. Leaders have strengthened the curriculum since the previous inspection. Staff appreciate these changes. They have greater clarity about what pupils need to know and the order that they should learn new knowledge. Consequently, staff introduce new topics clearly. Pupils have a secure understanding of the curriculum. They recall previous topics well. What pupils have learned previously informs their current work.

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

Pupils learn to read with accuracy and confidence. Staff teach the school’s phonics curriculum confidently. Pupils who struggle to read are identified quickly and receive extra help to catch up.

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

Children in Reception benefit from a strong start to their time at school. They learn routines quickly. Children benefit from effective teaching, including in mathematics. They have opportunities to reinforce their learning throughout the day. For example, when playing in the sandpit, staff encourage children compare the weight of objects using vocabulary such as heavier and lighter. All aspects of children’s learning are well considered. In the outdoor area, children use bikes to develop their balance and gross motor skills. Staff structure activities carefully so that children develop the skills and knowledge they need.

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

In lessons, teachers use common approaches to help pupils to remember the curriculum. Staff ask questions and use other strategies to check what pupils know. When this is most effective, staff use this information well to develop pupils’ understanding. However, sometimes, teachers miss opportunities to address pupils’ misconceptions.

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

The school has systems in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work with other professionals, such as educational psychologists, to identify any additional support that pupils need. Many pupils with SEND achieve well. The school trains staff in how to adapt teaching to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND more effectively. The impact of this training is not fully embedded. This can result in pupils completing activities that they are not as well prepared for as they could be.

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

Pupils have a strong understanding of the school’s personal, social and health education curriculum. Older pupils in particular speak articulately about what they have learned. They understand the importance of learning about other cultures. Pupils can explain the similarities and differences between Christianity and other faiths, such as Islam. They are well prepared for life beyond school.

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

Pupils hold a number of positions of responsibility. These include the student council and Year 6 buddies who support younger peers. Pupils take part in activities that enable them to make a positive contribution to the local community. For example, the school’s ‘Mini 22 and 23 October 2024

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Vinnies’ have visited a local residential care home. Other pupils have contributed to charitable work. Pupils in leadership roles play a meaningful role in improving the school for others. For example, the school council were consulted on the school’s well-being charter.

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Pupils attend school regularly. Absence has declined in recent years. When pupils struggle to attend regularly, the school works effectively with families to improve pupils’ attendance.

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Leaders have an accurate view of the school. Those with responsibility for governance provide appropriate scrutiny of the school’s work. Staff are proud to work at the school. The majority feel that leaders take their well-being seriously.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, information from checks on what pupils know is not used consistently well. As a result, sometimes, pupils’ misconceptions are not addressed swiftly. The school should ensure that teachers check on pupils’ understanding and use this information to resolve misconceptions and help pupils build their knowledge.  Support is ongoing for some staff to help develop their knowledge of how to best adapt teaching to meet the needs of a small number of pupils with specific needs. This is being embedded so that the work that pupils complete builds on their existing knowledge and skills consistently. The school should implement and embed its recent training on adaptive teaching.

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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 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.

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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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

CEO of the trust Christopher James Hanson

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school has a Catholic character and is part of the Diocese of Leeds (Roman Catholic). At the last section 48 inspection in March 2019, the school was judged to be outstanding in all areas.  The school is part of the Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust. The school joined the trust in May 2020.  The school does not use any 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. 22 and 23 October 2024

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 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 members of the trust board, the local governing board and the trust’s chief executive officer.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. He also spoke with other groups of staff.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation regarding the support pupils with SEND receive. He looked at the quality of the provision for pupils with SEND in lessons.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation, including minutes from governing

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board meetings as well as the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.  The inspector looked at a range of information regarding behaviour. He observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and at social times.  The views of pupils and staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys were considered.  The inspector considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Thomas Wraith, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 22 and 23 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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