St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary and Nursery School 90 Oakhill Road, London SW15 2QD

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 December 2024

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Outcome

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary and Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this small and happy school. They feel safe and know that if they are worried about anything, there is a member of staff who will listen to them and deal with their concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils’ education and provides them with a well- constructed curriculum. This allows most pupils to achieve well. Most pupils behave sensibly in lessons. They listen to staff and to each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures pupils develop into well-rounded individuals ready for life in modern Britain. Pupils know it is important to respect people from all cultures and backgrounds. They see diversity and tolerance as strengths of the school. The school celebrates people’s differences successfully, such as through its ‘international evening.’ Pupils and their families show clothing and share food and music from their rich backgrounds and cultures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many enriching and exciting experiences to enhance learning. Pupils visit museums and galleries and meet with visitors to the school, for example authors during Black History Month. Pupils benefit from after-school clubs such as multi-sport events, drama, and football. Pupils are also encouraged to contribute to the life of the school. For example, they can be reading buddies and help younger pupils with their reading skills.

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

The school sees reading as a priority to allow pupils to access the rest of the curriculum. 17 and 18 December 2024

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In Nursery, children learn rhymes and listen to stories, and as soon as they start Reception, they access the chosen phonics scheme. Staff are well trained and deliver the learning effectively. Pupils blend sounds to make words, and the books read match the sounds they know. Staff check pupils’ learning carefully, and any pupils who are struggling are given extra help to allow them to catch up.

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The curriculum is broad and balanced and is structured to build on pupils’ knowledge from the early years through to Year 6. For example, in the early years, children discuss how people come from different countries. In Year 1, pupils identify the continents and start to use a greater range of geographical language. By Year 3, pupils progress to comparing the different geographical features of specific countries. Pupils build secure knowledge of important concepts across the curriculum.

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The school develops pupils’ use of language in different subjects across the curriculum. For example, in art and design, pupils discuss how they will design their hand puppet, including the different features it will have and how they will construct it. Pupils express themselves clearly and reflect on what they have learned.

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Usually, teachers select activities to ensure they present learning effectively and allow pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding. Teachers also ensure pupils are pushed to extend their learning and tackle more complex work. Sometimes, however, the activities chosen are not as effective in supporting pupils’ ability to understand subject content and recall it when needed for future learning.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified as soon as possible. Teachers adapt their approach to ensure that these pupils can access the curriculum. For example, they break down knowledge into small manageable steps and provide visual and concrete resources or support from specially trained staff. Pupils’ progress is checked carefully by staff to ensure they meet the targets set.

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The school has clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour, which pupils understand. If behaviour falls below these expectations, staff adjust their responses appropriately. They may give pupils space to calm themselves down, but they also encourage pupils to discuss and understand what is beneath their actions. Pupils respond well to this approach. They praise behaviour in the school. The school is doing all it can to improve attendance and lower persistent absence. This includes offering support to parents and carers where needed. Attendance is improving, and persistent absence is reducing year on year.

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Pupils appreciate the different opportunities they are given by the school. They enjoy playing musical instruments at concerts in the local area or joining the choir to sing in a nearby old people’s home. Pupils are proud of the work they do in the school. For example, the eco-council organises car-free days, and digital leaders help teach pupils how to stay safe online.

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Leaders are mindful of staff workload and well-being. Staff appreciate the effective training they receive. Governors know the school well and are proud of the friendly, inclusive atmosphere. They provide an appropriate balance of challenge and support for 17 and 18 December 2024

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leaders. Parents are generally very positive about the school and praise the nurturing community that it provides.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, teaching activities are not well selected to help pupils understand the key subject content that is being taught. Over time, this reduces how well pupils understand and remember knowledge. The school should support teachers in developing their expertise in selecting activities and resources that consistently match the aims of the school’s curriculum.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015.

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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. 17 and 18 December 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). 17 and 18 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is designated as having a religious character. The school is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was in December 2022.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.

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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.  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 spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other senior 17 and 18 December 2024

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leaders and subject leaders. They also held meetings with the members of the governing body and representatives from the diocese and the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys completed by parents, pupils, and staff.  The inspector checked a sample of the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Ross, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 December 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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