St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Yeathouse Road, Frizington, Cumbria CA26 3PX

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Outcome

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary 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 be members of this warm and welcoming school. They behave well and value the positive relationships that they have with their teachers and other staff. Pupils get along well with each other. They are safe and happy in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy playing their part in the local community. They are learning to be good modern British citizens. They understand the importance of helping others and of taking on responsibility. For example, pupils are proud to have raised money for different charities and enjoyed taking part in a neighbourhood litter pick.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. It provides effective support to help pupils achieve well. Pupils who require extra help, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from the expertise and encouragement provided by knowledgeable and caring staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has made a priority of providing pupils with a range of enrichment experiences. Staff and pupils spoke enthusiastically about a recent visit to the theatre. Some pupils were able to take part in an exciting programme with a prestigious university in which they designed a ‘school for the future’. Pupils enjoy attending a variety of after- school sports and arts activities.

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

The school faced some significant turbulence in staffing in the previous academic year. Leaders have successfully steadied the ship and have ensured that the school is once again heading in the right direction. They have taken effective action to address further the areas identified for improvement when the school was last inspected. In spite of changes to the school’s class structure, the school has developed a curriculum that 14 January 2025

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provides a coherent and well-structured framework for pupils’ learning. Pupils in Year 6 are typically well prepared for the move to secondary school.

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The school gives reading a high priority. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 get off to a good start. Staff deliver the school’s chosen phonics programme well. They regularly check on pupils’ progress in phonics and put additional help in place to support those who may be struggling with reading. As a result, most pupils become fluent and accurate readers. Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about how they liked to choose different books from the school library.

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The school has set out clearly the skills and knowledge pupils are expected to learn as they move from the Reception class through to Year 6. Learning is ordered carefully, and staff deliver the curriculum effectively. Children in the early years benefit from an appropriate, well-designed and engaging curriculum which prepares them well for key stage 1. As they move through key stages 1 and 2, pupils develop an impressive level of knowledge across a range of subjects, especially in science and geography. However, pupils’ achievement in writing is less secure over time. This is because they are not consistently given sufficient time to secure fundamental skills in writing before moving on to more complex tasks.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils have a strong sense of community and a keen desire to help those less fortunate than themselves. They show real respect and tolerance for people whose backgrounds may be different to their own. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and look after their own mental and physical health. Pupils develop confidence and resilience thanks to the encouragement and support they get at St Joseph’s.

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The school ensures that the needs of any pupils with SEND are spotted early. These pupils receive effective support and so are able to access the same broad and ambitious curriculum as others in their class.

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Pupils behave extremely well around school. They talked positively about how friendly their school is. Pupils listen attentively in class and typically focus well on their work. The school recognises that some pupils are absent from school too often. It is taking appropriate action to support and challenge families where attendance is a concern. There are promising signs that attendance is now improving.

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The school and local authority have worked together successfully to strengthen governance. Governors provide effective support and challenge to the school and are proactive in supporting the well-being of staff. Staff are proud to work at the school, and morale is high. They feel valued and said that the school makes sure their workload is reasonable. For example, staff appreciate the positive impact changes to the curriculum have had on their time.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 January 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that pupils have secured the fundamental skills in writing they need before they move on to more complex writing tasks. This means some pupils’ written work is hampered by weaknesses in handwriting, spelling and basic punctuation. The school should prioritise developing and embedding pupils’ core writing skills so they are able to write with greater fluency and accuracy over time.

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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 May 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.

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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 14 January 2025

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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). 14 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stjosephs- catholicprimaryfrizington.co.uk Date of previous inspection 11 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Roman Catholic primary school in the Diocese of Lancaster. The previous section 48 inspection took place in December 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by the end of 2029.  The school operates before- and after-school clubs that are overseen by the governing body.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school has changed its class structure this year due to changes in pupil numbers.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into consideration in their evaluation of the school. 14 January 2025

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 Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other leaders and staff in the school.  Inspectors met with members of the governing body.  The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors 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.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. One inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, they spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text

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comments. They considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils and spoke to pupils about their experiences at school.

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Inspection team

Neil Dixon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Swift Ofsted Inspector 14 January 2025

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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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