St Austin's Catholic Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Austin’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery Garden Street, Stafford, Staffordshire ST17 4BT

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Outcome

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

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Charlotte Rowley. The school is part of The Painsley Catholic Academy multi-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the interim accounting officer, Joanne Bradbury and is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ken Wilson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Austin’s is a school that gives pupils a rich, diverse and loving start to their education through a commitment to the school’s motto, ‘learn to love, love to learn’. Staff have high expectations of pupils. As a result, pupils rise to these expectations and achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to behave well. Pupils follow rules and routines. They are incredibly polite and respectful. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. They know they can talk to any adult in school about a worry, and the adult will help to sort it out. Pupils are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their interests by taking part in inclusive extra-curricular activities such as multi-sport events, choir and hula hoop club. They learn to play the guitar and clarinet. The curriculum is enriched by visits, for example to the Ancient High House to learn about the great fire of London and to a supermarket to learn about fair trade. Year 6 pupils take part in an annual residential visit to Condover Hall. Pupils visit a local secondary school in the multi-academy trust to participate in public speaking competitions. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education. 7 and 8 January 2025

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

A broad and ambitious curriculum has been carefully designed to ensure that important concepts, knowledge and vocabulary are mapped out. Staff have strong subject knowledge. In mathematics, for example, staff make sure that pupils secure their learning of early mathematical knowledge and vocabulary before moving on to more complex ideas. They check pupils’ learning to identify when support is needed. Pupils achieve high standards in mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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

Pupils are taught to value reading. They read widely and often. Phonics is taught at the earliest opportunity. Staff are equipped with the right knowledge to teach phonics well. Regular and appropriate checks on learning take place to make sure that pupils receive support when it is needed. When pupils need to catch up in reading, they take part in extra phonics lessons each day. By the end of Year 2, most pupils read with accuracy and fluency. However, in some subjects, the curriculum is not implemented as the school intends. Checks on learning are not always as effective as they should be. This means some pupils do not remember important knowledge in these subjects.

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

Staff are nurturing in the early years, and children respond well to this. Strong relationships between adults and children exist. The school has identified that physical development is an area of learning where children need more support when they start school. There are lots of opportunities for children to develop their gross and fine motor skills, for example practising opening and closing fastenings, manipulating dough or drawing. Staff model how to form letters correctly and carefully address any misconceptions as they occur. This work is beginning to impact positively on standards in early writing.

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

The school has made appropriate changes to how pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified and supported. Staff work effectively with external agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND access specialist support as appropriate. This is beginning to have a positive impact on the quality of support for pupils with SEND. However, sometimes the curriculum is not appropriately adapted to support the learning of pupils with SEND. As a result, the quality of support for some pupils with SEND is not always effective. This affects the achievement of some pupils with SEND.

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

Pupils understand and uphold fundamental British values. They understand concepts such as democracy and the rule of law in an age-appropriate way. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They are respectful of a range of views and beliefs.

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

Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities to learn about how to impact positively on society and the local community. They do this in a variety of ways, for example eco- warriors conduct litter picks and ‘Mini Vinnies’ carry out charitable work. Pupils are involved in collecting and donating for a local food bank. They take these leadership roles seriously, valuing the opportunity to become school councillors, house captains and prayer leaders. 7 and 8 January 2025

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Governors and trustees know their roles and responsibilities. They use a range of information and processes to ensure they know the school well. Governors and trustees use their knowledge of the school to provide effective support. Staff report that their workload is well managed, and their well-being is prioritised and supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum is not always implemented as the school intends, and checks on pupils’ learning are not always effective. As a result, some pupils do not remember the most important knowledge in these subjects. The school should ensure that the curriculum is delivered as intended and pupils’ learning is checked consistently well so pupils learn well across all subjects.  The curriculum is not always appropriately adapted for pupils with SEND. This means some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff are equipped to make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum for pupils with SEND so they achieve well.

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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 November 2011. 7 and 8 January 2025

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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). 7 and 8 January 2025

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School details

CEO of the trust Joanne Bradbury (Chief Accounting Officer)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school run a before- and after-school club.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.  The school is part of The Painsley Catholic Academy multi-academy trust.  This is a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was in November 2023.

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Information about this inspection

n Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. n 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. n The inspector met with the principal, the vice-principal, the special educational needs 7 and 8 January 2025

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and disabilities coordinator and other leaders. The inspector met with the executive leadership team from the Painsley Academy Trust and representatives from the Archdiocese of Birmingham. n The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. n The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. n The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour and interactions during lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes and spoke to pupils during the inspection. n 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 considered responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. The inspector spoke to parent and carers. The inspector also reviewed

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responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey and responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Emma Titchener, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 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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