St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Broadstairs

Inspection of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Broadstairs St Peter’s Park Road, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 2BA

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Vicki O’Halloran. This school is part of Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Annemarie Whittle, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Caroline Anne Stockmann. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this happy and safe school. There is plenty for pupils to do before school in the breakfast club and after school in the various activities that staff oversee. The popular clubs, such as football, basketball and cross-stitch, and various trips through the year, enrich pupils’ experiences. The school’s values help pupils to develop respectful and tolerant attitudes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to achieve well and work hard. Pupils live up to these high expectations. They behave sensibly in lessons and play well together at social times. Well- thought-through routines ensure that from early years, children learn the expectations and rules of the school quickly. Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from a well-tailored approach. Those who struggle with their behaviour are given extra help in the school’s ‘quiet room’ or the ‘support room’. The after-school ‘thrive’ club extends this work and helps older pupils discuss and understand their own mental health.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the various leadership opportunities on offer such as play leaders, litter pickers and librarians. Many join the school council, eco-council and chaplaincy team so they can have a say in how the school is run and contribute to school assemblies.

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

The school has overseen changes in many areas since the previous inspection. Following a significant review, the school has designed an ambitious and thoughtfully structured curriculum. The school sets out the knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to learn at each stage. This means teachers know what to teach and when to teach it. However, in some subjects from early years to Year 6, the curriculum is not yet fully embedded. Consequently, although most pupils achieve well overall in a few subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

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

The school prioritises reading. From early years, children learn to understand phonics and develop their reading fluency well. Pupils who need extra help receive effective support from well-trained staff. This helps them to catch up quickly. As they move through the year groups, pupils develop a love of reading and an appreciation for different types of literature.

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

Recently introduced approaches to teaching are having a positive impact on pupils’ learning across subjects. Teachers design learning so pupils have opportunities to remember what they have previously learned and any misconceptions are addressed quickly. From early years, the school identifies pupils with SEND accurately and provides well-thought-through support. Teachers’ curriculum adaptions ensure that pupils with SEND achieve as well as their peers.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Staff use assessment well to keep pupils on track and ensure timely support is provided for those who fall behind. Pupils enjoy grappling with thought-provoking questions and topics in lessons. For example, in history, 21 and 22 January 2025

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Year 4 pupils discussed attitudes towards women in Victorian England and how migration contributed to Britain in the 20th century. In early years, children quickly develop positive attitudes toward learning. They develop their understanding of the seven areas of learning, the world around them and how to cooperate with others in learning and play.

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Pupils’ attendance is improving. Prior to this year, absence and persistent absence rates were too high. However, the school has employed well-considered strategies and supported families who have had difficulties in encouraging their children to attend regularly. This has improved the attendance of many pupils who have had significant issues with coming to school regularly.

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Pupils’ personal development is central to the school’s vision. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme supports pupils in developing their understanding of themes such as human rights, mental health, physical well-being and citizenship. As well as relationships and health education lessons, the school blends elements of PSHE with the computing, science and physical education curriculums. Pupils are taught how to keep safe online and in water and what to do if there is a fire. They explained that these lessons help them deal with real-life situations. Local community links enrich pupils’ experiences. Older pupils volunteer at the local food bank and support local charities.

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Those responsible for governance are well informed about the school’s standards and the progress the school has made against their strategic priorities. The overall monitoring schedule, including the trust’s school improvement partner, is effective in providing an overview of school standards and holding leaders to account.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders. The school considers staff workload when deciding on policies, and staff feel leaders are approachable. Staff also appreciate the training programme provided by the trust and the opportunities to work with staff in other trust schools.

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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 embedded securely enough. Consequently, pupils do not deepen their knowledge and understanding as well as they could. The school should embed the curriculum so that it is equally secure across all subjects.

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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 21 and 22 January 2025

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Website www.st-josephs-broadstairs.kent.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 June 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership.  The school is a Roman Catholic converter academy. The most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in June 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place before June 2028.  The headteacher was appointed as the interim headteacher in January 2024.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils, including the headteacher and assistant headteacher. The lead inspector also met with the representatives of the local governing committee, a trustee, executive leaders from the trust and a representative of the Archdiocese of Southwark.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum documentation, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.

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 Inspectors considered the views of parents, including through Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. As part of the inspection evidence, inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for school staff and pupils.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, selected groups of pupils to talk to about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also discussed the curriculum and provision for pupils with SEND.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, governors, staff, parents and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts the pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of the local governors committee meetings and records

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Inspection team

Harry Ingham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kirstine Boon Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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