St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Queen’s Road, Ingrow, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 1AR

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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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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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is John Devlin. The head of school is Andrew Arnold. This school is part of the Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Multi 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, Chris Hanson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sarah Martin.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this kind and welcoming school. Staff help pupils to achieve their best. Pupils have an excellent attitude to their education. They make the most of every opportunity they are given. Pupils are respectful of each other’s ideas and listen attentively to staff. Children in the early years are nurtured and make a strong start to their education through formal teaching and play-based learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have established a clear and ambitious vision for pupils’ achievements that is well understood by everyone. Staff ensure that lessons are carefully adapted to support pupil’s learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help they need to thrive. Staff know how to get the best from each pupil. As a result, pupils learn a wide range of skills and achieve well at each stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the additional opportunities they get to learn outside of the classroom. The ‘Burrow’ and ‘Magic Garden’ provide welcoming spaces for outdoor learning or quiet reflection. Educational visits and residential trips help pupils understand places and people beyond their community. Pupils develop a respect and understanding for those that are different from themselves. The school ensures these opportunities are open to all pupils. 25 and 26 February 2025

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

The school has carefully selected the content pupils will study in each curriculum subject. Lessons are engaging and relevant for pupils. The school has ensured that the books, historical periods and geographical locations pupils study give them a secure understanding of the world around them.

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

The knowledge and skills pupils will learn is precisely set out in some subjects. For example, in English and mathematics. However, in some foundation subjects, the intended learning in each unit of work is less explicit. This limits how effectively staff teach the curriculum because what pupils should know and be able to do lacks clarity. This leads to gaps in pupil’s understanding of some important topics.

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

Staff accurately identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge before moving on to new learning. Effective recall strategies help pupils remember more of what they have been taught over time. When the school identifies significant gaps in learning, there is additional support to help pupils catch up. The school regularly monitors the impact of this work so that pupils are ready for the next stage of their education.

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

Pupils are enthused and engaged in opportunities to read. The library is a well-resourced and inviting space. ‘Junior Librarians’ help to inspire a love of reading among their peers. The books children read from the early years link closely to the curriculum they are learning. The school’s approach to teaching pupils to read is highly effective. Those who are at an early stage of learning to read get the help they require to read fluently. This includes older children who are encouraged to read regularly throughout the school.

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

The school is highly inclusive. Pupils with SEND or those with other barriers to their learning are quickly identified and well supported. The information staff receive enables them to make precise adjustments to lessons. The ‘Woodlands’ provision helps pupils with specific needs to access an ambitious and appropriate curriculum. Pupils with SEND achieve well. Because of the help that pupils get at the school, they flourish and feel part of the school community.

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

Pupils are proud to showcase their achievements. They understand the importance of self-control and personal responsibility. Pupil’s positive words and actions are regularly recognised, for example, in the ‘Good Samaritan’ portfolio or ‘Star of the Week’ award. Weekly ‘diversity assemblies’ help pupils to appreciate those who are different from themselves and significant individuals who have contributed to society.

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

The wider curriculum that teaches pupils about important aspects of modern British society is not as effective as it might be. Pupils understand the law about people with protected characteristics and the importance of respecting others’ values. However, they do not have a secure understanding of faiths and cultures that are different from their own. This limits how well prepared they are to contribute to a modern, diverse British society. 25 and 26 February 2025

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Staff relish the chance to improve on their own practice. The school has successfully developed several colleagues into leadership positions. Ongoing training is highly effective in supporting school development priorities. Staff are proud to be part of this team.

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The school is well led and managed at all levels. Governors have an effective understanding of what is working well and what still needs refining. The school engages with pupils and parents to seek their opinions when changes are made. Many parents and carers hold the school in high esteem. They value the wide range of opportunities pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in some foundation subjects does not precisely identify what pupils should know and be able to do. This limits how effectively staff can teach the curriculum and pupils can learn it. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all foundation subjects has clear end points and that staff take account of these when selecting learning activities for pupils to undertake.  The school’s curriculum does not teach pupils in sufficient depth about a range of world faiths. This means pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern British society as they might be. The school should ensure that pupils gain a strong understanding of different faiths and cultures practiced in modern Britain.

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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, 25 and 26 February 2025

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2016.

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Multi Academy Trust in August 2016.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.  The school is a voluntary aided Catholic school. The most recent section 48 inspection took place on 16 and 17 November 2023.

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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 lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, head of school and other senior 25 and 26 February 2025

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leaders, groups of staff and pupils.  The inspector also spoke with members of the trust board, local academy council, the local diocese and the chief executive officer of the trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND and the early years foundation stage.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspector considered the responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View. This

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includes the comments submitted via the free-text facility. The inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s online pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

John Linkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 February 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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