St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Anderton

Inspection of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Anderton Rothwell Road, Anderton, Chorley, Lancashire PR6 9LZ

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 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 Good 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Joseph’s Primary School is a warm and welcoming place. Pupils are happy in school. Everyone is made to feel valued in this school community. Pupils are polite and well mannered to everyone they meet. Through their words and actions, they show a deep understanding of respect and equality.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils behave well in school. Most pupils follow the school rules in lessons, around school and out on the playground. In lessons, they are keen to support each other and explain their learning with increasing confidence. Pupils listen to each other’s ideas. They build strong, effective relationships with the staff who care for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In many subjects, pupils achieve well. They are suitably prepared for the next stage in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles. Pupils are proud to support the school by becoming a prefect or as a digital leader. They take these roles seriously.

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

Children get off to a flying start in the early years. The well-thought-out curriculum allows them to make a positive start to their learning. Staff interact well with children to help them to develop the knowledge and vocabulary that they need. The school ensures that the early years environment supports children’s development. In the main, children learn effective rules and routines.

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

The school has ensured that the curriculum which pupils follow in Year 1 to Year 6 builds on the successful start that they receive in the early years. It has carefully identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Staff know how to deliver the curriculum well. They choose activities which help pupils to learn all that they should. Across different curriculum subjects, many pupils build up a secure body of knowledge.

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

The checks on pupils’ learning typically enable teachers to know how successfully pupils are learning the curriculum. However, on occasion, these checks are not as effective. As a result, teachers are not sure whether pupils have understood what has been taught. At times, this causes some pupils to lose focus because the gaps in their learning are not addressed.

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

The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils are enthusiastic about books. They particularly enjoy the new texts that have been introduced into their English lessons. For pupils who are starting to learn to read, there is an appropriate phonics programme in place. Pupils make a positive start to learning phonics, which helps them to access more complex literature as they progress through the year groups. The school ensures that those pupils who need extra help to keep up with the phonics programme receive timely and effective support. This helps these pupils to become more confident readers. 25 and 26 February 2025

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Pupils attend school regularly. The school has successful strategies to support families when pupils’ absence is a concern. This is improving the attendance of these pupils over time. Pupils behave well and typically demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and school life.

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Wider educational experiences, such as visits to a nature reserve or overnight residentials, enhance pupils’ learning. The school’s values, which are embedded in all aspects of school life, teach pupils to be compassionate and kind.

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The school is currently refining its approaches to identifying the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that, for a few pupils with SEND, the school has not pinpointed their specific needs with enough accuracy. From time to time, the help that some pupils with SEND receive does not help them to learn the curriculum as well as they should.

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Governors know the school’s strengths and its current priorities for improvement. They support and challenge the school effectively. Staff are positive about how the school supports their workload. They value the professional development that they receive to help them in their roles.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the school does not identify the needs of pupils with SEND with enough precision. This means that some pupils with SEND do not receive the support that they need to progress well through the curriculum. The school should finalise its approaches to identifying pupils’ needs, so that pupils with SEND receive the support that they need to succeed.  Sometimes, the checks on pupils’ learning do not help teachers to spot gaps in knowledge. This means that some pupils miss important learning points and teachers do not know whether pupils understand the curriculum content. At times, some of these pupils lose focus in lessons. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils’ learning, so that any gaps are addressed and pupils are ready for new subject content.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Debra Butterworth

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School details

Website www.st-josephs-anderton.lancs.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision  A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  This Catholic school is part of the Diocese of Liverpool. The last section 48 inspection took place on 20 September 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due in 2029.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They met with the leaders for attendance and behaviour.  The lead inspectors met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with the school improvement partner, who represents the local authority. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the Diocese of

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Liverpool  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 observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtimes and as pupils moved around the school building. They scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at the school. They spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and for pupils.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Stuart Perkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Cooper Ofsted 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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