Our Lady & St. Joseph Catholic Academy

Inspection of Our Lady & St. Joseph Catholic Academy Riversley Park, Coton Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5TY

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The principal of this school is Sara Chapman. This school is part of Holy Spirit 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 (CEO), Sinead Smith, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Philip Richardson.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged the predecessor school, St Joseph Catholic Junior School, to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Academy as a result of conversion to academy status. The school received a no formal designation inspection under section 8 of the Act on 21 November 2019. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the Nursery onwards, children and pupils are wrapped in care and kindness. They are safe, happy, confident and aspirational. Pupils say that, in this school, they can be whoever they want to be. School is an exciting and stimulating place for pupils to be. They benefit from a vast array of opportunities to develop their talents and interests, as well as to learn. Pupils attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have absolute confidence that all staff are there to help them and in many different ways. They know that if they have a problem, they will be listened to and action will be taken. As a result, they feel very secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations are high for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are very well supported to achieve the best they can. Pupils value their learning and try hard in their lessons. They are resilient, motivated and responsive. Pupils take great pride in their work and their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well. They treat each other with respect and kindness because that is what they experience from the adults in school on a daily basis. Older pupils actively look after younger pupils, and they take pride in doing so.

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

The school’s highly ambitious and carefully organised curriculum is at the heart of its success. Language, communication and early reading are a priority from Nursery. Careful introduction of the vocabulary children need to know and understand to help them on their developmental journey starts in the early years. Children quickly learn routines and behaviours to support their learning and to be ready to learn to read. The school very quickly identifies children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Those who struggle, including those with complex needs, are supported exceptionally well through, for example, well-chosen resources, personalised learning plans and highly skilled support from teachers and teaching assistants.

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

Reading is at the heart of the school. Pupils learn to read quickly and develop their love of reading from an early age. Those who fall behind are quickly identified and supported to catch up. Pupils value the opportunities they have to read and to be read to in class. Pupils speak with enthusiasm of their favourite books and authors.

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

The school has worked hard to identify what pupils should learn and in what order in each subject. The ambition of the curriculum is evident in lessons and in the work that pupils produce, which is often well beyond age-related expectations. Great care has been taken to ensure that learning in one subject links with learning in another. This means that pupils have many opportunities to review and recall their learning and to apply it in a range of different contexts. As a result, they are able to build on what they know very efficiently, make links across curriculum areas and test their ideas and understanding. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Excellent behaviour is not just expected by staff, but by pupils too. Pupils are very clear that learning is too important to be disrupted and that social times are opportunities to enjoy each other’s company, share activities and help one another. They are very proud to receive rewards for kindness as well as for academic achievement.

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Personal development is exceptional. Through the ‘Holy Spirit Experience’, the ‘Going for Gold’ programme and the extensive after school activities, leaders ensure that all pupils access the many opportunities designed to support their well-being and their academic, cultural and personal development. There is a clear purpose to every experience offered, very often linked to an important aspect of wider school life or understanding of the wider world. This means that pupils are very well prepared for their next steps.

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Staff are justifiably proud of working at this school. They feel valued by school and trust leaders and are confident that if workload or well-being becomes an issue for them, they would be quickly and effectively supported. Staff feel well-supported to develop the expertise they need through the effective training programme on offer.

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Excellent communication with parents and carers ensures that strong relationships are built and sustained. Parents trust the school to do the right things for their children. Parents are confident that if they ask for help and support, they will receive it. Consequently, parents and school leaders are in a highly effective partnership to secure the very best for every child.

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Local governors and trustees know the school very well. They share a clear vision with the school and provide effective support and challenge to ensure that it is achieved. Well- considered systems are in place to ensure that all statutory duties are fulfilled.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 4 and 5 March 2025

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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The principal has been in post since January 2018.  St Joseph Catholic Junior School converted to become an academy in March 2015, when it joined the Holy Spirit Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. The school then amalgamated with Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Infant School in March 2017. The school’s name then became Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Academy.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.  Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Academy received its last statutory inspection under section 48 by the Arch Diocese of Birmingham in July 2019. The next inspection under section 48 is due to take place in 2027.

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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 4 and 5 March 2025

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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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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the principal, deputy principals and other senior school leaders. Inspectors also met with the CEO, the chair and other members of the local governing body and members of the board of trustees, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors spoke with support staff, with the school’s early career teachers and with

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the school’s apprentice teachers.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils. They also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including text-free comments.  Inspectors spoke to some parents at the start and end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Mel Ford, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Snooks Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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