St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan

Inspection Report St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan

p.1

130384 Unique Reference Number Wigan LEA 282140 Inspection number 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Marie Cordey CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Worsley Mesnes Drive School address Primary Type of school Worsley Mesnes Voluntary aided School category Wigan, Lancashire WN3 5AN 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01942 204091 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01942 513364 Fax number 220 Number on roll Mr R Unsworth Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs J Booth Headteacher 4 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282140 1 March 2006 - 3 to 11 2 March 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This is an average-sized primary school situated in a relatively disadvantaged area. Eligibility for free school meals is broadly average and most pupils start school with average knowledge and skills although their language and communication skills are lower. The vast majority of the pupils are white British. The proportion of pupils on the school's register of additional learning needs is above average but a below average proportion has a statement of special educational need. There has been considerable staff turbulence over the last two years.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school that provides good value for money. Progress since the last inspection has been good and the school has a good capacity to improve further. The Catholic ethos permeates the school and spirituality is outstanding. Pupils are reflective and look after each other, which follows the example set by the school. Parents value the school highly. Despite some years of staffing turbulence and amalgamation with a local school, pupils are now making good progress. They are achieving well because of the headteacher's very good leadership and direction, good teaching and learning, and the good care, guidance and support that the school provides. Pupils enjoy coming to school and thanks to successful strategies to improve attendance it is now above average. Pupils' personal development is good because of the responsibility pupils are given and the high expectations of their behaviour and attitudes by the teaching and

p.4

Grade: 2

support staff. Leadership and management at all levels are good and contribute to improved achievement. New appointments, particularly in science and mathematics, have contributed to a sharper focus in teaching and planning. The local authority have supported the development of writing in Key Stage 2 and this emphasis has now spread to Key Stage 1. The leadership of the headteacher is instrumental in managing the absence of key staff so that pupils can thrive. Governors provide good support for the school's work and hold the school to account. The extensive system of monitoring performance, for all groups, has contributed to improving achievement but its use is in the early stages for Key Stage 1 because of the school's priority in concentrating on achievement in Year 6. The school is well placed to improve even further.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Further improve achievement in writing throughout the school but more especially in Key Stage 1. • Extend the use of information about pupils' progress to set more ambitious targets and plan further improvement.

p.4

Grade: 2

Pupils enter the school with broadly average standards, although their communication, language and literacy and personal, social and emotional development is lower. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage because of the good teaching, care and support that they receive. Results in national tests at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 over recent years have fluctuated and indicate that pupils have not been doing as well as they should particularly in writing in Key Stage 1 and science in Key Stage 2. Higher attaining pupils were also not doing well enough. Inspection evidence and the school's detailed performance data show that this is no longer the case. One of the key features of this 2 Inspection Report: St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 improvement has been through better teaching and the use of pupil assessments. Although standards in Year 2 are broadly average overall, they are slightly above

p.4

Grade: 2

average in mathematics and close to average in reading. Writing is the area where pupils perform worst, especially in Year 2, and this has been a strong focus for improvement. Inspection evidence shows that writing is improving and pupils are making good progress in relation to their earlier standards. Pupils are achieving well in Years 3 to 6 because of good teaching and support that is matched closely to pupils' needs. The standards of work seen in Year 6 are above average in all the core subjects and reflect a significant improvement in science. The progress older pupils make in English puts them in the top 10 per cent in the country. Pupils are on course to meet the school's challenging targets. Outstanding teaching of Year 6 mathematics has further improved numeracy standards, especially for higher attaining pupils. Pupils with additional learning needs and/or disabilities are well supported to make

p.5

Grade: 2

good progress, as are now the higher attaining pupils.

p.5

Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being is a strength of the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are well prepared for the future. They work hard in lessons and share and co-operate very well. They understand right from wrong and behave well in lessons, in the playground and around the school. They are polite and courteous to each other and to visitors. The thriving school council provides good opportunities for the children to take responsibility and develop an understanding of citizenship. They are particularly proud of their successful input into providing equipment for the playground and the improvements to the toilets. Their spiritual moral social and cultural development is good overall and spirituality is outstanding. Assemblies are uplifting and pupils both enjoy them and reflect upon the issues raised. Collective worship makes a strong contribution to the catholic ethos and encourages pupils to reflect on values such as

p.5

Grade: 2

fairness and caring for others. The school recognises the need to develop multicultural awareness further, particularly in Key Stage 2. Pupils are encouraged to take regular exercise and they are aware of the value of healthy eating. However, the school's lunchtime healthy options menu is narrow. The school has worked hard to improve attendance and this is now above average but the small number of holidays taken in school time prevents it from improving further.

p.5

Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good and includes some outstanding teaching. Relationships between teachers and pupils are positive and caring. The pupils' attitudes and behaviour are good because they are respected and valued. Pupils thrive in response 3 Inspection Report: St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 to their teacher's high expectations of work and commitment. Outstanding displays of work celebrate pupils' achievement and contribute to clean and attractive learning areas. Lessons are well planned and supported to meet the needs of the pupils with a range of attainment. The teachers are keen and knowledgeable and pupils respond enthusiastically. In some outstanding mathematics lessons in Year 6 pupils work furiously, they know exactly what they are doing and why, and they assess what they have learned with pride and a strong sense of achievement. Occasionally, the pupils

p.5

Grade: 2

are not given the chance to be actively involved because teachers spend too long introducing their work. When this happens the pupils are less attentive and focused on work and progress slows. However, lessons are generally well planned to meet the needs of all the pupils and learning support staff provide good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staffing changes and improved assessment have played a significant part in improving progress. Pupils are generally aware of how they are doing and what they need to do in order to improve their work.

p.6

Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and is well matched to the needs of the pupils. It is effectively planned and organised to build on previous learning and extend knowledge. The school has accurately identified the need for a strong emphasis on the core subjects and this is helping to maintain the above average standards in English and mathematics. More opportunities are now available for investigative work in science and mathematics and their effectiveness and contribution to pupils' enjoyment is being carefully monitored. Improved resources have contributed to good provision for the development of information and communication technology(ICT) skills. Pupils' enjoyment of learning is stimulated by the variety of opportunities, which are open to them, particularly in the Arts, where specialist teaching further enriches the curriculum. Themed weeks, including for instance the 'Life Education Centre' visits, promote healthy lifestyles and

p.6

Grade: 2

develop self-esteem. A good range of extracurricular experiences including sport, the arts, visits and booster classes enriches pupils' learning.

p.6

Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. This is a caring school that provides a happy and secure environment for all the pupils. They enjoy coming to school and feel safe; as one pupil said, 'This is a friendly place where teachers help you and lessons are fun.' The good level of care is reflected in the thoroughness of health and safety checks. Risk assessments are in place and all staff understand child protection procedures. Pupils who are at risk are quickly identified and supported, and files are secure and confidential. The school works successfully with outside agencies. Pupils feel confident that there is always an adult on hand to ease any problem or anxiety which they may have. Parents overwhelmingly agree that this is a very safe place for their children to be. Staff know the children well, and academic and social development is monitored to support pupil progress but could be more rigorous and challenging.

p.6

Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

p.6

Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and help the pupils to make good progress. The headteacher and new senior teachers provide very strong, clear leadership that has been successful in enabling change and driving up standards, whilst managing considerable staffing turbulence. Under their guidance subject leadership is developing well. Standards of work seen are rapidly improving and higher than in 2005 and progress is now good. Much work has been put into improving the overall quality of teaching and learning, particularly by adapting lessons better to pupils' learning needs. This has succeeded in driving up standards in lessons, which have clear objectives and structure. In addition, considerable work has been done to improve pupils' ICT skills through careful planning and improved resources. Parents are involved in their child's learning, and responses to questionnaires show strong support for the school. Good use is made of links with other agencies to enhance

p.7

Grade: 2

the school's provision. In particular, the local authority has supported improvements in English and mathematics and is making a range of packages available to support learning in science. The senior leadership team and the governing body have recently improved their grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, this is now good. Largely accurate self-evaluation, though cautious, is firmly based on systematic monitoring of quality and performance in all aspects of the school's work. The school improvement plan focuses sharply on pupils' needs and sets a clear direction for the school's continued development. Governors are well informed and able to hold the school rigorously to account for its performance. 5 Inspection Report: St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 .

p.7

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

p.8

Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

p.9

and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

p.10

The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

p.10

The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us to your school; you were very friendly and looked after us well. We would like to share with you what we thought of your school. - You like being at St. Jude's and your parents and people in the community value the school highly. - You work hard and make good progress. - We think your behaviour and attitudes are good because of the way you look after each other, work hard in lessons and care about people. - We think that you act very responsibly and your suggestions for improving the school playground and the toilets have produced good results. - You enjoy your lessons and you learn well because teaching is good. - Your headteacher, teachers and support staff have worked successfully to improve your school and want to improve it even more. What we have asked your school to do now. - We want you to do better in writing in Year 2. - We have asked school leaders to get together with your headteacher to check how you are

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

doing, especially in Key Stage 1, so that they can plan for you to improve even more.

p.11