Corpus Christi RC Primary School

Corpus Christi RC Primary School Inspection report

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105718 Unique Reference Number Oldham Local Authority 287312 Inspection number 27 June 2007 Inspection date Robert Robinson Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 296 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Fr Dermott Heakin Chair Mr Andrew Sowerby Headteacher 16 September 2002 Date of previous school inspection Stanley Road School address Chadderton Oldham Lancashire OL9 7HA

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0161 6521275 Telephone number 0161 6526100 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 27 June 2007 Inspection date 287312 Inspection number .

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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.

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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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average primary school. Most pupils are of White British background with an increasing number of pupils from Asian or Asian British backgrounds. A small proportion of pupils are learning English as an additional language. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The socio-economic circumstances of the area are below average. The school has gained the National Healthy School and Activemark awards.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi RC Primary School, 27 June 2007

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Grade: 2

Corpus Christi is a good school with outstanding features in pupils' personal development, its care, guidance and support of pupils and in leadership and management. It serves its community very well and provides good value for money. Parents appreciate the education and care provided for their children. Parents' typical comments include 'A fantastic school', 'Staff have genuine concern about every child' and 'a happy, well run school'. As you walk around the school the high quality of displays and well organised resources help one to appreciate the rich learning environment. Children enter Nursery enthusiastically and are keen to participate in the wide range of learning activities available both indoors and outdoors. This joy in learning helps children to make brisk progress. Good teaching continues in Reception, although these children do not have direct access to an outdoor area. This limits their learning opportunities.

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Grade: 2

In Years 1 to 6 pupils achieve well because of good teaching and a good curriculum. Rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning together with recent successful initiatives to check pupils' progress has resulted in improvements in standards, particularly by the end of Year 2. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 build well on their prior attainment. As a result, standards in most years since the last inspection have been above average. However, in English standards in reading are much higher than in writing, particularly at the higher level. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered extremely well. Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and show great care for one another. Behaviour both within classrooms and around the school is exemplary. Pupils get on very well with each other irrespective of gender or cultural background. They have an understanding of the cultural diversity of the local area through visits and visitors and studies of major world faiths. Pupils

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Grade: 2

enjoy school and achieve well within safe surroundings and a caring atmosphere. They gain a good awareness of how to stay healthy and are well prepared for future learning. The present strengths at the school result from outstanding leadership and management. The headteacher and governors have built up a very effective leadership team through astute appointments and the professional development of staff. The school has improved a great deal since its last inspection and has outstanding capacity to continue to do so. Since the last inspection, provision in the Foundation Stage and teaching throughout the school have improved significantly. Initiatives put in place by the leadership, such as the thorough tracking of individuals' progress, have impacted most positively on pupils' learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in writing by the end of Year 6 to match those attained in reading. • Improve outdoor learning opportunities for children in Reception.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good. Overall, attainment on entry to the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) is below average. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage. Changes of organisation and staffing of the Foundation Stage have successfully raised standards, which are now close to average. Children learning English as an additional language make particularly good progress in the Foundation Stage because of the help they receive from teachers and 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi RC Primary School, 27 June 2007 teaching assistants. Pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, continue to make overall good progress in Years 1 to 6. In the Year 6 national tests in 2006 standards in mathematics were above average. English standards were average but much higher in reading than writing. Standards of the present group of pupils at the end of Year 6 are similar to those

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Grade: 2

in 2006. In writing, a much greater proportion of pupils are on course to reach the level expected of their age, though few are expected to achieve the higher level. In comparison, almost half of the pupils are at the higher level in reading.

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Grade: 1

Children love this school and join in enthusiastically in the varied range of interesting activities provided for them. Their attendance is in line with the national average. It has declined recently because some parents do not appreciate the effect on their children's education of holidays in term time. Pupils' attitudes and behaviour in classrooms and around the school are outstanding. Children enter Nursery and quickly settle into the school's routines, making fast progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Increasingly, pupils develop good self-confidence as they move through school. Bullying is rare and school councillors say that if it occurs, 'it is dealt with quickly'. Pupils understand the importance of keeping safe and healthy. They take on responsibilities willingly, such as answering the telephone efficiently at lunchtime. Pupils gain a very good understanding of the needs of others and those less fortunate

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Grade: 1

than themselves through fundraising for worthy causes. In addition to the strong links with the local parish Catholic Church, pupils gain an insight into other faiths represented in the local community through visits and religious education lessons. For example, pupils have studied major world faiths and visited a local mosque and Sikh temple. The school's clear focus on the teaching of basic skills helps pupils to develop a very secure foundation for future learning.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good, resulting in pupils achieving well in their learning. Lessons are planned well to help all groups of pupils to make good progress. Capable, well trained teaching assistants work alongside teachers to provide valuable support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language. Resources such as interactive whiteboards add interest to learning and spur on pupils' progress. Behaviour management of pupils is a strength, with superb relationships between staff and pupils. Teachers' questioning skills are good, but occasionally questions do not encourage pupils to answer in phrases or sentences. The marking of pupils' work is consistently of a high standard. Teachers' comments celebrate pupils' successes, and 'tips' help pupils to appreciate what they must do to improve. Target cards in English and mathematics help pupils to see how

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Grade: 2

well they are doing and what is the next step of learning.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum matches the interests of all pupils well and fully meets requirements. Particularly strong emphasis is placed on developing pupils' skills in English and mathematics. However, the handwriting of many older pupils is too variable. Teachers plan well to develop pupils' skills 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi RC Primary School, 27 June 2007 in literacy in other subjects. Information and communication technology is used effectively to assist learning. Visitors and visits, including a residential experience for older pupils, provide an extra dimension to learning. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good but opportunities for outdoor learning for Reception children are limited. Personal, social, health and citizenship education is well established. Plans are well advanced to provide opportunities for pupils to learn a modern foreign language. Pupils and parents appreciate the extensive extra-curricular

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Grade: 1

Child safeguarding procedures are fully in place. Health and safety and risk assessment procedures promote a safe environment. Parents and pupils agree that children are looked after extremely well. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language are supported well, which helps them to make good progress. The tracking of pupils' progress is very thorough and is used very well to assist pupils to make good progress in their learning. It is also used very effectively to identify individuals and groups of pupils who need extra help to speed up their learning.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher, with the support of governors, has restructured the leadership team since the last inspection. As a result, all staff can have a voice in the running of the school. Senior staff have clearly defined roles to lead and manage change with the care, guidance and supervision of the senior leadership team. The impact of the new organisation and shared leadership is seen in the success of recent initiatives. Weaknesses in teaching have been resolved by rigorous monitoring of pupils' learning in all age groups. A focus on developing the Foundation Stage has resulted in much improved teaching and learning than was previously reported. Standards at the end of Year 2 have shot up this academic year because of a greater emphasis on pupils' learning and the tracking of pupils' progress from Nursery to the end of Year 2. In Years 3 to 6 pupils' progress has been improved. It has been identified as consistently

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Grade: 1

above average since 2003 in the national tests. The school has a very clear and accurate view of itself, although some of its judgements are rather modest. The school improvement plan is very detailed and demanding. Governors play their part in the success of the school. At times they can be extremely challenging as well as very supportive of staff. They make every effort to appoint high calibre staff and to support the professional development of all. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi RC Primary School, 27 June 2007 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi RC Primary School, 27 June 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi RC Primary School, 27 June 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi RC Primary School, 27 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Corpus Christi RC Primary School, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 7HA. Thank you for welcoming me to your school. I enjoyed the day I spent with you and our discussions. Your school is a good school with some outstanding features. This is because it is led and managed extremely well by the headteacher, other staff and governors. I was very impressed by your outstanding behaviour and interest in lessons. Staff look after you extremely well and I was pleased that you get on so well together. The standard of your work by the time you leave the school is generally above average. This is because you are taught well and make good progress. However, I have asked the school to challenge those of you who reach Level 5 in reading at the end of Year 6 to achieve also Level 5 in writing. I am sure you will work hard with your teachers to accomplish this target. In addition, I was pleased to see how well the Foundation Stage has improved since the last inspection. However, I want the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

school to improve outdoor learning opportunities for children in Reception. I appreciated talking to you about your work and watching you learn. I trust that you will continue to work with the headteacher and other staff to help them to continue to improve the school. I wish you well for the future. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi RC Primary School, 27 June 2007

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