St Oswald’s Catholic Primary School, Coppull

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, Coppull, continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a calm and caring place in which to learn. The environment that leaders have created embodies the school's Christian values.

Pupils who spoke to inspectors said that they enjoy attending school.

Pupils said that teachers expect them to work hard in lessons. They said that they like the changes that have happened in some subjects, such as mathematics, that make learning interesting and challenging.

Pupils feel safe in school. They are polite, courteous and show respect for each other and adults. They play happily with their friends.
...>
Pupils said that staff listen to them and help them to sort out any worries or concerns. They know staff will help them to resolve any arguments between friends. Pupils are confident that staff would stop any bullying if such incidents occurred.

Before the COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, pupils enjoyed a variety of sporting clubs. Plans are in place to reintroduce these shortly. Meanwhile, pupils enjoy 'feel good Fridays', when everyone can take part in exciting activities, such as farm visits and wall climbing challenges.

These activities help to develop pupils' resilience, teamwork and confidence.

Parents and carers think highly of the care and education that their children receive.

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

Although pupils typically achieve well, leaders recognised that the curriculum did not always allow pupils to systematically develop their knowledge over time.

This has led to a review of curriculum planning. Leaders have forged ahead in some subjects. For example, the curriculum plans for English, mathematics and physical education (PE) clearly set out the content that pupils should learn and the order in which it should be taught.

For instance, in PE, pupils build on their movement and gymnastic skills from early years to Year 6. However, not all subjects are planned with the same precise detail. At times, this prevents pupils from gaining the key knowledge that they need to have before they move on to new ideas.

Leaders have ensured that teaching pupils to become fluent and confident readers is a priority. Recent changes in the approach to teaching phonics in the early years have been embraced by well-trained staff. This ensures that children in the Reception Year get off to a good start in learning the sounds that letters represent.

Pupils in key stage 1 enjoy reading books that are closely matched to the sounds that they have learned. Leaders take swift action to support any pupils who are struggling to read. This helps them to catch up quickly.

Most pupils in key stage 2 are keen readers. They talk confidently about the types of books they like to read and their favourite authors.

Training for staff has ensured that they have up-to-date subject knowledge to teach many areas of the curriculum.

Leaders and teachers know how well pupils are achieving. They use this information well to make appropriate amendments to the curriculum and to revisit subject content to help pupils remember what they have learned. For instance, in mathematics, teachers routinely practise multiplication tables to enhance pupils' fluency in mental arithmetic.

Pupils, including children in early years, rarely experience any disruption in lessons due to poor behaviour. Well-established routines ensure that the school is a calm and purposeful environment. Leaders have appropriate strategies in place to help the few pupils who find engaging in learning more difficult to get the help that they need.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well, so that they can learn alongside their peers. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) carefully ensures that these pupils receive extra help when it is needed. The SENCo works with teachers to help them adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

As a result, these pupils achieve well.

Prior to the start of the pandemic, pupils had access to a wide range of clubs, trips and visitors, such as local fire and police officers. These activities supported pupils' personal development well.

Leaders have plans to safely resume these activities at the start of the new academic year.

Governors know the school's strengths and the priorities for development. They are also fully aware of the impact that the pandemic has had on the school's staff and pupils.

Governors act as a critical friend, providing support and challenge to leaders in equal measure. They use their professional knowledge effectively to hold leaders to account for the impact of their actions.

Staff share leaders' ambitions for all pupils to succeed.

Staff are proud to work at the school and morale is high. They appreciate how leaders carefully consider staff's workload and well-being when planning activities to further improve the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Up-to-date training ensures that all staff and governors are knowledgeable about the potential risks to pupils' safety and well-being. Staff are vigilant. They know the appropriate actions to take if they have concerns about any pupil.

Leaders act appropriately on concerns, working in partnership with parents to ensure that pupils and their families receive the help that they need.

Governors have established an appropriate system to filter and monitor the use of the school's internet connection. Leaders use this well to check on any suspicious activities to help prevent pupils from coming to harm when they are learning online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some curriculum plans do not clearly define what leaders expect pupils to know and when they should know it. This hinders pupils from building on their learning as they move through topics and year groups. Leaders should complete their review of curriculum planning for all subjects.

This will enable teachers to systematically teach the knowledge that pupils need to progress through the curriculum.The transition arrangements were used on this inspection to confirm that pupils benefit from a good-quality education.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2016.