Good Shepherd RC School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this school. Staff are kind and caring towards them. Pupils are typically courteous and kind.

The school makes it a priority to teach pupils its values, for example during regular assemblies and by collecting donations for a food bank. This helps pupils to understand how they can contribute to their community.

Although pupils largely behave well, behaviour can be unsettled and unfocused in lessons.

Pupils typically treat one another with respect. When bullying does occur, the school takes action to deal with it. Staff speak with pupils about their behaviour and encourage them to reflect on how they could do better.

The sc...hool has introduced new curriculum resources in many subjects. New content is ambitious. However, staff do not understand it well.

The school has not adapted new content to take into account pupils' prior knowledge. Teaching and support do not focus well on building pupils' knowledge over time. Pupils' achievement is mixed.

In some aspects of mathematics, pupils achieve well below national averages.

The school provides a good range of experiences for pupils, including visits to museums and places of worship. Pupils regularly make use of a range of sports clubs.

Pupils take up responsibility through roles such as faith leaders.

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

The school's curriculum sets out the content pupils should learn. Most of this is new.

In some subjects, such as mathematics, staff have been supported to understand the curriculum. This helps them focus on key knowledge when teaching. However, in other subjects, staff lack strong subject knowledge.

They do not break down long-term curriculum goals into smaller components. As a result, pupils complete tasks that do not help them learn important content. Pupils find it hard to remember what they have been taught in these subjects.

Staff are aware of the early learning goals for children by the end of Reception. The school has identified what children should know, for example about numbers and reading. However, in other areas, the school has not identified what children should learn.

Without a clear plan for how children will reach long-term aims, too much is left to chance.

Recently, the school has checked pupils' knowledge of the mathematics and phonics curriculum. This helps staff know where pupils need extra support.

Teaching is now addressing some of the weaknesses in pupils' understanding in these areas. However, the school has not checked how well pupils remember what they have learned in other subjects. They have not reviewed the curriculum to make sure pupils have secured important knowledge.

As a result, pupils struggle to learn and remember new content successfully over time.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Staff provide support and resources to help pupils access the curriculum.

However, when teaching does not focus precisely on what all pupils need to know, the support for pupils with SEND also lacks focus.

Teachers regularly discuss books with pupils, which encourages their interest in reading. Phonics teaching helps pupils use sounds to read unfamiliar words.

However, some pupils, including those in the early years, have large gaps in their phonics knowledge. The school knows that some teaching has not been effective enough. Teaching now addresses gaps in pupils' knowledge, and this is helping some pupils.

However, some phonics teaching still does not build well on what pupils already know.

In lessons, pupils mostly follow routines. However, too many pupils do not join in with classroom activities.

Staff do not use consistent methods to address this behaviour. Pupils are not clear about what is expected from them in tasks This means they do not finish important activities designed to help them embed important knowledge.

Most pupils attend school regularly.

However, a significant number of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are absent too often. The school monitors attendance and provides support to help improve it. However, the school has not evaluated how well its approaches work.

The school provides a good personal, social, health and economic education. Pupils learn about different characteristics and beliefs. They visit places of worship to understand different faiths.

This helps them to understand fundamental British values. Pupils are taught about healthy relationships and develop a good understanding of how to stay safe, including from online and offline risks.

Leaders, including governors, have developed ways to evaluate the school's work.

However, these methods do not always give a clear understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They do not always have the information needed to monitor all areas of the school, including behaviour and the curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff do not present information routinely clearly or give appropriate work to pupils to achieve the main aims of the curriculum effectively. As a result, pupils struggle to recall key knowledge. The school must ensure that teaching enables pupils to learn and remember knowledge successfully across the whole curriculum.

• The school does not use assessment effectively to check pupils' understanding and inform teaching, particularly in foundation subjects. As a result, pupils develop gaps in important knowledge. The school must use checks on pupils' learning to identify misconceptions and address them.

• In some areas of the early years curriculum, the school has not identified the precise knowledge it wants children to learn in order to be ready for their next stage of education. As a result, some children develop gaps in crucial early knowledge which persist. The school must ensure children learn essential knowledge securely to prepare them well for Year 1.

• Expectations for learning behaviour are not routinely consistent. As a result, some pupils lose focus during learning activities and do not complete important work. Staff must promote consistently high expectations to ensure positive learning behaviour for all.

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