Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Esh Winning

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There has been significant instability in staffing and leadership in the school in recent months. The new executive headteacher is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well.

Leaders from the trust have reviewed the school's curriculum. They have very recently introduced new subject curriculums. Pupils find learning interesting.

However, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders know that there is more to be done to ensure that pupils catch up.

There is a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the school.

Pupils are happy to see staff greet them at the gate. Pupils show respect to each other and the staff who help them. A consistent approach to behav...iour helps pupils to make the right choice.

As a result, pupils behave well. This helps pupils to learn. At breaktimes, there are many games to occupy pupils.

Staff are on hand to resolve any issues. This helps pupils to feel safe.

The school plans a range of experiences to help develop pupils' talents and interests.

Older pupils enjoy playing wheelchair basketball. Younger pupils participate in ballet lessons. They visit the Durham Gala Theatre to discuss dance with the Northern Ballet.

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

The recent changes to leadership mean that some leaders are in new roles. Leaders have identified much-needed improvements. However, these priorities are not well understood by all leaders.

Many changes are not embedded. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

Trust leaders have introduced new curriculums in most subjects, including core subjects.

The important knowldge and vocabulary that leaders want pupils to learn are well sequenced. The curriculums include clear end points. However, these curriculums are not fully in place.

Some pupils have misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge. Occasionally, the work given to pupils does not help pupils to build on prior learning. Opportunities to check what pupils know and understand across all subjects are often missed.

The school has not had time to thoroughly check how effectively the new curriculums are being taught. This means that some pupils are not sufficiently prepared for the next stage of education.

In early years, children get off to a strong start.

The early years leader has expert knowledge about each area of learning. Staff make careful checks on children's understanding. They use assessment well to identify children's starting points.

For example, assessments highlighted that children struggle to use writing tools and scissors. Staff use this information to plan activities such as pegging socks together to make pairs. In mathematics, children sit together to find out which items could fit in a box.

Staff use the language that they want children to learn to describe the size of objects. This helps children to build their vocabulary.

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading and phonics.

Younger pupils take part in daily phonics sessions. Older pupils learn through carefully structured reading lessons. Pupils practise reading often.

This is helping pupils to learn to read fluently. At the end of the school day, pupils across the school enjoy listening to stories. Teachers model reading well.

This is helping pupils to develop their own understanding of vocabulary.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in school. Leaders have set sharply focused targets for pupils so that it is clear what pupils need to learn and when.

This is helping pupils to learn alongside their peers in the classroom. Despite this, some parents and carers feel that the school is not giving their children the support they need to succeed. The new special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is starting to involve parents and carers in deciding how best to support pupils with SEND.

The school has a carefully planned curriculum for pupils' personal development. Pupils learn to be tolerant of those with different viewpoints to their own. They talk confidently about a range of faiths and cultures.

Pupils learn about democracy through activities such as elections for 'Minnie Vinnies' and the school council. The school organises opportunities for pupils to participate in charity work. This includes collecting food for harvest and participating in the fun run for St Joseph's Hospice.

Pupils are learning to care for the local community.

The priorities for improving the school are not known by leaders at all levels. The systems to monitor these improvements and priorities are not in place for all staff.

Staff appreciate the changes that leaders have made to the curriculum. Leaders continue to build the expertise of staff through training. Staff appreciate the support that they are receiving.

Most staff enjoy working at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculums for all subjects are not implemented as intended by the school.

This means that pupils are not learning and remembering the key knowledge that has been identified on curriculum plans. The school should ensure that expectations for teaching the curriculum are clear to teachers so that the quality of teaching consistently supports pupils to remember the content long term. ? The checks the school makes on pupils' learning do not identify gaps in pupils' knowledge sufficiently well.

This means that some pupils have misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge as they progress through school. The school should ensure that staff know how to use assessment effectively so that pupils keep up with their learning. The school's communication with parents is variable.

Parents do not receive consistent feedback to help them understand their child's school experience. This includes parents of pupils with SEND. The school needs to ensure that it involves parents effectively.

• The vision for improvement set by leaders at all levels is not fully established. This is reducing the timeliness and effectiveness of leaders' actions to improve important areas of provision. The school should ensure that all leaders and staff are clear about the current school improvement priorities so that all staff understand their part in enacting improvements and measuring success.