Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school. They say school is a really good place to be. Pupils feel safe in school and hold their teachers in high regard.

They describe everyone as friendly.

Staff have high expectations of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard in lessons and are well supported by staff.

They enjoy the many rewards they receive for good work and contributions to school life.

Pupils have confidence and trust in staff. They say the best thi...ng about school is the staff.

Pupils know adults will listen to them if they have any worries or concerns. Bullying is exceptionally rare and is not tolerated.

Pupils have a strong sense of equality.

They say that all people should be treated equally no matter what they look like or what disabilities they have. They say we should treat people as we would want to be treated ourselves.

Parents appreciate the work the school is doing for their children.

They say the school has a family feel to it, and they like that. They say their children are learning well because staff know the academic and personal needs of each child.

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

Leaders have planned a well-thought-out curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils.

They have made sure the curriculum is carefully sequenced from early years to Year 6. Leaders have identified the crucial knowledge in each subject that pupils must learn and by when. This allows pupils to build on what they already know.

Staff build learning in a logical way to meet the needs of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

Reading and phonics are planned very effectively across the school. This helps children in early years and key stage 1 to learn new sounds quickly.

Adults teach phonics well and children start to read words clearly. A love of reading is fostered across the school and many pupils are avid readers. Books are well matched to the sounds children know and the reading age of pupils in key stage 2.

Pupils who find phonics and reading more difficult get skilful support to help them catch up. Pupils read fluently and with enjoyment because they recall words and sounds quickly. There are fabulous displays in classrooms and corridors to promote reading.

Pupils are exceptionally proud of the school library and its wide selection of books.

Children in early years cooperate well together and enjoy learning in an inspiring environment. They are confident and articulate.

For example, pupils playing with a model of Captain Hook's ship explained its likeness to the large wooden ship in the playground very clearly. In Nursery, 'listening walks' in the school grounds are carefully planned, with children picking out sounds such as birds or machines. This strategy helps children listen to letter sounds when they start to read.

The Nursery's daily mathematics party creates a strong foundation for mathematical work in Reception.

Leaders have organised the mathematics curriculum in a logical way, with comprehensive plans for mixed-age classes. Teachers have a clear understanding of what they want pupils to know.

Pupils share ideas with each other about how to solve problems. Staff spot errors quickly and question pupils effectively. This helps pupils to correct mistakes and learn well.

Staff make sure those pupils with SEND have suitable resources and are skilfully supported.

Subject leaders for geography and science have designed a structured curriculum with well-matched resources. Pupils are proud of their work and it is well presented.

Staff give clear guidance to pupils, and plans build carefully on what has been learned before. Tasks are set to deepen pupils' understanding, but these are not assessed consistently well by teachers. There are times when misconceptions are not spotted in order to make sure pupils gain an in-depth understanding of these subjects.

Overall, pupils learn well and gain a good understanding in these subjects.

Pupils learn about democracy by voting for their school parliament. Each class votes for their member of parliament, who then votes for a prime minister.

The parliament and other pupils contribute ideas about learning and the school environment. For example, the well-designed trim trails and other activities in the playground were upgraded when pupils canvassed school leaders.

Leaders have developed a strong team spirit among the staff.

Leaders and governors set staff well-being and workload as a priority. All staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff receive regular training and know safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. They are vigilant and know how to spot potential signs of neglect or abuse.

Leaders act quickly when they are alerted to risks to pupils. Leaders work with several external agencies to provide support for pupils and their families. Careful checks are made on the suitability of adults who work with children.

Pupils learn about road safety, riding a bike safely and staying safe online. Visitors, such as the local fire service, contribute to pupils' knowledge of how to stay safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, assessment of pupils' learning is variable.

Curriculum leaders have not supported the development of teachers' assessment skills well enough in these subjects. Senior leaders should develop the role of curriculum leaders to support and guide teachers in assessing learning tasks accurately.

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, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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