Saint Joseph’s Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Francis McDonnell. This school is part of Our Lady Of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, James McGeachie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nigel Stevenson.

What is it like to attend this school...?

Pupils enjoy attending St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy. The school is a happy place for them to learn and make friends. Pupils are safe.

They talk to the adults in school about any worries that they may have. Pupils are keen to share the school's values. They recognise the importance of respecting each other, as well as the staff in school.

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. However, these ambitions are not fully realised. The school's new leaders have evaluated its strengths and areas that require further development accurately.

They are making changes to the curriculum to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

Pupils' conduct around the school is mostly calm and orderly. Pupils are polite and display good manners.

Staff listen to pupils and take any concerns that they may have seriously. The school deals with rare incidents of bullying promptly. The school is raising expectations of how pupils should learn and behave in lessons.

New behavioural routines for pupils are in place. Parents, carers and staff welcome this new approach to promoting good learning and behaviour.

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

The school has not ensured that staff deliver the phonics programme consistently well.

Those pupils at the early stages of reading do not benefit from the well-honed teaching that they need. Leaders are beginning to improve the school's approach to teaching phonics. Staff have received updated training.

The phonics curriculum starts from the beginning of Reception. Staff are instilling a love of reading into children in Nursery. They enjoy stories and rhymes.

This is helping to develop children's speaking and listening skills. Pupils across school are developing a passion for reading. They talk about the stories that adults read to them and understand why it is important to learn to read.

Leaders have worked with a local partner school to develop an appropriate curriculum for pupils. Much of this curriculum work is not fully in place. As a result, in subjects such as geography and history, the knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember is not secure.

In other subjects, such as physical education (PE), leaders have set out a clear sequence of knowledge for pupils to learn, from early years to Year 6. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The clarity of the PE curriculum is supporting teachers new to the school or a year group to build their own subject knowledge.

Leaders are improving the systems and procedures in place for identifying and supporting pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND take part in lessons and wider-school activities. However, the next steps that pupils with SEND need to take to progress through the curriculum are not clear or known by all relevant staff.

Pupils have the opportunity to take on roles in school such as worship leaders or 'Mini Vinnies', who help to raise money for charities. Leaders are keen that pupils understand the world beyond their local area. Educational visits, such as to the theatre, take place to broaden pupils' experiences.

Pupils take part in sporting events and competitions willingly.

The school's approach to personal, social and health education covers a wide range of important issues. Pupils learn about themselves and how they should treat others.

Pupils accept the right to be different and learn about those who have different views to their own. Despite this learning, pupils do not have a sufficiently deep understanding of fundamental British values or the protected characteristics. This means that pupils are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Leaders, including the trust, have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They have begun to make improvements across the school. Staff understand leaders' vision for improvement.

They are fully supportive of the new leadership team. Staff feel valued, respected and considered. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the changes that have started in school.

They appreciate the visibility of leaders and acknowledge that any issues they have are dealt with in a timely way.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The agreed phonics programme is not implemented consistently well.

Pupils do not learn to read fluently as quickly as they should. The school should ensure that staff deliver the phonics programme consistently well. ? The targets set for pupils with SEND are not clear and do not support their progression through the curriculum.

This means that adults working with them do not know what these pupils need to learn next. The school needs to set clear targets to support pupils with SEND and ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise to help pupils reach these targets. ? The curriculum in the foundation subjects is new.

Pupils cannot demonstrate and recall learning from this new curriculum. The school must continue refining the curriculum so that pupils learn the intended knowledge in each subject consistently well. ? Pupils do not have a sufficiently deep understanding of fundamental British values or the protected characteristics.

They are not able to talk about their learning or how this may help them when growing up in modern Britain. The school should ensure that there is a more thorough approach to the teaching of the fundamental British values and the protected characteristics so that pupils are better prepared for life in modern Britain.

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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

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

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2013.