St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy has a palpable family atmosphere. This is a nurturing environment. The Catholic ethos runs through the life of the school.

The well-being of pupils and staff is a priority.

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Most pupils achieve well.

The school teaches pupils in mixed-age classes. This is managed well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

The school has improved the curriculum in recent years. This has contributed to the strong progress pupils make by the end of key stage 2. In some areas, recent changes need more time to become embedded to provide the f...ull impact of the curriculum that the school intends.

Pupils' behaviour is calm and purposeful. The school has high expectations of pupils' conduct. Bullying is not an issue.

The school's systems to promote good attendance work well. Pupils are happy and safe.

The school provides a wealth of opportunities to develop pupils' character and positive mental health.

The school ensures all pupils benefit from having a leadership position before they leave primary school.

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

St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy is a smaller-than-average sized school. The well-chosen curriculum supports the teaching of the mixed-age classes.

Teachers are clear about what pupils must know for each year group. Teacher expertise is well developed by the training offered by the trust.

Reading is prioritised in school.

Children learn to read as soon as they join Reception. Children learn to read quickly and fluently. Staff's expertise enables strong progress in reading.

The school meticulously checks pupils' reading progress. Weaker readers benefit from the timely and effective support that they receive throughout the school day. The recently introduced 'breakfast phonics club' is having a positive impact.

The reading initiatives and stories shared in school create an excitement for reading. Pupils enjoy the wide range of books available for them to read.

By the end of key stage 2, pupils achieve very well.

Lessons are ambitious. Pupils engage enthusiastically with the questions and activities presented in class. They want to do well.

The curriculum prioritises pupils' understanding of important vocabulary. In lessons where this is well embedded, pupils discuss their learning confidently. The recent changes to the curriculum mean that, in some subjects, the systems to check that pupils have learned and remembered the knowledge they need are still being developed.

In some subjects, teachers are not aware of the knowledge that pupils are missing. This means that pupils struggle to integrate new knowledge as the curriculum intends.

Pupils with SEND are highly involved in the life of the school.

Staff know their needs well. The school partners with specialist teams and local support to provide pupils with the help they need. Parents and carers are involved in a collaborative way.

The progress and character development of pupils with SEND are a priority. They achieve well. They benefit from the adult support given in lessons and tailored interventions.

Children in the early years benefit from the ways the school develops their independence. For example, children help to serve snacks and use timers to tidy up. Children learn to use hand tools in regular 'forest school' sessions and begin to develop their understanding of the world.

Relationships between children and adults are nurturing. Children enjoy joining in with familiar songs and rhymes. This develops their communication and language knowledge.

Adults support children to develop their understanding of early number and mathematics effectively. In some areas of learning, adults are not clear enough about the precise purpose of some activities or the exact vocabulary that children should learn. This means that children sometimes do not secure the depth of understanding or level of skill that they could.

Pupils' behaviour is positive throughout the school day. They are motivated by the reward systems in school. There are high expectations for pupils' attitudes to learning.

The school's routines to create calm classrooms are effective. Pupils work well together in lessons. Friendships across year groups are delightful.

Pupils at St Joseph's are polite and friendly.

The school provides regular lessons teaching pupils the science behind how the brain works. Pupils discuss this with impressive eloquence.

Their knowledge of brain chemistry helps them to manage their emotions and positive well-being. Pupils are proud of the many leadership opportunities on offer to them. The school carefully checks that all pupils will have a role contributing to school life and initiatives.

The variety of extra-curricular clubs and visits develops pupils' talents and interests. Some pupils lead lunchtime clubs and the school introduces after-school clubs following pupils' requests.

Those responsible for governance work well together to ensure the school benefits from the support and development available.

The long-standing governing body know the school and community well. They are well aware of their statutory responsibilities. Governors demonstrate a high level of understanding and commitment to the improvement journey of the school.

The school benefits from the development opportunities and networks provided by the trust. Staff workload and well-being are well managed.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some areas of learning, the curriculum in the early years is not specific enough about the knowledge and precise vocabulary that pupils should learn and remember. As a result, some activities and adult interactions are not sharply focused on exactly what children need to learn. The school should focus on developing the full early years curriculum to provide high-quality learning opportunities for children in the early years across all areas of learning.

• The school's systems to check what pupils know and remember are more developed in some curriculum subjects than in others. In some subjects, teachers do not have a clear understanding of what older pupils know and can do. The school should continue to refine how they check pupils' knowledge and understanding in these subjects so that they can quickly identify any misconceptions and plan future work accordingly.