SS. Mary and John’s Catholic Primary Academy

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About SS. Mary and John’s Catholic Primary Academy


Name SS. Mary and John’s Catholic Primary Academy
Website http://www.ssmaryandjohns.co.uk/
Inspections
Ofsted Inspections
Executive Head Mrs Krystyna Bickley
Address Caledonia Road, Wolverhampton, WV2 1HZ
Phone Number 01902558780
Phase Academy
Type Academy sponsor led
Age Range 3-11
Religious Character Roman Catholic
Gender Mixed
Number of Pupils 225
Local Authority Wolverhampton
Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Saints Mary and John's Catholic Primary Academy is a welcoming, caring school.

Pupils are happy and safe. They enjoy attending school. Bullying is not tolerated.

Staff deal with it properly if it happens.

Pupils are polite and friendly. At breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils play happily together.

On occasion, when teachers' expectations are not high enough, some pupils become distracted in class. Some staff do not feel supported by leaders to manage pupils' behaviour effectively. They say that differing advice from senior leaders leads to inconsistencies in the school's approach to managing pupils' behaviour.

Leaders do not set high enough ex...pectations of what pupils can achieve. Phonics is not taught well. Work provided for some pupils does not meet their needs and they struggle with reading.

Some areas of the curriculum are at an early stage of implementation. However, leaders have not checked to see if all subjects are delivered effectively and that pupils can remember and do more.

Activities, like after-school clubs, have been cautiously reinstated as COVID-19 restrictions have eased.

Pupils enjoy attending these clubs again and walking to the local church.

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

In the main, leaders have created a structured and coherent curriculum. Staff teach pupils the vocabulary needed to deepen learning.

This helps pupils begin to build up knowledge over time. However, teachers do not have the subject knowledge they need to teach some areas of the curriculum well enough. This means that they do not always set work that meets pupils' needs.

When this happens, pupils' attitudes to learning decline.

Leaders have recently reintroduced some subjects, including French and physical education (PE), following the pandemic. Leaders have not yet evaluated how well these subjects are delivered or what pupils know, can do and remember.

Leaders know that they need to improve early reading. They have appointed a new early reading leader and identified pupils who have fallen behind. However, early reading is not taught effectively.

Some staff do not have the knowledge and skills they need to teach phonics well. Work set does not allow pupils to practise the sounds they are learning. As a result, some pupils continue to struggle to read and do not gain the skills needed to become confident and fluent readers.

Staff in the early years do not consistently support children to learn well. Early mathematics teaching does not enable all children to build on what they know and can do. When writing, letter reversals are left unchallenged.

Children respond with enthusiasm when teaching focuses on their interests, such as when retelling the story of the 'Three Little Pigs' using puppets. Children welcome each other in the morning. They share and take turns when working together.

Parents and carers are positive about the care and support their children receive.

Recent improvements to the leadership of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are starting to impact. Most pupils with SEND are now supported to access the same curriculum as other pupils in school.

However, some adults do not have the subject knowledge they need to help and support pupils with SEND effectively. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

Leaders provide a sequenced personal development offer for pupils.

It is carefully structured so that pupils learn to make safe decisions. Pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of positive and respectful healthy relationships. Pupils say that staff are caring and listen to them.

They know there are trusted adults with whom they can raise issues or concerns. Pupils are proud of their school. They enjoy the range of activities on offer at lunchtime.

They particularly enjoy using the trim trail and visiting the peace garden.

Teachers do not feel supported by leaders to manage their workload effectively. They state that leaders provide conflicting advice in relation to managing pupils' behaviour as there are inconsistencies in policy and processes within the school.

Governors and senior members of the St Francis and St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Company have an understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for improvement. However, they have not ensured that school leaders have taken sufficient action to tackle weaknesses in curriculum implementation and phonics to improve outcomes for pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil. They are aware of specific areas of concern, such as protecting pupils from sexual harassment, domestic abuse and radicalisation. Leaders seek the right support for pupils.

This includes support from external agencies when necessary.

Leaders ensure the appropriate checks on staff are undertaken before they are appointed. Pupils know how to raise concerns with trusted adults in school.

They learn about healthy relationships and how to keep safe when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Not all staff have secure subject knowledge and teaching is not always well matched to pupils' learning. When this happens, pupils' attitudes to learning decline.

Leaders should ensure that teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum effectively so that all pupils, including those with SEND, consistently engage positively in their learning and achieve well. ? Leaders have recently revised the curriculum in the early years. However, weaknesses in early mathematics and writing have not been picked up.

French and PE have also been revised recently. Subject leaders have not evaluated how well these areas are being implemented or how well pupils are achieving. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is monitored closely in all areas to identify where improvements are needed.

• Some staff do not have the knowledge and skills they need to teach phonics effectively. As a result, a number of pupils have fallen behind in their reading, particularly in key stage 1. Leaders should support the new early reading leader to ensure that reading is taught well and that pupils catch up quickly.

• The school's approach to managing pupils' behaviour is inconsistent. Staff do not feel well supported by senior leaders. Leaders should ensure that there is a clear and consistent behaviour policy in place and that all staff adhere to this.

• Teachers have concerns about workload, particularly the time taken to plan mathematics lessons. This is because they do not have the pedagogical knowledge and skills to teach the curriculum effectively. Leaders need to provide further training so that teachers have the knowledge and skills to plan and teach all subjects successfully.

Governors and trust leaders have not challenged leaders well enough or held them to account sufficiently. This has resulted in pupils not making the progress they should. Leaders should address all priority areas identified so that pupils receive a good quality of education and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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