Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hindley Green

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hindley Green continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is a caring school where pupils thrive both socially and emotionally. Pupils are happy coming to school because they feel respected and well cared for.

Pupils say that they love attending school. They see themselves as being part of a happy family. Pupils feel safe at school because they have good relationships with staff.

They say that there is always someone they can talk to who will help them.

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils work hard to achieve these.

In and aroun...d school, pupils behave well. They play well together and support each other in their learning. Pupils say that bullying does not happen at their school.

If it ever did, they know that it would be dealt with quickly by staff.

Pupils enjoy having responsibilities, for example being a member of the school parliament, a play leader or an eco-councillor. They say that these opportunities enable them to look after each other and help make the school a better place.

Pupils are keen to contribute to society. They run events and organise activities to raise money for charities that they care about.

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

Leaders have improved the curriculum to make sure that it is well-balanced and interesting.

Pupils learn about different subjects in a logical order. This helps them to remember more and know more, for example about history. Plans include lots of visits and visitors to make learning fun.

They learn a wide range of subjects, which helps them to develop into responsible citizens.

The changes that leaders have made to subjects other than English and mathematics are still quite recent. Teachers do not build well enough on what pupils already know and can do.

Discussions with some pupils showed that they could not always remember important work that had been taught in the past. Leaders are making sure that teachers address this. This can be seen in the work that pupils are now producing.

Leaders make sure that pupils learn to read well. Staff understand how phonics should be taught. Extra help is given to pupils who need to catch up.

Pupils achieve well in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Pupils enjoy reading and listening to stories. They read often in school and at home.

Older pupils enjoy the wide range of books and novels that they can choose from. However, sometimes staff give younger pupils reading books which are not matched to the phonics that they have been learning. This slows down the progress that some younger pupils make in learning to read.

Mathematics is well planned and taught across the school. Most pupils achieve well in this subject. This is because teachers usually plan work that builds on what pupils have learned before.

This develops pupils' knowledge and skills. However, sometimes teachers do not use assessment well enough to plan problem-solving activities that challenge all pupils.

Children are safe and happy in the early years.

Staff have created an environment that supports a well-planned and ambitious curriculum. Children enjoy the stimulating learning experiences that staff provide. Children play happily together and enjoy their time at school.

Most children reach a good level of development by the end of the early years.

Where pupils fall behind in their learning, support is put into place to help them catch up. Leaders have made sure that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs met.

Pupils who leave Sacred Heart in Year 6 achieve well. They are ready for the next stage of their education.

Leaders look after teachers' well-being.

Staff told me that leaders always have time to support them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know pupils and their families well.

This means that they spot any changes in a pupil's behaviour straight away. Systems for staff to report concerns are straightforward and well understood. The designated leader for safeguarding is quick to follow up any concerns.

Leaders ensure that all staff get regular safeguarding training. This helps them to be up to date with the most recent guidance.

Leaders work well with other professionals to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

They seek advice and support when they need to. Pupils spoken with during the inspection could explain how to keep themselves safe in the community and online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders have taken effective steps to implement an ambitious and balanced curriculum.

The way that pupils are taught is well planned and sequenced in history. However, because the changes made are quite recent, there are still some gaps in pupils' learning. This is similar in other subjects.

Leaders need to make sure that pupils remember the content they have been taught so they can use it in their future learning. . Mathematics is well planned and sequenced across the school.

Leaders have made sure that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards clearly defined end points. However, sometimes teachers do not use assessment effectively enough to identify gaps in pupils' learning. Leaders need to ensure that teachers routinely plan work that is demanding enough for all pupils, with a particular focus on developing pupils' skills in solving problems.

This will enhance pupils' learning in mathematics even further. . Teachers give pupils reading books which are sometimes too difficult for them to practise their decoding skills.

Teachers need to make sure that reading books are well matched to the phonics that pupils are learning in class. This will help to further develop pupils' early reading skills.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 school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, 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 convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hindley Green to be good on 22 April 2015.

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