St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils here have a generous view of their school. They like to come to school and enjoy playing with their friends.

However, pupils do not develop the knowledge and skills they need because the curriculum is poorly designed. Pupils' knowledge and understanding are far behind where they should be. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not have their needs identified quickly and do not receive the right support.

Pupils are receiving an inadequate quality of education.

While younger pupils behave well, this is not the case for older pupils. There are occasions when a minority of pupils disrupt the learning of others.

Older ...pupils say that they often hear offensive language and see others being aggressive at playtime and lunchtime. Pupils feel that adults do not deal with bullying or prevent it from happening. They do not trust adults to deal with poor behaviour.

Some pupils say that bullying is a normal part of school life and they do not feel safe in school.

Pupils enjoy the extra-curricular activities available, such as football club and 'children's university'. School councillors feel that they make a difference to improving the school for their peers.

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

Over time, trust leaders and governors have not checked carefully enough that the quality of education offered is adequate. As issues have grown, they have failed to take action to address the weaknesses in the school. Trust leaders and governors have not ensured that staff have the knowledge and skills to keep pupils safe.

Leaders have not implemented a broad curriculum that prepares pupils for the next stage of their education. The curriculum from early years to Year 6 is poorly designed. Pupils do not spend enough time learning the basics in English and mathematics.

As a result, they do not develop the vital knowledge they need and get confused in lessons. Leaders of these subjects do not have the time, knowledge or support they need to develop the curriculum effectively. Leaders have not set out the knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember.

This means that teachers do not know what to prioritise when teaching and assessing pupils' knowledge.

While leaders have made improvements in the teaching of phonics, most pupils are significantly behind where they should be. Too many pupils do not have a secure understanding of basic phonics, meaning they cannot read simple texts.

Pupils have large gaps in their knowledge that leaders have been unable to address. Weaker readers in older year groups are not given the support needed to become fluent readers. Older pupils who can read enjoy reading and talk about books that they are reading and authors that they like.

Pupils with SEND, including children in Reception, do not have their needs identified quickly and accurately. They cannot access the curriculum fully. Staff are not well trained to identify and support pupils' behaviour and learning needs.

Pupils with SEND are often given the same task as their peers without the support they need to succeed. Pupils with SEND often become frustrated and distract other pupils from learning.

Staff do not have high expectations for pupils' behaviour.

Pupils do not always show positive attitudes. While children learn the routines of the classroom in Reception, older pupils do not follow expected routines. Bullying is too frequent an experience for pupils.

Pupils do not trust adults to deal with behaviour issues and, as a result, do not report concerns.

Systems for monitoring and reviewing behaviour are not effective. While incidents of behaviour concerns are recorded, leaders do not review these incidents to identify patterns or trends.

As a result, leaders do not put strategies in place to prevent incidents from reoccurring and issues continue to spiral.

Leaders have a curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) in place. However, this is not delivered on a regular basis and lessons are often missed.

As a result, pupils miss out on valuable learning, particularly older pupils. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of risks. They know how to be safe online.

Pupils learn about democracy and tolerance but have a limited understanding of other religions. This means pupils are not well prepared for their next stage of learning.

Trustees and governors do not know the school's provision well.

They do not monitor leaders' work closely enough. The trust's work to improve quality of education, support for pupils with SEND and behaviour is weak.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

Staff know the school's safeguarding policy, including how to report concerns. However, this is not always followed, and information is not shared with the right leaders. Staff are not confident with reporting low-level concerns about pupils and, as a result, the early signs of abuse are not recognised.

Leaders' record-keeping is poor. Records do not outline how concerns are followed up, what actions have been taken or the decisions reached. Leaders do not have a clear understanding or grasp of the safeguarding information they hold, leaving pupils at risk of significant harm.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The system for reporting safeguarding concerns is inefficient and complicated. While staff recognise and record concerns, leaders' actions to ensure the safety of pupils are not effective or timely. Leaders do not use the information they collect to guide their actions.

Leaders must review their safeguarding systems and their own use of these so that they keep pupils safe. They must ensure the timely sharing of information and, where relevant, involvement of external agencies. ? Leaders have not developed a broad and balanced curriculum that sets out clearly the knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember.

Leaders have not given subject leaders the appropriate support or time to develop their curriculum. As a result, teachers are unsure what to teach and assess. Pupils do not remember what they have been taught and struggle to access new learning.

Leaders should ensure subject leaders and teachers have the time and training to develop the curriculum so that pupils receive a curriculum that is well planned and sequenced. ? Leaders do not have effective systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They have not ensured that staff have a clear understanding of how to support pupils with SEND.

Expectations for pupils with SEND are low and the support they receive is imprecise. Leaders should ensure that they accurately identify pupils' needs. Leaders must ensure that staff are sufficiently trained to meet pupils' needs and make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn well.

• Pupils do not display the school's values, such as respect. Older pupils are often mean and aggressive towards one another. Pupils often become frustrated in lessons and lose interest in learning.

This leads to poor behaviour. Leaders urgently need to address the shortcomings of the PSHE curriculum and ensure teachers are trained to consistently apply behaviour management strategies so that pupils behave well. Leaders must ensure that they have effective systems in place to track and monitor pupils' behaviour.

• Trustees and those responsible for governance do not know the weaknesses in the school's provision. They have not challenged leaders to ensure that these are being addressed. Trustees and governors must ensure that effective action is taken to rapidly improve the school.