St Patrick's Catholic Voluntary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 October 2024

Pupils' experience of school has been impacted negatively during a period of considerable turbulence in staffing and fragility in governance. Many staff are new to the school, or new to their role. The school does not have the leadership capacity to give staff the support that they need to carry out their role effectively or bring about the necessary improvements to pupils' education. There are weaknesses in how well the curriculum is taught. The school does not have high enough expectations of pupils' achievement, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND do not get the support that they need. Consequently, pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not achieve as well as they should. While some lessons are calm and orderly, others are disrupted by low-level behaviour and noise. The school does not support staff to implement the behaviour policy effectively. Pupils reported that there are frequent incidents of poor behaviour and bullying. They have varying levels of confidence in staff to resolve these issues. Despite these weaknesses, many pupils enjoy school. This is reflected in their good attendance. They learn how to keep themselves safe through the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons. There are some opportunities for pupils to take on leadership responsibilities. This helps them to develop their confidence and communication skills. For example, they can become a prayer warrior or part of the school council. However, these opportunities are limited.

What the school should improve

• High staff turnover and turbulence in governance have had a significant impact on the leadership capacity of the school. Consequently, there are significant weaknesses in the quality of education that pupils receive. The school has not made sure that weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum are identified and resolved. The school must act swiftly to strengthen leadership capacity at all levels to bring about rapid and sustainable improvement to pupils' education and their experience of school.
• The school does not identify pupils with SEND well enough or provide an education that meets their needs. Staff are unclear about pupils' needs. They do not adapt the curriculum well enough to enable these pupils to flourish. Consequently, the achievement of pupils with SEND is weak. The school must ensure that staff are fully trained in how to identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
• Many staff are not equipped to implement the new behaviour policy, and there is a distinct lack of clarity around the rewards and consequences that should be used. As a result, lessons are frequently interrupted by disruptive behaviour, and classrooms are, on occasion, loud and chaotic. Some pupils have lost confidence in the school's ability to solve incidents of bullying. The school must ensure that staff are suitably informed about the behaviour policy so that it is implemented consistently well to reduce bullying and improve pupils' behaviour.
• Children in the early years do not receive equitable access to the curriculum. A significant minority of children are registered in the Year 1 class and spend their time between the Reception Year and Year 1. This is having a detrimental effect on their achievement. It lessens their readiness to access the key stage 1 curriculum. The school must ensure that all children of Reception age get full and equal access to the curriculum so that they are prepared well for the next stage of their education.
• Staff do not check whether pupils remember what they have learned in some of subjects, including PSHE lessons. Consequently, pupils' recall of learning in these subjects is variable and pupils have gaps in their knowledge. This limits their readiness for life beyond school. The school should ensure that pupils know and remember what they have been taught so that they are well prepared for their next steps.
• There are weaknesses in how well the school records safeguarding concerns. Some records are not completed in a timely manner. The school does not consistently record the action taken following a concern. The school must ensure that strong systems are in place to ensure that all safeguarding concerns are appropriately recorded, including the action that was taken. HMCI strongly recommends that the school does not seek to appoint early career teachers. The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be considered again during any monitoring inspection we carry out.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)