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Rosary Catholic Primary School in Saltley found to have ‘serious shortfalls’ in safeguarding in Ofsted report
Ofsted has identified ‘serious shortfalls’ in safeguarding at a Birmingham primary school. The Rosary Catholic Primary School in Bridge Road, Saltley, was rated ‘inadequate’ in its latest inspection after it was found the safety of pupils was not ensured.
In a report released on Monday, June 12, Ofsted said there was a ‘serious cause for concern’ with safeguarding practices. The school said the issues had been addressed ‘very quickly’.
Of the five inspection criteria, only leadership and management were rated ‘inadequate’, while early years provision, personal development, and behaviour all scored ‘good’. Inspectors deemed the quality of education at The Rosary as ‘requires improvement’.
READ MORE: Standards at £54k-a-year independent school in Birmingham ‘still not met’, Ofsted says
The report says: “There are serious shortfalls in the school’s safeguarding processes that leave pupils at risk of harm. Leaders do not respond robustly enough to reported concerns about pupils’ welfare.
“Because of this, pupils do not receive the help they need at the right time. Record-keeping is weak and does not provide a clear audit trail or build up a picture of concerns about pupils’ safety and well-being.”
It continues: “Leaders should urgently strengthen safeguarding systems and procedures. They should make sure all systems in place are robust and ensure all pupils are safeguarded from potential harm.”
At the time of the inspection in January 2023, The Rosary had 381 pupils enrolled between the ages of three and 11. It converted into an academy in 2021 and is part of the St Teresa of Calcutta Multi-Academy Trust.
Ofsted said the school has designed an ambitious curriculum and pupils got a good start in their early reading. Elsewhere, extra-curricular experiences such as visits to places of worship allowed pupils to learn to recognise and respect people different to themselves, the report said.
In response, a spokesperson for The Rosary said: “We are delighted Ofsted recognised some of the very positive aspects of our work here at The Rosary. Inspectors were really impressed with the good quality of our Early Years provision; they recognisedour pupils behave very well and know about how to keep themselves and others safe.
“We were also praised for our work on pupils’ personal development. Our curriculum was described by inspectors as “ambitious” and they praised our work in helping pupils to become good readers.
“Inspectors could see our pupils love to read. During the inspection, positive comments were also made about our mathematics curriculum and pupils’ work in mathematics.
“Aspects of record-keeping in safeguarding were questioned by Ofsted and this impacted our grade for overall effectiveness. However, we addressed these issues very quickly and we are very happy to confirm an external review from Birmingham’s safeguarding team found our systems are effective and working well.
“We have enjoyed the total support of our governors as well as the CEO and Board members of St Teresa of Calcutta multi-academy company.”
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