Setting

Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0300 123 1231 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mrs V Vaughan Headteacher Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School Chestnut Grove New Malden Surrey KT3 3JU

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Ofsted 20 11 subject survey inspection programme: citizenship

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during my visit on 10 March 2011 to look at work in citizenship.

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Ofsted 20 11 subject survey inspection programme: citizenship

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent.

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Ofsted 20 11 subject survey inspection programme: citizenship

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with staff and pupils; scrutiny of relevant documentation; analysis of pupils’ work; observation of three lessons; and other related activities.

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Ofsted 20 11 subject survey inspection programme: citizenship

The overall effectiveness of citizenship is good with some outstanding features.

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Achievement in citizenship

Achievement in citizenship is good with outstanding features.

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Achievement in citizenship

 Pupils are very knowledgeable about rights and responsibilities, crime and justice, discrimination and fairness, issues around sustainability and care for the environment. Some pupils are secure in terms of democracy and how government works, and the influence of the media; others are less confident in these respects.  This is a diverse, well-integrated and cohesive school community, prompted by the recognition and value placed upon pupils’ diverse backgrounds and sensitive use of this to enhance learning across the school. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils listened in awe as each of them spoke in turn of their heritage and home language. Consequently, pupils show good awareness of different cultures; their knowledge and understanding of identity and diversity are outstanding.  Pupils have a well-developed sense of fairness and a strong sense of right and wrong. This is supported by the school’s ethos in the promotion of

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Achievement in citizenship

independence, respect and consideration for others. These qualities are developed progressively from work in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Opportunities to take responsibility are wide-ranging; pupils take these readily and are confident and articulate about the responsibilities of representation and the associated implications. Those interviewed spoke with pride of school council responsibilities, being house captains, ‘Eco Stars’, ‘Junior Road Safety Leaders’ and sports leaders. They feel their views are listened to and their contributions make a real difference to the school community.

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Quality of teaching in citizenship

The quality of teaching in citizenship is good.

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Quality of teaching in citizenship

 Teachers promote good relationships in their lessons. They value pupils’ opinions and encourage discussion. This creates a positive climate for citizenship learning. Consequently, pupils offer their ideas readily, express their opinions with confidence and listen respectfully to the views of others.  A range of approaches, including whole-class discussions, pair and group work and individual activities is successfully used. Teaching assistants are skilled and effective in supporting learning. Good cooperation skills are developed from the Early Years Foundation Stage upwards. In a Year 1 lesson, a pupil was overheard commenting to his friends, ‘We are working well as a team today’, as they completed their group task.  Excellent attention is paid to developing pupils’ emotional literacy, particularly their empathy with others. The use of ‘reflection groups’ is highly effective in encouraging this. A range of strategies supports pupils

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Quality of teaching in citizenship

to develop the personal skills and qualities needed to appreciate and respect others’ views and feelings.  Although teachers provide good verbal feedback to pupils during lessons, reinforcing good contributions to discussions and checking on pupils’ understanding, the formal tracking and monitoring of progress are less well developed. The school recognises this is an area for development.

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Quality of the curriculum in citizenship

The quality of the citizenship curriculum is good.

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Quality of the curriculum in citizenship

 In addition to discrete provision through PSHE, aspects of citizenship are woven across the wider curriculum. This provides a good programme overall. Provision has been mapped across the curriculum in terms of relevant content; it would be helpful to identify the skills and processes that pupils are using and applying in order to identify any gaps.  Most aspects of the subject receive good coverage. However, the role of government and principles of democracy, the influence of the media and awareness of voluntary and pressure groups are given less attention in the current programmes.  Good use is made of world events and current affairs. For example, learning based on the last general election culminated in a pupil vote, which raised awareness of this national event.  A good range of enrichment activities extends pupils’ learning. Trips and visits contribute to this; for example, Year 6 pupils visit Chessington for a

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Quality of the curriculum in citizenship

Junior Citizenship course. A number of visitors and external experts contribute well to pupils’ learning, including parents, who support and lead aspects of the school’s annual International Day in order to celebrate the diversity of the school’s population.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in citizenship

The leadership and management of citizenship are outstanding.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in citizenship

 There is a strong drive to help all pupils feel valued and part of a cohesive school community. This, combined with a clear commitment to develop the attitudes and skills required to make a positive contribution, has notable impact on pupils.  The school’s faith ethos, atmosphere and mission strongly reinforce responsibility, respect and tolerance of others and the importance of responsible actions in the school community. Pupils appreciate this with powerful impact evident on their attitudes and values.  Evaluation of provision and outcomes is honest and accurate. There is aspiration to excel in every respect.  The excellent language support for pupils of minority ethnic backgrounds, together with provision of various nurture and support groups to meet individual needs, illustrates the school’s strongly inclusive approach.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 developing assessment in order to track pupils’ progress in the subject throughout the school  strengthening those aspects of the curriculum that are currently covered in less detail.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

I hope that these observations are useful as you continue to develop citizenship in the school.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

As I explained previously, a copy of this letter will be published on the Ofsted website. It may be used to inform decisions about any future inspection. Except in the case of academies, a copy of this letter is also being sent to your local authority.

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