Our Lady & St Edward Primary & Nursery Catholic Voluntary Academy

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 31 January–1 February 2012 Inspection number 386195 Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 137439 Local authority N/A Inspection number 386195 Inspection dates 31 January–1 February 2012 Lead inspector David Speakman

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Academy School category Non-Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 253 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roz Marshall Headteacher Moira Dales Date of previous school inspection N/A School address Gordon Road Nottingham NG3 2LG Telephone number 0115 915 5800 Fax number 0115 915 5801 Email address admin@olseacademy.org.uk Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 2 of 12

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 3 of 12

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors visited 12 lessons taught by nine teachers. Inspectors spent eight hours directly observing pupils’ learning in class. They heard pupils read and scrutinised their writing in workbooks and on display. Groups that support pupils with special educational needs were inspected. Meetings were held with members of the governing body, staff and pupils. Inspectors scrutinised the arrangements to safeguard pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the academy’s work, and looked at a wide range of documentation including improvement plans and self-evaluation, as well as assessment data to monitor pupils’ progress. Questionnaire returns from 74 parents and carers and 118 pupils were analysed.

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Information about the school

This is similar in size to most primary schools. In September 2011 it became an academy. Our Lady and St Edward’s Catholic Primary School, two other Nottingham City Catholic primary schools and the secondary school to which pupils transfer now form South Nottingham Catholic Academy Trust. The academy retains its former buildings.

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Information about the school

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above the national average. The majority of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds; the largest groups represented are Black African and Black Caribbean. There is a wide range of other minority ethnic groups and in all there are 25 languages other than English represented. About a third of pupils are in the early stages of learning to speak English. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those with a statement of educational needs, is in line with that of most schools. The academy meets the current floor standard. A breakfast club runs each morning and is the responsibility of the governing body. Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 4 of 12

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Information about the school

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a good school, which is rapidly improving. Achievement has improved and standards are still rising.

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Key findings

 By the end of Year 6, standards in English and mathematics are above average. Pupils with special educational needs and disabled pupils, and those who speak English as an additional language achieve well. Attainment gaps between lower ability pupils and the national average are closing. Within Key Stage 1, progress is more rapid in writing than in reading and mathematics.

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Key findings

 Children develop skills well and make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, though some opportunities are missed to help them to develop independence when playing and learning outside. Assessments made soon after joining the Reception Year are not fully accurate so do not give a true picture of the rates of progress children make as they move through the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils behave extremely well in class and around school and have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning. They are cared for very well. They enjoy school a great deal. They are confident that any rare incidents of misbehaviour will be dealt with quickly and effectively.

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Key findings

 The quality of teaching is good. Teachers make learning interesting and successfully engage pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. Teachers assess pupils’ progress accurately and use this information to carefully plan the next steps for learning.

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Key findings

 The curriculum is very well thought out. It matches pupils’ needs exceptionally well and motivates them through giving them a clear purpose to learning.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are outstanding. Leaders at all levels have an excellent understanding of what the academy does well and where it needs to Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 5 of 12

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Key findings

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

improve. There is a high level of commitment to ongoing improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the rate of progress in reading and in mathematics in Key Stage 1 by:  giving pupils more opportunities to read across a range of subjects to improve their understanding of what they are reading  enabling pupils to develop their understanding of mathematics through exploring mathematical situations and solving simple problems.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage by:  increasing the accuracy of the assessments made soon after children join the Reception class and ensure that these assessments are moderated  provide more opportunities for children to develop skills in reading, writing and problem solving through independent activities during outside learning and play sessions.

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Achievement of pupils

Most parents and carers responding to the inspection questionnaire say their children are making good progress. Almost all pupils feel they are doing well. Inspectors found this view to be accurate. Children join the Nursery with skills, knowledge and abilities that are very low in comparison to those expected for their age. They make good progress and by the time they move into Year 1 their attainment has risen to below average. They are becoming more independent, but activities outside and those put out for play inside are not always fine tuned to provide the best learning opportunities. A significant number of children join the Early Years Foundation Stage speaking little or no English. The Early Years Foundation Stage is effective in helping these pupils develop sufficient English to be able to access the full curriculum, and allow children to build a secure foundation for their future learning.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils progress well throughout Key Stage 1. Attainment by the end of the key stage is improving but below average in reading and mathematics, and average in writing. Pupils make particularly good progress through Key Stage 2. They make exceptional progress in reading and attainment is well above the national average by the time pupils leave. Pupils enjoy reading a great deal and there is a strong reading culture throughout the academy. Pupils listened to were able to talk about their books confidently and in great detail. They read with expression and were interesting to listen to. Younger pupils have the skills to work out words by using their knowledge of letters and sounds, but some find understanding the stories and texts a little more challenging. All pupils spoken to about reading have very positive attitudes to reading and many receive support at home from parents and carers.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils enjoy learning and they apply themselves well to tasks. They work well in Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 6 of 12

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Achievement of pupils

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

small groups, discussing and collaborating. In literacy, Year 3 investigated ‘evidence baskets’ with great enthusiasm. Groups talked about different artefacts with curiosity, building a picture in words of the person’s life. Working on tasks such as these, pupils see a purpose to learning, while developing good speaking and listening skills and extending their vocabulary to improve their writing. Even when tasks are challenging, such as in some Key Stage 2 mathematics problem-solving activities, they persevere and some pupils extend their own thinking beyond planned expectations. Year 6, for example, were investigating sequences and one group extended their thinking beyond numbers and moved the investigation into algebra, giving a formula for the n th term in the sequence. This is work well beyond expectations for their age. Pupils are confident and very keen to contribute; there is never a shortage of pupils to volunteer answers.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are identified early. Prompt intervention and support enable good and sometimes outstanding progress. Most support takes place in class so that pupils are fully included and it is well targeted. Because of this many pupils quickly develop the skills and knowledge to work independently.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils who speak English as an additional language also receive targeted support. The academy has a policy of fully including these pupils from the very beginning. Teachers make a point of pairing pupils who are at the early stages of learning English with competent English speakers. Pupils quickly gain the skills to access the curriculum independently. They make similar good progress to other pupils.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers use a range of techniques to interest and involve pupils. They promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well in lessons, for example by encouraging discussion, reflection and a study of art and literature from a range of contrasting cultures. In Key Stage 2, investigation and problem-solving are used well. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson pupils were kept fully engaged following a short introduction to investigating ways to find the perimeters of shapes. Tasks were matched well to pupils’ capabilities so they were confident in their approach. Tasks were challenging and, as a result, most pupils were working at levels beyond those expected for their ages. Pupils are not given such excellent opportunities to explore and solve problems in mathematics in Key Stage 1.

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Quality of teaching

Pupil participation is a strong feature of many lessons. It is rare that pupils spend too long listening to the teacher. In a Year 2 literacy lesson on making writing more interesting by using describing words, pupils played a full part in the introduction to the lesson by reading the text as a whole group. Once the teacher was satisfied that all pupils understood adjectives, pupils were able to work on tasks that matched each individual’s attainment levels, while being challenging enough to move them on. This happened at a brisk pace so learning was good. However, in some other Key Stage 1 lessons opportunities to read texts in different subjects are missed. Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 7 of 12

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Quality of teaching

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

There are numerous common strengths in teaching across the academy, and the curriculum provides a robust framework to support rapid progression. Teachers use assessment data well to plan tasks that match work to pupils’ prior attainment. They usually display high expectations of what pupils can do, but very occasionally those capable of doing harder work are not fully stretched. Good behaviour management and close relationships between adults and pupils are also typical. Pupils’ work is marked in a helpful way, with ‘next step’ comments. Teaching assistants support teachers well in making sure that pupils concentrate and are on track to meet their individual or group targets.

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Quality of teaching

Inspection findings support parents and carers’ positive views on the quality of teaching and learning. Most questionnaires agreed that teaching is good and that children are helped to develop communication, literacy and numeracy skills well. Pupil questionnaires show that most pupils think teaching is good. Discussions with pupils confirmed that they enjoy school.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils behave exceptionally well. The large majority of pupils think behaviour is good in lessons and at other times and most parents and carers are highly positive about it. The academy’s records confirm there are very few incidents of concern; incidents of bullying of any kind, including racial harassment, are extremely rare and any that arise are dealt with very effectively. Staff confirm that behaviour has improved. A key factor in this is the strategy to promote and reward positive actions. Pupils are very considerate and cooperate well in lessons. They are respectful of others’ views, encourage each other to do well and spontaneously comfort others when they are upset. They actively promote others’ well-being. Pupils feel safe during the day and most parents and carers' questionnaires confirm their confidence in their children’s safety. Pupils with a concern turn confidently to an adult knowing that it will be

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

quickly resolved. During discussion, pupils firmly agreed that, ‘Teachers really care about us.’ Staff provide strong pastoral care and ensure sensitive support for pupils and families whose circumstances make them vulnerable, or when supporting pupils with medical or emotional difficulties.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Attendance is improving and is average. Staff are robust in tracking attendance and punctuality. Improvement in attendance is due to rigorous implementation of the academy’s strict attendance policy and the ‘attendance and punctuality challenge’ through which pupils receive reward points which they can trade in for various incentives. This scheme is exceptionally popular.

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Leadership and management

Excellent and uncompromising leadership and management have brought about sustained and rapid improvement in key areas of the academy’s work. Standards are still rising, pupils’ progress is improving, and teaching has improved. Teaching seen during the inspection was consistently good and any inadequate teaching from the past has been eradicated. Leaders and managers have successfully overcome Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 8 of 12

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Leadership and management

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

potential barriers to learning, for example by ensuring that all pupils have sufficient English language skills to access the curriculum. Robust performance management ensures staff are held accountable for the achievement of their pupils. Very effective professional development means that staff have developed the expertise to manage effectively classes with diverse learning needs so that all pupils make good progress. The improvements to date show that the academy is extremely well placed to improve further.

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Leadership and management

There have been recent changes to the governance of the academy. The governing body is now accountable to an executive body for the academy Trust. Although ’Our Lady’s’ has only recently become an academy, governors have clear ideas about how they can benefit from closer links, particularly with the secondary academy. Experienced and well qualified, they are in a strong position to provide challenge and support. They ensure that regulatory requirements for safeguarding and protecting pupils, including those who are vulnerable, are secure.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is designed to provide pupils with rich opportunities to develop their communication, language, literacy and numeracy skills by applying them in meaningful contexts. The topic-based approach to learning, combined with the strong personal development programme, is highly effective in promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It prepares them well for the next stages of their education. The academy operates as an ethnically mixed but highly cohesive community, based on understanding and respecting all others. Pupils display mature and respectful attitudes to learning and their peers. Equality is promoted well and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Any pupil in danger of falling behind is quickly recognised and supported to get back on track. This ensures that all pupils, regardless of background or ability, have equality of opportunity to succeed. Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 9 of 12

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representati ve of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 10 of 12

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning. Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 11 of 12

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Nottingham, NG3 2LG

Thank you for making us so welcome when we came to visit you recently. We found you to be friendly, polite and very easy to talk to. We appreciated the way in which you told us about your school lives; it is clear that you are very proud of your school. We really enjoyed visiting your classrooms to watch you learn. We were particularly impressed by the way in which you showed you were ready and keen to learn. We also enjoyed listening to you read and finding out how much you enjoy reading.

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Nottingham, NG3 2LG

Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School is a good school that is improving rapidly. You told us that you enjoy school and learning and this was also clear from your questionnaires, which were very positive. Your parents and carers rightly told us that you are happy and feel safe. Your behaviour is excellent and you have very positive attitudes that help you in your learning. Your teachers make lessons interesting for you and lessons are good. You told us about topics you study. I was very interested in how you are helped to use your literacy skills and apply them in interesting situations.

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Nottingham, NG3 2LG

We have asked your headteacher and staff to take some action to make sure that improvements continue. We have asked them to do the following things.

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Nottingham, NG3 2LG

 Help you learn more quickly in reading and in numeracy in Years 1 and 2 by getting you to read more often and by giving you more problems and challenges to solve in mathematics. You can help by trying especially hard in these subjects.  Give children in the Nursery and Reception classes better ways of learning through their play, especially outside.  Make sure teachers check carefully how well children are doing at the start of Reception.

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Nottingham, NG3 2LG

David Speakman Lead inspector Inspection report: Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, 31 January–1 February 2012 12 of 12

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Nottingham, NG3 2LG

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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