Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 30–31 January 2012 Inspection number 376661 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 102040 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 376661 Inspection dates 30–31 January 2012 Lead inspector Nick Butt

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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 Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 206 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jackie Reddington Headteacher Declan Meehan Date of previous school inspection 6 July 2007 School address The Limes Avenue New Southgate London N11 1RD

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Telephone number 020 8361 0767 Fax number 020 8361 6682 Email address office@ololschool.enfield.sch.uk 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.

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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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed 22 lessons taught by eight teachers from the school and two visiting instructors; meetings were held informally with parents, carers and pupils, three members of the governing body, including the Chair, and a wide range of staff. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation, including self-evaluation documents, strategic plans and other development plans. Inspectors scrutinised 97 questionnaires returned by parents and carers and those returned by staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

Our Lady of Lourdes is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Two thirds of the pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic groups and a very small minority speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is average. The school has met the current national floor standards. The headteacher was appointed in January 2011 and the deputy headteacher in April 2011. The school has the Investors in People award. 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

 Our Lady of Lourdes is a good school. Pupils reach significantly above-average standards by the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics, and achieve well. All groups of pupils make good progress, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  The school has a very caring ethos underpinned by its values that ensures pupils are known as individuals and grow in confidence and maturity. The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding. Parents and carers are very positive about how pupils typically behave.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage settle quickly into the routines of the Reception class and achieve well.  Teaching is good in general, and there are outstanding elements, especially in the quality of relationships in classes and the imaginative use of resources to interest and engage pupils. Occasionally the pace of learning slows because teachers spend too long introducing lessons.

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Key findings

 Creativity and individuality feature particularly in art and in design and technology. At times pupils do not have enough opportunity to shape their own learning through making choices and pursuing their own interests.  The new leadership team has a clear vision for improvement that is warmly endorsed and actively supported by all staff and the governing body.  A new tracker system has recently been introduced that is helping staff to track the progress of individual pupils very carefully and intervene promptly if any are at risk of falling behind. Leaders are beginning to gain a greater overview of the progress of different groups of pupils and to look for trends in their achievement.  The curriculum has a considerable impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, especially through music and art. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Key findings

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement to outstanding by ensuring that all teaching and learning are at least good or better by:  maintaining a brisk pace throughout all lessons so that pupils complete their tasks on time  involving pupils more in shaping their own learning, pursuing interests and making considered choices in their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Consolidate the use of assessment information by:  developing the school’s tracker system to give a greater overview of the progress of different groups of pupils in order to identify trends in progress through rigorous analysis of the data.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils are excited about learning and participate fully in lessons. They listen attentively to their teachers and work quietly and independently at their tasks. When given the opportunity, they relish a challenge, making choices and thinking of creative solutions to problems. For example, Year 5 pupils enjoyed trying to solve a murder mystery by plotting the pulse of the main characters over time on a line graph. It was clear who the victim was and the time of death, but pupils engaged in vigorous discussion about who the perpetrator might be, based on the pulse of the character they had chosen to pursue. The extent to which pupils are given the opportunity to engage in this kind of imaginative activity varies across the school.

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Achievement of pupils

Children join the Reception class with a range of skills and knowledge that are usually in line with expectations. They make good progress because the activities are purposeful and well planned, and they leave the Early Years Foundation Stage with standards that are above average. Standards are, consistently, significantly above average, at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Pupils’ proficiency in mental mathematics has improved considerably since the introduction of the ‘times- tables cup’, where they compete to become the school champion. Attainment in reading is high at the end of both key stages because early literacy skills (such as the sounds letters make) are taught well in the Reception class and consolidated in Key Stage 1. In Key Stage 2, pupils develop more advanced reading skills and are enthusiastic about reading.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils usually make good progress from their starting points, with some doing better than this. In 2011, Year 3 pupils made no more than satisfactory progress because of changes in staffing, but additional support is helping those pupils who fell behind to catch up. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well 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

because the support is tailored to their specific requirements, and a strong team of skilled teaching assistants makes a valuable contribution to their good progress.

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Achievement of pupils

The school has identified that boys, while achieving well, do not always attain as well as girls in reading and writing and has adopted measures to raise boys’ attainment, such as running intervention groups and purchasing reading books that will appeal to boys. This work is beginning to have a positive impact and the gap in attainment is narrowing. All other groups of pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress. Parents and carers rightly agree that their children achieve well at school.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers use technology extremely well to make lessons exciting for pupils and to focus them on their learning. In Year 6, for example, the teacher used mood music and video clips to help pupils describe an idyllic setting. He made clear what features he was looking for to enable them to produce work of high quality. The curriculum has a positive impact on learning because teachers plan the use of learning opportunities effectively to address the full range of pupils’ abilities well. Sometimes teachers direct learning too closely and miss opportunities for pupils to make more of their own choices, devise their own steps for success, or pursue their own interests to achieve the learning objective. In the best lessons, learning proceeds at a brisk pace and teachers make clear their high expectations of all pupils, ensuring that they finish tasks on time. For example, Year 1 pupils rose to the challenge of writing

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Quality of teaching

factual sentences about bicycles, and some managed to join two sentences together. On rare occasions, teachers spend too long introducing lessons so that there is not enough time for pupils to complete tasks independently.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers give pupils clear guidance about how to improve their writing through making helpful comments in their books. They give pupils opportunities to respond to these and to act upon them. The impact of teaching on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Lively discussion and sensitive questioning by teachers enable pupils to reflect upon moral dilemmas and the wider world. Parents and carers justifiably believe that the quality of teaching is good, and comment favourably about their children’s enjoyment of lessons.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say that behaviour is extremely good over time, and parents and carers agree with them. Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding around the school and in lessons, as they put into practice the school’s clear values about showing respect for one another. They collaborate enthusiastically and take a full part in the life of the school, for example, as members of the school council. Pupils say that there is no bullying, but are fully aware of the different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying. They have every confidence in staff to help them if they have a concern. Excellent pastoral care ensures those pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable feel secure in school. Pupils’ understanding of keeping safe is excellent. Year 6 pupils have 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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Behaviour and safety of pupils

undertaken ‘Junior Citizen’ training, and know what to do in a range of potentially unsafe situations. Pupils are fully aware of how to be safe when using computers and know about keeping safe on the roads, whether as a pedestrian or a cyclist. They assess risks when going on trips and in the classroom when using tools or carrying out experiments. The school’s above-average attendance reflects pupils’ enjoyment of their education.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher and deputy headteacher complement one another’s strengths well and have forged an energetic and enthusiastic team who fully support the school’s vision for pupils’ successful personal development and achievement. Parents and carers appreciate the dedication and commitment of staff and the way the school is underpinned by its deeply held values. One, speaking for many, said, ‘Our Lady of Lourdes is a hard-working school to be proud of and this is reflected in the smiles of the children and staff going into and out of school every day.’

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Leadership and management

Leaders and managers provide good support to new members of staff and to those taking on subject responsibilities for the first time. Arrangements for teachers to shadow their new roles assist a smooth transition and enable them to make a positive impact from the outset. A clear focus on evaluating the quality of teaching and learning has seen the proportion of good or better teaching rise. All staff are given helpful feedback about how to hone their skills and the school uses professional development well to tackle whole-school initiatives such as moderating writing. Staff are using data increasingly effectively to monitor the progress of pupils with the introduction of a new tracker system this year. However, the focus has been mainly on how individuals are doing, with insufficient reference to the wider picture of how specific groups or cohorts progress over time. The governing body provides a wide range of expertise, both to support and to challenge the school, and is well

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Leadership and management

informed about the standards pupils reach. Members receive less information about progress. They take a keen, strategic view and help to evaluate the impact of the school’s longer-term plans.

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Leadership and management

Regular monitoring ensures that leaders and managers build up a clear picture of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Interventions have helped to narrow the gap between the attainment of boys and girls, and enabled individuals to make up lost ground. The school’s caring and inclusive approach promotes equality of opportunity well and tackles discrimination robustly. Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements and make a valuable contribution to pupils’ safety in school. The school has maintained significantly above-average standards since the last inspection and is well placed to continue to improve further.

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Leadership and management

The school engages well with parents and carers, who speak highly of its work. The curriculum is broad and balanced and gives pupils opportunities to be creative, particularly in art and design. For example, Year 3 pupils all tackled the challenge of making a model volcano in different ways. The curriculum makes a very strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, especially 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

through music and art. Pupils’ singing is of an extremely high quality and Year 3 pupils all learn the cello and viola together. Pupils learn about a wide range of art from different cultures and have a good awareness of global issues. The curriculum is enriched well through visits to places of interest, such as the Houses of Parliament and the Florence Nightingale Museum.

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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 representative 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.

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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.

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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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1RD

Thank you for making us welcome when we visited your school recently and for sharing your views with us. We agree with you that Our Lady of Lourdes is a good school. Here are some of its strengths.

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1RD

 You make good progress and reach standards in English and mathematics that are significantly above average.  You find learning enjoyable and say that your teachers make lessons fun.  Your behaviour is outstanding and you look after one another very well.  Your attendance is extremely good.  You have a very good understanding about how to keep safe.  Your singing is particularly good.  The school is led and managed well and everybody works very hard to make it even better.  Children in the Reception class get off to a good start in their education.

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1RD

There are always things that can be improved. We have asked your school to:

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1RD

 make sure all lessons run at a brisk pace so that you have enough time to finish your tasks  involve you more in having choices about your learning and pursuing your interests  keep a careful check not only on how each of one of you is doing, but also about how different year groups and smaller groups are doing as a whole.

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1RD

You can help by telling your teachers what you enjoy about learning and making sure you complete your work on time.

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1RD

Nick Butt Lead inspector 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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