Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: hcarnall@cfbt.com

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Mr K Powell Headteacher St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School Seacombe Drive Great Sutton Ellesmere Port Cheshire CH66 2BD

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Following my visit with Paul Latham, Additional inspector, to your school on 8 and 9 February 2012, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

The inspection was the fourth monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in July 2010. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the main judgements are set out below.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Progress since being subject to special measures – satisfactory

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – good

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Newly qualified teachers may be appointed.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be posted on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children's Services for Cheshire West and Chester.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Angela Westington Her Majesty's Inspector January 2012

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July 2010

 Raise pupils’ attainment and achievement in English, particularly writing, and mathematics in Key Stages 1 and 2` by ensuring that:  the quality of teaching, including teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve, is at least consistently good throughout the school  staff make accurate assessments of pupils’ attainment and progress throughout the year and use this information to support transition between classes  teachers use assessment information to ensure that tasks match the learning needs of all pupils in lessons  marking provides clear guidance to pupils so that they can improve their work  agreed policies are implemented and adhered to by all staff.

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July 2010

 Improve the quality and use of self-evaluation by ensuring that:  leaders and managers, including the governing body, use all the data available to them to set challenging targets for pupils  the senior leadership team monitors and evaluates the quality of teaching with sufficient rigour to secure improvement  staff evaluate the impact of their actions on the outcomes for pupils  the views of all stakeholders are taken into account routinely in setting the priorities for school improvement  the governing body holds the school to account for the outcomes for all groups of pupils.

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July 2010

 Improve partnerships with parents and carers by ensuring that:  parents and carers receive sufficient information about their children's progress to be able to support them in their learning  the school's priorities are communicated clearly to all stakeholders. January 2012

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school's work, scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher, pupils, staff, and the Chair and some members of the Interim Executive Board. They observed sixteen lessons or part lessons, examined the school’s records of the progress made by pupils, the school’s development plans, reports by the local authority and the records for the safe recruitment and vetting of adults. They scrutinised pupils’ books, heard pupils read and examined in detail how the teaching of reading is led and managed throughout the school.

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Context

Since the previous monitoring inspection significant staffing changes have taken place. The seconded headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed to their posts permanently. The permanent deputy headteacher has retired. Several teachers and teaching assistants, on permanent or temporary contracts, have left and new permanent appointments made. At the time of this inspection, two teachers were on long term sickness leave. Two Year 4 classes have been combined to make one class. The number of pupils currently on roll is 232 and the proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is now 19%.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Standards attained by pupils overall, and their rates of progress, are improving although they remain variable. The greatest gains in Key Stages 1 and 2 are in mathematics and reading, the result of school’s intense focus on these areas. In Key Stage 1, pupils’ progress in writing is much improved and many more pupils are writing independently at length, with confidence, using their knowledge of letter sounds and frequently used words. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ writing is improving but not as quickly as in Key Stage 1, as the gaps in their skills and knowledge are greater. A recent, detailed analysis of Year 6 pupils’ writing revealed a lack of compound or complex sentences, weak paragraphing and composition. The school has made it a priority to teach these aspects and inspectors observed effective lessons focused on these areas. Pupils’ mathematics books show a greater range of work than was seen previously, especially work on data handling. Teachers have also analysed recent

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Achievement of pupils at the school

mathematics test papers and have identified areas of weakness which they are now tackling in lessons. Consequently, in most mathematics lessons observed, pupils gained new knowledge and skill because the concepts being taught were new. Inspectors observed good progress in a Year 5 lesson on the drawing and plotting of line graphs. Pupils who were spoken to expressed their enjoyment of the lesson and the subject matter, as it was ‘new and we haven’t done it before’. Pupils are now experiencing more practical mathematics and problem solving. Across the school, the work in pupils’ books is better January 2012

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Page4 presented than was the case previously and there has been considerable improvement in pupils’ handwriting, the result of a concerted effort by the whole school to implement the new presentation policy. Pupils are making better progress in reading than previously, but progress could still be more rapid. The school has put in place several good initiatives to raise standards in reading but, currently, they do not all work together to best effect. For example, the school’s teaching of letter sounds is having a very beneficial impact on pupils’ ability to decode words; the teaching of letter sounds across Years 1 to 5 is now well embedded and pupils move sensibly around the school to their respective groups. However, the school’s reading scheme does not support pupils practising their new skills. The school’s book banding system is too wide and imprecise to support pupils’ reading generally and especially at the early stages of reading, that is at Reception and Key Stage 1.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  Raise pupils’ attainment and achievement in English, particularly writing, and mathematics in Key Stages 1 and 2 – satisfactory

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The quality of teaching

The quality of teaching continues to improve. During this monitoring inspection, pupils made good or satisfactory progress in the lessons observed. In guided reading sessions, pupils make satisfactory rather than good progress because too much time is still spent not reading. All the mathematics teaching observed was good, a significant improvement on the previous position.

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The quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is improving because teachers now plan lessons that are better matched to pupils’ stages of development, to their ability and to the gaps in their knowledge or skills. Teachers’ marking is more consistent and more helpful, and pupils are more likely to know what their own personal targets are. Teachers are using assessment data more confidently to plan and have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve. There is a greater consistency in the approach to planning lessons and agreed policies are being adhered to.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils remain friendly, polite and welcoming. They behave well in and around the school. They are keen to learn and engage well in lessons. The school is a safe, secure environment.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The permanent appointment of the experienced seconded headteacher and deputy headteacher has brought much needed stability to the school. They are established at the head of the school and bring strong ambition and focus. They have ensured that the quality of teaching is monitored regularly and that development planning is focused on the right priorities. The senior management structure is now secure. Other managers, such as subject January 2012

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Page5 managers, are beginning to take a lead in the school, although this development remains embryonic. They are more proactive in their ambition for their subjects and for the curriculum in general. They recognise, however, that there is much more to be done to develop the curriculum.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Teachers are becoming more familiar with data and how to use it to support teaching and learning. They use the data available to set work and targets for pupils and they have a clearer picture of pupils’ attainment and their progress. Managers have a clear overview of the performance of pupils in different subjects. The school has aspirational targets for pupils in reading; it now needs similarly high expectations for what pupils can achieve in writing and mathematics.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The Interim Executive Board provides extremely effective support and challenge to the school. Its members are highly committed to the school and are willing and able to draw upon their own expertise and experience to improve provision.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Links with parents and carers continue to improve. The school has re-established links with the parish and local community and has developed links with other schools. A recent parental questionnaire indicated a rise in the number of parents and carers who felt that they had sufficient information to support their child’s learning. The Chair of the Interim Executive Board regularly attends the monthly ‘drop’ in sessions that the headteacher holds for parents and carers.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  Improve the quality and use of self-evaluation – good  Improve partnerships with parents and carers – good

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External support

The local authority continues to provide good oversight and support. Its most recent review of the school was largely accurate.

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