Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 1–2 February 2012 Inspection number 376859 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 101545 Local authority Brent Inspection number 376859 Inspection dates 1–2 February 2012 Lead inspector Jennifer Barker

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 235 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pauline Pompilis Headteacher Mary Bickerstaff Date of previous school inspection 17–18 November 2008 School address Wesley Road London

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NW10 8PP Telephone number 020 8961 5037 Fax number 020 8963 1197 Email address admin@lourdes.brent.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. Fifteen lessons were observed and eight teachers seen, as well as some group teaching of phonics and reading, and pupils’ work. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection as well as responses to questionnaires from 98 parents and carers, 107 pupils and 24 staff. They observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of data and documentation, including the school development plan, assessment data and the governing body’s minutes of meetings.

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Information about the school

This is a smaller-than-average primary school. At the end of 2010, when there had been some significant staffing issues, the school changed from a two-form to one- form entry school. An interim headteacher has led the school since September 2011, following the retirement of a long-serving headteacher. The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of one Nursery and one Reception class. Pupils come from a range of minority ethnic heritages. The largest group of pupils are from Black African heritages. A high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language. The number of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is higher than average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is also higher than average. The school meets the current floor standard. The school has a range of accreditations including Basic Skills Quality Mark and Investors in People status.

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. The headteacher has instilled a strong sense of purpose, enthusiasm and teamwork among senior and middle leaders, with a focus on the quality of teaching, learning and progress. As a result, teaching has improved since the last inspection.  Attainment at the end of year 6 has improved since a dip in 2010, which was the result of significant staffing issues. Current tracking data indicate an improving trend, with attainment in reading and writing being above that of 2011 for pupils in Year 6.  The quality of teaching is satisfactory and improving. As a result, pupils’ progress is beginning to accelerate and increasing numbers are making good progress. Skilled support staff are deployed well. There remain some weaknesses related to marking and assessment, and the extent to which work is planned to challenge pupils of different abilities levels, particularly in mathematics.

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Key findings

 Opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in reading, extend their writing through purposeful activities across the curriculum, and develop investigative skills in mathematics have been introduced, but are at an early stage of development.  A charter of rights, responsibilities and respect has quickly developed shared values between parents, carers, all staff and pupils. As a result, behaviour has improved over the last three years and is now securely good.  Monitoring and evaluation are carried out systematically and accurately by the leadership team. This has already had an impact on improving teaching and accelerating pupils’ progress.  The governing body is well structured, but visits to the school are not sufficiently focused on the priorities in the school development plan and the impact of teaching on the progress of different groups.

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Key findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By December 2012, raise attainment and accelerate progress in reading, writing and mathematics by:  providing purposeful learning opportunities and activities so that pupils are able to apply and practise new skills, including reading and writing across the curriculum  using the good assessment data to plan lessons that challenge pupils of differing ability levels, particularly in mathematics  improving the quality of marking so that all pupils are clear about their next steps and how to reach them, and are given time to respond to teachers’ comments  restructuring the curriculum content to include learning on different faiths and cultures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the skills of the governing body to ensure that visits to the school focus on the priorities in the school development plan and support the school in raising achievement.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is typically broadly average in English and mathematics. Children’s attainment when they enter the Early Years Foundation Stage varies from year to year, but is usually below typical expectations for their age. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall during Key Stage 1 and their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is broadly average by the end of Year 2.

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Achievement of pupils

Assessment information of pupils currently at the school shows that progress, although satisfactory overall, is accelerating in both reading and writing. Writing is particularly strong and this was seen in the good development of writing in lessons and in books, which is well presented. Pupils’ progress in mathematics was good in lessons seen, particularly where teachers plan modified activities for different groups of pupils. Pupils of different ages were keen to read to inspectors and talk about the books they are reading. Pupils are making good progress using phonics (the sounds that letters make) for decoding in Reception and Key Stage 1. However, sometimes pupils lose the meaning of the text when reading and this slows progress. Further up the school, in Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress, with daily opportunities for reading more challenging texts. These extend their oracy skills and use of inference

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Achievement of pupils

which improves understanding of the text. Pupils enjoy reading both fiction and non- fiction texts. The vast majority of parents and carers are positive about how well the school develops the skills of reading and writing.

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Achievement of pupils

All groups of pupils in the school make at least satisfactory progress and gaps between groups are narrowing. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are identified early and make good progress overall. Those who speak English as an additional language reach higher levels than those in other schools nationally. Pupils of Black African heritages are making progress above the national picture for this group. As a result of the good tracking systems, the school picks up on any underachievement quickly and provides a range of appropriate interventions and support for those who need it.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan well-structured lessons, often involving pupils in discussion about their learning. Strategies used to assess progress during lessons, with good questioning and the use of whiteboards to evaluate pupils’ understanding, are helpful in moving pupils on. Opportunities to collaborate and learn through discussion develop pupils’ good social skills. However, occasionally the pace of lessons is slow and pupils spend too long in whole-class explanations. Assessment information is not yet being used consistently to tailor activities to pupils’ needs, and so tasks sometimes lack challenge for the higher-attaining pupils and are not planned to fully meet the needs of the lower-attaining pupils; this is particularly the case in some mathematics lessons. Teaching assistants are well deployed in the planned group activities. They are skilful in questioning pupils and ensuring pupils

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Quality of teaching

understand what they have to do. Support in lessons for newly arrived pupils and those who speak English as an additional language, providing visual access to new vocabulary, ensures they progress well.

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Quality of teaching

Marking and feedback in books is inconsistent across subjects and year groups, and sometimes fails to provide sufficient guidance on pupils’ next steps for successful learning. Comments by teachers are sometimes not sufficiently evaluative and linked to pupils’ individual levels and targets to enable them to know what they are doing well and how to improve their work.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils have good opportunities to apply their well-developed information, communication and technology (ICT) skills across the curriculum. In a history lesson, for example, this enabled pupils to extend their literacy and research skills in creating a poster about the Tudors. A strength of teaching is the way in which staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development, although the curriculum does not always include a strong emphasis on different cultures. Parents and carers expressed the view that their children are well taught, and inspection findings show that teaching is improving across the school.

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Quality of teaching

The teaching of phonics in Reception and at Key Stage 1 is giving pupils skills to tackle unfamiliar words in reading and to join sounds together to help with spelling. Teachers and assistants have good skills and a range of strategies for teaching reading effectively. However, in Key Stage 1, there are insufficient planned opportunities for pupils to apply and practise their literacy skills across the curriculum, and there are not always sufficient opportunities to read regularly. Pupils then make slower progress in extracting meaning from the text. Lower-attaining pupils are able to use their knowledge of phonics to break words down, but sometimes lose the understanding of the text. Daily opportunities to practise specific reading skills in Key Stage 2 are having an impact on improving pupils’ reading.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

This is a calm and harmonious school, where good relationships are fostered through an ethos of courtesy and respect across all cultural groups. Behaviour seen round the school and in lessons is invariably good, with pupils cooperating well with adults and each other. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and are supportive of each other. The high expectations of behaviour are understood by parents and carers, staff and pupils. Parents’ and carers’ responses in the questionnaires were very positive about behaviour in the school and there were several comments about positive support given to potentially vulnerable pupils. Management of behaviour is already embedded in classes, where pupils are involved in their own charters of what good behaviour means. Teachers take responsibility for behaviour in lessons, and manage it well, even when children become unsettled, for instance where the pace is slow.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Sanctions and rewards are applied consistently and pupils described consequences as ‘fair to everyone’. Pupils say that any issues are resolved swiftly, efficiently and effectively, so that the slate is wiped clean and they are able to move on, and behaviour has improved. There are weekly rewards, such as ‘pupil of the week’ and ‘mathematician of the week’, which are shared through the weekly newsletter with parents and carers.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils have a good awareness of the different forms of bullying and are confident that staff will sort out any incidents; in addition, some pupils act as mediators in the playground. Pupils are clear that bullying is not an issue and that there are no incidents of racist behaviour. There is a fall in the number of serious incidents and there have been no exclusions since July 2011, representing a significant decline over recent years. The school follows up closely on all absences and involves families at an early stage. As a result, there is a sustained and improving trend in attendance and this is now above the average for schools nationally. Pupils’ understanding of e- safety is good.

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Leadership and management

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of the school, including opportunities for staff development, clear vision and the open ethos for sharing and reviewing practice. The governing body has steered the school through a time of significant staff turbulence. It is well structured, with good systems in place across committees. All statutory arrangements are in place for safeguarding, including arrangements for safer recruiting and regular training for staff. However, visits to the school are not sufficiently focused on priorities in the school development plan to ensure that the governing body builds its role in challenging the school.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher quickly recognised the skills of middle leaders, developed since the previous inspection, and set up a leadership group team. This team evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the school and put in place key priorities through a school development plan. This collaborative approach to leadership has created an enthusiasm for improving learning and progress across the school. A range of opportunities for professional development, such as management courses for middle leaders and sharing practice with staff from other schools to improve moderation, are having an impact on improving the school. Staff have also found peer observations useful in improving teaching and developing their skills, such as in the use of learning walls, displaying useful prompts and tips for learners in lessons. This is already transforming teaching and leading to better progress across the school. A number of well-targeted interventions targeting pupils who are falling behind are also

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Leadership and management

beginning to have an impact on raising achievement. These significant improvements since the previous inspection indicate the school’s developing capacity to sustain improvement.

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Leadership and management

The school’s promotion of equality is sound and discrimination is not tolerated. The curriculum meets pupils’ needs and provides opportunities for spiritual, moral and social development. Teachers and support staff within year groups meet weekly to plan their work through the curriculum, guided by the themes set up by middle leaders. However, cross-curricular planning is not yet embedded across literacy and numeracy, and there are missed opportunities to extend pupils’ learning about different faiths and cultures. Parents and carers are well informed about their children’s progress, through electronic communication, including newsletters. As well as information about the curriculum, these also address important issues for discussion, such as bullying, and include pupils’ written contributions and rewards for their achievements.

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Leadership and management

Improvements in the school since the last inspection, including the development of middle managers through distributed leadership, form a sound basis for future development. As a result, the school’s capacity to improve is satisfactory.

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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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8PP

We very much enjoyed visiting your school recently and meeting so many of you. Thank you for all the help you gave us when we were finding out about your school.

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8PP

Some of the best things we found were that:

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8PP

 you feel very safe in school and know that teachers will help you if you have a problem  you understand the charter of rights, responsibilities and respect, and think that it is fair to everyone in the school and has improved behaviour  you learn best when teachers plan a range of activities in lessons, when you discuss your work with others and know what you need to do to improve  you like using computers and know how to use your skills for work in other subjects, such as designing a poster in a history lesson  you have good relationships with adults and other pupils in the school.

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8PP

We have asked your headteacher, teachers and the governing body to do some things to help you improve your reading, writing and mathematics skills:

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8PP

 mark your work so that you know what you are doing well and what the next steps are for improvement  make sure you have opportunities to practise your reading and writing and numeracy skills in different subjects  use the information they have about your progress to plan work that is at just the right level for each one of you.

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8PP

All of you can help by asking teachers how you can improve your work.

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8PP

Jennifer Barker 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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