St John of Jerusalem Church of England Primary School

Age group 3 –11 Inspection date(s) 13–14 March 2012 Inspection number 376379 St John of Jerusalem Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 100270 Local authority Hackney Inspection number 376379 Inspection dates 13–14 March 2012 Lead inspector Sarah McDermott

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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 221 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair The Revd Andrew Wilson Headteacher Asarena Simon Date of previous school inspection 20–21 September 2006 School address Kingshold Road London E9 7JF Telephone number 020 8985 0730 Fax number 020 8985 6337 Email address admin@st-johnjerusalem.hackney.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

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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 telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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. The team observed seventeen lessons taught by eleven teachers, totalling eight and a half hours. The inspectors held meetings with the chair of governors, members of the senior leadership team and several groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s day-to-day activities and scrutinised school documentation, including school development planning. They also investigated procedures for keeping pupils safe, scrutinised behaviour logs and looked at pupils’ work. They analysed responses to pupil and staff questionnaires as well as 88 questionnaires returned by parents and carers.

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Information about the school

St John of Jerusalem Church of England Primary is an average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. About three quarters of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups, predominantly of Black African or Black Caribbean heritage. Over a quarter of pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is average. Their needs mostly relate to speech, language and communication difficulties. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

The school has one class per year group from Nursery to Year 6. Most children attend full time in the Nursery. However, in the next academic year, it is anticipated that there will be more part time places available. The school runs a breakfast club managed by the governors that is included in this inspection. It holds the Healthy Schools award and the International Schools 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

 St John of Jerusalem Church of England Primary is a good school with a positive climate for learning. It is going from strength to strength under the purposeful leadership of the headteacher. As a result, achievement, attendance and behaviour have all improved since the last inspection. The school is not outstanding because pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise good quality writing across the curriculum. In lessons pupils are not always given work that is well enough matched to their abilities so they can take greater responsibility for their own learning and progress.  All groups of pupils make good progress from their point of entry. They attain above the national average in mathematics and in line with the national average in English when they leave in Year 6. Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language also make good progress. Younger pupils are picking up the basic

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Key findings

rules of sounding out letters and blending them into words competently.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers are enthusiastic and give pupils plenty of time to discuss ideas. Classrooms are well organised and have an air of productivity.  Pupils behave well because of the school’s supportive and caring ethos. Staff have high expectations and pupils appreciate the ‘staying on green’ rules. Lessons are not disrupted by inappropriate behaviour. Pupils feel safe and know who to turn to if worried. The good behaviour and attitudes of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage help them to acquire other skills quickly.  The headteacher and her team of managers are clear about what the school needs to improve and lead the school well. They monitor the performance of teachers carefully, in particular giving effective support to the newly qualified teachers.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in writing by:  providing more opportunities for all pupils to write at levels appropriate to their ability, particularly in subjects other than English 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 celebrating the pupils’ best quality writing in displays around the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Involve pupils more effectively in their own learning by:  increasing the time spent in lessons to work independently at activities specifically tailored to their individual learning needs  ensuring pupils know how well they are doing and how to improve their learning.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils get down to work quickly in lessons because they know the routines and what is expected of them. They work particularly well in pairs to discuss and share their ideas. Older pupils enjoy chances for ‘hot-seating’, when they can, for example, pretend to be one of the cat characters in Varjak Paw and answer questions from their classmates. They handle resources sensibly and relish the chance to find out things for themselves. This is particularly evident in the Early Years Foundation Stage where children choose their own games sensibly and concentrate for good lengths of time on one activity. In a good science lesson in Year 1 on forces, pupils eagerly experimented pushing and pulling a variety of objects and made great strides in their learning. However, in some lessons, when teachers talk for too long and pupils are inactive, they ‘go off the boil’ and concentration lapses. Pupils know what they need

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Achievement of pupils

to learn by the end of the lesson, but are not sufficiently clear how to improve their wider literacy or numeracy skills so they can forge ahead independently.

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Achievement of pupils

Children arrive in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills below those expected for their age – a changing picture from the last inspection five years ago when they arrived with broadly expected skills. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes because of an exciting curriculum and very good care and attention. By the end of Year 2 pupils attain above national averages in reading. Pupils continue to make good progress and leave in Year 6 with attainment above average in reading and mathematics. Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds, those who are eligible for free school meals and those with special educational needs make just as good progress as their peers. However in 2011, half of Year 6 pupils did not reach the expected Level 4 in writing. The school is already successfully addressing past underachievement with the good deployment of staff to run booster groups and special writing tutorials so that the gap is narrowing in reading but also in

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Achievement of pupils

mathematics. Pupils enjoy reading. The systematic teaching of sounds and letters to give pupils essential building blocks to tackle new words is boosting their reading confidence. Parents are pleased with the way their children are progressing. One parent commented, ‘My children have done well here and I feel it is a good start to their education.’

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Quality of teaching

The vast majority of parents and carers justifiably feel that the quality of teaching is 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

good. Teachers have a good rapport with their classes so pupils feel confident and at ease with their learning. Pupils agree that they learn a lot in their lessons. Teachers manage behaviour well and promote pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development positively. They organise lessons well and ensure resources are to hand so valuable learning time is not lost. All teachers have easy access to a good range of information about individual pupils’ progress, so they know how well each one is progressing. They can quickly add effective extra support out of class when needed. However, they are not all using this valuable progress data well enough in class to plan for different activities according to individual need. On occasion, when all pupils are set the same task, the more able are not sufficiently challenged and the less able need close direction from teaching assistants, so detracting from using their own

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Quality of teaching

initiative and developing their independence.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers plan lessons well to ensure pupils gain in knowledge from one lesson to the next. In Year 6, pupils made good progress from writing persuasive texts from one point of view earlier in the week to producing more discursive pieces giving both sides of the argument later on. The many curriculum enrichment activities support pupils’ work here as teaching draws regularly on these experiences to stimulate ideas for writing. Teachers are adept at finding activities that engage boys and girls, as in a good topic lesson in Year 2 when pupils were very knowledgeable about the historical details of the Crimean War and the caring role of Florence Nightingale. Teachers mark English and mathematics exercise books thoroughly, giving helpful hints and often setting small extra tasks to embed learning. They place a high priority on reading skills right from the Early Years Foundation Stage. Opportunities to read in class are well organised, productive and important parts of the school day,

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Quality of teaching

instilling in pupils a love of books to set them up well for later life.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour over time is typically good and pupils report that they can get on with learning without disruption. They have positive attitudes to their lessons, knowing that improving their literacy and numeracy skills will help them in later life. Most pupils show high levels of engagement in lessons, but on occasion a few lose concentration and need to be reminded to listen carefully. Pupils move around the school sensibly and carefully follow the consistently-applied rules. In particular, they appreciate assemblies when they celebrate good work and receive praise for good attendance. Reception children excelled in leading the assembly on the theme of sharing and cooperation. They sang and danced very confidently in front of pupils, parents and staff, rightly receiving rapturous applause. School councillors are proud of their roles, but feel that they could take on more responsibility and run their

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

meetings with less adult direction. Pupils selected to be Olympic ambassadors are very much looking forward to representing their school. Concerted work to improve attendance and punctuality is proving successful. Attendance levels are now above the national average.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils and parents confirm that instances of any type of bullying including racist or homophobic comments are rare. Should any name calling happen, pupils know adults 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

are quick to put a stop to it by helping pupils to sort out their arguments. Pupils make the most of the fresh air at break times. Not only do they run around healthily, but also keep a good eye out for the safety of the younger pupils. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are safe, secure and very much at ease in their surroundings. One parent summed up the sentiments of many by saying, ‘It is a wonderfully friendly and happy school.’

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Leadership and management

The school is popular and held in high regard amongst the parents and in the local community. One parent commented, ‘I am very happy with the school and wouldn't want my child to be anywhere else.’ The headteacher and deputy headteacher work as a good team to lead the school in improving the life chances of pupils in their care. Governors give good strategic direction for the school and do not shrink from asking tough questions of the headteacher to ensure the school is doing all it can for the children in its care. The senior leaders know what the school does well and what needs to improve because of thorough monitoring of data and regular checking of the quality of teaching. They ensure teachers have suitable professional development, increasingly using the services of outside professionals to bring in new ideas. The headteacher, senior leaders and governors are assessing what it means to be an outstanding school, determined to enhance the school’s performance.

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Leadership and management

Improvements in attendance, rising achievement and the successful employment of sports coaches to raise self-esteem and improve and maintain good behaviour demonstrate that the school has a good capacity to sustain improvement.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good. Pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences many would not otherwise have. They play a variety of musical instruments and participate in many sporting activities. The promotion of healthy living, including gardening, has been recognised with a national award. Teachers link subjects together well to make for interesting learning, as in a literacy lesson on Fairtrade, bringing in economics, healthy eating and moral issues. They are beginning to extend their expectations of good quality writing across the curriculum, but are not drawing enough attention to the best writing in displays. Governors and senior leaders put a high priority on the safety of the pupils and are justifiably proud of the way pupils from all walks of life play and work well together. Safeguarding meets all legal requirements. Pupils who attend the breakfast club are well looked after. The school ensures no pupil is

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Leadership and management

discriminated against and all have an equal opportunity to achieve similarly. The promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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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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London E9 7JF

Thank you very much for welcoming us to your school. St John of Jerusalem Church of England Primary is a good school. The headteacher has successfully moved your school from being satisfactory to good. She and her team of senior teachers lead the school well. They work well together and know what needs improving.

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London E9 7JF

You make good progress and leave school with above average attainment in mathematics and reading but do not attain as well in writing. You enjoy school and feel you learn a lot in lessons. We judge teaching to be good because teachers organise lessons well, making sure your knowledge increases from lesson to lesson. Teachers explain clearly what you need to learn and mark your books helpfully. You all feel very safe at school and know how to look after yourselves. Your behaviour is good. You have told us you have few worries about any types of bullying, confident that teachers will sort out problems. Your attendance has improved. Well done!

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London E9 7JF

To make your school even better we have asked your headteacher and teachers to:  raise attainment further in English, especially writing, by making sure you have plenty of opportunities to write according to your different abilities, not just in literacy but also in lessons such as topic, religious education and science. We have also asked them to make sure your best writing is proudly displayed for all to see  provide more time in lessons for independent work so you can progress at a pace best suited to each of you. Also, we have asked teachers to make sure you know how well you are doing and you are clear how to improve your literacy and numeracy without reminders.

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London E9 7JF

We certainly enjoyed our visit to your school. We know that your teachers and their assistants make your school a very special place for you. All of you can help by always trying to do your best, continuing to behave well and making your families and the school proud of you.

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London E9 7JF

Sarah McDermott 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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