St Clement and St James CofE Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 10–11 May 2012 Inspection number 376406 St Clement and St James Church of England Primary School Inspection report

p.1

Unique reference number 100495 Local authority Kensington and Chelsea Inspection number 376406 Inspection dates 10–11 May 2012 Lead inspector Natalia Power

p.1

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

p.1

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 239 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Laura Hargreaves Headteacher Sue Hussey Date of previous school inspection 6 February 2008 School address Penzance Place London W11 4PG Telephone number 020 7603 9225 Fax number 020 7371 2693 Email address info@scsj.rbkc.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 tea cher 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

p.1

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’.

p.2

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.

p.2

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

p.2

Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors visited 21 lessons or part lessons, observing all eight class teachers as well as other teachers and support teachers. The inspectors conducted scrutinies of pupils’ work, spoke to parents and carers, listened to pupils read and held meetings with staff and members of the governing body. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on- line Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at its self-evaluation documents and plans for improvement, the data collected on pupils’ progress, safeguarding information and the minutes of meetings of the governing body. They received and analysed 56 questionnaires from parents and carers as well as surveys from pupils and staff.

p.3

Information about the school

This one-form entry primary school is average in size. Around one third of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals; this proportion is higher than usual. Almost three quarters of pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic heritages. Over four out of ten pupils speak English as an additional language but currently few of these pupils are at an early stage of learning the language. There are currently no disabled pupils on roll. An average proportion of pupils are supported by school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs. The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The school runs a breakfast club. The after- school play centre is managed by the local authority and is subject to separate inspection. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

p.3

Information about the school

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

p.4

Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. It is not yet good because leaders and managers do not always ensure that the quality of all teaching matches the best. As a result, pupils occasionally make slower progress than they could, especially when they are kept sitting on the carpet for too long, or when teachers do too much that the pupils could do for themselves. Children in the Reception Year do not always have enough opportunity to choose activities for themselves. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.  The school is strongly supported by parents and carers. A typical comment from one parent accurately described it as ‘a happy environment with a family feel’.  Pupils make satisfactory progress overall. Year 6 pupils’ attainment has been consistently broadly average, but, untypically, was below average in 2011.

p.4

Key findings

 Teaching as judged over time is satisfactory. Some good and better teaching was seen in the inspection, where pupils were challenged to think for themselves and the pace of learning was brisk; this is not typical, however.  Pupils are keen to learn and they behave very well. They feel safe in school and are kept safe.  Leaders and managers have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and their actions have secured improvements since the previous inspection, such as in attendance. The leadership of teaching and the management of performance are at least adequate. Senior leaders understand their teachers’ strengths and areas for development. In their programme of classroom visits, however, leaders do not always focus sharply enough on how well pupils are learning and this means that opportunities for improving pupils’ progress are sometimes missed. The strong provision for developing pupils’

p.4

Key findings

spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities ensures that they are kind and respect one another’s values. 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

p.4

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the overall quality of teaching from satisfactory to at least good by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to find things out for themselves rather than be told  ensuring that pupils do not spend too long sitting on the carpet engaged in whole-class activities  allowing each pupil as much time as possible to work at tasks with an appropriate level of challenge for his or her capabilities.  Ensure that leaders and managers, in their programme of classroom visits, focus more sharply on how well pupils are learning to enable them to make faster progress.  Improve the opportunities for children in the Reception Year to learn through play by providing more opportunities for them to choose their own activities both indoors and outdoors.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Inspectors found, after looking at pupils’ current and past work, talking to them and observing their lessons, that their achievement over time is satisfactory. Pupils’ attainment is broadly average as seen in the national tests taken at the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress from starting points at the beginning of Year 1 which are in line with those of pupils of their age. In 2011, Year 6 pupils achieved less well than expected in the national tests and, although some pupils did very well, overall attainment fell below national expectations. Evidence presented by the school, and backed up by inspection observation, indicates that the achievement of current Year 6 pupils is satisfactory overall.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Inspectors found that the pupils learn particularly well when they are fully involved in their learning and given challenging tasks. In one suitably fast-paced Year 5 English lesson, for example, pupils enjoyed writing their own accounts of the tragic ending to Alfred Noyes’s poem, ‘The Highwayman’. The lesson challenged the pupils to use a rich and powerful vocabulary and provided opportunities for them to present their findings to one another. The lesson worked well because the pupils were expected to learn for themselves and to aim high. There are, however, occasional instances where teachers take over too much, preventing the pupils from contributing enough themselves. In these cases, the pace of learning slows and the pupils are not sufficiently motivated to produce their best work.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

In the Nursery, imaginative ways are used to introduce the children to sounds and letters to prepare them for learning to read. The children loved the ‘funny register’, in which they added a nonsense rhyme to their own names, which encouraged them to think about sounds. Year 1 pupils loved calling out the sounds of letter groups which were flashed up on the interactive whiteboard, using different voices, 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

p.5

Achievement of pupils

such as ‘happy’ or ‘whispering’ voices, and this helped them stay alert and focused. The reading skills of pupils in Year 2 are a little above average and those who read aloud to inspectors were able to show that they understood the books they were reading and could successfully read unfamiliar words. Pupils’ reading skills,by the time they leave school, are above average.

p.6

Achievement of pupils

The school is skilled at removing barriers to learning so that all groups of pupils, irrespective of ethnic heritage, make similar progress, with no group falling behind. Girls and boys perform equally. Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with language and number skills typically below those expected for their age. They make particularly fast progress in the Nursery because of outstanding teaching. Progress in the Reception Year is less marked but, overall, children leave the Early Years’ Foundation Stage with knowledge and skills in line with those expected for their age. Pupils who have special educational needs are supported well in class and in small groups by the teachers and their assistants, who know their needs, and this enables them to make progress in line with others.

p.6

Quality of teaching

Teaching is satisfactory overall, although examples of good and better teaching were seen during the inspection. Staff are very caring and enjoy good relationships with pupils. Teachers generally use questioning skilfully. They encourage pupils to discuss ideas with one another. Marking is consistent across the school, ensuring that pupils understand how to improve. In many lessons, teachers ensure that there is a brisk pace and that the challenge is pitched at the right level for pupils’ capabilities. For example, children in the Nursery enjoyed working cooperatively to count the number of spots on computer pictures of ladybirds and were then challenged to input a given number of spots themselves. Year 2 pupils were encouraged to find out for themselves in a music lesson that short rods on a thumb piano make higher sounds than longer rods. Occasionally, pupils spend too long passively sitting on the carpet listening to the teacher; in these cases the level of

p.6

Quality of teaching

challenge does not meet the needs of individual pupils and the helpful teaching assistants are under-used. Children in the Reception class do not always have enough opportunities to choose activities for themselves and to explore their indoor and outdoor learning areas sufficiently to stimulate their imagination and sense of curiosity; this slows their progress in learning.

p.6

Quality of teaching

Pupils who have disabilities or special educational needs receive effective support from the teachers and their assistants. Teaching actively promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, encouraging them to respect the views of others. For example, in an assembly led by the headteacher, pupils were encouraged to celebrate one another’s success and their support of one another’s achievements was clear from their concentration and enthusiastic applause. As a result of such focus on considering the feelings of others and sensitive teaching, pupils behave well in lessons and value their learning. 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

p.6

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils told inspectors that the good behaviour seen in and around the school during the inspection was typical of behaviour generally. Pupils are polite and welcoming to visitors. They told inspectors that there is no actual bullying, such as cyber-bullying or religious or racial abuse. One pupil said, ‘Sometimes pupils have a small fight when one wants to be in charge,’ but reported that such incidents were quickly dealt with. They know which adults to turn to if they have any worries. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive; this is reflected in the school’s attendance record which has been improving and is now above average.

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and are taught how to protect themselves, for example when using the internet. The breakfast club provides a safe and welcoming environment. A number of parents and carers told inspectors how much they value the safe and secure ethos of the school. Nearly all of those who completed the questionnaire agreed that behaviour is good and that they would recommend the school to others. A typical comment from a parent was, ‘The school is warm and friendly and pupils value and respect others.’

p.7

Leadership and management

The headteacher, supported by her leadership team and by the governing body, has created a happy school and the uniformly positive staff questionnaires indicate that each individual feels valued. The governing body is involved in the life of the school and works in effective partnership with leaders and managers. Leaders and managers have met most of the recommendations for improvement from the previous inspection, so that, for example, information and communication technology is used effectively in lessons and to aid homework. Pupils now have clear targets for improvement and, through self-evaluation in lessons and in their exercise books, understand how to improve. A concerted drive by leaders and managers has brought about improved attendance. Leaders and managers thoroughly investigated the reasons for the underperformance by some Year 6 pupils in national tests in 2011 and implemented effective measures to address

p.7

Leadership and management

them. For example, they have implemented a whole-school policy to develop pupils’ resilience, to ensure that they face any unexpected challenges confidently. Inspection evidence shows that these measures have had a good impact on raising standards. The school’s plans, based on a realistic understanding of its strengths and what remains to be done, address the right priorities. Overall, the school is well placed to sustain further improvement.

p.7

Leadership and management

Leaders and managers observe lessons regularly and frequently check the quality of work in pupils’ books, usually with the class teacher present so that suggestions for improvement can be made there and then. As a result, marking is consistent across the school. However, leaders accept that occasionally they tend to focus more on teaching techniques than on how well pupils are learning and that their evaluation of teachers’ performance is sometimes too generous. This results in some inconsistency in the quality of teaching and learning. 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

p.7

Leadership and management

Leaders, managers and the governing body ensure that the arrangements to keep pupils safe are effective. The premises are securely protected. Statutory requirements concerning safeguarding are met. Staff are regularly trained in child protection procedures and all adults are thoroughly checked and vetted before working at the school. Leaders and managers promote equality of opportunity well, ensuring that all pupils, whatever their social or ethnic backgrounds or needs, make good progress. Pupils respect one another, and those from all backgrounds get on well together, because discrimination is not tolerated.

p.8

Leadership and management

The curriculum provides sound coverage of all key areas of learning, including information and communication technology, and it prepares pupils adequately for the next stage of schooling. Pupils report that they enjoy the school’s programme of clubs, trips and visits and these activities strengthen their learning of a wide range of topics. The school places considerable emphasis on shared experiences and on respecting the views of others, thus showing the strength of its development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities.

p.8

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.

p.9

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

p.9

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 to 31 December 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.

p.9

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Inspection report: St Clement and St James Church of England Primary School, 10–11 May 2012 10 of 12

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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: St Clement and St James Church of England Primary School, 10–11 May 2012 11 of 12

p.10

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

p.11

London W11 4PG

We very much enjoyed our recent visit to your school and it was lovely to see how helpful you are and how nicely you play together. Thank you for making us welcome and telling us your views, both in person and in your questionnaires.

p.11

London W11 4PG

 You go to a satisfactory school. This means that it does some things well and that others need to be improved.  Your school keeps you safe. We saw how well you behave in lessons and around the school. You told us this is how your school usually is and that the pupils are kind to one another. You are polite and respectful to visitors. All these good ways of behaving reflect the strong contribution all the adults make to your spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  You make satisfactory progress and usually leave school with results that are very much like those of pupils across the country as a whole. We want you to do even better. We saw how you learn really quickly and enthusiastically when you play an active part in lessons. We have asked your teachers to give you even more opportunities to take responsibility for your own learning.  We have asked your teachers to give those of you in the Reception class more

p.11

London W11 4PG

chances to choose your own play activities indoors and outdoors.  We have asked those in charge, when they visit your classes, to check even more carefully how well you are learning and to make sure that all of you have the right amount of challenge to help you do as well as you can.

p.11

London W11 4PG

You, too, have a part to play in improving your school. Work hard and keep up the good attendance.

p.11

London W11 4PG

We wish you all the very best for the future.

p.11

London W11 4PG

Natalia Power Lead Inspector Inspection report: St Clement and St James Church of England Primary School, 10–11 May 2012 12 of 12

p.11

London W11 4PG

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 .

p.12