St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 June 2012 Inspection number 377899 St Augustine of Canterbury RC Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 109268 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 377899 Inspection dates 20–21 June 2012 Lead inspector Michael Merchant

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 303 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Phil King Headteacher Pete Upton Date of previous school inspection 28–29 April 2009 School address Boscombe Cresent Downend Bristol BS16 6QR Telephone number 01454 866690 Fax number 01454 866694 Email address pete.upton@southglos.gov.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 a ny 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. Twenty three lessons or parts of lessons were observed, amounting to 13 hours in total. All 10 classroom teachers present at the time of the inspection were observed teaching. Discussions were held with senior and middle leaders, staff, members of the governing body and different groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at the school’s self-evaluation and planning documents, external evaluations of the school’s work, policy documents and pupils’ work. They analysed 104 questionnaires sent in by parents and carers, 89 questionnaires completed by pupils and eight completed by staff.

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Information about the school

This is an average-sized primary school. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average, while that of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average. The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is low, as is the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a Reception class and a mixed Reception/Year 1 class. The school has a breakfast and after-school club which is managed by the governing body and was part of this inspection. A new deputy headteacher took up post in January 2012 and four classes are currently being taught by temporary teachers.

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Information about the school

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

 This is a satisfactory school. It is not a good school because the pupils’ achievement overall is satisfactory, teaching is not consistently good throughout the school and not all subject leaders are operating as effectively as they could. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before the next Section 5 inspection.  Pupils’ achievement, including that of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, is satisfactory. Pupils’ attainment overall is broadly average but too few pupils gain the higher levels in national tests, particularly in writing.  Teaching is satisfactory overall. Relationships between adults and pupils are good, as is the level of care. However, work is not always planned well enough to meet the learning needs of all pupils, particularly the most able, and too few opportunities are given for pupils to work independently. The quality of

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Key findings

assessment and the extent to which it is used to inform teachers’ planning have not been rigorous enough in the past and this has restricted the progress that pupils made over time. The progress made by pupils is now monitored closely and teachers are increasingly held to account for the progress pupils make.  The behaviour and safety of pupils are satisfactory. Pupils are polite and considerate and behave well during lessons and around the school. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are satisfactory rather than good because the extent to which pupils take responsibility for their own learning is less evident.  Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher manages teaching and performance satisfactorily, but subject leaders are not yet fully accountable for pupils’ achievement in their respective areas.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the achievement of all pupils in English and mathematics, particularly writing, and ensure that more attain the higher levels for their age by the time they leave Key Stages 1 and 2 by:  providing more planned opportunities for all pupils to write lengthy pieces of work across a range of topics  ensure that all pupils are clear about their individual targets and teachers 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?

make more reference to them in lessons and in marking.  Improve the quality of teaching so that it is good or better in the great majority of lessons by:  raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving and ensuring there is a good match of work to pupils’ ability  encouraging all pupils to be more active and inquisitive in class.  Improve the contribution made by middle leaders and managers to raising the achievement of all groups of pupils by:  developing the role of subject leadership so that it allows for a more active role in driving and embedding improvements.

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Achievement of pupils

Achievement is satisfactory. Most children enter the Reception classes with knowledge and skills that are in line with those expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress and this continues as they move through Key Stages 1 and 2, so that, by the end of Year 6, attainment in English and mathematics is broadly in line with the national average. After a period in which some pupils did not make the progress of which they were capable, school data show that achievement is beginning to rise. Currently, all groups of pupils, including those eligible for free school meals and those whose circumstances make them vulnerable, make at least expected progress. Pupils are beginning to make better progress because teachers are now carefully tracking how well their pupils are doing over time and taking swift action to make up any shortfalls. However, the proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels for their age at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 is still too low, especially

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Achievement of pupils

in writing. Many pupils have difficulty in explaining their ideas when they have read a text, which in turn inhibits their ability to write well, and pupils are given insufficient opportunity to write at length across a range of topics.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in relation to their starting points as a result of targeted support from teaching assistants. Pupils who are potentially vulnerable due to their circumstances achieve satisfactorily because they are nurtured by staff and develop confidence and self- esteem.

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Achievement of pupils

Throughout the school, pupils make more consistent progress in reading due to the support that individuals receive from home and from school. Attainment in reading is broadly average at the end of Key Stage 1 and at the end of Key Stage 2. The weakest readers in both Year 2 and Year 6 manage to read with some fluency, although often without expression. They sound out the letters of words that are not immediately recognised and try hard. Their reading ability is often better than their understanding of the text, although a recent whole-school focus on guided reading is improving this issue.

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Achievement of pupils

Most pupils enjoy learning and make better progress when they are given the 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

opportunity to work independently or in groups to research and find out things for themselves. In an effective Years 4 geography lesson, for instance, pupils worked with great energy and enthusiasm in pairs and small groups to search out information on aspects of Aztec culture, sharing this information with each other and collaborating to present their research on posters. This is not always the case, however, and there are instances when learning is over directed by the teacher and pupils become passive rather than eager learners.

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Achievement of pupils

Almost all of the parents and carers who returned the questionnaires felt that their children make good progress. Where teaching is consistently effective, such as in Year 6, they do; but over time pupils’ progress throughout the school is satisfactory.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all parents and carers believe that their children are taught well and most pupils agree. Although this is so in some lessons, over time, the quality of teaching overall is satisfactory and this explains why not enough pupils are attaining the higher levels for their age. Teachers use data about the levels at which pupils are working to set activities, but the level of challenge is not always accurate. This is particularly so for those pupils capable of reaching higher levels, whose work is often too similar to that of other groups of pupils. Learning and progress are also held back at times because some teachers talk too much and over-direct the tasks pupils undertake. The time pupils are actively and independently learning is therefore limited and gives less opportunity for pupils to articulate what they have learnt. Pupils are set targets, particularly in English and mathematics, but they are not

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Quality of teaching

consistently linked to feedback provided through marking or used as an integral part of lessons.

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Quality of teaching

Children in the Reception classes benefit from the systematic and daily teaching of letters and sounds. Activities throughout the day reinforce new and prior learning. Reading skills are taught satisfactorily in Years 1 to 6; although, at times, opportunities to consolidate reading in different activities are not capitalised on. Teachers generally have good subject knowledge, give detailed explanations and display effective classroom management that enables the teacher to focus on individuals and groups without interrupting the learning of others. Progress is good in those lessons where teaching is well planned to take account of the learning needs of individuals and delivered in a way that captures pupils’ attention and sparks their imagination. This was evident in a literacy lesson for pupils in Year 1 in which the teacher was developing their understanding of punctuation and letters and sounds through the writing of a ‘nonsense’ poem. The introduction involved the teacher

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Quality of teaching

displaying an enlarged copy of the poem on the whiteboard and pupils had to identify why the poem was ‘nonsense’, which they did with eagerness and great enthusiasm. The high level of engagement in their learning and well crafted questioning by the teacher greatly helped to enhance their understanding of the text and boosted their reading skills.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers plan activities that are generally well matched to the needs of disabled 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

pupils and those with special educational needs and liaise well with learning support assistants. This gives just the right amount of support to these pupils and encourages them to be more independent. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is regularly incorporated into teaching. Years 3 to 5 pupils, for example, considered the qualities they would expect a friend to show towards them and to reflect on what religion taught about friendship values.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils display a good sense of right and wrong and show consideration towards other pupils. Their behaviour in lessons and at play is generally good over time and this is recognised by the majority of the parents and carers who returned the inspection questionnaire, although a few expressed concerns that their children’s lessons were sometimes disrupted by poor behaviour. Most pupils believe behaviour to be typically good. Pupils’ attitudes to work, particularly their ability to take responsibility for their own learning, are less well developed. Lapses in concentration sometimes inhibit progress and pupils give too little regard to presentation and the pace at which they undertake their work. This is particularly in relation to writing activities.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The breakfast and after-school club exemplify the high quality care given to pupils. Pupils are invariably polite towards adults and show consideration for others, especially those younger than themselves. Pupils feel safe, a view echoed by all parents and carers. Pupils say that all forms of bullying, including cyber bullying, name calling and bullying based on sex or gender, is rare and they are confident that their teachers would deal with such issues quickly and effectively. Pupils are happy and enjoy school and this is reflected in their attendance, which exceeds the national average.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher has ambition and commitment to drive the school forward. Initiatives introduced to improve the school’s performance are proving effective, but the pace of improvement has been a little hampered by the lack of stability in the senior leadership team and the temporary absence of a large number of staff. A new deputy headteacher is now in post. However, the school recognises that staff with subject responsibilities have to play a more rigorous role in monitoring and evaluating provision, in subjects they are responsible for, and bringing about sustained improvements. The governing body is very supportive and has ensured, along with other school leaders, that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. It is increasingly holding the school to account for the dips in attainment and underachievement of some year groups.

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Leadership and management

There has been improvement over time and several initiatives are already embedded and are beginning to make a positive difference to pupils’ achievements. For example, the school now has secure systems in place to monitor pupils’ progress and this has led to an upturn in achievement. Further improvement is promoted by staff’s performance management goals and training opportunities, which centre primarily on 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

the most pressing needs identified by the school, including improving teaching. Together, they confirm the school has the capacity for future improvement. Pupils’ satisfactory progress and opportunities for all groups of pupils to be involved in a range of activities reflect the school’s leaders and staff’s satisfactory promotion of equality of opportunity and freedom from discrimination.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum, while satisfactory through its breadth of activities, is not focusing consistently on providing exciting, innovative and investigative activities, to help raise attainment, particularly in writing. Links between subjects are developing and the school makes effective use of a wide range of partnerships, particularly with schools in the local cluster, to boost this further. The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well, because it is regularly incorporated into learning through texts and topics.

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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 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

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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 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 sta tistics 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

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

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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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6QR

Thank you for your warm welcome on our recent visit. We enjoyed talking to you, looking at your work and watching you learn. Your school gives you a satisfactory education. This means that you make satisfactory progress throughout the school. You reach average standards overall in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. Your skills in writing are not as strong as your reading or number skills. Throughout the school, teaching is satisfactory overall, with some that is good. You are well cared for and everyone at the school wants you to succeed. Your attendance is above average and we particularly noticed how polite you were when we spoke to you.

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6QR

The headteacher and the staff are making lots of changes to improve the school. On behalf of the inspection team I have asked the headteacher, staff and governors to make sure that:

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6QR

 you make faster progress in your learning, especially in writing, and that more of you understand your targets and what you need to do to reach them   the tasks you are given are at the right level to help you to make the quickest possible progress, including for those of you who can reach higher levels  you take more responsibility for the way in which you learn during lessons by completing work more quickly without being constantly reminded to do so  leaders and managers have roles and responsibilities that will most help you to make quicker progress.

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6QR

I hope that you will help the staff to improve your education by working very hard and by taking the advice that the staff give you.

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6QR

Michael Merchant 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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