St Philip and James' Church of England Aided Primary School Oxford

St Philip and James' Church of England Aided Primary School Oxford Navigation Way, Oxford, OX2 6AB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The vast majority of pupils make good progress across the school. Overall, attainment is well above average in all subjects. There is real enjoyment of reading and this is one of the strengths of the school.  All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs, those known to be eligible for free school meals, and those for whom English is an additional language, achieve well.  Teaching is good overall. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and they use their questioning techniques well to test pupils’ understanding.  Pupils are very enthusiastic about their school and they feel safe, supported and well cared for by adults. They are active in the life of the school and enjoy the responsibilities that are given to them. They feel safe, behave well and have good attitudes to learning.  The governing body, headteacher and senior leaders work together well for good outcomes

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

for pupils and have maintained the high levels of attainment for pupils since the last inspection. The headteacher is supported well by senior leaders and managers.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Too little teaching is outstanding. In a number of lessons, teachers talk for too long and this restricts independence and the  Teachers’ marking is inconsistent. . Where comments are made on how pupils can improve their work, teachers do not always 2 of 10

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

progress of, particularly, the more able. follow them up to check that pupils have fully understood how to improve their work. 3 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 25 lessons, of which seven were joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. In addition, the inspection team made a number of other short visits to lessons and to learning areas.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, the headteacher, senior leaders, subject coordinators and two groups of pupils. A telephone discussion also took place with the local authority representative. Two phone calls were made to parents at their request.  Inspectors received 81 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). Six letters were submitted to the inspection team by parents and carers. Inspectors held informal discussions with parents and carers before the start of the school.  Inspectors received 29 completed questionnaires by staff and considered the responses made by them all.  Inspectors observed pupils’ work in and outside of the classroom, scrutinised their books,

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Information about this inspection

including some of the books from Year 6 pupils who left the school in summer, and looked at a number of documents, including child protection and safeguarding policies, the school’s own data on achievement of different groups of pupils, the school’s records and policies on behaviour, safety, attendance, and monitoring of the quality of learning and teaching, as well as the governing body minutes.

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Inspection team

Avtar Sherri, Lead inspector Lead inspector Abigail Rourke Additional inspector David Curtis Additional inspector 4 of 10

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Information about this school

 This is larger than the average size primary school. The number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above the national average. However, majority of pupils are from White British background, the remainder coming from any other White background and mixed-heritage, with very small numbers from other minority ethnic heritages. The number of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those supported at school action, school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs, is below average.  The proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school throughout the year is higher than the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better by reducing the number of lessons with too much teacher talk in order to provide greater opportunities for pupils to interact with each other and ensure that more-able pupils are sufficiently challenged to reach their potential.  Improve the consistency in marking and the quality of feedback on pupils’ work so that next steps for learning are clear to pupils, and to ensure that they respond to the comments made through checking their work. 5 of 10

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter Reception at above age-related expectations, particularly in understanding of the world, communication and literacy, and mathematics. They are weaker in personal, social and emotional development and in expressive arts and design.  There has been a trend of well above average attainment in all subjects across the school over the past three years, except in writing in 2010 at Key Stage 1 when it was broadly average. This year, some pupils achieved Level 6 in both English (12%) and mathematics (25%).  Attainment is rising in all subjects, particularly in reading, where there is real enthusiasm and enjoyment of reading amongst pupils. Younger readers know how to blend sounds to decode unknown or more complex words.  The proportion of pupils making or exceeding the expected progress from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 is higher than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Analysis of performance data and scrutiny of pupils’ work show that that they make at least good progress overall. Pupils, however, do not make rapid and sustained progress throughout year groups, particularly in mathematics in Years 3 to 4 and writing in Years 2 to 3.  Parents and carers who responded to Parent View and those consulted agree that their children make good progress at school.  Progress in a number of lessons observed was limited because teachers talked for too long. As a result, some pupils, particularly the more able, were not sufficiently challenged to reach their potential.  The gap between the achievement of boys and girls and those pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is closing. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress in all subjects, with particularly strong progress in writing and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make the expected progress

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The achievement of pupils is good

through good-quality care and highly individualised support.  There are good transition arrangements with secondary schools to give Year 6 pupils, including the disabled and those with special educational needs, a good start in their next stage of education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching over time is good overall. Pupils benefit through teachers’ mainly secure subject and curriculum knowledge, the use of learning objectives and success criteria, and the use of questioning to test understanding. Good scaffolding of key vocabulary was a strong feature of many lessons observed. In one outstanding lesson, pupils made outstanding progress in developing a poetry theme through self-assessment and peer coaching. In one of the good lessons, the needs of different learners were met through activities closely matching their needs and, as a result, they made good progress with their understanding of symmetry. Teachers’ Standards are met by all teachers observed.  Teachers’ planning shows that they know their pupils well and they plan activities accordingly to meet the needs of different learners, including those with disability and special educational needs. However, there is, at times, a lack of ‘buzz’ and lively activities in classrooms to promote

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The quality of teaching is good

greater collaboration between pupils, to motivate and enthuse them, and to capture their interests. Where teachers talk for too long, this limits the pace of learning for more-able pupils who do not have sufficient opportunities to work independently and extend their ideas in a more open and imaginary way.  Pupils’ work is marked by teachers, with some comments on how to improve. However, this is 6 of 10

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The quality of teaching is good

not consistent across year groups, which limits pupils’ involvement in their next steps for learning. Teachers do not always check that pupils have taken into account their comments for improvements.  Learning support assistants are used skilfully to meet the needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, those for whom English is an additional language and those eligible for the pupil premium. As a result, these pupils make similar progress to other groups.  The Early Years Foundation Stage provides a very supportive and caring environment for pupils, and teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support pupils’ learning. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills through talking with their talk partners. However, sometimes there is insufficient balance between adult- and child-initiated activities. Some of the activities are heavily adult directed and this limits learning and

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The quality of teaching is good

independence. Occasionally, opportunities are missed to promote learning through free flow between indoor and outdoor activities.  Teaching contributes very successfully to promoting learning and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils enjoy the range of extra-curricular activities that the school offers, including developing their skills through the creative curriculum in partnership with various cultural institutions. Enrichment activities, targeted interventions and school’s participation in the Comenius project all make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning and progress in different subjects, including increasing their global awareness and knowledge about other cultures.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils across the school show good behaviour. They are courteous, respectful and kind. Pupils from all backgrounds get on well with each other, both inside the classroom and outside in the playground. Pupils are trained as playground friends and they look out for each other. Pupils themselves say that behaviour is good and bullying and racist behaviour is rare.  Good behaviour is supported by shared classroom rules and a playground charter. Staff promote good behaviour with praise and a variety of rewards for pupils. Behaviour and bullying logs show that unacceptable behaviour is rare, and, when problems do occur, there are good support systems in place for pupils. However, the outcomes of actions taken are not always clear, particularly in relation to the background of pupils involved.  From the Parent View responses, 60% of parents and carers said that the school deals effectively with bullying, with 10% disagreeing. No issues around unacceptable behaviour or

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

bullying were raised by parents and carers in their letters or during discussions with the inspection team. Of the 29 staff questionnaires received, two thirds strongly agree and one third agree that behaviour is good in the school. There have been no exclusions at the school.  Behaviour and attitudes to learning are good, although some pupils do not always find it easy to sustain this in lessons, especially when sitting on the carpet for too long or when the pace of a lesson drops.  Pupils say they feel safe at school and able to approach an adult if they have any safety concerns. They are given a range of ways of keeping themselves safe through police visits, awareness of cyber-bullying and e-safety, and involvement in the school’s anti-bullying week.  Attendance is broadly average. The school is developing further strategies to follow up absences quickly and to improve the quality of absence data to identify the background of key groups for

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is supported well by senior leaders, staff and the governing body, and they work together well as a cohesive team. The headteacher’s high expectations and ambitions for pupils’ achievement are shared by all in pursuit of continuous improvement. As a result, the school has maintained its high attainment for pupils and narrowed the achievement gap between boys and girls since the last inspection. The school promotes successfully equality of opportunity for all pupils and discrimination is not tolerated in any form. As a result, pupils with disability and special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, and those eligible for pupil premium make similar progress to other pupils.  Performance management is carried out on a regular basis to monitor the performance of teachers through lesson observations and to review and set challenging targets. Staff said that

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The leadership and management are good

their training needs are well met by the school and there is good support for them to develop in their roles.  The curriculum is good and provides opportunities for creative development for all groups of pupils. To meet the needs of all learners, the school curriculum is enriched by creative cultural aspects through strong partnership with cultural institutions, the theme weeks across the curriculum, participation in the Comenius project and school visits. As a result, achievement is good for all groups of pupils and the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a real strength of the school.  The headteacher shares data on achievement and priorities for the school development plan with the governing body, including the progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, those for whom English is an additional language and on the use of the pupil

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The leadership and management are good

premium. Subject leaders monitor effectively their subjects through book scrutiny and sometimes by observing lessons. They track pupils’ progress closely and identify any underachieving groups. However, data are yet to be further refined so that it can be used more effectively to identify pupils who are not making sufficient progress across year groups.  Parents’ and carers’ response to Parent View indicates that 87% of them believe that the school is well led and managed. The 29 staff responses in the questionnaires indicate that all of them either strongly agree or agree that the school is well led and managed.  The school meets all statutory safeguarding requirements.  The local authority provides a very light touch support to the school and is satisfied with its performance.  The governance of the school:  Is good. Members of the governing body know the school well. They have high expectations

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The leadership and management are good

for pupil outcome and are fully committed to school improvement, including monitoring of policies, allocating resources and deployment of staff through efficient management of financial resources.  Governors are very knowledgeable and offer appropriate support and challenge through school visits and by asking probing questions. 8 of 10

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. 9 of 10

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School details

Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 403521

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Corinna Redman Headteacher Irene Conway Date of previous school inspection 22 November 2007 Telephone number 01865 311064 Fax number 01865 311202 Email address office.3835@ocnmail.net guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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