St Joseph's Catholic Junior School

St Joseph's Catholic Junior School Pitman Street, Camberwell, London, SE5 0TS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The executive headteacher, head of school and governors have developed a culture in which pupils thrive as learners and develop into articulate, confident young people.  A relentless drive for improvement by all leaders has quickly raised the quality and consistency of teaching, ensuring pupils attain highly, especially in English.  Teaching is good and lessons are carefully planned. Detailed marking gives pupils a clear indication of how to move forward in their learning. All groups of pupils make good progress and some do better than this, especially in English. Standards at the end of Year 6 have been above the national average in all subjects for a number of years.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make rapid progress in all subjects because their needs are identified accurately and the support they receive is of high quality.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. Their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

behaviour is outstanding and they show a real desire for learning. They have great respect for their teachers and other adults. They are polite and friendly to each other.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress in mathematics is not as high as that in English.  The more able pupils are not given enough opportunities to extend their understanding further, especially in mathematics.  Links between mathematics and other areas of the curriculum have not been fully developed.  The outstanding quality of marking and feedback seen in some year groups is not consistent across all classes.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons or part lessons, the majority being jointly observed with the executive headteacher or the head of school. They also conducted some short visits to look at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and observed pupils at play. Inspectors also observed a class mass taken by a visiting priest.  Inspectors observed targeted support sessions for small groups of pupils.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, head of school, senior leaders responsible for English, mathematics and special educational needs, a representative from the local authority and the Chair of the Governing Body.  Inspectors spoke to pupils on the school council and informally to pupils in the playground.  Inspectors took into account the 28 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and reviewed comments collected from parents at recent consultation evenings. They also took

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Inspection team

Penny Spencer, Lead inspector Additional Inspector John Mason Additional Inspector Elaine Hamilton Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Joseph’s is a two-form entry junior school and is broadly average in size.  In September 2012 the school entered into a soft federation with St Joseph’s Infant School, which shares the same site. The headteacher of the infant school was appointed as the executive headteacher of both schools. Heads of school were appointed for the junior and infant schools and each school has a separate governing body.  Most of the pupils are from a minority ethnic background and the majority speak English as an additional language. The majority of pupils are of Black African heritage. An increasing proportion of pupils are at the early stages of learning English.  Almost half the pupils are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funds made available to schools by the government to support pupils in receipt of free school meals, in the care of the local authority or whose parents are serving in the armed forces).

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Information about this school

 The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The proportion supported at school action is above average. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is no alternative provision linked to the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and raise achievement further, by:  giving pupils, especially the more able, more open-ended challenges in mathematics to develop and deepen their skills and understanding  making links between mathematics and other curriculum areas more explicit  ensuring the outstanding marking and feedback seen in some year groups is shared consistently across all classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils enter the school with attainment broadly in line with national averages. They make good progress, especially in English, and standards at the end of Year 6 are consistently above average in all subjects.  A higher proportion of pupils make better than expected progress in English than in mathematics. This is especially the case for the higher attaining pupils.  Progress and attainment of current learners show continued improvements across all year groups with increasing proportions of pupils working above age-related expectations. Recent assessments show that the current Year 6 pupils are on track to achieve more highly than last year’s group.  Pupils who are supported by the pupil premium make good progress and their performance as measured by average point scores in national assessments at the end of Year 6 is consistent with other pupils in the school. This is because the school ensures the money is carefully

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The achievement of pupils is good

targeted to give high quality support.  The achievement of Black African pupils is above the national average for this group and is in line with national averages for all pupils, especially in English.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make rapid progress from their starting points and their attainment is higher than similar pupils nationally. This is because targeted support sessions are carefully selected and rigorously monitored to ensure they are having a positive impact. Inspectors observed pupils receiving extra individual support with their reading. Analysis of data showed the majority of pupils had caught up with their peers after only 10 weeks.  Pupils who read to inspectors from Years 3 and 6 were all enthusiastic about reading and talked excitedly about their favourite books and authors. Less able readers had confidence and used a wide variety of strategies to help them decode unfamiliar words. More able readers have access

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The achievement of pupils is good

to a wide range of interesting and challenging texts and read with expression and good understanding. All the pupils liked the fact they could supplement books from school with their own books if they wished.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan interesting and exciting lessons that ensure pupils are keen to learn. Work is carefully matched to the needs and ability levels of most pupils.  Some higher ability pupils, especially in mathematics, are not always challenged to develop their skills and understanding, for example through the use of open-ended problems that allow them to independently select the way in which they work to achieve the solution.  In an outstanding literacy lesson pupils made excellent progress because the teacher’s preparation and attention to detail ensured work was carefully matched to ability while still ensuring that all groups had a high level of challenge. This was coupled with a lively, purposeful teaching style that ensured all pupils were keen to participate in their learning.  Teachers create good links between literacy and other curriculum areas. This was observed during a religious education lesson where pupils were asked to write about the difficulty of

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The quality of teaching is good

always treating each other with kindness and respect, in the style of a diary, recording how they felt when they had been involved in an argument with a friend.  Links between mathematics and other curriculum areas are not so explicit and opportunities are sometimes lost to consolidate mathematical understanding through other subjects.  Teachers use effective questioning to develop pupils’ skills. This was observed during an outstanding music lesson where the teacher’s probing questions made pupils evaluate the effectiveness of ideas for musical accompaniment to a song, leading to an exceptional performance from all pupils.  Marking is frequent and detailed in almost all classes with examples of outstanding practice. Pupils respond effectively to the marking with considerable benefit to their learning and are mature in their approach to peer and self-assessment. In the few classes where this is not so

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The quality of teaching is good

consistent some opportunities are lost for pupils to gain maximum benefit from the feedback.  Other adults in the classroom are used extremely well. Teaching assistants are confident in their role and close liaison with the class teacher ensures they are able to support pupils to make at least good, and often rapid progress.  The teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is excellent. Targeted support activities are well planned and closely matched to pupils’ understanding.  Recent additional training to improve the teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) and spelling are having an immediate impact on the achievement of pupils in reading and writing, allowing those who may have fallen behind to catch up quickly with their peers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils are enthusiastic and committed. Inspectors were extremely impressed with the way in which they cooperated with each other and continually strived to do their best.  Pupils were unfailingly polite to inspectors and showed high levels of respect for all visitors. This was observed several times during the inspection but particularly during a class mass, taken by a visiting priest, where pupils were an integral part of the service and displayed high levels of maturity and understanding at all times.  Behaviour in the playground is outstanding. It is lively but well organised. Pupils use the very small space extremely well and are quick to respond to adult instructions that ensure safety is not compromised.  All parents who responded to Parent View and the school’s own questions strongly believe behaviour is a strength of the school and that their children are well looked after. This view was

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

echoed by the staff and endorsed by the inspection team.  Pupils have many opportunities to take on positions of responsibility and take their roles very seriously. Pupils on the school council were extremely proud of the things they had achieved. As one pupil commented, ‘We have made the school a better place for everyone!’  Pupils have a very secure knowledge of how to keep themselves safe in and outside school. Their understanding is reinforced through an effective programme of personal and social education. Pupils were unanimous about feeling safe in school.  Pupils say bullying is extremely rare and staff and parents agree. Any incidents of less than good behaviour are quickly dealt with in line with the school’s excellent behaviour policy, which is used consistently by all staff.  Any pupils who may very occasionally have challenging behaviour are supported through individual plans and as a result are able to manage their behaviour well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is above average because pupils want to come to school and learn. The very few pupils who may be persistently absent for any reason are monitored very closely and the school takes action where necessary. Any lateness is usually caused by the long distances some pupils travel by public transport.

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The leadership and management are good

 Led by a strong and determined executive headteacher, head of school and senior leaders, the staff work as a well-motivated team. There is a tangible sense of enthusiasm and purpose to continue improving the outcomes for pupils.  The recent soft federation with the infant school and the changes to senior leadership have had an immediate and positive impact on all aspects of the school’s work that was praised by staff and parents alike.  The school regularly checks on how well teachers are performing and robustly relates career promotion and salaries to staff performance.  Training opportunities have been increased and teachers are enthusiastic about the new opportunities to develop further their practice. Training for the leaders of literacy and mathematics has had an immediate impact on their leadership to the benefit of teachers and pupils alike.  Funds available through the pupil premium are used very effectively to support learning. The

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The leadership and management are good

recruitment of an extra teacher for Year 6 to allow pupils to be taught in smaller groups and provision of extra individual support for pupils in other year groups are both having a positive impact on outcomes for this group.  Leaders at all levels are fully involved in the monitoring and evaluation of pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching and ensure that no pupil is discriminated against. Targeted support is closely scrutinised to ensure that it is proving good value in terms of accelerating progress for pupils who may find learning difficult. Support programmes are swiftly adapted or changed if they do not meet expectations.  The local authority provides good support for improving the quality of teaching, through the provision of training and monitoring. It has been proactive in supporting the school, including the governors, through the recent federation of the two schools.  The curriculum is good overall and provides pupils with a wide range of interesting topics. Music

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The leadership and management are good

in particular is a real strength of the school and pupils have many opportunities to learn an instrument or perform, often in front of large audiences, as a member of the choir.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong as a result of high-quality provision and is underpinned by the caring ethos that permeates through the school. Equality of opportunity is strongly promoted and all pupils have equal access to the activities on offer.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is ambitious for the school’s continued success and has been proactive in driving the federation through its first stage. It is well informed about staff performance management and competent to challenge any underperformance in the quality of teaching. Governors understand how the salary progression of teachers is related to the impact of their work on pupils’ progress and offer strong levels of support and challenge to the leadership

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The leadership and management are good

team to ensure standards continue to rise. They have attended up-to-date training to develop their skills in analysing performance data and to carry out their roles in respect of child protection and safeguarding. They manage finances, including the pupil premium funding, well. Safeguarding procedures are exemplary.

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 100853 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 400430

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 7 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Jeremy de Satgé Executive Headteacher Elizabeth Williams Head of School Delia Jameson Date of previous school inspection 8 – 9 October 2009 Telephone number 020 7703 3455 Fax number 020 7277 1353 Email address headteacher@stjosephs.southwark.sch.uk 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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