St Lawrence Catholic Primary School

St Lawrence RC Primary School Victoria Road, Feltham, Hounslow, TW13 4FF

p.1

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

p.1

This is a good school

 Pupils make good progress across the school. By the end of Year 6, attainment in English and mathematics is above the national average.  Different groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, as well as those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress and achieve well.  Teaching is good or better in nearly all classes. Teachers plan interesting activities that motivate pupils to learn.  The school is at the heart of the community. Pupils like coming to school and say they feel safe. They behave well and respect one another  The leadership of the headteacher is strong. The governing body challenge and support him to help the school to improve so that pupils achieve well.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of outstanding teaching is not high enough to ensure that all pupils make rapid progress. Not all teachers consistently check on the progress pupils are making during lessons.  Occasionally, marking does not give enough guidance to pupils on how to improve their work.  Not all leaders are using the school’s tracking systems effectively to check on pupils’ achievement and accelerate progress.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors worked in partnership with the school’s senior leadership team when analysing information about the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation documentation, development planning, safeguarding arrangements, records relating to behaviour and attendance, minutes of the governing body’s meetings, a monitoring report from the local authority and data related to pupils’ progress and attainment.  Inspectors visited 25 lessons taught by 17 different teachers. Several of these lesson observations were carried out jointly with senior staff. An assembly was also observed.  Inspectors heard pupils read and analysed a selection of their work.  Discussions were held with senior leaders, staff, governors, pupils and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 66 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire. Inspectors also talked to 25 parents before and after school and two letters were received.

p.2

Information about this inspection

 Staff views were taken into account through scrutiny of 42 completed questionnaires.

p.2

Inspection team

Sarah Varnom, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lesley Leak Additional Inspector John Collins Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 St Lawrence RC Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action or school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well above the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is lower than the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by making sure that: – marking and feedback are of consistently high quality and provide clear guidance to pupils on the next steps in their learning – all teachers regularly check on pupils’ learning and progress during lessons.  Ensure that all leaders make best use of the school’s monitoring systems to gain a full and accurate view of pupils’ performance so that their progress can be accelerated further.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Taking account of their different starting points, pupils make good progress across the school.  Most children join the Nursery with skills that are well below typical expectations. Because of the good quality provision in the Nursery and Reception classes, by the time they join Year 1 their attainment is just below average.  Pupils build well on this positive start and attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 in all subjects is broadly in line with national averages. The school encourages pupils to develop enthusiasm for reading and pupils make good progress in gaining and improving their early reading skills.  Overall, standards are above average at the end of Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics. Reading is a strength, with the majority of pupils making at least good progress. Although achievement in writing is not quite as strong, the majority of pupils are making at least the progress expected of them. Improving writing is a focus for the school and the impact of this is

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

already evident in pupils’ books and around the school. Attainment in mathematics is on an upward turn and pupils are making good progress.  Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language make at least good, and sometimes excellent, progress. This is due to high quality individual support programmes, carefully planned to meet their needs.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are making good progress overall. Those eligible for support through the pupil premium are achieving well and the school is using the funding effectively to raise their attainment. The average point score in 2012 for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals was similar to national figures for this group and gaps in attainment between these pupils and their peers are closing.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 The overall quality of teaching in all subjects, including English and mathematics, is good over time, promoting good learning and raising pupils’ achievement. The headteacher, supported by his leadership team, has worked successfully with staff to develop consistently good quality teaching.  The good and outstanding teaching across the school enables pupils to make good progress and consolidate their skills and understanding. In the best lessons, pupils are excited and challenged by their work as teachers use well-judged and often inspirational strategies to move learning forward. Expectations are high and tasks are set at just the right level of difficulty to ensure that pupils make good progress.  Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to talk and listen to one another in lessons and this helps them to learn from, and value others’ ideas and opinions. Their speaking and listening skills are good.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and respond well to this.  Teachers make learning interesting and relevant. For example, in a Year 6 writing lesson, pupils put together a balanced argument about wearing uniform in school. They research the history of wearing school uniform, looking at opposing views over time and debate the topic before agreeing on the best way to record their views.  Most teachers systematically and effectively check pupils’ understanding throughout lessons and encourage pupils to reflect on their own learning. However, this is not consistent across the school, and occasionally progress slows a little when learning is not checked frequently enough.  There are inconsistencies in the way teachers mark pupils’ work. Some teachers provide helpful comments to support pupils’ understanding of the next steps that they need to take to improve their work. Others are not following up work with the necessary rigour and consequently some

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

pupils are not able to benefit from high quality feedback and guidance.

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good and they enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in their above average attendance and punctuality.  There have been no permanent or other exclusion for two years.  Pupils say they feel safe and secure in school and understand how to keep themselves safe. They understand about different types of bullying but they say bullying is rare in their school and if it happens it is dealt with swiftly and effectively.  All parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire at the time of the inspection say the school makes sure pupils behave well and are safe.  There is a consistent approach to behaviour management across the school. Pupils know that they are expected to behave respectfully and understand the consequences if they do not.  In lessons, pupils work well independently and collaboratively. They are respectful of each other’s feelings, beliefs, property and views. They are also respectful of their teachers and other

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

adults, and are polite and well-mannered. Very occasionally, there is some low-level disruption but this is handled very effectively by staff.  Pupils enjoy taking on additional responsibilities which contribute to the smooth running of the school.  Pupils enjoy playtimes and lunchtimes and make good use of the play equipment provided. Adults take good care of pupils during these times.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a clear vision for continued school improvement. There are robust systems for checking the quality of the school’s work and the headteacher has a clear and accurate understanding of its strengths and areas for development.  In this school, there is a strong sense of purpose and a clear commitment to teamwork and community in order to get the best possible outcomes for all pupils. The school promotes equality of opportunity well.  The headteacher is very clear about the needs of the pupils in his school and directs additional funding carefully to support pupils’ learning.  The headteacher manages teachers’ performance well and ensures there is a good match between performance and pay. This is reviewed with governors regularly.  Senior leaders are accurate in the judgements they make about the quality of teaching. They communicate their high expectations to staff. All staff who completed the staff questionnaire

p.5

The leadership and management are good

during the inspection agree that the school is well led and managed.  The school has good systems for tracking pupils’ progress and this data is mostly used well, together with information on teaching and examples of pupils’ work, to gain an accurate ongoing picture of achievement. However, not all leaders make the best use of these systems and procedures, and this limits their involvement in driving further improvement in pupils’ outcomes.  Teaching over time is consistently good or better. Senior leaders regularly observe lessons, check pupils’ work and support teachers to improve their practice. Staff with responsibility for English and mathematics have ensured improvements are realised. For example, the introduction of the cursive handwriting style right across the school has been successful in developing boys’ writing and in improving the presentation of work for all pupils.  The school provides an interesting and well-balanced curriculum with effective learning

p.5

The leadership and management are good

opportunities for all groups of pupils. It promotes positive behaviour and provides a broad range of experiences that contribute well to the pupils’ achievement and to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Safeguarding systems meet requirements. Training to ensure staff provide effective support and protection for pupils is up to date. The school promotes equality of opportunity well and does not tolerate discrimination  The local authority carries out an annual review of the school with the headteacher and a governor. The headteacher values this support and sees it as a useful opportunity to support the school’s evaluation of its work. Teachers gave positive feedback about the training offered by the local authority.  The governance of the school:  The governing body fulfils all its statutory duties effectively and ensures that arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust. It rigorously manages the performance of the headteacher and

p.5

The leadership and management are good

offers appropriate support and challenge. The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement, and knows how well the school is performing in relation to other schools. It receives regular reports from the headteacher about the quality of teaching and pupil progress and monitor the links between pupils’ performance and movement along the salary scale. The Chair of the Governing Body ensures all governors are involved in making decisions about how funds are spent and discussing the impact this has on pupil progress. For example, they decided to spend the pupil premium funding to appoint extra staff to support the progress of this group of pupils. They also ensured that these pupils had the opportunity to attend a range of extra-curricular activities offered by the school.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 102527 Local authority Hounslow Inspection number 402892

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

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 501 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sharon Kerrigan Headteacher Rory McCormack Date of previous school inspection 1–2 October2007 Telephone number 020 8890 3878 Fax number 020 8893 1885 Email address head@st-lawrence.hounslow.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9