St Stephen's CofE Primary School

St Stephen's Church of England Primary School 91 Westbourne Park Road, London, W2 5QH

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Inspection dates 31 January–1 February 2013

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress from very low starting points to attain standards that are broadly average at the end of Year 6. Pupils in Year 5 and especially Year 6 make accelerated progress particularly in writing. As a result attainment is rising rapidly.  The large majority of pupils behave well. Pupils say they feel safe and are taught well on how to stay safe. The different nationalities and cultures live and learn as a harmonious community.  A large majority of teaching and learning is at least good especially in Nursery and Year 6 where almost all teaching is outstanding. Teaching is good because realistic, but challenging, targets are set for teachers and those new to the school are supported well.  Leadership and management are strong. The school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas for improvement. Despite many changes of staff, the very effective governing body and the headteacher ensure that all

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

leaders and managers make a strong contribution to school improvement.  The information gained from self-evaluation is used effectively in the school development plan. As a result, sustained improvement has taken place and is continuing as the school focuses on the next priorities.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement in Years 1 to 4, although good, is not as strong as that in Years 5 and 6.  Although the achievement of pupils speaking English as an additional language is similar to that of all pupils nationally, fewer attain the higher Level 5 in English.  The school’s data systems do not give clear enough information on children’s starting points at Reception or give teachers an accurate enough understanding of the stages of language acquisition of those speaking English as an additional language that can be used to meet the needs of these learners .

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed ten teachers while visiting 22 lessons or parts of lessons, some in partnership with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body and staff and a discussion was held with the school’s improvement advisor from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, looked at the school’s own evaluation of its work, the strategic plan for raising achievement and evaluated samples of pupils’ work.  Other documents looked at included: curriculum planning, documents relating to attendance, safeguarding and child protection, records of pupils’ attainment and progress, records of behaviour, records relating to the monitoring of teaching and minutes of the governing body.  Only four parents or carers completed responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) which is too few for analysis. A questionnaire sent out by the school in the last twelve months was

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Information about this inspection

analysed and parents and carers were spoken to at the start of the school day.  Inspection questionnaires received from staff were analysed.

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Inspection team

Stephen Lake, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Terry Mortimer Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is similar in size to most primary schools.  A minority of the pupils are White British, the majority come from a wide range of other ethnic groups with pupils of Bangladeshi origin being the largest identifiable group and making up about 20% of the school.  Over 80% of pupils speak English as an additional language which is around four times more than average.  The proportion of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals and attracting funding through the pupil premium is over twice the national average.  An above average proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is supported at school action.  The percentage of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The most commonly identified needs are: speech, communication and language difficulties, moderate learning difficulties and behavioural,

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Information about this school

emotional and social difficulties.  A third of the teaching staff are new to the school in the last twelve months.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement, especially that of pupils speaking English as an additional language in Years 1 to 4 to match that in Years 5 and 6 by:  ensuring that all teachers speak more clearly and slowly when talking to the whole class to take account of the large number of pupils who speak English as an additional language  taking more opportunities for teachers new to the school to observe the best teaching taking place so that they can copy the most effective practice, including the use of role play and talk partners.  Refine the school data systems to give information that is more closely tailored to the specific needs of the school by:  ensuring better information is gathered on the starting points of pupils, especially those who join the school other than at the normal time  undertaking a revised audit of the differing needs of pupils speaking English as an additional language so that teachers can identify quickly the most effective way of supporting individuals

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

and leaders and managers have more detailed information on the progress of these pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children typically start school with skills that are well below those expected for their age. They achieve well in the improved Early Years Foundation Stage, especially in the Nursery, but until recently their low starting points mean that they start Year 1 with below average skills.  Attainment varies from year to year because of the large number of families that move into and out of the area, but the underlying trend is of improvement and attainment is rising at the end of Reception. In the national assessments at age seven and especially at the end of Year 6 attainment is rising much more rapidly than it is nationally.  A key factor affecting the results in national assessments is the greater than average proportion of pupils speaking English as an additional language. These come from a wide variety of countries and backgrounds. Some have little previous experience of schooling and some are just

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The achievement of pupils is good

starting to learn English as an additional language. They receive good support to enable them to be fully included in lessons and achieve as well as other pupils in the school but fewer of this group attain the higher Level 5 in national assessments.  Attainment at the end of Year 6 has improved considerably over the last few years due to the improvements in teaching. Pupils in Year 6 and increasingly in Year 5 are making accelerated progress and school assessments show that the current Year 6 is on track to make outstanding progress from Year 2 to Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  In the recent assessment of reading skills at age six more pupils than average attained the expected standard, reflecting the good progress that had been made in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils make good progress in reading to attain standards that are above average but not significantly above. Pupils who speak English as an additional language read

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The achievement of pupils is good

text well, but do not always have a sufficient understanding of the meaning of the text. This is improving as the school concentrates on developing pupils’ understanding of what they are reading.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because of the good quality additional support that they receive.  The pupils supported through the pupil premium funding, many of whom also speak English as an additional language, are making good progress similar to all pupils in the school and better progress than all pupils nationally. In the most recent national assessments pupils known to be entitled to free school meals made a gain in their average points score from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 of 15.2 points and other pupils made a gain of 15 points. This is above average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The large majority of those parents and carers who responded to the school’s survey or spoke to inspectors believe that teaching is good. Teaching over time is clearly good despite the numerous changes of teachers.  Teachers plan lessons that stimulate and motivate pupils to learn. Effective use is made of drama and talk partners to enable pupils to talk through what they intend to write. For example, pupils made good, and for some outstanding, progress in a Year 2 lesson where they acted out how they thought the traditional tale Rumplestiltskin would end. In another lesson in Year 6 pupils, especially those speaking English as an additional language, made outstanding progress changing informal text to formal text after the teacher modelled a few sentences and then encouraged pupils to work in pairs and discuss the changes. This very effective strategy is not used consistently throughout the school which limits its effectiveness.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Through the curriculum teachers provide a language-rich environment and an emphasis on writing that supports the needs of all, but in particular supports those speaking English as an additional language, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. However, some teachers talk a little too rapidly or give too many instructions at one time which slows the learning of pupils speaking English as an additional language. Visits to places of interest and visitors to the school stimulate pupils to learn and develop their writing skills and also enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Marking is good. It shows clearly how pupils can improve their work. Pupils understand the marking scheme and say that it helps them to know the next steps in their learning. Older pupils like the long-term targets in their books that reflect the National Curriculum levels and say these

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The quality of teaching is good

help them to know what it is they are expected to learn. However, these targets are not used consistently throughout the school.  The vast majority of the capable teaching assistants provide good, and at times outstanding, support for disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those supported through the pupil premium. These pupils are kept fully included in lessons by tasks matched closely to their assessed needs. Those with additional needs are supported in small groups or by one-to-one tuition. Pupils who face challenging circumstances are supported in their learning by a trained counsellor.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are supported well in their learning by a range of additional adults including qualified teachers and teaching assistants. Teachers also make very good use of paired pupils in lessons so that those with better English skills can support others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Almost all parents and carers who responded to the school survey and those who spoke to inspectors agree that there is a good standard of behaviour although a few, including staff and governors, recognise that there are some challenging pupils whose behaviour is not up to the very high standards the school expects. Teachers and teaching assistants manage the behaviour of this small group well so that disruption to lessons is rare.  Secure and robust systems for safeguarding ensure pupils are kept safe. Pupils have a very good awareness of different types of bullying, including, physical, verbal, and emotional and discrimination-based bullying. They have a clear understanding of cyber bullying and are aware that sometimes messages on their computers or phones may not be pleasant but they should not send similar ones back.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school and that incidents of bullying are rare. They are very

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

clear that behaviour has improved over the last few years including a reduction in bullying. They say that all adults will deal effectively with any bullying that might occur.  During discussions the large majority of pupils listen very carefully to each other and show respect for each other and for adults. Pupils say that disruption to lessons is most unusual. Inspectors found pupils respond well to teachers’ directions and instructions. Their positive attitudes towards learning support the improving progress being made.  Attendance is average. The school works hard to improve this including awards for attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 All leaders, staff and governors share an ambitious vision of how the school can improve and a strong drive to bring this about. The large majority of parents and carers who responded to the school survey agree that the school is led and managed well.  Robust procedures are in place for monitoring and improving the quality of teaching and learning. Subject leaders provide good guidance to teachers on how to plan and deliver more effective lessons. Senior leaders ensure that professional development is linked closely to performance management. The school makes effective use of the local authority to provide good quality support for new and established teachers. This is improving the quality of teaching.  A well-planned curriculum ensures that strong links are made between subjects and a great focus is placed upon learning key skills. The outstanding Nursery provision enables a very good start to school. Strong provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development can

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The leadership and management are good

be seen clearly in pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. Through topic themes pupils have good opportunities to reflect upon moral and social issues, show curiosity and creativity and develop their imagination.  Procedures for safeguarding are secure and meet requirements. Training in safeguarding and child protection is up to date for staff and governors.  The school takes great care and commitment to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination. The progress and attainment of all individuals are monitored very rigorously by senior leaders to ensure that all pupils, and especially those supported by the pupil premium, are making at least good progress. The information gained is used effectively to target extra support when necessary. This has been particularly effective in ensuring the good achievement of those pupils supported by the pupil premium.  This very complex school does not have a sophisticated enough system for analysing the

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The leadership and management are good

performance of different groups. This includes the need to set baselines in place that the performance of different groups can be measured against. For example, systems to assess different levels of English for pupils speaking English as an additional language are not refined enough. This makes it difficult to identify how progress can be improved to outstanding.  The significant improvement of the last few years is being sustained. Leaders and managers, including the governing body, have accurate information on the school’s performance. Areas for development are clearly identified and the school development plan provides clear direction on bringing about sustained improvements in teaching and achievement. This indicates a secure capacity to improve further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors consult regularly with parents and carers, staff and pupils and listen to what they have to say to guide school improvement.  Effective and rigorous systems for monitoring the work of the school enable the governors to understand where improvement is required. They use data effectively to evaluate how well the school is performing in relation to other schools.  Governors have a strong understanding of the quality of teaching and check thoroughly that the headteacher is using performance management to tackle any underperformance and to improve further the quality of teaching. This is linked well to the performance management of the headteacher.  The governing body checks rigorously upon the impact of spending decisions especially those relating to monies allocated through the pupil premium and those relating to how teachers are rewarded for good performance.

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The leadership and management are good

 All statutory requirements are met and good use is made of local authority training courses for governors to improve their skills and knowledge.

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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 101142 Local authority Westminster Inspection number 400457

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 224 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Reverend Ken Persaud Headteacher Lucy Cohen Date of previous school inspection 14–15 July 2010 Telephone number 020 7641 4488 Fax number 020 7641 4487 Email address office@st-stephensprimary.co.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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