St John's RC School (Essex)

St John's RC School Turpins Lane, Woodford Bridge, IG8 8AX

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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.  The headteacher and strong team of senior and subject leaders have rapidly improved the school since the previous inspection.  Pupils make good progress in all subjects, especially in communication, reading and mathematics, because their individual needs are met well.  Teaching is exciting and well planned. It enables all pupils to make good progress.  Pupils with autistic spectrum condition and severe learning difficulties make particularly good progress.  The planning and teaching of reading by linking letters to the sounds they make has improved. This has led to rapid improvements in reading for all pupils, especially those with moderate learning difficulties.  Additional adults make a very strong contribution to learning in lessons through their support for pupils’ academic, medical and physical needs.  Pupils behave well. There have been very few incidents of unacceptable behaviour, such as

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

bullying, in the last three years.  The school provides many opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, especially through well-led, inspiring assemblies and educational visits.  The sixth form is good. Students develop independent living skills and grow in confidence and self-esteem. This prepares them well for their next steps in life.  The trustees and governing body work well together to check the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not as good in Key Stages 1 and 2 as it is in the rest of the school because lessons are not always planned to match pupils’ differing abilities.  Improvement in pupils’ achievement in writing is slower than in reading and mathematics at Key Stage 4.  Teachers do not always ensure that more able pupils learn as much as they can.  Teachers’ marking does not always help pupils to understand how to improve their work.  The school’s leaders do not check pupils’ progress information against national results rigorously enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, all of which were joint observations with a member of the senior leadership team. In addition, inspectors looked at pupils’ work and heard some of them read.  Meetings were held with staff, pupils, the Vice-Chair of the Governing Body and a trustee.  Inspectors took account of the 17 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as other testimonies from parents and carers. They took into consideration 65 inspection questionnaires completed by staff.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, information on pupils’ progress, records relating to pupils’ personal development and behaviour, safeguarding policies, and documents relating to the performance management of staff (the setting and reviewing of targets to help them improve their work).

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Inspection team

Justina Ilochi, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Susan Cox Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St John’s provides mostly for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication difficulties, autistic spectrum condition, and severe learning difficulties. Small numbers have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, and physical difficulties. All pupils have statements of special educational needs.  Pupils come from a wide area including 10 local authorities, nine of which are in Inner London.  Most pupils join the school in Key Stage 3 and the sixth form. A small number of pupils are in Key Stages 1 and 2. Almost half of the pupils have been at St John’s for less than four years.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and for whom English is an additional language are high.  The school does not receive any extra money through the pupil premium. This is additional funding for certain pupils including those known to be eligible for free school meals and those

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Information about this school

looked after by their local authority.  St John’s does not use any other schools or locations to provide education for its pupils.  A new headteacher and two assistant headteachers have been appointed since the previous inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportions of outstanding teaching and achievement by:  ensuring that the work and targets set for more able pupils are sufficiently demanding and are based on high expectations of what they can achieve, derived from national information about expected progress  ensuring that teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 is always planned to challenge pupils of different abilities  making sure that teachers’ marking provides enough guidance to help pupils to understand their next steps in learning and how to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ progress in writing in Key Stage 4 by ensuring that teachers provide opportunities for pupils to use their writing skills in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment on entry is low due to their complex needs. Although their attainment remains low, pupils’ progress is good throughout the school. Some pupils’ progress, for example those with severe learning difficulties and autistic spectrum condition, is outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ work and the school’s records indicate that pupils make good progress overall in literacy, communication and mathematics across all year groups. Most leave St John’s at the end of the sixth form with a number of qualifications. These include Entry Level and Unit Awards, and vocational qualifications such as horticulture and hair and beauty. These prepare them well for their future lives.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in reading and mathematics because of good planning that helps each individual to develop their skills and understanding. Progress in mathematics has improved steadily over the past three years. Records show that the progress of Year 11 students in mathematics is now better than expected, taking their skills at the end of Year 6 into account.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although pupils achieve well in Key Stages 1 and 2, their rate of progress is not as marked as in other key stages, where it is sometimes outstanding. While pupils’ progress in writing is good overall, it is slower than in reading and mathematics at Key Stage 4. On occasions, work for more able pupils is not sufficiently demanding, which limits their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language and those known to be eligible for free school meals make good progress because of the help they receive from well-trained additional adults. As a result, any gaps in their rate of learning compared to other pupils are closing well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Throughout the school, pupils make good progress towards their non-academic targets, such as improving their social skills. Many pupils, particularly those with speech, language and communication difficulties, make outstanding progress and develop communication skills well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good, with some examples of outstanding classroom practice. Teaching is particularly good in Key Stages 3 and 4 and in the sixth form.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers generally have high expectations of what pupils can do and provide interesting, demanding activities that motivate them. Lessons typically have a good pace and plenty of variety. This is particularly true of teaching in the sixth form. As a result, most pupils enjoy school and feel they are taught well. This is a view shared by the parents and carers who spoke to inspectors.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the most effective lessons, teachers skilfully use their knowledge of pupils’ existing understanding to plan their next steps in learning. As a result, work is set at the right level to move pupils on and ensure that they achieve the targets set for them. Learning is regularly checked throughout the lesson so teachers can adjust their plans if necessary. An example of very effective teaching was seen in a Key Stage 4 food technology lesson, where pupils were working towards vocational qualifications. In this lesson, the teacher used questioning very well to guide pupils to make good-quality cakes and discuss their product.  A small amount of teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 is less effective. This is because teachers do not always plan their lessons well enough to match pupils’ different abilities, and questioning is not always good enough to check whether they have learned successfully. However, teaching is

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The quality of teaching is good

improving due to effective support and training.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking is variable. Where it is most effective, pupils are regularly provided with individual guidance on how to improve their work. At other times, however, marking does not provide enough help for pupils to understand what to do to improve their work and move on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ communication skills develop very well. Promoting communication underpins all the school’s activities. Teachers work closely with speech therapists to incorporate the use of specialist resources such as visual cues and signing in all lessons. As a result, pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties make particularly good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading and mathematics is typically good. This is because of the strong contribution of additional adults, and good planning to provide work that matches individuals’ needs. For example, teaching assistants carry out special reading programmes for pupils who are falling behind in reading including those with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. In a Key Stage 3 reading lesson, the teacher planned a variety of activities that included teaching the sounds letters make to pupils with severe learning difficulties, and work on passages of text for more able pupils. This led to all pupils making rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Progress in writing is slower in Key Stage 4 because teachers provide too few opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills in subjects other than English.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe in school. This is confirmed by responses to the parental questionnaires. Pupils know right from wrong and often correct each other.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 All adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and there have been very few incidents of unacceptable behaviour in the last three years. Pupils respect each other and are polite, both on and off the playground. They are fully aware of all forms of bullying, including internet and phone bullying. Pupils are confident that they can speak to an adult if they are worried because they find adults very approachable.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good in most lessons. They are interested, listen carefully and try hard to achieve their targets and what is asked of them. In a few lessons, though, where the work is too easy or too hard, some pupils lose concentration and become distracted. When this happens, teachers are quick to use their good behaviour management skills to re-engage the pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Assemblies are often used to encourage pupils’ reflection on spiritual and moral issues. For example, in a whole school assembly, pupils were led through inspiring songs to show responsibility and self-discipline. In spite of their complex needs, pupils were confident enough to stand up and use role play to explain a song to the admiring audience.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Those who have behavioural needs when they join the school make good progress in managing their own behaviour. This is because everyone expects them to do their best to improve and provides them with the help to do so. It is also because teachers manage their behaviour positively and consistently.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school provides pupils with wide range of activities that encourage their personal, social and emotional development. They are often supported by other professionals, such as nurses. As a result, pupils have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe.

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The leadership and management are good

 The determination of the headteacher and senior leaders to improve pupils’ progress is evident in the wide range of successful actions they have taken. These have led to steadily improving progress over the last three years.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, the governing body and trustees have taken decisive actions based on their accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. In the last year, they have appointed a new headteacher and two assistant headteachers. As a result, the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress have both continued to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school meets all statutory requirements including those for safeguarding. In order to reinforce pupils’ understanding of safety, the school makes sure that pupils are carefully taught about safety wherever possible.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders regularly gather information on how pupils are progressing and check that all are achieving equally well. They compare the progress of different groups of pupils, such as those with different learning difficulties and those known to be eligible for free school meals. Extra support is provided for any pupils that are falling behind. Leaders check this information against national results, but this is not done frequently or rigorously enough. As a result, the work for more-able students is not always demanding enough as it is not based on accurate assessments of what they are expected to achieve.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are provided with a broad and balanced range of subjects and activities that are well supported by a good variety of after-school clubs. These are well attended and add to pupils’ enjoyment. Themed activities, where subjects are combined into interesting topics, are particularly good at helping pupils to learn about different cultures and faiths.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has good partnerships with parents and carers, and it responds to their requests. Parents say they feel the school listens to them and works with them in the interest of their children.

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The leadership and management are good

 The quality of teachers’ work is rigorously checked and appropriately linked to pupils’ progress. Teachers are set targets for improvement and, as a result, the quality of teaching is improving rapidly. The staff have benefited from opportunities to share good practice, which has helped to improve teaching throughout the school

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body and trustees receive regular, helpful information about all aspects of the school’s work. They are knowledgeable, well trained and quick to check that new initiatives are making a difference to pupils’ achievement and wellbeing. They know what the school is doing well and where it could do better, and are involved in evaluating aspects of the school’s work themselves. For example, members of the governing body have good opportunities to join senior leaders when they visit lessons to check on teaching and learning. They know pupils are making good progress and the schools’ next steps to improve progress further. The governing body and trustees have supported the new headteacher in developing a new staffing structure that encourages the sharing of responsibilities. This has led to the development of much stronger leadership throughout the school. The governing body and

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The leadership and management are good

trustees understand the link between teachers’ effectiveness and their pay, and that teachers on higher pay scales should have additional responsibilities.

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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 115466 Local authority Essex Inspection number 401514

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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 Special School category Non-maintained special Age range of pupils 5–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 99 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 39 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Bob Hamill Headteacher Susan Burnside Date of previous school inspection 10 November 2009 Telephone number 020 8504 1818 Fax number 020 8559 2409 Email address admin@stjohnsrcschool.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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