St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School

St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School Baugh Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 5ED

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that has serious weaknesses.  Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because, although they attain broadly average standards by the end of Year 6, they should be doing better, given their starting points, especially in mathematics.  Teaching is inadequate overall. Some teaching is better but pupils do not always make the progress over time of which they are capable.  Teachers sometimes give pupils work that is pitched at the wrong level because information from the checks made on pupils’ progress is not used effectively enough, and so sometimes work is too hard and sometimes it is too easy.  In some lessons, teachers do not give pupils enough time to work on their own and this slows their progress.  Most pupils are polite and want to do well but often the poor behaviour of a small number of pupils hinders learning and not all teachers have effective ways of dealing with pupils who misbehave.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Improvements have been made in a short amount of time but leadership and management require improvement to ensure that there is a consistent approach to managing behaviour and a clear view of the achievement of different groups in all years.  The governing body has not held the school to account effectively enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children get off to a good start in the Reception class.  Attendance is above average and pupils enjoy coming to school.  Staff and the governing body are motivated and determined to help the school get better.  Targets set for teachers by the headteacher are successfully beginning to improve teachers’ performance.  Strong leadership by the headteacher has led to immediate and rapid changes, which are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons or part-lessons including some joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors made shorter visits to classes and talked to pupils about reading as well as listening to some pupils read.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, staff with key leadership responsibilities, groups of pupils, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documentation including the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, records of pupils’ progress and attainment, and the safeguarding arrangements.  Inspectors took account of 20 responses to the online Parent View survey as well as 15 questionnaires returned by members of staff.

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Inspection team

Margaret Coussins, Lead inspector Additional inspector Jim Eshelby Additional inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005 Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Information about this school

 St Peter Chanel is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Until July 2013, the school will be led by an interim headteacher who started at the school in September 2012. A new deputy headteacher has been appointed to start in January 2013 and currently a member of staff is acting as the deputy headteacher.  There have been significant changes in leadership since the previous inspection.  The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding from the government for specific groups, including those known to be eligible for free school meals) is around half that found nationally.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is pre-school provision on site, which is managed by the governing body but was not included in this inspection.

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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 to raise achievement, especially in mathematics, by:  ensuring that work is pitched at the right level for pupils of different abilities by making better use of information from checks made on pupils’ progress  raising expectations of what pupils can achieve  giving pupils time to work on their own  ensuring that any poor behaviour is tackled swiftly and effectively so that it does not hinder learning.  Increase the impact of school’s leaders on improving teaching and raising achievement by:  ensuring that the governing body holds the school fully to account for its work  ensuring that governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and its impact on the performance of pupils  ensuring that the whole-school approach to managing behaviour is implemented consistently  developing a clear analysis of the attainment and progress of all groups

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 evaluating the impact of the pupil premium funding on pupils’ achievement  developing the role of the leaders responsible for subjects so they have the skills they need to improve teaching in their subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because over time the proportions of pupils reaching expected levels in end-of-key-stage assessments has been similar to the national figure; by the time pupils leave at the end of Year 6, attainment is broadly average.  However, there are inconsistencies in achievement across year groups and for different groups of pupils. For example, in the 2012 national tests at the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion of girls achieving the expected Level 4 and the higher Level 5 in mathematics was much lower than it was for boys and much lower than found nationally. The progress made by all groups of pupils currently in Year 4 was much less than in other years.  The rates of progress made by pupils in different subjects are uneven. Progress is not as strong in mathematics as it is in English and reading, in particular, and does not build sufficiently on the children’s achievement at the end of Reception.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do not attain as well as similar pupils nationally and their progress in mathematics is slower than the progress made by other pupils in the school. They make similar progress to others in the school in English.  In the Year 1 phonic screening test (knowing letters and the sounds they make) in 2012, taken by the current Year 2 pupils, the proportion achieving the expected results was above that found nationally. Pupils enjoy reading but it is often the lower attainers who do not make the progress they should. In the current Year 3 and Year 6, pupils are making better progress in reading as a result of well-planned and well-taught guided reading lessons.  Pupils who are supported by the pupil premium make similar progress to others in the school, which means that some make better progress than others. Progress is weakest in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

The school uses the additional funding to provide a range of support to meet individual academic needs through small group and one-to-one support and to make sure that pupils do not miss out on activities such as trips and events that enrich their experiences and support their social and emotional needs.  When children join the Reception class, their skills are at the expected level for their age. They make steady progress and achieve the expected goals for learning by the time they start in Year 1, and some exceed this.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The quality of teaching over time is too patchy across the school and is, therefore, inadequate. It is better in some classes than others and, on a few occasions, it is good.  Pupils are not clear what it is they should be doing when they start working on their own. This hinders their learning and slows their progress.  In weaker lessons, teachers’ expectations are too low and their understanding of what pupils are capable of is inaccurate as sometimes the work planned does not match the needs of the different abilities of the class. Teachers do not use information about pupils’ attainment and progress to plan lessons that match all needs more precisely. Sometimes work is too easy and does not challenge the more able sufficiently and is sometimes too hard for those who find learning more difficult. At these times, some pupils lose their concentration and not only ‘switch off’ from their own learning, but distract the learning of others.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Sometimes pupils get restless and distracted because teachers spend too much time talking, giving explanations and instructions, and fail to sustain pupils’ interest.  In classes where teaching is most effective, teachers have clear expectations, pupils know what these are and respond well to firm but sensitive reminders that focus on praising good behaviour and holding this up as a model for others. This is not consistent, however, across the school.  Practical activities that capture pupils’ interest and give them opportunities to work together and share their ideas motivate pupils to learn. For example, in a Year 3 mathematics lesson, pupils wrote a set of instructions using compass points, then swapped with a partner and followed the route in the playground. They had fun, behaved well and made progress.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive extra help, usually from

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

teaching assistants, who support them sensitively and mostly make sure they are interested and engaged. Teachers are not always aware if the support being provided is as effective as it could be in accelerating learning for these pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school, are polite and friendly, and have positive attitudes to school and learning, as reflected in above-average attendance.  A small number of pupils, mainly in two classes, have very challenging behaviour and find it difficult to behave appropriately in lessons.  The headteacher has rapidly put strategies in place to tackle these issues; behaviour targets have been set, parents and carers are involved, and the school’s records show that, as a result, there has been a reduction in significant incidents of poor behaviour.  During the inspection, two pupils were excluded on a one-day fixed term exclusion, which reflects the headteacher’s and senior leaders’ firm stance on tackling inappropriate behaviour.  In discussion, a group of pupils agreed that, ‘Most of us are good, some have an attitude and are naughty, but they always get punished, there are consequences and they learn from it.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

They also showed that they are caring and tolerant of others when they talked about pupils ‘who get angry but they can’t help it, it’s not their fault’.  Most parents and carers feel that pupils are well behaved, although around one quarter of those who used the online questionnaire disagree with this.  Pupils and most parents and carers feel that the school keeps them safe. School council members are proud of their role in the anti-bullying week and have made posters displayed around the school that promote an awareness of how to keep safe.  Pupils understand that bullying can take different forms and that there is a difference between friends ‘falling out and, for example, repetitive name-calling that would constitute bullying. They are aware that bullying can be based on prejudice and can take the form of cyber-based bullying. Different groups of pupils said that they were confident that ‘most but not all of the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

teachers would sort things out’ if any incidents occurred. This reflects the fact that some teachers do not follow the whole-school approach to managing behaviour in lessons consistently.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because teaching is inadequate and pupils’ achievement is not yet good.  The school is still at an early stage in developing a clear analysis of the achievement of all groups and a thorough evaluation of the impact of pupil premium on pupils’ achievement.  The leadership of the interim headteacher is strong. She has successfully identified what the school needs to do to improve and has, in a relatively short time, made some significant changes that are beginning to have a positive impact on outcomes for pupils.  The headteacher has considerably strengthened the way in which staff are appraised for their performance. Clear targets are set, linked to pupils’ progress, behaviour and classroom organisation, and there is evidence of improvement. All staff know that they are accountable for helping pupils to make at least good progress.  Subject leaders have a clear overview of the strengths and weaknesses in their subjects, are

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The leadership and management require improvement

increasing their skills and subject knowledge with support from local authority specialists, and providing some training for colleagues, but they are too new to their roles to have had a marked impact on improving the quality of teaching.  Leaders and staff are motivated by the high expectations and positive attitude of the headteacher, share the determination to improve, and appreciate the fact that they are being given strong direction and support to do so. A good team spirit has emerged.  The school is committed to including all children, whatever their background or needs, and treating all pupils fairly. Sometimes, however, the behaviour of a small number of pupils can disrupt lessons, which can prevent all pupils from having equal opportunities to learn.  The curriculum gives appropriate emphasis to teaching literacy, numeracy and communication skills, and visitors, trips, extra activities and special events such as the Victorian Day in Year 5

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The leadership and management require improvement

enliven learning and enrich pupils’ experiences. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the curriculum, opportunities to learn about other faiths and cultures, assemblies and the school’s Catholic ethos.  The headteacher and governing body ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and are known and implemented by all staff.  The school works well with the local authority, which provides appropriate support.  The headteacher makes sure that she is available to parents and carers, and has an open-door policy. Several parents and carers agreed, in discussion, that the headteacher has made many changes for the better and, as one parent commented, ‘There is better communication with parents, and the headteacher has done a good job in a short space of time.’ Most agree that their children are happy and feel safe at school.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management require improvement

 In the past, the governing body has not acted robustly to support and challenge the school and hold it to account for its performance or the achievement of different groups of pupils. The considerable disruption in leadership meant that governors were not able to make the progress they would have wished to in tackling the issues for improvement from the previous inspection. They had not taken action to strengthen the procedures for checking on teachers’ performance and were not sufficiently aware of the quality of teaching throughout the school. They share the ambition of the headteacher to move the school forward and have a clear awareness of what improvements are needed. Governors have not secured the confidence of staff, as commented on in the staff questionnaires, in supporting them to improve the school. Under the leadership of the interim headteacher, the governing body is starting to play a more

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The leadership and management require improvement

strategic role in shaping the direction of the school and is working well with the local authority and the headteacher in a partnership group to improve teaching. Governors have agreed how the school spends the pupil premium funding, for example, by authorising additional teaching assistants, support for speech and language and social and emotional needs, funding music lessons, school trips and other events so that pupils are fully included in all activities. However, they do not make robust checks on the impact or value of their spending decisions.

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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 101461 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 400478

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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 Number of pupils on the school roll 207 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Veronica Startup Headteacher Pat Peters Date of previous school inspection 5–6 May 2010 Telephone number 020 8302 6029 Fax number 020 8308 9883 Email address head@st-peterchanel.bexley.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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