St Anne's Catholic Primary School

St Anne's Catholic Primary School Overbury Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L7 3HJ

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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Achievement is good. Pupils make good progress from their starting points.  Pupils apply their basic skills well when learning in other subjects.  Good teaching promotes good learning in a wide range of subjects across the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well supported and this ensures that they make good progress.  All pupils supported by the pupil premium make at least the same progress as other pupils in the school and nationally.  Attendance has improved and there is a rising trend.  Behaviour is outstanding as pupils’ attitudes to learning are impressive. Pupils take pride in their work and strive to achieve their very best.  Pupils feel very safe in this friendly school and are respectful of other cultures and beliefs.  Senior leaders and governors work hard to secure improvement in teaching and achievement.  The headteacher is effective in promoting the

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of learning.  Leaders and managers hold teachers to account for the progress made by pupils in their classes.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A few pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable in mathematics and English because their specific needs are not fully catered for in class.  There are a small number of minor inconsistencies in the quality of teaching.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 14 lessons. They carried out two joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They observed the teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) and listened to pupils read in Years 1, 2, 4 and 6. Inspectors also observed support provided for pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs. Inspectors looked carefully at the work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and middle leaders, teaching and support staff, two groups of pupils, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation including: the school self-evaluation summary and development plan; policies and procedures for safeguarding; information about attendance and behaviour; records of monitoring teaching and learning; information about pupils’ achievement; minutes of meetings of the governing body; and the headteacher’s reports

p.2

Information about this inspection

to the governing body.  Inspectors looked at summaries of questionnaires sent out to parents by the school. There were not enough responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), to generate a summary of parents’ views. Inspectors spoke to some parents at the end of the school day. They also took account of 35 staff questionnaires.

p.2

Inspection team

Jean Tarry, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Karen Bramwell Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 St Anne’s is an average sized primary school situated in the Edge Hill district of Liverpool.  The percentage of pupils for whom English is an additional language is well-above the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium is well-above average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after.)  The proportion of pupils who join and/or leave the school at other than normal times is well above the national average.  The school meets the current government floor targets that set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.3

Information about this school

 The school has a before school breakfast club.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Maximise the proportion of pupils exceeding expected progress by: - more rapidly identifying and planning challenging activities to meet pupils’ precise needs - ensuring all leaders and managers have a more precise focus on pupils’ progress in lessons.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is consistently good or better by:  ensuring pupils’ targets are more closely linked to the teachers’ planning  sharing the good and outstanding practice across the school more effectively.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills that are generally well below those expected for their age particularly in communication and language development. A high proportion of children speak little or no English. They make good progress overall in the Early Years Foundation Stage and achieve well.  Attainment is in line with national averages and improving at the end of Key Stage 1. By the end of Key Stage 2 attainment is generally in line with national averages; however, it dipped in 2012. School data, confirmed by inspection evidence, show that attainment has risen again this year to be in line with national averages.  A high proportion of pupils attained the expected levels in English and mathematics in national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2012. However, although the proportion attaining the higher levels is growing, it is not as high as it should be because not all teaching sets work that is hard

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

enough to challenge all pupils. Sometimes when monitoring the quality of teaching, the leaders and managers do not have a precise focus on pupils’ progress in lessons.  Almost all pupils make the progress expected of them. The proportion of pupils who do better than this is now improving. Again, school data, supported by inspection evidence, show that this trend of improvement is set to continue.  The achievement of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, has improved because their progress is tracked carefully and support is closely tailored to their needs. This group make good progress as they travel through the school. Their attainment in English and mathematics is in line with that of similar pupils nationally and with their peers in school. This, and the progress made by all groups, confirms that the school promotes equality of opportunity well.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Those pupils from minority ethnic groups, for whom English is an additional language, are well supported in a caring and nurturing environment enabling them to excel in their learning. Good liaison between home and school is an important factor in their academic success.  Due to the good teaching and well-matched support, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good rates of progress which are similar to those of all pupils nationally. Data are used effectively to track the progress made by, and inform future support required to improve academic success for, these pupils.  The school has rightly focused on improving the mathematics, reading and writing skills of pupils. This has enabled pupils to increase their confidence in using these skills in other curriculum areas. Pupils are now able to use their skills to good effect in a wide range of subjects enabling them to extend their knowledge successfully.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers skilfully enable pupils to use their developing literacy and communications skills to access other subjects successfully. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils were highly motivated and thoroughly challenged to learn more, by using instructions and a focused approach to research for specific information about creatures in the rainforest. In this particular lesson pupils made outstanding progress because of the exceptionally effective teaching which was very well matched to all their needs and the level of challenge was exceptionally high.  In lessons and around school good relationships exist between pupils and teachers which contribute successfully to pupils’ enjoyment of learning. When teachers challenge pupils well, the pupils’ learning progresses at a faster rate.  In a very small minority of lessons teachers do not always identify and plan activities that challenge pupils to maximise progress and to meet their precise needs.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils have specific targets for improvement and explain clearly what they must do in order to progress to the higher level. Sometimes these targets are not linked to teachers’ planning and this can slow down the rate of pupils’ progress as the focus for the learning is not as clear as it could be.  The most effective learning takes place in lessons where teachers continually adapt their teaching to successfully increase the level of challenge for pupils when they are making good gains in learning. One teacher said, ‘Our pupils are a delight to teach and to be with.’  The majority of teaching is of good or better quality, providing learning tasks that are well matched to pupils’ interests and levels of ability. However, this good practice is not yet shared to best effect to ensure that teaching is at least consistently good throughout the school.  The headteacher’s ‘reading challenge’ is a particular favourite of pupils and it encourages them

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary in the classroom and around school. The pupils are very proud of their school and they really enjoy their learning. As teaching has improved, so has attendance, which is now average and improving.  The pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning. The adults are excellent role-models for the pupils. One pupil said, ‘Our teachers trust us, they look after us and help us to do our very best.’  The learning mentors provide very effective support for all pupils, and especially the high proportion of pupils who join school at other than normal times, frequently speaking little or no English or with attendance and behaviour problems. These pupils settle very quickly and their attendance and behaviour improve. Their needs are assessed accurately and their progress is checked regularly so that most make good progress.  Pupils say that bullying of any kind is rare and that it is dealt with quickly if it does happen.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel very safe in school. They know what situations might be risky and know how to handle them or avoid them. They are fully aware of the potential dangers posed when using the internet.  The breakfast club is well attended. It provides pupils with a substantial breakfast, free-of- charge. It is well supervised and safe.  Pupils’ excellent behaviour, their deep respect for other cultures and religions and their equally deep respect for those who may be different show how well the school caters for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A staff member said, ‘We try to create harmony both inside and outside the school community.’

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders have successfully maintained and accelerated pupils’ progress in English and mathematics since the last inspection. The quality of the teaching has been strengthened well. Leaders and managers at all levels share a common vision of striving for the best outcomes for all pupils. This ensures the school undoubtedly has the capacity to continue to improve.  Performance-management systems are good: targets have been made more demanding and expectations have been raised. The link between performance and salary increases has been firmed up. Staff are fully aware of the link between improving outcomes for pupils and salary progression. Leaders and managers are equally aware that some teaching requires improvement and that further work is necessary to improve its quality.  Self-evaluation is accurate and the senior leaders are secure in their judgements about strengths

p.5

The leadership and management are good

in the quality of teaching in lessons. English and mathematics are generally well led and managed. When observing the work of teachers in school, senior leaders focus well on identifying the elements of teaching which are most successful. They do not always focus sufficiently on how well all pupils are progressing during individual lessons.  The curriculum is stimulating and generally matches pupils’ needs well. There is a range of extra activities outside the classroom that are very popular with pupils.  The school works very closely with parents; they are very pleased with the education it provides for their children.  Leaders and managers are strongly committed to providing equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination of any kind. The harmony of the school community and the good achievement of all groups of pupils is proof of their success.  Procedures and policies for safeguarding are fully in place and give no cause for concern.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided effective support to help the school improve. It has provided strong support for the headteacher and senior leaders to improve their effectiveness and for teaching staff in developing their teaching skills.  The governance of the school: - The governing body knows the school well and uses information astutely to compare the school’s effectiveness with that of similar schools locally and nationally. It provides good support and challenge in the quest for improvement. It knows how good the teaching is and what needs to be done to improve it further, including the importance of performance management and its links to pay progression. Governors take part in training to keep their skills up-to-date. They have a good handle on the school’s finances and ensure that pupil- premium funding is used appropriately. They check its impact on the achievement of pupils known to be eligible for its receipt.

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 104681 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 411788

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 230 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair M Shaw Headteacher J Shields Date of previous school inspection 17 March 2009 Telephone number 0151 709 1698 Fax number 0151 708 9619 Email address annes-ht@st-annes.liverpool.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