St Edward's Catholic Primary School

St Edward's Catholic Primary School Greenland Road, Selly Park, Birmingham, B29 7PN

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.  Standards overall and in English have been consistently above the national average at the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2.  Children achieve well in the Reception Year. Most reach the nationally expected levels when they transfer into Year 1 and a small minority exceed them.  School leaders regularly check on the quality of teaching and learning. Through rigorous monitoring procedures and using a range of evidence, they have helped improve teaching.  All teaching seen during the inspection was either good or outstanding. Teachers make lessons interesting and set many of the learning tasks into real-life contexts.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding and results in pupils having highly developed personal skills.  Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and at break times. They feel safe in school.  Pupils enjoy coming to school. They arrive in

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

good time and attendance is consistently above the national average.  Governors are well informed and have a good idea about how well the school is doing, including how well teachers are doing their jobs.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement in mathematics has been broadly average at Key Stage 2 and in the past a small minority of pupils did not make good progress.  There are still few opportunities for pupils to practise their mathematical skills in some other subjects.  The teachers’ marking of pupils’ work does not consistently inform pupils how they can improve.  Not all teachers make sure pupils capable of doing harder work reach their potential as quickly as they could.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons and saw 14 teachers teach. Four lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher.  Inspectors heard pupils read and looked at the work in their books.  Meetings were held with governors, senior leaders, subject leaders for English and mathematics, the inclusion manager and pupils. An inspector had a meeting with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plans, its own judgements on its strengths and weaknesses, and the data it collects on pupils’ progress. Documents detailing the school’s arrangements for safeguarding were reviewed.  The inspection team took account of 81 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also considered four letters from parents.  Questionnaire responses from 25 members of staff were analysed.

p.2

Inspection team

David Speakman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Nigel Grimshaw Additional Inspector Aileen King Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  A well-above-average proportion of pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds.  The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average. A significant number are at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is average. This is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority, and those who have a parent serving in the armed forces.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported through school action plus or a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

p.3

Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school runs a breakfast club before school each morning.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching that is outstanding to further accelerate progress at Key Stage 2 by:  making sure the marking of pupils’ work makes it clear how they can improve and move on to the next levels  planning tasks that move pupils capable of higher attainment on to the highest levels they are capable of more quickly.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Extend opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their learning in mathematics in other subjects.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with knowledge and skills which are typical for children of their age. They make good progress in their Reception Year in developing secure skills in literacy and mathematics, and in their personal, social and emotional development. On entry into Year 1, attainment is just above the national average

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well through Key Stage 1. In recent years, attainment overall and in reading and writing has been above the national average, while in mathematics it has been broadly average. Due to a whole-school focus on improving standards in mathematics, attainment is now above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ books show that pupils of all levels of attainment make good progress over time. Pupils demonstrate good skills and knowledge in a range of topics in mathematics, including problem solving, numeracy, shape and graph work.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Results from national tests in Year 1 to check pupils’ knowledge and understanding of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) were well above the national average in 2012. This is because phonics and higher-level reading skills are taught well throughout the school by staff who are skilled at teaching reading. Pupils use a range of strategies to read tricky words. They can recall stories and talk about what they have read with understanding. Pupils read widely and enjoy reading.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 About a quarter of the pupils in Year 6 in 2012 joined the school during Key Stage 2. The large majority of these pupils were at the very early stages of learning English. For those who completed the key stage, attainment was above average and they made good progress, both in terms of the proportions achieving expected progress and the percentage exceeding this. Those pupils from overseas, with no previous test results from Key Stage 1, made good and sometimes exceptional progress over the time they were in school.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils continue to achieve well at Key Stage 2. Progress in mathematics has improved this year and attainment now compares well with that in English. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average. Pupils in Year 6 are working at levels that are between two terms and a year ahead of the national average. Pupils in Year 5 are ahead of age-related expectations by a similar amount. Pupils’ books show they present their work very well. There are excellent examples of different styles in writing, and of pupils using imaginative vocabulary. Books show good progress over time across a wide range of topics in mathematics.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because work and learning methods are matched closely to their individual needs. In-class support by effective teaching assistants helps move these pupils on quickly.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Initial progress made by pupils who speak English as an additional language is limited due to many having little or no English. They receive focused, well-targeted support and once they have learnt enough English to understand what is being taught in the different subjects, they make good progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium funding, last year made similar progress to others in English but their progress was not as good in mathematics. They did not make fast enough progress to catch up and remained just over a year behind other pupils in the school in both English and mathematics. This year, the proportion of pupils in Years 5 and 6 for whom the school receives pupil premium funding has fallen. Inspection evidence shows these pupils make good progress and are catching up with the others.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Lesson observations, improved progress in mathematics and the school’s checks on teaching show that teaching is solidly good. During the inspection, teaching was at least good and a small minority of teaching was outstanding. Some teaching judged as good, had outstanding aspects.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The good and outstanding teaching comes from teachers planning interesting activities, set into real-life situations that are highly effective in engaging pupils and getting them involved. Pupils in Year 2 were given the task of planning the activities for a forthcoming visit to a country park. They were fully engaged and learned a great deal about time, how to plan its use, and how to use charts and record information efficiently.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of their pupils and generally set demanding work. They have good subject knowledge to skilfully guide and question pupils, who make good and sometimes outstanding progress. In a particularly effective literacy lesson, in which teaching was outstanding, older pupils analysed features of poetry and explained the effect of the language used. Skilful questioning by the teacher moved pupils on rapidly to explaining the feelings and images created by the poems.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants provide effective support for pupils, including those who require additional help, such as those who have special educational needs or those who join the school with limited English. They break tasks down into small achievable steps so pupils understand what they have to do. They ask leading questions of pupils, helping them find things out for themselves.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are skilled in using information and communication technology to present lessons clearly so that pupils develop a quick and clear understanding about what is being taught. They use special projectors to display pupils’ work as it is produced so pupils can see samples of good work instantly, or make constructive suggestions as to how it can be improved.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is mostly good and often helpful, but it is not consistent across the school in giving them good advice for improvement, particularly in mathematics.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Tasks are most often matched well to pupils’ abilities and enable them to make good progress. There are occasions when more-able pupils could move straight onto extension work without completing less challenging activities so they would reach higher levels more quickly.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Occasionally, teachers do not give equal focus to different groups in planning and delivering lessons. Sometimes, lessons are aimed at the middle-ability pupils, leaving more-able pupils under-challenged, and at other times they are aimed at higher-attaining pupils which confuses pupils of average attainment.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and approach their learning with enthusiasm and interest. They try to do their very best, following the examples set by adults and have developed high expectations of themselves. From a very early age, they learn to take a pride in their work; their tidy and well-organised books show this.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Relationships between pupils and adults and among pupils are excellent. In group work, pupils listen politely to each other and share tasks. Excellent behaviour and attitudes were exemplified in a practical science lesson in Year 3, where boys and girls from all backgrounds and of all abilities worked together exceptionally well to make outstanding progress.  Pupils speak well about behaviour in school and say their learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. They know how to keep themselves safe, having a good understanding of the different types of bullying and know what to do if they ever need help. Pupils expressed no concerns and say that if any instances of bullying were to happen, they are confident they would be dealt with quickly and effectively. They have a good knowledge of internet safety and of potential risks.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils enjoy school. Attendance improved markedly over the last three years and is now well above the national average. Pupils come to school in good time. Most parents who responded to the online inspection questionnaire say their children are happy, safe and well looked after, and that behaviour is good.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Good leadership and management have ensured the good overall effectiveness reported at the time of the last inspection has been maintained and further developed to sustain a good quality of education and good outcomes.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Robust checks on teaching and pupils’ progress are used effectively by senior leaders to identify areas in need of improvement and then to develop and implement strategies to improve the quality of teaching and learning. As a result, teaching has improved so all teaching seen during the inspection was either good or outstanding. Attainment and progress in mathematics have both improved this year so standards now match those in English. These significant improvements show leaders’ capacity to sustain improvement.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 All staff have challenging targets which link to the school’s priorities for improvement and which are used when assessing their performance. Senior leaders hold teachers to account for the progress their pupils make at regular reviews of pupils’ progress. The school’s evaluation of teaching is linked to salary rewards. School records show that salary increases are awarded only to teachers whose teaching was either good or outstanding and who showed competent skills to lead key areas of the school’s provision.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders have a positive impact on curriculum planning and on the subsequent outcomes in their subjects. The curriculum is good and engages pupils’ interest through themed weeks, interesting topics, a wide range of after-school clubs and a good range of visits and visitors. There are many opportunities for pupils to practise writing in other subjects, but fewer to consolidate learning in mathematics. The curriculum makes a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. All individuals are valued and the curriculum provision ensures that all have equality of opportunity to succeed.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is excellent. School assemblies make a rich contribution to this area of pupils’ development. Assemblies are used very well to promote the school’s values, to reward the best achievement and to give pupils an opportunity to celebrate achievements in sports and music for example. The school’s well-established links with the community mean that pupils develop good social awareness. Pupils are taught to value others, whatever their background, ability or disability and all are equally respected. Pupils are encouraged to use their understanding of what is right and wrong to make sensible choices.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has an accurate view of the overall effectiveness of the school, having graded it as one requiring low-level intervention. It supports the school well through governor training, monitoring the induction of senior staff new to role and working with the mathematics subject leader to successfully raise standards in mathematics.  The governance of the school:  The governing body works well with the headteacher in tackling issues identified through regular checks on teaching and pupils’ progress. Governors were fully involved in the recent review of teaching and learning and contributed well to developing strategies to act on its findings.  Governors are regular visitors to the school and gain a good knowledge of how well teachers are doing through first-hand experiences and through the headteacher’s reports. They understand assessment data clearly and know how well the achievement of pupils compares

p.6

The leadership and management are good

with other schools.  They have good levels of relevant expertise and challenge senior leaders on school improvement. They set clear targets in managing the performance of the headteacher and staff, making sure teachers’ pay increases are linked to competence.  They make sure statutory requirements are met, including those for safeguarding. They make wise financial decisions which result in a wide range of good-quality resources for teaching and learning. They are aware of how funding from the pupil premium is used in supporting pupils who qualify and of its impact.

p.7

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.8

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.8

School details

Unique reference number 103447 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 412994

p.9

School details

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

p.9

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 406 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Nutt Headteacher Tim Hughes Date of previous school inspection 27 April 2009 Telephone number 0121 4641730 Fax number 0121 4645058 Email address enquiry@stedward.bham.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.9

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.10

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.10

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.10

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.10

School details

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

p.10