St Peter's Catholic Primary School

St Peter's Catholic Primary School Chapmans Lane, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 1JB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Teachers do not always make clear what they expect pupils to learn, and do not consistently give pupils hard enough work.  Teachers’ marking does not show clearly enough how pupils can do better next time, so that pupils can improve straight away.  Pupils do not all do well enough in writing because they do not write enough or spell accurately.  More-able children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are not always challenged enough when working on tasks they have chosen for themselves.

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The school has the following strengths

 Teaching is consistently good or better in Years 2 and 6.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported and learn quickly.  Pupils behave well and feel very safe at school. They are well mannered and friendly.  Strong leadership and management of teaching and good governance are enabling the school to improve, following the dip in achievement shortly after the last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 15 lessons; eight of these were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, teachers, pupils, members of the governing body and representatives from the local authority.  The inspectors took into account 34 responses to the on-line Parent View survey and held informal discussions with a sample of parents and carers.  A range of information supplied by the school was scrutinised, including the school’s own information about how well pupils are doing, planning documents, checks on the quality of teaching, the school development plan, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and safeguarding documents.

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Inspection team

Alison Cartlidge, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Stephen Schwartz Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is of average size compared to other primaries.  About one in seven pupils is disabled or has special educational needs and is supported through school action. This proportion is above average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or by a statement of special educational needs is low.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding provided to the school to be used for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and children with a parent in the armed services) is much lower than the national average. The school has no pupils from service families.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been major changes in the school’s senior leadership and in the governing body over the last two years.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching is at least good for all pupils, by ensuring teachers:  expect enough from pupils of differing abilities and make these expectations clear to the pupils  use questioning more rigorously to involve all pupils in discussions and to check up on their learning  focus comments made on pupils’ work on the next steps pupils should make and expect them to take immediate action.  Raise attainment and quicken progress, especially in writing, by:  providing better opportunities for pupils to practise and extend their writing skills  improving pupils’ spelling and increasing their involvement in checking and correcting their own work.  Increase the progress of more-able children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, especially when they are working on activities they have chosen for themselves.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The large majority of children start school in the Reception class working within the levels expected for their ages. Their progress requires improvement because children do not always learn quickly enough, especially the more-able children when they are working on tasks they have chosen for themselves. Questioning is not used well enough to encourage them to develop their ideas.  Attainment by the end of Year 6 is broadly average and has been rising steadily over the last two years. However, progress between Years 1 and 6 requires improvement because it is not consistently good across the year groups and subjects. Pupils make the best progress in Years 2 and 6, and do better in reading and mathematics than in writing. Pupils make frequent spelling errors and have too few opportunities to develop and rapidly improve their writing. In some lessons across the curriculum, pupils do not make enough progress because their work is

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

insufficiently demanding.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. Skilful teaching assistants provide good support in lessons so that these pupils can learn quickly.  The very few pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding make good progress and there is no gap between their attainment and others at the school in English or mathematics. The gap in attainment in the Year 6 national assessments in 2012 was due to some pupils arriving at the school in the term prior to the assessments taking place, and was not as a result of a lack of provision at the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good because teachers do not always make clear enough what they expect pupils of differing abilities to achieve or expect enough from them in the time available. Pupils agree that work can sometimes be hard but that some is too easy. In addition, there are occasions when teachers do not use questioning to involve all pupils.  Teachers do not always provide pupils with enough time to develop their writing. For example, in one lesson on persuasive writing, most time was devoted to reading research information and time left for pupils to make notes on what they had learnt was too short.  Relationships between members of staff and the pupils are strong and this enables teachers to manage behaviour well. They have good subject knowledge and this is shared with the pupils, but pupils are not always given enough guidance on how to spell specific words related to a topic.  Teachers are keen to make work interesting and topics are purposeful and relevant to pupils’

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

everyday lives. For example, in mathematics in Year 4, pupils were solving problems related to their topic on chicken farming and pupils in Year 6 were solving the problem of how they would build their greenhouse out of plastic bottles. These sorts of activities are meaningful and interesting and help pupils to want to learn.  Teaching is best in Years 2 and 6 because in these classes questioning is focused and probing and learning moves on fast. For example, in mathematics in Year 2, pupils soon learnt about the capacity of various containers by discussing with the teacher what fraction of the container was full or empty and how the shape of a container can deceive the eye.  Teachers mark pupils’ work frequently, but do not consistently provide pupils with enough guidance on how they can improve next time or give them the opportunity to respond to advice given.  There is good support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

Teaching assistants frequently provide good specific support. For example, in Year 5 the teaching assistant kept checking the pupils’ understanding when the pupils were learning about measuring angles.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils demonstrate their good attitudes towards learning by helping each other and concentrating in lessons. They enjoy school and behave well around school and in class. As one pupil explained, ‘I love it, we all get on.’  It is clear that pupils are accustomed to their views being listened to because they are talkative and confident around adults and know that their ideas will be valued. For example, in collective worship for EYFS, Years 1 and 2, pupils listened carefully to each other when discussing love, caring, faith and prayer.  Pupils say that they feel very safe at school. As one pupil commented, ‘I feel as safe at school as I do at home.’ Pupils are fully aware of how to stay safe. They understand and follow the school’s positive behaviour policy and Year 6 helped to draw up a charter for the safe use of the school portable media players.  Pupils enjoy taking responsibility. For example, in Year 6, pupils developed a lunchtime boccia

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

club following their interest in the Paralympic Games. Younger pupils make positive comments about activities planned by older pupils, such as, ‘I like running games,’ and, ‘I really like the toffee apple game.’  Pupils report that there is very little bullying and that the minor instances of ‘silly arguments’ are dealt with swiftly by the staff. The overwhelming majority of parents believe that their children are kept safe at school and behave well.  The school has robust systems for tackling discrimination and ensuring that all pupils have equal opportunities. Pupils learn about various cultures and raise funds for those in need.  Pupils do not consistently take good responsibility for checking and correcting errors in their writing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The current senior leadership team is demonstrating a good capacity to improve the school. Attainment and progress dipped shortly after the last inspection, but better systems for checking up on how well pupils and teachers are doing have led to rapid improvement. Leaders are fully aware that achievement and teaching still require development to be good and plans are well under way to tackle remaining weaknesses.  Senior leaders provide good role models with their own teaching in Years 2 and 6. The monitoring of teaching has become more rigorous and is based on a wider range of accurate evidence about how well pupils are doing. The school works closely with other schools in the area to provide closely targeted training for all members of staff and this, along with accurate advice on how to improve, is helping teachers to develop their skills.  The curriculum provides a wide range of interesting activities, including the use of meaningful

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The leadership and management are good

visits and visitors. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 recently visited a farm at the start of their farming topic. Sport and the creative arts are promoted well. For example, there are many examples of pupils appreciating the work of artists such as Picasso and Miro.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Pupils demonstrate that they understand and follow the school motto to ‘treat other people as you would like to be treated’. Pupils are given good opportunities to consider their responsibility towards the world and are proud of their badges showing that the school has eco-status.  Parents are pleased with the work of the school and make positive comments such as, ‘Everyone is included,’ and, ‘The children are very happy.’  The local authority provides the right level of support for this improving school.  Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. Members of staff are trained in how to keep

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The leadership and management are good

pupils safe and are checked for suitability for working with children. The school has plans to support their pupils further by providing training for parents in e-safety.  The school makes good provision for the few pupils in receipt of pupil premium. Funding is used to provide counselling and additional support as needed.  The governance of the school:  Governance is good. Governors are well informed and provide the right level of support and challenge to help the school to improve. Governors are aware of how the school’s attainment and progress compare with other schools nationally and are clear about how good teaching is rewarded and weaker teaching supported. The system for managing the performance of teachers gives appropriate weight to checks on how well pupils are doing. The budget, including funding for pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding, is monitored carefully.

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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 126060 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 412964

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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 203 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Donohue Headteacher Mary Claffey Date of previous school inspection 14–15 July 2010 Telephone number 01342 321985 Fax number 01342 300679 Email address office@st-peters-eastgrinstead.w-sussex.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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