St Augustine's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Junior School

St Augustine's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Junior School Palmerston Road, Peterborough, PE2 9DH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 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.  Pupils’ achievement has risen and is now above average in reading and mathematics.  An above-average proportion of pupils make better than expected progress.  Teaching has improved since the previous inspection, and it is now consistently good.  Teachers provide very detailed feedback and marking. Pupils routinely respond to this, which helps them to make good progress.  Pupils behave well and feel safe in school. They enjoy coming to school and are enthusiastic about their learning.  Leaders at all levels, including the governing body, have a very clear understanding of where the school needs to improve further. Their efforts to rapidly improve the quality of teaching have been very effective.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Improvements in writing have not been as rapid as in reading and mathematics.  The writing that pupils do in other subjects is not checked as well as it is in English lessons.  Teachers do not always check on how well pupils are learning during lessons.  The impact of teaching assistants on learning in some lessons is variable. Some do not have a strong enough understanding of the teaching of letters and the sounds that they make (phonics) to help pupils to make rapid progress.

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Information about this inspection

 When St. Augustine’s CofE (Voluntary Aided) Junior School was inspected in February 2012, it was judged to require special measures. Subsequently, the school was inspected on three occasions in order to monitor its progress.  The inspectors observed teaching in 16 lessons. They also made short visits to lessons during which pupils’ work was evaluated.  Discussions were held with pupils, senior leaders and subject leaders, class teachers, members of the governing body and two representatives of the local authority.  The inspectors examined a range of documents, including a summary of the school’s self- evaluation, the school’s own achievement data, attendance information and policies aimed at keeping pupils safe.  There were no responses on the online Parent View survey but the views of 101 parents and carers were analysed through a questionnaire that the school had issued.

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Inspection team

Christopher Moodie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lynn Lowery Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized junior school.  There are more pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds than in most schools of this size.  An average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, in local authority care or with a parent serving in the armed forces.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in writing so that it matches that of reading and mathematics across all year groups by checking on the quality of writing that pupils do in all subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the proportion of outstanding teaching so that pupils who are struggling to understand, or need to move on more to more challenging work, are identified during all lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of support that some teaching assistants provide in classrooms by:  checking that their subject knowledge is good enough  providing more training in the teaching of letters and the sounds they make (phonics)  making sure that pupils are interested and motivated by the support that they receive.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement across the school has improved rapidly since the previous inspection. Pupils in the current Year 6 are leaving the school with above average standards in reading and mathematics. Pupils’ writing has also improved and is now average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportion of students making and exceeding expected progress was average in English and mathematics in 2012. This picture has improved further in 2013, and more pupils have made and exceeded expected progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in all year groups make good progress. Lessons are interesting and are well structured. As a result, pupils’ attitudes to their learning are very positive. As one pupil said, ‘We like the way that they (teachers) set up our learning.’

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good, and is similar to all others in the school. Their progress is carefully checked and additional support is well organised. This support is most effective when it is planned for the needs of individual pupils. The quality of support for less-able pupils in lessons is inconsistent because some teaching assistants expect too little of the pupils. In contrast to this, other teaching assistants provide a very high quality of support, encouraging and guiding pupils to make rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils eligible for the pupil premium in 2012 were almost two terms behind other pupils in English and mathematics. This gap has narrowed considerably in mathematics this year and pupils in the current Year 6 who are eligible for the pupil premium are now less than one term behind other pupils. The gap in English has also narrowed, but remains at one and a half terms. This group of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s drive to improve reading has been very effective. Standards of reading are above the national expectation in all year groups. The improvement of boys’ reading in the current Year 6 has been particularly impressive, as very high proportions of them have made more than expected progress between Key Stage 1 and the end of Key Stage 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Writing has improved at a slower rate than reading and mathematics. This is particularly the case for boys. Important skills of grammar and punctuation are taught well in English lessons. This was typified by a lesson where Year 3 and 4 pupils were using speech marks carefully and accurately. Teachers have not had the same high expectations of writing in other subjects. They do not all check that pupils always apply this care and attention to detail to their writing in other lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The improvements in teaching have contributed significantly to pupils’ good progress. Teaching is consistently good, lessons are well planned and teachers try hard to make them interesting and motivating for the pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons proceed calmly and are well organised. Teachers make good use of their time and regularly work with small groups for short periods of time. Work and activities are well matched to the different needs of pupils. This helps to ensure that pupils’ work is neither too easy nor too difficult for them.  Teachers’ marking in English and mathematics has improved greatly and is now outstanding. Pupils value the detailed feedback that they receive very highly and told inspectors that it supported them in knowing exactly what they need to do in order to improve. A key feature of this marking is that pupils respond to it very regularly, making corrections and demonstrating the improvements that the teacher has asked for.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking and feedback for other lessons is good. Pupils’ writing is being encouraged and some teachers are carefully promoting high quality across the range of subjects that pupils learn about. All pupils are very keen to be one of the recipients of the weekly ‘Golden Pen’ awards which go to the two pupils whose writing has shown most signs of improvement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of pupils in lessons. They model good attitudes to learning, ask questions well and value the responses from pupils. Most pupils know what their targets are and what they need to do to achieve them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy school because of the range of topics and subjects that they learn about. Pupils are very positive about the ‘enrichment’ sessions that occur weekly, where small groups of pupils choose what they want to learn about from a broad range of options. This includes observational drawing, learning a foreign language, first aid, poetry and healthy eating.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is a priority in the school. Teaching time is devoted to developing key skills of reading and understanding what has been read. This is very effective in the main, but there are occasional gaps in knowledge among some teaching assistants in areas such as the teaching of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) and mathematics. This slows the rate of learning for a very small number of pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of assessment information to match learning to ability in their planning. Some opportunities to check on how well pupils understand things during the actual lessons are missed. In these lessons, teachers are not allowing themselves the time to look at the learning across the whole class and identify who is struggling with understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The support that teaching assistants provide is variable. In some lessons, very high quality support means that teachers and teaching assistants work in partnership to bring about good progress. There is a small number of other lessons where the support has little impact and pupils see little benefit.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour around the school and in classrooms is consistently good. The school is a welcoming environment and pupils are courteous and polite with one another and with adults. Playtimes are enjoyed by all and the games and activities that are available are used sensibly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average and is improving. Pupils are punctual and keen to come to school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are aware of the behaviour system and know that they will be rewarded for doing the right thing. Disruption to lessons is very rare, and is well dealt with when it does occur.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a clear understanding about the different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying and the dangers of the internet. They report that bullying is rare, and that they would readily inform members of staff if it was to happen to them or their friends.  The school is an important part of its local community. It participates in community events such as the ‘Big Sing’ project in Peterborough and is also involved in a forthcoming community visit to the coast. Pupils recently put on a production of Bugsy Malone. The school makes good use of its association with the local church, and holds assemblies and celebrations there on a regular basis.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s senior leaders have set a clear direction for improving teaching since the past inspection. Determined and purposeful planning has led to positive changes in important parts of the school’s work. As a result, better teaching has led to improved achievement for all pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders have made a considerable contribution to the school’s successes. They are well informed and know about the quality of teaching in each classroom, and have been active in helping to improve it. They have helped to create effective teams of teachers who plan together and creatively seek different ways to maintain the pupils’ enthusiasm for learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided a good level of support since the previous inspection. This has been welcomed and valued by the staff. The school leaders have made the best use of the support to create a much more effective school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has sought the views of parents and carers through its own questionnaire. The outcomes of the responses were overwhelmingly positive about every aspect of the school’s work. The school communicates well with parents through weekly newsletters and a well- designed website.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school runs smoothly and all staff understand and are supportive of the direction that the senior leadership have set. Financial management is efficient and the school’s funding is allocated through careful planning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s curriculum meets statutory requirements and is diverse and exciting. Learning is designed to be effective and enjoyable. There are good opportunities to develop an understanding of social, moral, cultural and spiritual issues. A rich range of extra-curricular activities supports learning in lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders have created an environment in which all forms of discrimination are challenged, and equality of opportunity is well promoted. Pupils are very well known as individuals, and their wellbeing is a priority for all staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and the governing body have developed an effective system for the management of the performance of teachers that links their pay and promotion to the progress of their pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body have become increasingly effective in the last year. They are now very well informed and ambitious for the school. They provide the school with equal amounts of challenge and support.  Governors have a detailed understanding of the quality of teaching and how this impacts on achievement. They monitor pupils’ progress very well and know exactly where it needs to improve further.  The performance management of teachers is overseen by the governing body. Teachers, including those in the senior leadership, are held to account for their work.  The governing body takes effective steps to make sure that pupils are safe and that recruitment procedures are robust. Statutory responsibilities relating to safeguarding are met; all staff have been vetted and are trained appropriately to keep pupils safe.  Financial management is overseen by the governing body. A committee is responsible for

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The leadership and management are good

accounting for the school’s spending. The impact of the spending of additional funding received through the pupil premium has been evaluated by the governing body.

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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 110853 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 420464

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 186 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Susan Thurston Headteacher Stephen Cox Date of previous school inspection 28 February 2013 Telephone number 01733 563566 Fax number 01733 892194 Email address head@st-augustines.peterborough.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

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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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