St Antony's Catholic Primary School

St Antony’s Catholic Primary School Mornington Road, Woodford Green, IG8 0TX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

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Summary of key findings for parents and carers and pupils

This is a good school.  Standards at the end of Year 6 are above average.  The quality of teaching is good overall, and pupils have a range of opportunities to use their skills purposefully across subjects.  School leaders effectively track pupils’ progress and as a result any underachievement is picked up early. Additional support programmes make sure pupils’ progress is accelerated.  The quality of provision and teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage means that pupils make a good start to their school life.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school and behaviour and relationships are outstanding in this welcoming school community.  Parents and carers value their involvement in the life of the school and communication with parents and carers is good.  The curriculum is strong and promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well, giving pupils a wide view of the outside world.

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Summary of key findings for parents and carers and pupils

 Governors challenge the school well and make sure funding is allocated to school priorities in order to raise achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Teachers do not always use the good assessment information to plan resources and tasks that consistently challenge all pupils to move to their next steps in learning, especially the more able.  Marking is inconsistent across the school and there are too few opportunities for pupils to respond to teachers’ comments.  School improvement plans are not always focused well enough on key priorities to improve teaching.  Teachers do not share enough good and better practice.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 20 part lessons, with some seen jointly with members of the senior leadership team. In addition, the inspection team made shorter visits to lessons to focus on specific aspects.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, as well as with other leaders and managers, members of the governing body, representatives from the local authority and diocese as well as pupils.  The inspection team looked at the school’s website and a range of documents, including the school’s evaluation and development plan, minutes of meetings of the governing body, safeguarding arrangements and work in pupils’ books. They also heard pupils read.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents and carers at the beginning and end of the school day, from the school’s own survey, and from the responses of the 78 parents and carers to the online questionnaire, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Jennifer Barker, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Stephen Fletcher Additional Inspector Samuel Ofori-Kyereh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is well below average. In this school the additional funding benefits pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average, as is the proportion from minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is around the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also around the national average.  The school meets the government’s current 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 the quality of teaching to that of the best, so that more pupils make outstanding progress in English and mathematics by:  making sure teachers consistently use assessment information in order to plan and adapt tasks and resources that engage and challenge all pupils to move to their next steps in learning, particularly the more able  strengthening marking so that all teachers give pupils’ areas for improvement and that pupils have opportunities to respond, correct their work and practise their skills.  Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management so that: − development plans focus on key priorities for school improvement − teachers share best practice in teaching across the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards at the end of Year 6 are above average. The majority of children enter the school in Nursery and Reception with skills that are at least in line with those nationally and some above, although this is variable across different cohorts. Progress has accelerated since the dip in 2011 and current tracking information shows that pupils are making good progress, which is above that nationally.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively for the small number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. A range of additional individual and small-group programmes contributes well to their progress. In 2012, this group of pupils were about a term behind others nationally in English and mathematics. However, current data show that these pupils are now in line with those nationally, having made good progress. In addition, many of these pupils are already making good progress across the school, some from very low starting points. Consequently, the

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The achievement of pupils is good

gap is narrowing.  Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language are progressing well at the school, particularly in reading and mathematics. There are no groups underachieving and all pupils have equal opportunities for success.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Those who are disabled have adapted practical resources, such as sloping writing boards and rulers with handles in lessons. Support staff are trained well to carry out well-focused additional programmes.  Pupils are progressing well with reading. Younger pupils who find it hard to read use their well- taught phonics (the sounds that letters make) to work out unknown words and are developing fluency and expression when reading out loud. As a result they are able to understand their reading well. Higher achieving readers were keen to share their enjoyment of books and wider

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The achievement of pupils is good

reading with inspectors, including books by different authors. However, teachers do not always use assessment to plan activities that develop pupils’ understanding further.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the best lessons, teachers use assessment information well to plan learning tasks that challenge all pupils. They make good links to prior learning and give opportunities for pupils to discuss their work and ideas which engage them well and promote understanding, also developed through expert questioning. For instance, a dialogue about the rights and wrongs of complaining neighbours led well into purposeful writing and letters of complaint.  However, practice is not consistent across the school and teachers do not always use assessment to plan lessons at the right level for pupils. Pupils are sometimes set the same tasks which do not effectively challenge the more able and are too difficult for those at an earlier stage of learning.  Marking is inconsistent and does not always link to pupils’ next steps in learning and individual targets. There are too few opportunities for pupils to respond to teachers’ comments and correct

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The quality of teaching is good

misconceptions or practise their skills further.  Progress tracking picks up those falling behind very quickly and a range of support, much outside the school day, is making sure that the number of pupils making good progress is now above average. Parents and carers are pleased to see their children making better progress.  Planned activities in the Early Years Foundation Stage help children learn well across all areas of learning and development, including communication and language and personal and social development. They have many opportunities to play together and cooperate exceptionally well, for instance playing a range of instruments and setting up a band and a shop selling ice cream. Adult-led activities, such as retelling the story of The Three Billy Goats through role play, develop language well and build on their developing literacy and mathematics skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour and relationships in this harmonious school are outstanding. The day starts with an opportunity for all the community, including parents and carers, staff and pupils, to pray together. This confirms the sense of community and the excellent relationships which are seen in all the school’s activities in and outside the classroom, and the high levels of courtesy and respect shown as pupils move around the school.  Pupils work exceptionally well together in lessons and support and help each other when discussing and collaborating on their work.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy their school life which prepares them exceptionally well for the next stage in their education and future world of work. They have many opportunities to take responsibilities and enjoy setting up and organising fund raising activities themselves, with only the minimum of adult supervision.  Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school, especially that pupils enjoy

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

their time at the school, are safe and that they behave well.  Pupils are very clear about the behaviour policy which makes sure that sanctions are carried out fairly, with many opportunities for rewards. As a result, school records show that there are fewer incidents, no exclusions this year and that bullying is very rare.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and are involved in developing posters displayed around the school in relation to cyber bullying.  The school works very closely with pupils and parents and carers to develop support programmes for those whose behaviour is challenging and these strategies mean that there is good improvement in their behaviour over time.  Attendance is high, with very few pupils who are persistently absent and this has been maintained over a number of years.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders are driving the school forward well since the dip in 2011. The school has effectively developed systems for tracking progress. These are very well used to make sure that all groups of pupils make good progress and that any underachievement is picked up quickly, with a range of additional support put in place.  Teachers are held accountable for the progress of pupils in their classes. Coaching support led by the deputy headteacher is very effective in helping teachers to improve where weaknesses in teaching have been identified. As a result, teaching is improving.  Leaders and managers at all levels are involved in checking the quality of teaching and tracking progress. However, this is not linked systematically to priorities for improving teaching through the school improvement plan. As a result, when initiatives are set up, such as that to improve marking, they are not monitored well enough to see that strategies are consistently applied

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The leadership and management are good

across the school, with opportunities for sharing best practice.  Leaders across the school are involved in partnerships with other schools to share moderation and improvements in teaching and this too is having an impact on making sure assessment is accurate and teaching is improving.  The school engages well with parents and carers. There are many opportunities for parental involvement in school activities, including using parents’ and carers’ experiences to link to learning in the school, such as their experience of living in Germany.  The curriculum is an area of strength through the many planned opportunities for pupils to use their developing reading, writing and mathematics and communications skills across different subjects. A range of enrichment opportunities through trips and visits, after-school activities, swimming, as well as learning French contribute well to pupils’ success in their future education.

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The leadership and management are good

 Spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is promoted well. The heritage week involved all pupils finding out about different countries and cultures and made good links to a range of heritages in school, including what it is to be British. Discrimination of any sort is not tolerated. There are visits from representatives from other faiths. All pupils are involved in music across the school, including the choir, and have the chance to learn musical instruments.  The governance of the school:  Governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and challenge the headteacher and senior leaders well with regard to the progress of pupils. They have a good overview of finance and make sure that spending is linked to the improvement of groups of pupils, such as those known to be eligible for the pupil premium. Governors bring a range of skills to the school and their roles and responsibilities are clear. Regular visits over health and

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The leadership and management are good

safety mean that safeguarding is strong and their statutory responsibilities are met. All governors are linked to different year groups and develop these through visits to the school, although they are not currently linked to priorities in the school development plan. Through the management of teachers’ performance, salary progression is increasingly linked to the quality of teaching and the progress pupils make and governors see that inadequate teaching is not tolerated.

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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 102844 Local authority Redbridge Inspection number 412454

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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 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed

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Number of pupils on the school roll

Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Teresa Harper Headteacher Chris Curtis Date of previous school inspection 3−4 July 2007 Telephone number 020 8504 4706 Fax number 020 8559 2824 Email address admin.st-antonys@redbridge.gov.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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Number of pupils on the school roll

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Number of pupils on the school roll

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers 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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Number of pupils on the school roll

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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Number of pupils on the school roll

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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Number of pupils on the school roll

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

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