St Luke's Primary School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics are very high across the school.  Pupils, including the more able, make excellent and rapid progress from their starting points on entry to the school.  Teaching of consistently outstanding quality enables pupils to achieve excellent results.  Pupils demonstrate a substantial love of learning and enjoy challenging themselves. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary, and they feel safe and happy in school.  The headteacher, other leaders and governors show exceptionally strong leadership and have very high expectations of pupils and teachers. As a result, teaching and pupils’ achievements are outstanding. Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. St Luke's Primary School, 9–10 October 2013 2 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors saw teaching in every class. They observed 26 lessons, of which 13 were observed jointly with the headteacher or other senior leaders. One assembly and pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime were also evaluated.  Discussions were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other members, the headteacher, staff, a representative from the local authority, and the headteacher of a local partnership school.  The inspectors observed many aspects of the school’s work, including supervision and support for pupils who need extra help. They examined pupils’ work in their exercise books and on classroom and corridor wall displays, and heard groups of pupils read.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including plans for the school’s future development, lesson plans, the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe, pupils’ attendance records, minutes of governing body meetings, records of how pupils’ learning is monitored and

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Information about this inspection

records of how the quality of teaching is checked.  The views of parents and carers were taken into account, including those expressed in two letters, 176 responses to the online Parent View survey and in discussions with the inspectors at the end of the school day.  Staff views were taken into consideration by looking at 53 returned questionnaires and discussions with several members of staff.

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Inspection team

Steven Popper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Keith Homewood Additional Inspector Ann Longfield Additional Inspector Christine Bennett Additional Inspector Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. St Luke's Primary School, 9–10 October 2013 3 of 10

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the additional government funding known as the pupil premium, including those receiving free school meals, is lower than the national average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. Some of these pupils have speech, language and communication needs, while others have moderate or specific learning difficulties. A small number of pupils have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. Other pupils come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in three Reception classes.

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Information about this school

 The school does not operate any alternative provision for any pupils. The number of pupils joining or leaving the school other than at the usual times is lower than in most other schools.  The school was formed through the merger of a local infant school and junior school in September 2009. The headteacher was previously the headteacher of the junior school involved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that written feedback given to pupils consistently advises them how to improve their work further. Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. St Luke's Primary School, 9–10 October 2013 4 of 10

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children do very well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They start school with the skills that are expected for their age and make very good progress in all areas of their learning as they move through the Reception Year. They achieve very well by the time they join Year 1.  Results of national screening in phonics (linking letters to the sounds they make) are higher than in most other schools. This is because of very effective teaching.  Pupils’ results in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are much higher than those found in most other schools. Pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Many pupils who receive support through the use of pupil premium funding, including those who receive free school meals and looked after children, begin school at very low starting points. They make very good progress as they go through the school. By the time eligible pupils leave

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

Year 6, the gap between their progress and that of all other pupils has closed completely. More eligible pupils attain results at the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 2 than in most other schools. This is because of teachers’ strong ability to meet individual pupils’ needs in all parts of the school  Almost all groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make faster progress than in most other schools. This is because they receive teaching and support very well matched to their individual needs and abilities in their lessons.  A much higher proportion of more able pupils attain results at the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 2 than in most other schools. This is because of the very high levels of challenge offered to them in their lessons.  Standards in speaking and listening are very high across the school. Pupils express their knowledge and understanding thoughtfully and with confidence and precision.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils from all groups demonstrate a love of reading and stories. Pupils read challenging texts and talk about books with enthusiasm. For example, one Year 2 girl talked excitedly about stories by Shakespeare and other classic texts that she enjoyed.  Pupils made good or outstanding progress during the overwhelming majority of lessons seen during the inspection. This was because of highly engaging and effective teaching.  Pupils present their work to a high standard. They demand a lot of themselves and take care to produce the best work that they can. This is because of the consistently high expectations of their teachers and the school overall.  A very large majority of parents and all pupils who talked to the inspectors expressed overwhelmingly positive views about the achievements made by pupils at the school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The majority of teaching across the school is outstanding and never less than consistently good. This is the main reason for pupils’ excellent results and very high quality of learning.  A key feature of teaching is the consistently high level of challenge offered to pupils. Pupils are given very effective opportunities to set themselves challenges, which they do eagerly. For example, one outstanding mathematics lesson involved pupils setting themselves increasingly hard addition problems. This results in the very high quality of learning and progress seen in the vast majority of lessons.  Pupils are given many opportunities to communicate and explain their ideas and to work independently or co-operatively. Pupils are listened to very well and their ideas are responded to in a way that stimulates pupils to think more deeply. This results in secure and enjoyable learning.  Teaching assistants give very effective support to individual pupils, including those with profound

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

learning needs. This ensures that all pupils are included very well in all lessons and make at least good progress.  Teachers know their subjects well and communicate knowledge very clearly. They also make very good use of pupils’ own knowledge and achievements. For example, in an outstanding English lesson on writing historical narratives, the teacher used pupils’ own suggestions and work to model different ways of writing well.  Teachers have very high expectations and set appropriately challenging targets for pupils’ future progress. This ensures that pupils do the best they can and value learning and achievement highly.  During lessons, teachers give pupils very thorough and detailed guidance about how they can improve and progress further. However, written feedback given to pupils does not consistently give pupils sufficient specific advice about how they can improve their work.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage develops children’s security and ability to build

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

relationships. Children’s skills in speaking, listening, writing and mathematics are strongly developed. Play is used very well to promote learning.  Homework develops pupils’ thinking and learning well. It enables pupils to deepen their understanding and become more confident about what they have learned in school.  Pupils expressed extremely high opinions of their teachers and explained how the high levels of challenge they experienced helped them to learn and make progress.  A very large majority of parents who left an opinion for the inspectors thought that their children were taught well and made good progress as a result.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils consistently demonstrate a substantial love of learning and a keen curiosity about the world. They have extremely high expectations of their own learning and behaviour.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons, in the playground, in the library and when travelling around the school is exemplary. They are very courteous at all times and considerate of others. This was witnessed during lessons, during morning and lunchtime breaks, and through observing pupils’ manners as they moved between rooms.  Relationships between pupils and adults and pupils and other pupils are excellent. Staff and pupils act with obvious and deep-seated respect for each other at all times. The school ethos of equal opportunities and valuing of diversity ensures that pupils treat people of all types and from all backgrounds with equal respect. This was clearly seen during a session which involved a local group of adults with special needs teaching pupils how to use Makaton sign language.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and feel very safe in the school. They understand different types of bullying (including cyber-bullying and verbal bullying). Pupils know how to protect themselves while using the internet. The school’s anti-bullying policy and creative use of pupils as ‘peaceful problem solvers’ actively prevent bullying from being likely to occur.  The school operates a highly effective behaviour management system that encourages pupils’ excellent attitudes towards learning. Careful monitoring and recording of behaviour and the promotion of very high behavioural expectations ensure that learning can take place without behavioural distractions. No low-level disruption was witnessed during any lessons.  Parents and staff are extremely positive about behaviour and raise no serious concerns. All staff and the vast majority of parents who expressed an opinion thought that behaviour in the school

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

was good and well managed. Several parents offered the inspector testimony about the good behaviour in the school and how their children, including children with special educational needs, had thrived while there.  Pupils enjoy school. Because of this, attendance has improved over time and is now slightly higher than that found in most other schools. Punctuality is excellent.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher, leaders at all levels and governors all share very high aspirations for the school and set very high targets for pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. As a result, the achievement of pupils and quality of teaching are outstanding.  The headteacher and governors monitor the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress and results very effectively, with the result that all inadequate teaching has been eradicated from the school. Performance management ensures that decisions about pay awards to staff are explicitly linked to high standards in pupils’ results and progress.  Teachers are set targets relating to improvements to the quality of their teaching and to pupils’ achievement. Targets for professional development relate both to the school improvement priorities and to teachers’ own professional ambitions and interests. Staff benefit from considerable training and other opportunities that promote their own professional development.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

As a result, the quality of teaching has consistently improved over time.  The progress of individuals and groups of pupils is tracked accurately, rigorously, regularly and in fine detail. This tracking is used to ensure that all pupils are given provision well matched to their individual needs and that targets for their future progress are properly challenging.  The school’s evaluation of its own strengths and priorities for development is accurate and robust. The school improvement plan focuses on ensuring very high standards of pupils’ achievement and the further development of the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs.  The school is committed to giving all pupils an equal opportunity to succeed. Pupil premium funding is spent where it has most impact. Additional one-to-one and small-group tuition in key subjects has contributed to the rapid progress made by eligible pupils.  The school’s curriculum is creative, inclusive and tailor-made to meet the needs of the pupils in

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the school. It provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, philosophy lessons enable pupils to evaluate and form thoughtful opinions about moral issues and appreciate the value of diversity. The school is active in encouraging greater participation by girls in sports and in providing physical education training for staff, and plans are in hand to use the new Sports Premium funding to develop these further.  The school ensures that all pupils are safe. It keeps appropriate and up-to-date records of its work in this area and meets statutory requirements.  The local authority has supplied some light touch advisory support which has reinforced the accuracy of the school’s assessment of pupils’ progress and attainment.  The school leads a highly regarded partnership with several other local primary and secondary schools. This partnership is used effectively to share examples of good teaching and promote

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The leadership and management are outstanding

consistency across the schools involved. The headteacher of one partnership school praised St Luke’s Primary School for leading what he considered to be a highly productive partnership in local educational practice.  The vast majority of parents and staff who offered an opinion considered the school to be well led. Staff praised the school’s leadership for offering them substantial opportunities for their own professional development.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very effective. They understand the school’s data about pupils’ progress and offer the school a considerable level of challenge. Governors have contributed very well to the school’s self-evaluation and have an extremely clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They are active in monitoring the quality of teaching and impact on pupils’ learning and progress and have set the headteacher clear targets with respect to

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The leadership and management are outstanding

these. Governors ensure the efficient management of financial resources, including the effective use of pupil premium funding. Their impact on the school’s drive for improvement is substantial. Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. St Luke's Primary School, 9–10 October 2013 8 of 10

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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. Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. St Luke's Primary School, 9–10 October 2013 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 114374 Local authority Brighton and Hove Inspection number 426676

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 630 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lynne Cahill Headteacher Jonathan Cooper Date of previous school inspection 10−11 November 2010 Telephone number 01273 675080 Fax number 01273 625473 Email address office@stlukes.brighton-hove.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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