Regina Coeli Catholic Primary School

Regina Coeli Catholic Primary School 173 Pampisford Road, South Croydon, CR2 6DF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  Too many pupils make inadequate progress, particularly more-able pupils, those eligible for free school meals, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Teaching is inadequate. Too much teaching continues to require significant improvement. Teachers do not expect enough of pupils or provide work that is matched well enough to their needs and prior attainment.  Pupils’ behaviour is improving, but some pupils are not always ready and willing to learn, and this aspect of behaviour requires improvement.  Leadership and management are inadequate because, despite some recent improvements, leaders, managers and members of the governing body have not been effective in improving teaching and in ensuring that pupils make more rapid progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well.  A strong focus on teaching reading and the use of letters and sounds (phonics) has helped pupils to improve their reading skills. Pupils say how much they enjoy reading for pleasure.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 31 lessons, six jointly with the deputy headteacher or a phase leader. Observations included a number of short visits to observe support- and small-group sessions for pupils at risk of falling behind and those who receive extra support.  Inspectors attended a school assembly and listened to pupils read. They met with two different groups of pupils, and discussed the work of the school with a group of school governors and a representative of the local authority. They also held discussions with school staff, including senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors observed the school's work and looked at a number of documents, including the school's information on pupils' recent progress, planning documents, checks carried out by leaders on teaching, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  The inspection team reviewed the responses to 21 staff questionnaires completed during the

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Information about this inspection

inspection.  Inspectors took account of 65 responses to the Ofsted online Parent View survey and additional responses sent to inspectors. They also spoke to parents and carers at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Robert Ellis, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Adam Higgins Her Majesty’s Inspector Jane Banting Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Full report

The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers.

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger-than-average primary school.  During the inspection, the headteacher was on sick leave and the school was being led by the deputy headteacher.  The governing body appointed a consultant headteacher to support the school from 1 September 2013.  The local authority conducted a review of the school in May 2013 and issued the school with a warning notice in June 2013. This related to pupils' achievement and capacity to improve.  The proportion of pupils supported under the pupil premium initiative is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average but very few are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action is above the national average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or

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Information about this school

with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school runs a breakfast club and after-school club which were visited as part of the inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the achievement of pupils and increase the proportion of teaching that is consistently good and outstanding by making sure that all teachers:  have consistently high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and the work pupils produce  use assessment information to plan work at the right level for different groups of pupils and provide an appropriate level of challenge throughout each lesson  teach lessons at the right pace, motivate pupils to do well and encourage them to have positive attitudes to learning  provide high-quality marking and feedback that consistently supports pupils’ learning.  Strengthen the capacity of leadership and management at all levels to promote improvement by ensuring that leaders and governors:  implement the recommendations in the recent review of governance so that governors challenge leaders effectively and support the school to improve  ensure that resources, including the pupil premium, are used effectively

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 establish rigorous and accurate monitoring of all aspects of the school’s work to inform the school’s self-evaluation and planning for improvement  establish effective procedures to manage the performance of staff so that all teachers and teaching assistants are accountable for improving teaching and learning  link their judgements on the quality of teaching seen in lessons more closely with pupils’ progress and attainment  work more effectively with teachers to improve the quality of teaching by sharing good practice and meeting their professional development needs.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Rates of progress are inconsistent as pupils move through the school and some groups achieve significantly less well than they should, particularly the most-able pupils, pupils eligible for free school meals, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills, knowledge and experience typical for their ages. They settle quickly and make good progress because tasks and activities provide well for all the different areas of learning.  Standards in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6 are declining. School information and current work inspected indicate that pupils’ progress is not accelerating and too many pupils are falling behind in their learning.  Pupils are making better progress in reading and they demonstrate a good understanding of how the sounds that letters make can be used to sound out unfamiliar words.  Gaps between the different groups of pupils are not closing rapidly. Despite some recent

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

improvement, older pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium are at least half a year of learning behind their peers. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds make similar progress to other pupils. Less than half of the most-able pupils reach their full potential.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are given additional support to help them overcome barriers to learning. However, activities in classrooms are not always matched precisely to their needs and prior achievements. Their progress is sometimes too slow because teachers expect too little of them.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Despite some recent improvements, the impact of teaching over time has not enabled pupils to make rapid and sustained progress.  Progress in lessons is sometimes slow because teachers do not assess pupils’ learning adequately during the lesson and then make any necessary adjustments to ensure good progress.  Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ capabilities are not always high enough, particularly in the case of the most able. This means that tasks and activities are not always demanding, so progress is limited.  A minority of teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and provide stimulating and engaging lessons where tasks and activities are pitched at the right level for all the different groups of pupils in the class. In these lessons, pupils respond positively, make good progress and enjoy learning.  In some classes, the high noise levels make speaking and listening activities less successful and

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

some teachers do not have effective strategies for ensuring pupils work quietly when it is appropriate for them to do so.  Where teaching is weaker, teachers spend too much time talking when introducing and explaining tasks. Consequently, pupils do not have enough time to practise and develop the skills they need for the next steps in their learning, and become bored and restless.  Marking is variable across the school and, although most books are marked regularly and some teachers give helpful advice, pupils are not always given sufficient opportunity to respond to the teachers’ comments. This means improvements are not made consistently across all classes.  Pupils are beginning to have opportunities to review their own work and to decide when they think they are ready to move on to the next step in their learning. This is working well in some classes but is less effective in others because pupils are not given appropriate criteria to help

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

them judge their own progress.  Teaching assistants are generally supportive, particularly with the more vulnerable pupils. However, they are sometimes underused in whole-class activities that are led by the teacher. When guided effectively by teachers, they promote learning well in lessons and lead additional support for individuals and small groups of pupils outside the classroom. However, too often, their role in lessons is not defined clearly so they are not deployed as effectively as they might be.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour requires improvement because pupils’ attitudes to learning are not consistently positive and too many pupils do not manage their own behaviour in lessons to a high enough standard without the need for adult intervention.  Most pupils attend school regularly and are punctual. They behave well around the school at break and lunchtime. They are generally polite, get on well with each other, and show respect and kindness to others regardless of their differences.  Many pupils respond appropriately to instructions and require little more than gentle prompting to keep them engaged with their work. However, in some lessons where teaching is weaker, they are inattentive and low-level disruption slows the pace of learning. Where the lessons are undemanding, pupils quickly lose interest and then lack the motivation to engage further with the lesson. In these circumstances, pupils do not listen well, and instructions have to be

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

repeated, so additional time is lost.  Pupils often take a relaxed view about working independently and waste too much time talking to others or do not concentrate fully on the work they have been set. Other pupils lack resilience and will stop working when they encounter a problem. Too often, pupils who do not understand what they are expected to do will not seek help but wait until an adult notices them.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and speak highly of the care they receive from the staff. They understand that some situations are potentially unsafe and have strategies to keep themselves safe. They say that incidents of bullying are rare. When they do occur, the school deals with them effectively. Parents, carers and staff expressed few concerns about safety and bullying.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Leadership overall is inadequate because leaders and managers have not had sufficient impact on pupils’ achievement and on the quality of teaching, both of which are inadequate. When monitoring teaching, senior leaders have previously not looked closely enough at the impact of teaching over time on pupils’ achievement.  The school's judgements on teaching have been overgenerous so teachers have not had accurate feedback on the quality of their teaching. Arrangements for the management of teachers’ performance and salary progression are not implemented fully.  The school’s improvement planning is not underpinned by rigorous and accurate monitoring of all aspects of the school’s work. Limited progress has been made in addressing the areas for improvement identified by the previous inspection. Leaders, managers and governors are not demonstrating the capacity to bring about rapid and secure improvement.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The curriculum ensures that pupils have opportunities to study the expected range of subjects, but it does not ensure that the needs of all pupils are met. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well and there is a good range of clubs and activities to support pupils’ personal and physical development.  Pupils have increasing opportunities to discuss different beliefs and cultures, and to reflect on their similarities and differences. Pupils are treated with respect and discrimination is not tolerated. Parents and carers value the inclusive ethos of the school.  Pupil premium funding has not been spent to the benefit of those pupils for whom it was intended. The school has sensible plans for how it will spend additional funding for sports and intends to promote swimming and a wider range of sports clubs.  Middle leadership is underdeveloped. Many middle leaders are new to their posts and not yet

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The leadership and management are inadequate

fully effective in driving improvement.  Parents and carers who responded to the Ofsted questionnaire expressed little confidence in the school’s leadership. Some parents and carers who wrote to inspectors highlighted recent improvements. However, one in four of the respondents would not recommend the school to another parent or carer.  Staff were positive about recent attempts to improve leadership and management, and valued the link that has been forged with a consultant headteacher’s partner school. Around one in three staff did not feel that their professional development needs were being met.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has not been effective in holding senior leaders to account and has not acted with sufficient urgency to halt the decline in the school’s overall effectiveness since the previous inspection. Governors commissioned an external review of governance but have not yet acted on its recommendations. Governors have recently begun to seek information on pupils’ progress and to monitor the work of the school, including the quality of teaching. They have also begun to review the rewards for good teaching and how they relate to school targets. However, they have not ensured that pupil premium funding has been used effectively. Safeguarding arrangements meet current requirements .

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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 101800 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 427789

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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 410 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Hogarth Andall Headteacher Donal McCarthy Date of previous school inspection 23–24 October 2012 Telephone number 020 8688 4582 Fax number 020 8688 0225 Email address headteacher@reginacoelischool.co.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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