St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Thames Ditton

Saint Paul's Catholic Primary School Hampton Court Way, Thames Ditton, Surrey, KT7 0LP

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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 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 achieve well, especially in reading and mathematics and attainment is above average by the end of Year 6.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and become confident and willing learners.  Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and use resources well to make lessons interesting and to help explain what pupils are to learn.  Pupils behave well and feel safe. They are keen to take part in all activities and are polite and friendly.  The school is improving and moving forward following many changes in members of staff and governors.  Leaders have high expectations for the school and know what to do to make it outstanding.  The leadership and management of teaching, including by governors, are effective in building up the skills of teachers and have a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In some lessons teachers do not change work quickly enough when pupils are ready to move on to something new or more difficult.  Progress in writing is less rapid than in reading or mathematics. This is because opportunities are missed for pupils to extend their writing skills when working in other subjects.  The school has not successfully dealt with the concerns about bullying shown by a small minority of parents.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed teaching in 20 lessons, nine jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, teachers, pupils, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors took into account 167 responses to the online Parent View survey, and a few letters, emails and telephone calls from parents. Informal discussions were held with a random sample of parents.  The inspectors considered the views expressed in survey responses from 44 members of staff.  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 procedures.

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Inspection team

Alison Cartlidge, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Michael Elson Additional Inspector Matthew Barnes Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much larger than average-sized primary school that has grown in size since the previous inspection.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding (additional government funding given to the school for specific groups of pupils including those known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority) is well below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs at school action and the proportion at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are well below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  There have been many changes in governors and teachers, including senior and middle leaders, since the last inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching, by:  making sure teachers always check learning during a lesson and change tasks when pupils are ready to learn something new  increasing opportunities for pupils to practise and extend their writing when learning in other subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the partnership with parents so that any parental concerns, particularly over bullying, can be dealt with effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children are working within the levels typical for their age when they join the school in the Reception Year. They make good progress and become confident and articulate. Occasionally, when children are unclear of the purpose of an activity, their learning is slower than it could be.  Attainment by the end of Year 6 is above average in reading, writing and mathematics and pupils make good progress. Achievement is marginally better in reading and mathematics than in writing. In writing, there was a slight dip in achievement in 2013. Pupils currently in school use their imaginations well and write interesting descriptions, but some opportunities are missed for them to extend their skills in support of their learning across the curriculum.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. They do especially well when being supported in a small group or when working on additional specifically

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The achievement of pupils is good

designed activities. Occasionally in lessons, learning is slower when work is not appropriate for their level of development and they have not fully understood what they are doing.  The more able pupils do well in most lessons because teachers ensure that they plan work at the right level of difficulty and build on what pupils already know and understand. Occasionally, work is not demanding enough to challenge these pupils fully.  The very small number of pupils entitled to pupil premium funding make good progress. The attainment gap is closing in English and mathematics because they receive carefully planned one-to-one teaching support when needed. Numbers are too small to make reliable comparisons with other groups.  Pupils reach the physical performance levels of which they are capable because they are keen to take an active part in physical activity. For example, in Year 1, pupils were keen to work with a

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The achievement of pupils is good

partner to improve their balancing.  The positive attitudes of pupils contribute well to learning in most lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good, with examples of outstanding teaching across the school. Teachers engage the pupils’ interest well, by making good use of a wide range of interesting and carefully selected resources. For example, in Year 1, pupils enjoyed testing materials to see if they were waterproof and in Year 6, pupils were delighted to demonstrate to the class various ways that mountains were formed.  Members of staff have good relationships with the pupils they teach and there is good teamwork between adults in each class so that time is not wasted. Teaching assistants are well trained and provide valuable support for various groups of pupils. For example, in mathematics in Year 4, the teacher and teaching assistant worked together exceptionally well, supporting small groups of pupils to ensure that they all made excellent progress in learning about the use of graphs.  Teachers make clear to the pupils what they are to learn in each lesson and pupils are keen to

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The quality of teaching is good

explain what their next steps will be to reach the next level. Teachers’ marking is used well to support and guide pupils in improving their work.  Occasionally, teachers do not check work quickly enough within a lesson so that pupils can be given a new or harder task when they are ready to move on. In addition, teachers sometimes miss opportunities for pupils to consolidate and extend their writing to support their learning in other subjects so that progress is maximised.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of the pupils is good. Positive relationships between teachers and their pupils enable them to become confident. For example, in the Early Years Foundation Stage, children have a delightful and trusting relationship with members of staff enabling them to become independent and to try out new experiences.  The school promotes equality of opportunity and discourages discrimination of any kind. Pupils across the school are polite and friendly and respond well to others, leading to calm and smooth running lessons. There is very little evidence of disruptive behaviour, with pupils only occasionally coming off task when they have tired of an activity or finished it early.  Pupils’ well above average attendance helps to demonstrate how much they want to come to school. Pupils enjoy working with a partner or in a small group and praise each other well when celebrating achievements.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils know how to stay safe,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

including when using the internet, and say that they feel safe at school. Most parents also say that their children feel safe at school although a small minority are unhappy with the way bullying is dealt with. Most pupils say that instances of bullying are dealt with to their satisfaction and they know what to do if they have any concerns.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders and governors care passionately about the school and are driving hard to make it outstanding. There have been many changes in staffing since the previous inspection but the existing members of staff are very committed to bringing about the remaining changes needed to make the school outstanding. Members of staff are very supportive of the leaders.  Arrangements made for checking up on how well teachers are doing are rigorous and lead to a healthy climate of members of staff taking on board advice given and improving their work. Effective use is made of strong role models to show teachers how to become even better. Leaders do not tolerate inadequate teaching and expectations for teaching are high.  There is a clear understanding of what needs to be developed next and improvement plans are firmly based on accurate checks on how well the school is doing. Some of the middle leaders are

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The leadership and management are good

new to the school and have not had sufficient time to ensure that all teaching in the areas they manage is of the highest standard.  The school’s partnership with parents requires improvement. While the large majority of parents are happy with the work of the school, a small minority are unhappy with the way bullying is dealt with. Leaders including the governors are aware that more could be done to allay parents’ concerns over bullying and there are clear plans to review the behaviour and anti-bullying policy and to extend communications with parents.  The curriculum is varied and interesting and consequently it supports learning well. Good use is made of visits and visitors to enliven subjects. Provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a particular strength and pupils reflect sensibly on how they can develop their social responsibility. Pupils appreciate the wonder of natural and man-made events in the

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The leadership and management are good

world and their impact on people. For example, pupils in Year 4 considered the feelings of the monks at Lindisfarne during the raid by Vikings.  Funding is being used well to support the pupils entitled to the pupil premium so that the gap in attainment between these and other pupils is small.  The new funding to enhance sport is being used to train staff and to improve resources. Clubs such as football and tennis are popular with the pupils and contribute towards their healthy lifestyles and physical well-being. There are clear expectations so that the impact of funding can be measured.  The local authority provides the right level of support for this good and improving school. Provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage has been developed since the previous inspection and leaders are developing new members of staff effectively.  Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. Members of staff know how to care for the

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The leadership and management are good

pupils and have been checked for suitability for working in school.  The governance of the school:  Governors are enthusiastic about their role in supporting and challenging the school. They understand the school’s strengths and are clear about what needs to be done to make the school outstanding. They know how well the school compares with others and have a good knowledge of the pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. They know how teaching is checked, weaker teaching is supported and how good teaching is to be rewarded. They are keen to develop their role further by extending their links with parents.

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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 125212 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 432188

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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 Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 406 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cathy Ellis Headteacher Fionnuala Johnson Date of previous school inspection 18 March 2008 Telephone number 020 8398 6791 Fax number 020 8398 4275 Email address head@stpauls-thamesditton.surrey.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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