Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Roehampton

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Roehampton Lane, Roehampton, London, SW15 5NX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 of all abilities achieve well. At the end of Year 6 standards in reading, writing and mathematics are average. This represents good progress from their low starting points.  Teachers plan relevant and exciting lessons that allow pupils to develop key skills across a range of subjects.  The school promotes very positive attitudes to reading. Pupils understand how important it is in later life and have the necessary skills to do well in secondary school.  Leaders spend additional funding judiciously to ensure that pupils needing extra help are able to make accelerated progress.  Pupils behave well and attend regularly. They feel extremely safe at school and treat each other with a high level of respect and courtesy.  Governors, leaders and managers have ensured that the quality of teaching remains strong and pupils’ achievement good as the school expands and new staff join.  Governors have strongly improved the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

effectiveness of their role. They provide good support and challenge leaders well by, for example, asking probing questions about how funding spent results in improved outcomes.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well and creates a cohesive, aspirational community where all feel valued.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Not enough teaching is outstanding to ensure pupils make rapid and sustained progress in all subjects.  Teaching assistants are not always used as effectively as possible to ensure maximum impact on pupils’ progress.  The helpful comments teachers write in pupils’ books do not lead to the rapid progress intended because pupils are not given sufficient time to respond.  Middle managers do not contribute sufficiently to improving the quality of teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons including phonics (letter patterns and the sound they make), writing and mathematics. One of these observations was conducted jointly with the headteacher.  The inspection team looked at pupils’ work in lessons and the work they have completed over time in their books.  Meetings were held with staff, pupils and representatives from the local authority and the governing body. Inspectors also attended an assembly and listened to pupils read.  The inspection team took account of the 26 responses to the online survey Parent View as well as the views parents and carers expressed in informal discussions with inspectors during the course of the inspection. Forty one questionnaires returned by staff were also taken into account.  A range of documents was scrutinised including those relating to safeguarding, child protection and behaviour, the school’s evaluation of its own performance, development plans, information

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Information about this inspection

relating to pupils’ academic achievement, checks made on the quality of teaching and attendance figures.

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Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Margaret Wolf Additional Inspector Robin Gaff Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported through school action is slightly higher than national. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also higher than national.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families) is higher than national. There are currently no pupils in the school from service families.  Most pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds, with 13 different groups represented in varying proportions. This is much higher than national and reflects the diverse nature of the school’s local community.  Almost half of the pupils speak English as an additional language, with a few at the early stages

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Information about this school

of learning English.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has recently undergone extensive building works as it increases in size to be able to accommodate two classes in each year group by 2017. This has resulted in some staff changes and the appointment of a new senior leadership team.  The school has a range of awards including Unicef’s Rights Respecting Schools Award at Level 2 and the Royal Horticultural Society Gardening School Award at Level 5.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that pupils make rapid progress across all subjects by ensuring that:  teaching assistants are more effectively deployed in supporting pupils who need clearer explanation or further challenge  pupils are given time to think about and respond to the helpful comments teachers write in their books  formal opportunities are developed for middle managers to support teachers in improving their practice and thereby to contribute effectively to improving the overall quality of teaching.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are below the levels typical for their age. They get off to a good start because teachers establish routines well and take every opportunity to develop key skills. For example, when learning about the Chinese New Year in Nursery, children were encouraged to count objects and listen carefully for the letter sounds at the beginning of certain words. Consequently they made good progress in number and phonic skills.  Phonics is very well taught and consequently the percentage of pupils in school who reach the expected level in the phonics screening check in Year 1 is above average.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have been improving year on year since the previous inspection and have now reached national averages.  Pupils make exceptionally good progress across Key Stage 2. From low starting points, the proportion of pupils who reach higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics combined is

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The achievement of pupils is good

rising and has now reached national averages.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well because teachers check carefully on the progress they are making and put measures into place to ensure it matches that of other groups.  The school uses the pupil premium funding highly effectively to narrow and even eliminate gaps between pupils eligible for the funding and other groups in school. Pupils were five terms behind in mathematics and just under four terms behind in writing, which does not compare favourably with the national figures of just over two terms. However, this is not typical. Leaders’ decision to use the increase in funding to employ qualified teachers has resulted in high-quality small-group work that is now paying off. The gap in reading last year was only a term and a half and gaps for pupils currently in school are all narrowing. For example, at the end of Key Stage 1 last

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The achievement of pupils is good

summer, there were no gaps in attainment in any subject.  More-able pupils are given a range of opportunities to extend their learning. As a result, greater proportions reach the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics than is the case nationally.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported. Those at the early stages of learning English are quickly helped to learn the basic language they need to access lessons. A strong focus on vocabulary development supports the more fluent who consequently achieve at least as well as others in school.  The school’s commitment to promoting equality of opportunity is clearly demonstrated in that pupils from different ethnic groups achieve equally well. The school checks the achievement of different groups carefully to ensure that it continues to tackle discrimination highly effectively.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan and deliver lessons that enthuse pupils. Strong links between different subjects ensure that pupils have many opportunities to develop and practise the key skills of reading, writing and mathematics across the curriculum and this sustains high levels of interest and promotes good progress. For example, pupils in Year 6 produced detailed and plausible letters as if they were on Shackleton’s trip to the Antarctic because they had studied the subject in great depth.  Reading is very well promoted. Pupils clearly understand how important it is to be able to read, both for schoolwork and also for later life. Well-chosen texts ensure pupils develop a strong interest in books. Opportunities are created across the course of the school day for pupils to read. For example, computers in the school’s well-equipped suite and tablets in class are used to research topics in greater depth and the well-appointed library gives pupils a broader range

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The quality of teaching is good

when choosing the reading book they take home.  Lessons engage the most able because the work they are given challenges them well. They are interested and engaged and make equally as good gains in their learning as other groups.  Teaching in small groups, targeted at narrowing gaps in attainment, is highly effective. Qualified teachers support pupils to unpick where they might be having difficulties and to systematically build their understanding. For example, in a mathematics lesson, the teacher used small, clear steps to explain how to work backwards, using knowledge of times tables, to complete division problems. She asked key questions at every step to ensure pupils understood and gave them opportunities to discuss and explain their learning, resulting in rapid progress.  However, the support that pupils receive in class from teaching assistants is not always as effective for a range of reasons. During group work, teaching assistants do not always have

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The quality of teaching is good

sufficiently well-developed subject knowledge to be able to clarify key points for pupils. When the teacher is addressing the whole class, teaching assistants are not always best used to support, prompt or clarify understanding for those pupils that would benefit from this.  Teachers set pupils accurate and helpful targets which pupils use regularly to edit their work against. Pupils are clear when they have met their targets and are proud to be moving on in their learning.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, giving clear indications of what pupils have done well and what they need to do to improve further. However, these latter comments are not as effective as they could be because pupils are not given the time to think about and act upon them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The school fosters exceptionally good relations so pupils are deeply respectful and treat each other with kindness and consideration. For example, they warmly welcome pupils new to the school and ensure there is always someone to play with. Consequently, playtimes and lunchtimes are harmonious and pupils are able to enjoy the range of facilities to promote their physical well-being.  Teachers manage behaviour very well and their high expectations, coupled with pupils’ understanding of their responsibility to ensure things go smoothly, mean that lessons are always prompt to start. Pupils move around the school sensibly when going from their class to lessons in the library, the hall or the computer suite. A new system, introduced since the previous inspection, has seen the number of minor incidents decline even further.  The school supports pupils with particular behavioural needs in a range of highly effective ways.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

For example, the learning mentor might take them outside to tend to the school’s Shetland pony, which creates a chance to reflect on their behaviour in a calm environment conducive to positive results. There has been no need for exclusions since at least 2010 because of this successful approach.  Behaviour is not outstanding because occasionally in lessons a small number can lose focus. Although this does not cause any distraction for others, it does slow progress for those involved and does not show exemplary attitudes to learning.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Parents and carers agree unanimously that their children feel safe at school. Pupils and staff support this view.  Pupils attend regularly, attendance rates have kept pace with national improvements and any absences are rigorously followed up.  The school teaches children that they have key rights, but that those rights come with

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

associated responsibilities. This means pupils clearly understand the consequences of their actions. As a result, pupils do not make any comments that could be taken as hurtful, derogatory or racist or take any course of action that could be harmful to themselves or others.  Pupils know about different types of bullying and are very clear that bullying is sustained and deliberate. They are adamant that bullying cannot take hold not only because pupils understand how damaging it is but because pupils go out of their way to make sure everyone has friends and no one feels isolated. Pupils have every faith that teachers would deal with any situation in the unlikely event that one should occur.  Pupils have a very clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations both in school, on the streets and at home. They know, for example, how to cross roads safely, what to do in the event of fire or other emergency, that electrical appliances pose a danger if

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

not used correctly and that you should never give away any personal details on the internet.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers have high expectations of both behaviour and learning. They are very clear what the school does well, carefully identify key areas for improvement and plan actions that are successful in moving the school forward. Outcomes such as the very high results in the phonics check, rising standards at the end of Year 2 and the narrowing of gaps for those pupils supported by the pupil premium show the effectiveness of those actions.  Leaders set targets for teachers that are challenging yet supportive and based on a deep understanding of what the school needs to do to improve. Teachers unanimously agree that they are well supported to develop their practice. Improvements in ensuring pupils know what they need to do to improve their work, for example through marking and the setting of clear targets, show this to be the case.  The headteacher has successfully built a strong and effective senior leadership team in readiness

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The leadership and management are good

for the challenges of further increasing pupil numbers over the next three years. However, middle managers are not yet used effectively to contribute to improving the quality of teaching. They do discuss teaching with colleagues, and have opportunities to observe lessons. This is not formalised though, so guidance given is not followed up and there is no evidence that it contributes to enhanced performance or helps raise attainment.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development really well. Using the broad and balanced curriculum to great effect, leaders ensure there are myriad opportunities for pupils to learn about cultures in the local community and beyond. Trips and visitors, such as students from the local university, enliven topics and help deepen pupils’ understanding. The strong focus on rights and responsibilities means that pupils understand the moral and ethical

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The leadership and management are good

dimensions of different situations.  Leaders have deployed the sports funding effectively in a range of ways. Teachers are receiving training to boost their skills. Participation in extra-curricular activities has been increased through greater choice of provision, attracting more pupils including those who previously did not take part, and has been effective in supporting pupils to develop healthy lifestyles.  The local authority has supported the school extremely effectively since the previous inspection. For example, it has been instrumental in improving the role of governors and has supported leaders in developing robust and successful recruitment procedures as the school increases in size.  The governance of the school:  Governors use a range of information to ensure they know how well the school compares to similar schools both locally and nationally. They actively challenge senior leaders to strive for

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The leadership and management are good

excellence. For example, they constantly question how well additional funding such as the pupil premium and the sports funding are being spent and know that gaps are narrowing. Because they are actively involved in shaping the school’s improvement plan, governors know that performance management targets are set to ensure the school meets its ambitious objectives. Governors are aware of how targets set for teachers contribute to maintaining a profile of good teaching and that, where targets are not met, teachers will not be given a pay rise. There is a strong skill set on the governing body and members use their individual strengths to best effect, accessing training wherever relevant. Governors’ strong commitment to and deep understanding of safeguarding contributes to the school’s outstanding work in keeping pupils safe and ensures all safeguarding requirements are met exceptionally well.

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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 101050 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 431314

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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 Number of pupils on the school roll 405 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tim Cronin Headteacher Anthony Gibbons Date of previous school inspection 30 June – 1 July 2009 Telephone number 020 8876 7074 Fax number 020 8876 2545 Email address info@sacredheart-roe.wandsworth.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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