Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary

Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary Bransford Road, St John's, Worcester, WR2 4EN

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  From starting points that are typical for their age, children make good progress in the Reception Year.  Pupils also make good and sometimes outstanding progress in Key Stage 1 and 2. They leave Year 6 with standards above national averages in all subjects and do particularly well in mathematics.  Positive relationships between teachers and pupils, along with the interesting activities planned by teachers, motivate pupils to learn well.  Behaviour is exemplary and this contributes well to pupils’ learning. Pupils are very proud of their school and actively encourage each other to respect all adults and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school.  There is a caring family atmosphere in the school. Visitors and new pupils to the school are made to feel very welcome.  The governing body and headteacher are ambitious and they work well together to ensure the school’s continued improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders responsible for subjects and year groups have recently been appointed and require further support and development before they are totally effective in raising standards and the quality of teaching.  Although most teaching is good or better, a small amount requires improvement. Sometimes teachers set work which is too difficult for some pupils and too easy for others.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons, including four joint observations with the headteacher. Inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to staff working with small groups or individuals and heard pupils read.  Discussions were held with a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, other governors, members of the senior leadership team and other staff with particular responsibilities.  A meeting was held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to parents visiting the school and those dropping off their children at school in the morning. They also took account of the 26 responses to the online parent questionnaire (Parent View) and 24 staff questionnaires.  Inspectors studied a range of documents including the school’s plan for improvement, data related to pupils’ previous and current progress and attainment, the management of teachers’ performance and curriculum documentation. Records related to pupils behaviour and safety

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Inspection team

Shahnaz Maqsood, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lesley Voaden Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are White British. Of those from minority ethnic backgrounds, the largest group is from Eastern Europe. Over 20% of pupils speak English as an additional language, with some at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children with a parent in the armed services and those children that are looked after by the local authority.  A below-average proportion of pupils are supported through school action, school action plus and or with a statement of special educational needs.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  There have been a number of staffing changes in the past year including the appointment of a

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Information about this school

new deputy headteacher and three phase leaders with responsibilities for particular areas of the school’s work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all teaching is good or better by checking that all teachers plan activities which challenge the most able and provide support for those who find the task difficult.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the capacity of the middle leaders by providing training and more opportunities for them to develop leadership skills in order to further improve the quality of teaching.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils begin the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge typical for their age. The strong focus on learning in Reception by the class teacher has ensured that pupils develop rapidly and make good progress so that, by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, they are well prepared for their move into Year 1. Unlike at the previous inspection, children’s learning is purposeful and focused.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Results in the national phonics screening check in Year 1 to assess pupils’ knowledge of letters and the sounds they make, including unfamiliar words, were above those found nationally in 2013. Pupils use their phonics skills well to read, and reading is a strength in the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils speak fondly of reading. They enjoy going to the newly refurbished, colourful and vibrant school library. One pupil commented on how the visits to the school by two authors had inspired him to read and write more.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 This good progress continues through Key Stage 1. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 has been rising steadily over three years and, in 2013, it was above the national average. Current data provided by the school shows that this trend of improvement is continuing. Gaps in attainment between boys and girls are closing rapidly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, at the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics were above the national average. All pupils made at least expected progress and a higher proportion than nationally made more than expected progress in all three subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils in Year 6 are sometimes withdrawn from classes and given more challenging work to enable them to reach their full potential.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The gaps between the attainment of pupils supported by the pupil premium and that of all pupils in the school are not narrowing rapidly enough. In 2013, these pupils were more than a year behind their classmates in English and mathematics, although current data indicates that this gap is now closing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs benefit from the carefully targeted help they receive and this ensures that they make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has sought support and advice from the local authority and other professionals for the increasing number of pupils who speak English as an additional language. Provision for these pupils is now more focused and this has enabled this group along with other pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds to make good progress and, by the end of Year 6, to reach standards above the national average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Resources and activities are well organised, both indoors and outdoors, in the Early Years Foundation Stage to allow children to learn and explore by themselves and with the support of adults. Some of the teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. It is innovative, and learning activities capture children’s imagination. For example, children were awed to arrive at school in the morning to find a ‘crashed spaceship’ in the outside area. They were told that an alien had landed and that he was desperate to get back home. This resulted in some excellent writing, drawings and clay models being produced by the children.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Relationships are strong and this provides a positive atmosphere for learning in lessons. Collaborative work is encouraged in the school and this has improved pupils’ communication skills and confidence. In many cases, talking helped pupils to reflect on their work and that of others in order to improve.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils make gains in their learning because they are given time to read the teachers’ comments about their work and then to respond. For example, in Year 2 pupils were improving their written work further by using highly complex openings, correcting spellings and punctuation.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use questions well to find out what pupils understand and to make them think about their answers. This helps teachers to assess pupils’ learning and to adapt their teaching accordingly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants contribute well to pupils’ learning and progress. They are skilled because they are well trained and thus provide valuable support. They know the pupils assigned to them well and use this knowledge for targeted support and so help these pupils succeed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a few lessons, teachers plan the same activity for all pupils. The most able find the task too easy whilst others need additional resources to help them complete the task.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour of the pupils in this school is outstanding. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are extremely positive and this impacts on their good achievement.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are very proud of their school and are always smartly dressed in their bright uniform. They enjoy taking on responsibilities and demonstrate maturity in thinking. For example, one pupil explained in detail how he had chosen his assistant from all the applicants to help him with the school magazine.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils manage their own behaviour very well so that adults only have to intervene very occasionally.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils show respect to each other and to all adults in the school. This has created a calm and harmonious environment for them to learn. Those who join the school partway through their primary education are welcomed and they very quickly settle in and make friends including among pupils from different ethnic backgrounds.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school, which is at the heart of the local community, and they agree that their children are safe and well cared for.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school has robust procedures for ensuring pupils are safe. Safeguarding arrangements meet all statutory requirements.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They are aware of different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying, but say such incidents are very rare and, if they do occur, are dealt with effectively by the school.  Attendance at the school continues to be above average. There have not been any exclusions in the last three years.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is determined to raise achievement and is well supported by the new deputy headteacher and the governing body. Their shared ambition for the school has contributed to the improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The quality of teaching is regularly checked by the leaders, and the headteacher has accurately identified the areas for improvement. Many initiatives and strategies to improve the quality of teaching are in place, such as links with the local cluster of schools. These have resulted in the sharing of best practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 There are systems to regularly monitor the progress and attainment of pupils. Meetings are held every six weeks to address any issues that arise. This is an improvement since the previous inspection and attainment has risen as a result.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is reviewed regularly and is well suited to the needs and interests of the pupils. It offers pupils a wide range of extra-curricular sport, art and music clubs. Visits are arranged to the theatre to watch plays such as Narnia and A Christmas Carol, and to local museums. These enhance the experience of the pupils. Pupils’ development of spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is a strength and underpinned by the pupils’ outstanding behaviour.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body and the headteacher focus sharply on working closely with parents and the local community. The school has links with a number of local businesses and they are used to support pupils’ learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses the sports funding to employ coaches to teach new skills to pupils, and teachers thus raising achievement in physical education and promoting a healthier lifestyle.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority monitors the progress of the school and provides valuable advice to its leaders.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body knows the school well and has a clear understanding of its strengths and areas for development. Recently, all governors updated their training on how to use data and they now have better knowledge of how well the school is doing in comparison to other schools. They are passionate about the school and have high aspirations and wish to be fully involved with school life. Governors regularly visit the school and have assigned themselves responsibilities in particular areas to certain classes depending on expertise. They monitor the performance of the headteacher, taking advice from an educational consultant, and set challenging targets. They are aware of the quality of teaching and ensure that there is a link between teachers’ pay progression and pupils’ achievement. Governors check how the pupil premium is used and its impact; they now monitor the progress of eligible pupils more closely.

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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 116921 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 431543

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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 206 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Whieldon Headteacher Gwen Fennell Date of previous school inspection 26 February 2009 Telephone number 01905 421409 Fax number 01905 424 064 Email address admin@ourlady.worcs.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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