St Paul's CofE (C) Primary School

P R O T E C T – I N S P E C T I O N School report

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St Paul's CofE (C) Primary School Garden Street, Stafford, ST17 4BT

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils do not always make good progress between Reception and Year 6.  There are too few pupils making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The most able pupils are not always given work that stretches them to do their best.  Not enough teaching is good or better because teachers’ expectations are sometimes too low. This holds some pupils back from achieving more.  Learning opportunities using the outdoor environment are missed in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Procedures to monitor behaviour in school are currently under-developed.  Sometimes pupils do not behave well and their behaviour disrupts their learning and that of others.  Leaders are not monitoring the effectiveness of the school rigorously or regularly enough to ensure standards rise quickly.  Subject leaders are not sufficiently held to account for improving standards in their curriculum areas.  Governors have not questioned sufficiently the

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

school’s overly positive view of teaching or challenged leaders to provide evidence of why some pupils are not making good progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 By the time pupils leave the school, most make the progress expected of them.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is effective. This means pupils develop good reading skills at an early age.  Marking of pupils work has improved and pupils are given guidance on how to improve their work.  The care and welfare of pupils is central to the school’s work.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe is good.  Attendance rates have improved and are above the national average. No pupils are persistently absent and no pupils have been excluded. Almost all pupils arrive at school on time.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in five lessons taught by four teachers, and made short visits to other lessons. Two lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector analysed the 26 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) before and during the inspection. The inspector also took account of the responses to the staff inspection survey.  A range of documents was scrutinised, including the school improvement plan, information about pupils’ progress, minutes of meetings of the governing body, attendance records and records showing how the school cares for its pupils and keeps them safe.  The inspector spoke to pupils in lessons, at break and during lunchtimes. She also spoke formally to a group of pupils.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority, members of staff and senior leaders.  During the inspection, the inspector asked additional questions designed to ascertain the

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Information about this inspection

school’s view of the impact and effectiveness of local authority services to support school improvement. This will contribute to work being carried out by Ofsted to assess the use, quality and impact of those services.

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Inspection team

Jane Millward, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is lower than average. This is additional funding provided by the government for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after in public care.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average, as is the proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is lower than the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The school’s performance meets the government’s current floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and raise achievement by ensuring that:  activities challenge pupils of all abilities, especially the more able, and that they stretch pupils to achieve their best and lead to good progress  teachers always have high expectations about what pupils can achieve  better use is made of the outdoor learning area in the Early Years Foundation Stage  pupils are given opportunities to develop their literacy skills across all areas of the curriculum.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve behaviour by:  developing systems to monitor poor behaviour in lessons  ensuring consistency in teachers’ management of behaviour in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:  monitoring of teaching and learning is rigorous in identifying what factors contribute to pupils’ uneven progress  subject leaders are more accountable for their work and that they report regularly to the governing body on the standards in their subjects  procedures to check on pupils’ progress are rigorous and regular  governors fully hold leaders to account for their actions.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils do not make rapid enough progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because leaders do not always make sure that teaching is challenging enough to raise pupils’ achievement. The most able pupils are not always given work that stretches them to do their best and this limits their progress over time.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Despite this, most groups make similar progress to that expected nationally by the time they leave school. This demonstrates the school promotes equality of opportunity and the tackling of discrimination. With small numbers in each year group, the progress pupils make tends to fluctuate from year to year and across subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive support tailored to their need, which is based on rigorous assessments. Overall, their progress is in line with that of other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children enter the school with skills that are typical for their age, although their attainment on entry is weaker in writing. When they leave the Early Years Foundation Stage they are well placed to access the Key Stage 1 curriculum. This is because the teaching meets their needs well.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 When pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is broadly in line with the national average. Most pupils make the progress expected of them, although few make better than expected progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils who receive support through the pupil premium make similar progress to their peers and reach similar standards. Leaders have planned how to spend the funding allocated to them and they evaluate how effectively the money has been used. Governors are involved in judging if this money is well spent.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is highly successful. As a result, standards in the Year 1 national check in 2013 were above average. Pupils read fluently and with good expression. The school supports and promotes pupils’ reading well, including regular reading competitions and a reading club in Key Stage 1. Standards in reading at the end of Year 2 are above the national average, and when pupils leave the school achievement is in line with the national average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school has received additional primary sports funding to improve physical education (PE). It has been used effectively to employ a sports coach to deliver specialist teaching in a range of sporting activities. In addition, teachers are provided with training to support and improve their teaching of PE. The headteacher is reviewing the impact of this to ensure it improves the quality of provision for all pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 All of the parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire felt that their child is taught well and makes good progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is variable between Reception and Year 6. It requires improvement because it has not resulted in sustained good progress for all pupils. Some teaching does not captivate and motivate pupils’ interests. On these occasions, time is wasted and some pupils do not behave well. This slows their progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Generally most pupils enjoy learning and say ‘teachers help us to make progress’. They have targets in reading, writing and mathematics for their next steps in their learning, which are regularly referred to by the teachers in lessons. Where teaching effectively stretches and challenges pupils over time they make better progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Marking of pupils’ work has improved. Staff celebrate what pupils have achieved and regularly provide guidance on how to improve their work. However, they do not always make sure that pupils follow the good advice given.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Learning opportunities in the Early Years Foundation Stage result in children getting a good start to their education. However, too little is made of the potential of the outside area, which is uninviting and unappealing. This means that learning opportunities are missed.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Data held by the school show that most progress is made in Year 6. Evidence of why this is so, was seen in a literacy lesson where pupils were asked to write a short, well punctuated story. It was clear to pupils what was expected from them and this helped them to be successful.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There is some specialist teaching, for example, in sport and music. As a result, pupils are given expert knowledge in these subjects.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils’ basic skills are taught through all subjects. Staff training has helped teachers include mathematical skills in topic teaching. However, pupils are not given enough opportunities to develop their literacy skills including grammar, punctuation and spelling in writing in other subjects.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Pupils report that some behaviour in lessons is poor and can prevent others from learning. This was observed during the inspection, where some pupils’ misbehaviour resulted in both them and others making less progress than they should have.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school does not have a system to check pupils’ behaviour in lessons. This means that patterns of behaviour cannot be rapidly identified and reviews of effective action cannot be carried out.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 In the playground, pupils play well together. Until recently older pupils helped younger pupils through a ‘play leader’ scheme. Unfortunately this no longer operates in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Although the school is a well-ordered community, there are instances where pupils do not take enough pride and care of their surroundings and belongings. For example, even though pupils are reminded to keep the cloakroom tidy and are asked to pick up anything they see on the floor, this does not always happen.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Staff questionnaires showed that all staff think children are safe in school and that bullying is tackled well. The inspection findings support this view.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils told the inspector that they feel safe at all times. This is because adults take good care of them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils said that bullying is rare and they were confident that it is tackled quickly and effectively on the few occasions when it does happen. One pupil said, ‘teachers support you, they never take their eyes off you!’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils have a good understanding of what bullying is and can describe different forms of bullying. They are taught about safe use of the internet and mobile communication devices. Posters around school remind pupils of how to keep safe when using the internet, with a saying, ’Think then click’!

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils have a good understanding of different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs. They are tolerant of each other and value differences. There is an expectation by the school that every child learns to take responsibility for others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Attendance has improved and is above the national average. Pupils are given incentives to attend school regularly and pupils are now more punctual. No pupils are persistently absent and there have been no exclusions of pupils for the past three years.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although the headteacher has a clear view of what needs to be done in school and he is focused on raising standards, some procedures to check the school’s performance are not regular enough. As a result, the school is not improving at a fast enough rate.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders’ view of the quality of teaching indicates a significant amount of good and outstanding teaching. This does not match with the lower amount of progress some pupils make. Leaders have not got to the bottom of which aspects of teaching cause some pupils not to make good progress.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The correct areas for development, based on pupil outcomes, have been identified and strategic plans are in place to bring about improvements. The plan is reviewed regularly and governors are updated on progress. A number of improvements aimed at raising achievement are underway. The vision to raise levels of achievement for all groups of pupils, while embracing families and the community, is shared by staff.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders are reviewing the curriculum in readiness for the introduction of the new National Curriculum from September 2014. The wider curriculum and enrichment activities have been extended, taking into account specialist sports coaches. The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The leadership of teaching is not rigorous enough. Although there are sound procedures for managing staff performance and linking this to movement up the pay scale, this has not had enough impact on improving the overall quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Subject leaders are involved in the monitoring of their subjects. They judge the quality of teaching by observing lessons, scrutinising books and monitoring planning. However, they are not held to account enough for their actions because they do not have a plan of how they will improve and they do not report their findings to governors.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and governors ensure that all pupils are safe and looked after well. Safeguarding procedures are in place and meet statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has provided light touch support since the last inspection. It rightly recognises the need to provide stronger support in the future.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors have been too reliant on the information given to them by the headteacher and, as a result, they have an overly optimistic view of how the school is performing. They are committed to the school and are keen to help it improve. They understand how the performance of staff is monitored and ask the headteacher for evidence before approving increases up the pay scale. Some governors visit classrooms to observe learning and other governors have attended school trips. This has given them some understanding of the quality of teaching. They are regularly updated on the progress made by pupils and they use performance data to question the headteacher about the school’s performance. Governors are aware of budget limitations and they know how much the school receives in pupil premium funding and how it is used. Although governors are getting better at challenging leaders, this

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The leadership and management requires improvement

has not secured the improvements they hoped for.

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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 124299 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 431144

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 100 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Polly Paine Headteacher Nicholas Bickley Date of previous school inspection 1 May 2012 Telephone number 01785 356634 Fax number N/A Email address office@st-pauls-stafford.staffs.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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