Our Lady and St George's Catholic Primary School

Our Lady and St George’s Catholic Primary School Shernall Street, London, E17 3EA

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Require improvement 3

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

 Pupils’ attainment has declined at the end of Year 6 since the school opened, and pupils have not made enough progress in reading, writing and mathematics during their years in Key Stage 2.  The quality of teaching is not yet enabling pupils to make consistently good progress between their different classes and subjects.  Teachers do not always provide work that is hard enough for pupils, especially the more- able.  Some middle leaders are new to their role and have not yet fully developed their skills in improving teaching and raising pupils’ achievement in their areas.  Not all leaders are yet using the information they have to demonstrate the progress of different groups of pupils, especially of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  Leaders have not yet fully established a team approach across the two sites. A few members of staff are not yet sharing the drive to improve outcomes for pupils.

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The school has the following strengths:

 Children continue to get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1. They make good progress and standards continue to rise at the end of Year 2.  The quality of teaching is strong in Year 6 and is enabling pupils to make rapid progress in their final year.  Pupils are proud of their school, and their attendance is high. They behave well and have good attitudes to learning.  Leaders and governors have focused successfully on improving teaching over the past year. This is resulting in better progress throughout Key Stage 2.  The school promotes pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development very well.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in 21 lessons. Several of these observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors talked to pupils about their learning, both in formal groups and during lessons. They also looked at samples of books and listened to pupils reading.  The team held meetings with members of the senior leadership team, middle leaders, and six representatives of the governing body. They also talked to a representative of the local authority and the head of the Federation of Davies Lane and Selwyn Primary Schools who are working with the school.  Inspectors took account of the 39 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They also considered the views of 33 members of staff, expressed in their response to a questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Graham Lee, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Paula Protherough Additional Inspector Kanwaljit Singh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school opened in September 2010 as a result of the amalgamation of the existing infant and junior schools. The school is located on two sites, about half a mile apart.  The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils come from a diverse range of minority ethnic backgrounds. The largest groups in the school are of White British and Black African origin. Around half of the pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is declining and is below average. The proportion of these pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is broadly average. This is additional government funding provided, in this school, to support pupils who are eligible for free school

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Information about this school

meals.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is currently being supported by the Federation of Davies Lane and Selwyn Primary Schools in Waltham Forest. It is not formally part of this federation.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in Years 1 to 5 so that it is consistently good and enables all pupils to achieve well by:  making sure that work is always hard enough to make pupils really think, especially the more- able  ensuring that teachers have consistent expectations that pupils will complete their written work, and that they have enough time to do so, using fluent joined handwriting throughout Key Stage 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of leaders and managers by:  developing the skills of middle leaders in checking the quality of teaching and raising attainment in their areas  ensuring that leaders at all levels use the available data to demonstrate the progress of different groups of pupils, especially of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs  developing strategies to ensure that all staff respond to the drive shown by leaders and governors to improve outcomes for pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The achievement of pupils requires improvement because attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 has declined since the school opened, and pupils have not made enough progress in Key Stage 2 in that time.  In the current year this trend has been reversed because of rapidly improving teaching. This is leading to steady, and often better, progress throughout Key Stage 2. Pupils are making consistently good progress in reading, although their progress is more variable in writing and mathematics.  In Year 6 pupils are now making good, and sometimes rapid, progress and are attaining at much higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics than pupils leaving the school over the past few years. More pupils are working towards the higher levels than has previously been the case. Year 6 pupils are being well prepared for their secondary education.  The most-able are being catered for increasingly well throughout the school, especially in Key

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Stage 2 where additional support is ensuring that more pupils are working towards Level 6, particularly in mathematics. Level 6 is typically attained by pupils well into their secondary education.  Children continue to get off to a good start in the Early Year Foundation Stage, as they did at the time of the previous inspection. They enter the school with levels of skills and understanding which are below those typical for their age. They become confident and eager learners and are reaching average levels by the time they enter Year 1.  This good start is built upon in Key Stage 1 where pupils make good progress, and consequently standards at the end of Year 2 are rising. Reading is a particular strength because phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is taught consistently. This is reflected in the hugely improved outcomes of the phonics screening check for Year 1 pupils in 2013.  Pupils eligible for free school meals have not done as well as other pupils over time. This was

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

reflected in the outcomes for Year 6 pupils in 2013 when these pupils were a term behind their peers in reading and two terms behind in writing and mathematics. However, careful and creative use of this funding across the school is enabling these pupils, whatever their ability, to close gaps with their peers. In Year 6, for example, one-to-one tuition for all pupils eligible for free school meals is enabling them to make good progress.  Pupils with a variety of disabilities and special educational needs have made relatively slow progress over time in relation to their peers and similar pupils nationally. The impact of the support put in place for these pupils, however, is checked very carefully and in lessons they are well supported and learn well. It is clear that the way the school has recorded their needs and progress has not fully reflected the gains they have made.  The school has a strong commitment to equality of opportunity, although this has not resulted in

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

good progress for all pupils in Key Stage 2 over time. However, it is clear that there are now no significant differences in the progress of most of the different groups of pupils, including those from White British backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language, although pupils of Black Caribbean heritage have not done as well as other groups. A renewed focus on the needs of this group has resulted in them closing the gaps with their peers.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because it has not enabled pupils to make enough progress in Key Stage 2 in recent years.  The renewed focus on developing teaching skills is leading to rapid improvement over the past year in the teaching of mathematics and English. Much of the teaching seen during the inspection was effective and some was of high quality. Teaching is consistently strong in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Year 6.  Some inconsistencies remain in the rest of the school. This is reflected in the school’s information about pupils’ progress which shows that while most pupils are now making good progress in reading, it is more mixed between classes in writing and mathematics because of variations in the effectiveness of teaching.  It is evident from pupils’ books that writing is now being taught with increasing effectiveness, and that pupils are having more opportunities to write at length in different subjects. However,

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

sometimes teachers’ expectations of the standards pupils achieve in completing their written work are not high enough, and pupils are not always given enough time to finish the work. Moreover, while much of the written work is well presented, there are variations in the use of a fluent, joined handwriting style in Key Stage 2, which slows the process of writing on occasions.  An aspect of teaching that has really improved since the previous inspection is the use of feedback and marking to help pupils to improve their work. There is a consistent approach throughout the school and pupils have opportunities to respond to the marking. Pupils also have regular opportunities to assess each other’s work, which deepens their understanding.  Similarly, targets in writing and mathematics are being used effectively to raise pupils’ aspirations in Key Stage 2. As a result, pupils know exactly what stage they are at, and what

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

they have to do to move on to the next level.  Generally, teachers plan well to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities. Teaching assistants know what is expected of them and generally make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, especially that of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  There are occasions when the work is not pitched at quite the right level, especially for the more-able pupils. For example, they are sometimes required to do the same work as other pupils before moving on to the harder work designed to make them really think, particularly in mathematics.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage do well because they are provided with a vibrant place to learn, both in the classroom and outside, and exciting activities that successfully promote all aspects of their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good, both in lessons and around the school. Pupils are very proud of their school and talk enthusiastically about all it has to offer. The school fosters good relationships well, and pupils of all backgrounds play and work happily together.  Pupils enjoy learning and demonstrate very positive attitudes to the different aspects of their work. They work well together and on their own, and respond quickly, for the most part, to their teachers’ instructions.  Pupils take on a wide range of responsibilities willingly and contribute well to the very positive atmosphere for learning. They keep the premises in good order and look smart in their uniforms, which they wear with pride.  Pupils say that there is little disruption to their learning caused by the bad behaviour of others. Occasionally, however, a few pupils lose concentration and drift off task when the teaching does

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

not capture their imagination or they are not entirely clear about the task at hand.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The highest priority is given to keeping pupils safe in a variety of situations and making them aware of potential risks. As a result, they feel safe and secure and have confidence in the adults around them to resolve any issues that arise. They have a good awareness of different kinds of bullying and the potential risks posed, for example, by the internet. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated in the school.  This is confirmed by parents and carers responding to Parent View, who all say that their children are safe and happy at school. The extremely detailed recording and analysis of behaviour incidents confirm that there are occasional incidents of poor behaviour but that they are relatively few. The records also confirm pupils’ views that bullying is extremely rare. There

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

have been no exclusions for some time.  Pupils’ enjoyment of school is reflected in their consistently above average, and rising, levels of attendance.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because leaders have not been able to secure sufficiently rapid improvements in Key Stage 2 since the school opened and since its previous inspection.  The school has continued to operate on the two sites and that has meant that the establishment of a united staff team has taken longer than anticipated. From the staff questionnaires it is evident that a small minority of teachers and support staff are not yet committed to the leadership’s drive for rapid and essential improvements. This has undoubtedly slowed the pace of improvement.  Key leaders in English and mathematics are relatively new to their posts. They are knowledgeable and enthusiastic but their role in checking the quality of teaching and the information about pupils’ progress in their subjects is not yet fully developed.  The headteacher has led the school well through a difficult amalgamation and has a clear and

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The leadership and management require improvement

determined focus on improving teaching and learning and pupils’ progress throughout the school. In this endeavour she is well supported by an effective senior team who provide a good role model of effective teaching.  Leaders have been successful in maintaining the good quality of provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in driving improvements in Key Stage 1, especially the approach to teaching phonics consistently throughout the school. Together with the demonstrable improvements evident this year in Key Stage 2, leaders are showing that they have the capacity to continue to improve the school.  A renewed focus by senior leaders on the quality of teaching over the past year through regular checks and support, allied to training where necessary, has led to significant improvement. This is allied to the rigorous management of performance and the linking of pay rewards clearly to

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The leadership and management require improvement

the progress of pupils.  Leaders are accurate and honest in their analysis of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. In turn, this has led to ambitious plans for improvement over the next few years. The school is well on the way to meeting the challenging targets for pupils’ progress it has set itself in the first year of that plan.  The special educational needs coordinator has a good understanding of the impact of the support provided for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. However, leaders are not using the information about the progress of these pupils well enough to show the steps in progress that are being made by different groups.  The curriculum is becoming increasingly effective in developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills and enabling pupils to apply these across the curriculum. There is good support, and additional groups for the most-able in Year 6, and links are being established with other schools

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The leadership and management require improvement

to widen pupils’ experiences, for example Year 5 pupils are currently taught science in the local secondary school by subject specialists.  The curriculum is also enhanced through many additional opportunities, especially for participation in sport and in music, where pupils have access to playing musical instruments. The additional sports funding has been used very effectively to enhance pupils’ experiences and this has had a very positive impact on pupils’ learning and health.  These activities also contribute effectively to the school’s very strong promotion of pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, which is also evident in the relationships and spiritual life of the school.  The local authority has supported the school through a difficult period and has contributed to the improving situation. Similarly, the partnership the headteacher has established with the federation has enabled teachers to benefit from the sharing of good practice.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s performance in relation to the national picture. They responded well to concerns related to the 2013 outcomes, setting up an ‘Ofsted focus group’ charged specifically to support leaders in ensuring that essential improvements are made. This group has a detailed understanding of the school’s performance compared with pupils’ standards of achievement nationally. For example, they have taken a particular interest in researching, with leaders, the reasons why Black Caribbean pupils were underachieving. As a result of the subsequent actions taken, the gaps for this group are now closing. Governors are regularly informed about the quality of teaching and know that it is improving over time and how any underperformance is being tackled. They are also clear that pay awards for the headteacher and staff are related to performance and the progress of

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The leadership and management require improvement

pupils. They ensure that resources are used effectively and have, for example, a detailed understanding of the use of the pupil premium and its impact on closing the gap for these pupils. Governors ensure that all statutory requirements are met, especially in relation to the safeguarding of pupils.

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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 135193 Local authority Waltham Forest Inspection number 430841

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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 458 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anita Feculak Headteacher Rosie McGlynn Date of previous school inspection 27–28 June 2012 Telephone number 020 8520 8500 Fax number 020 8520 3092 Email address office@olsg.web.org 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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