Good Shepherd RC Primary School

The Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Primary School 35 Gayford Road, London, W12 9BY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  This is a school that puts learning and the care for each pupil at the heart of all its thinking and planning. As a result, all pupils flourish and make outstanding progress.  Pupils’ achievement is exceptional. Their attainment by the end of Year 6 is consistently high. The school is one of the top in the country for the progress made by its pupils. Those of all abilities do extremely well.  The quality of the teaching is consistently outstanding and results in pupils learning exceptionally well. Pupils are expected to do well, and they rise to the challenge.  The school’s commitment towards developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities is second to none.  Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is outstanding. They respect one another, and are polite to adults and to one another.  Children in the Nursery and Reception classes have excellent opportunities to develop

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

language and number skills and to learn habits of behaviour and concentration.  The school keeps the pupils completely safe, and teaches them how to keep themselves safe.  The curriculum provides remarkable opportunities for pupils to learn a wide range of skills to an extremely high level.  School leaders, working closely with subject leaders and classroom teachers, carefully check the progress of every child. This ensures that no pupil underperforms.  Leaders ensure, through highly skilled observations of teaching, that its quality is consistently outstanding.  Governors are fully committed to the school and make an excellent contribution to its improvement.  Leaders have driven improvement highly effectively since the previous inspection. Plans are sharply focused and cover the right priorities. The school is extremely well placed to sustain and build on its improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 25 lessons across a range of subjects, most observed jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and looked at samples of their work.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, teachers with responsibilities for specific subjects, a representative of the local authority, and groups of pupils. A meeting was held with the Chair of the Governing Body and vice chair. Inspectors took account of the views of staff in 20 questionnaires.  There were 53 responses to Parent View, the online survey of the views of parents and carers. Inspectors considered these, and also spoke to a number of parents and carers during the inspection. Inspectors also took account of two letters from parents or carers received during the inspection.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documents including the school’s own views of how well it is doing, its plans for the future, information on pupils’

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Information about this inspection

attainment and progress, safeguarding information, records relating to behaviour and safety, and minutes of meetings of the governing body.

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Inspection team

Natalia Power, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Evelyn Riley Additional Inspector Tim McLoughlin Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Primary is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides this school with additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is a little higher than average.  Around two thirds of pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic heritages, and this proportion is higher than usual. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also higher than average.  The proportion of pupils who receive extra help in class (school action) is higher than average. The proportion who need more help than this (school action plus) or who have a statement of special educational needs is also higher than average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that all marking matches the quality of the best in providing as much helpful advice as possible to pupils about how they can improve their next piece of work.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils achieve highly in their time at the school. From starting points in the Nursery and Reception Years that are generally in line with those expected for their age they make remarkable progress from Year 1 to Year 6. National figures show that the school has been in the top 1% of all primary schools for overall progress for the past three years.  An unusually high proportion of pupils make more than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Twice as many pupils as the national average make three levels of progress from Year 2 to Year 6, when only two levels are usually expected.  Attainment in the national tests taken at the end of Year 2 is above average, showing that pupils have already begun to make good progress from the Nursery and Reception classes. By the time they leave Year 6, pupils’ attainment is significantly above the national average.  Pupils from every group do exceptionally well, and this is because the school checks the

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

progress of each individual, so that nobody gets left behind and all do as well as they can.  The most-able do exceptionally well in their tests, outperforming those who gain the top levels in the national tests taken at the end of Years 2 and 6. School figures show that this pattern is likely to be sustained in 2014.  Those with a range of additional needs, including those who speak English as an additional language, make exceptional progress, because the school is alert to any temporary drop in performance, and puts in place effective support from teachers and from the extremely helpful teaching assistants.  Such vigilance on the part of the school also benefits those eligible for the pupil premium. These pupils make similar progress to others in the school, and there is no appreciable difference between their results in the Year 6 tests in reading, writing and mathematics.  The excellent care and support demonstrate the school’s commitment towards equality of

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

opportunity. Expectations of what each pupil is capable of achieving are high, and this ensures that there is no discrimination.  Reading is a strength of the school. The youngest children are quickly introduced to a wide range of books, and the adults check carefully to ensure that children read at home as well as at school. Year 1 pupils are taught their sounds and letters extremely effectively, and do very well in the national checks of their reading ability. By the time pupils leave Year 6 they have read an enormous range of worthwhile books, speak knowledgeably of their love of reading, and far exceed the national average for reading at both Level 5 and Level 6.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils throughout the school make rapid progress in their learning because of the consistently outstanding quality of the teaching. This is evident both from lessons observed and from pupils’ workbooks, which show outstanding progress over time.  Expectations of what pupils can accomplish are extremely high and, as a result, pupils rise to the challenge and perform tasks to a very high standard. For example, pupils in one Year 6 mathematics lesson were given the task of calculating the area of rectangles. The difficulty level of each task was carefully calibrated to pupils’ abilities, giving each group a high level of challenge. The pupils were able to talk knowledgeably of how they performed the calculation, and were encouraged to show all their working out so that any errors could be quickly picked up. This is a typical example of how teaching brings out the best in each pupil.  The youngest children in the Nursery and Reception classes have a wide range of inviting

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

and challenging tasks, and they respond by learning quickly and with enjoyment. For example, children in the Nursery were busy making peppermint creams under the supervision of the teacher. In this way they learned mathematical and scientific language, as well as learning to weigh ingredients exactly, and to concentrate hard on the task in hand.  All pupils are keen to learn and, because the school checks the progress of each pupil so carefully, additional support is successfully provided for those who need it.  The most-able pupils do exceptionally well because they are fully challenged and stimulated to do even better. In one Year 2 science lesson, for example, pupils were asked to judge which materials were best for making play equipment. This task engaged the pupils’ interest and they came up with some sophisticated ideas. One pupil, for example, said that glass should not be used: ‘Glass is very delicate, and if a child got near it, it would break and

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

cause an accident.’  Marking is helpful in enabling pupils to understand what they did well, but occasionally is less clear about what they need to do to make their learning even better.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. All have positive attitudes to learning and are proud of their school. This is reflected in their good manners, readiness to help others, and their tidiness.  The youngest children are ready to share and take turns, and it was lovely to see how one child in the Nursery, who accidentally bumped into another, apologised without prompting. In this way children learn good habits of behaviour, which serve them well as they go up the school.  The classrooms are welcoming, and the work displayed on the walls celebrates the pupils’ achievement and gives them cause to be proud of their environment. Workbooks are well organised, with dates and headings neatly underlined.  Pupils report that the excellent behaviour seen by inspectors was typical, whether in lessons, at playtime or when pupils move around the school. They reported that there was no bullying, such as racial or cyber bullying, and that if they had any concerns they knew whom

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

to turn to.  This outstanding behaviour springs from the strong values that the school promotes. Each act of collective worship encourages pupils to think of others. For example, pupils listened with respect to reception children who led one assembly, and showed their appreciation of the good work of others in their quiet attention and enthusiastic applause. As a result of the exceptionally strong development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities, pupils from all backgrounds and heritages get on extremely well with one another.  The school’s work to keep the pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Almost all parents and carers who spoke or wrote to inspectors, or who responded to Parent View, confirmed that they are completely confident that their children are safe and happy at the school.  Children are taught to keep themselves safe, and to watch out for dangers, for example

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leadership and management are outstanding, because school leaders and governors secure the highest standards in teaching and pupils’ achievement. The school is happy and harmonious. Staff responses to the questionnaire were entirely positive. The headteacher, ably supported by her deputy, is inspirational in her drive for improvement.  Leaders, managers and governors share an excellent understanding of how well their school is performing, and work together highly successfully to draw up detailed and well-focused plans for the future. Since the previous inspection the school has improved in key areas and is now judged to be outstanding in all areas. It is extremely well placed to sustain this level of improvement.  Senior and subject leaders closely check the quality of the teaching and of the pupils’ work and this secures teaching that is consistently outstanding.  Pupils’ learning and progress are outstanding, because leaders, ably assisted by a consultant

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The leadership and management are outstanding

who has worked with the school for years, check the progress of each child, ensuring that no one is overlooked and that no group falls behind.  The local authority knows and supports the school well. The school is popular in the community.  The outstanding programme of subjects learnt by the pupils is of fundamental importance in ensuring that the pupils develop excellent skills in reading, writing and mathematics, while at the same time growing as individuals.  Pupils have unparalleled opportunities to learn new and stimulating skills and to take their skills to an unusually high level. Inspectors enjoyed sampling the three-course meal cooked by pupils in Year 5. They loved listening to Year 2 pupils learning to play samba drums and getting to know the names and rhythms of the drums.  Pupils have remarkable opportunities to explore such history topics as the Great Fire of London through the medium of art by working with professional artists in their studio. Pupils

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The leadership and management are outstanding

learn exceptionally well because they receive the finest teaching, not just from their class teachers, but also from specialist teachers, such as French, drama and music teachers, who ensure that pupils’ learning is of exceptional quality. Taken together with the rich programme of trips and visits to places of interest, pupils at the school learn skills that prepare them exceptionally well for the next stage of schooling.  The additional funding the school receives for sport has been used effectively to promote wider participation in such activities as dance, swimming and cricket.  The governance of the school:  Governors know the school very well and take an active interest, visiting the school and fully supporting its community events.  They have an excellent understanding of pupils’ achievement and do not rest on their laurels, but ask searching questions in order to hold the school to account.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Governors play an important part in helping the school to draw up its self-evaluation document, while at the same time monitoring their own performance scrupulously.  Governors have an excellent knowledge of the quality of teaching. They have an accurate understanding of the link between teachers’ pay and the progress made by pupils, and this ensures excellent value for money.  They spend the additional funding for the pupil premium and for the promotion of sports wisely, and are fully aware of the positive impact of the spending.  Governors are very well trained and highly knowledgeable about safeguarding issues and safe recruitment. They carry out their statutory obligation to keep pupils safe and to ensure equality of opportunity for all extremely effectively. Inspectors endorse the comment of one governor that, ‘Equality is at the core of what the school is.’

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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 100354 Local authority Hammersmith and Fulham Inspection number 431290

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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 255 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Wesley Harcourt Headteacher Catherine Doogan Date of previous school inspection 21 January 2009 Telephone number 020 8743 5060 Fax number 020 8740 1626 Email address sao1@goodshepherdrc.lbhf.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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