St Aidan's Catholic Primary School

St Aidan's Catholic Primary School Portnalls Road, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 3DE

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Inspection dates 30 September−1 October 2014

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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This is a good school

 It is a harmonious learning community, with excellent relationships at all levels.  The school maintains, at the heart of all it does, a strong ethos and set of values. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. The pupils mature into responsible, communicative and considerate young people.  Leaders, managers and the governing body have ambition. They continually drive for, and achieve, further improvement in the quality of teaching and achievement using well focused plans. These are based on an accurate knowledge of progress that pupils make at the school.  Pupils achieve well at the school. Twice the national average achieve at higher levels in reading and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2.  Behaviour is good. Pupils are keen to learn, they know they are safe at school. They and their parents say that that bullying is almost non- existent, and any minor cases are dealt with

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This is a good school

effectively and promptly.  Teaching is good. Teachers plan activities that motivate and enable pupils to learn well in lessons.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet securing outstanding learning and progress for all groups of pupils across the whole school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 18 lessons taught by eight teachers. They checked pupils’ attitudes to learning, the work in their books and how well each group of pupils was making the progress of which they are capable. Three of these lessons were jointly observed with the headteacher. In addition, short visits were made to classrooms and inspectors listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, other members of the leadership team, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other members, a representative from the local authority and two groups of pupils. There were informal discussions with parents.  The inspector took account of the 117 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. The 17 responses to the staff questionnaire were also analysed.  The inspection team looked at school documents, including school information relating to checks on pupils’ progress, planning for school improvement, the monitoring of teaching and learning, records relating to

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Information about this inspection

behaviour and attendance, minutes of the governing body and safeguarding documents.

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Inspection team

Janet Dinsmore, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school. It has a smaller than average proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium. This is additional government funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after.  Half the pupils are of White British origin, so the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is much higher than average. There is a wide range of these, the largest being from Mixed and Black backgrounds. Very few are learning English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action plus or with a statement is higher than average. There is a lower than average proportion supported at school action.  Since the last inspection there has been a new headteacher who started in September 2012.  The school met the minimum standard set by the government (floor standards) for pupils’ achievement in

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Information about this school

English and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2013.  A section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character was carried out in 2009. The governors are arranging for a subsequent section 48 inspection of the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by making sure that across the whole school lessons provide as many effective opportunities as possible for all groups of pupils to learn and demonstrate what they can achieve.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents speak highly of the school, they say that staff are approachable and are always available. They comment that the school is improving and their children learn well.  There are excellent relationships between the local community, church and the school. The school’s strong values and beliefs are embedded in all aspects of the life of the school so pupils’ spiritual development is excellent. This is further enhanced by a wide range of performance and other cultural opportunities, including sport which promotes this aspect of pupils’ development well.  The subjects that are taught meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum. The curriculum has improved since the last inspection, especially in enabling pupils to demonstrate good information and communication technology skills. There is an excellent range of clubs which pupils can join at lunchtimes and after school. This enables pupils to develop a wide range of skills, particularly in the variety of sports

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The leadership and management are good

that are offered.  Senior leaders use the information about pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics very well to fully hold teachers to account for all pupils’ progress. This has ensured that there is sustained, consistent progress throughout the school in reading and mathematics, and teachers are rewarded appropriately for their contribution to this. Any slight underperformance is quickly addressed.  Additional funding is spent effectively. It provides additional staff and individual support for English and mathematics. As a result, disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as their peers at this school.  Sport funding is spent effectively and leaders and managers have checked this. There is a good standard of coaching from well-trained staff. Pupils have had increased opportunities to experience a wide range of sports, and participation in these has increased. Pupils value the success of the football team and how

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The leadership and management are good

they have learnt to play lacrosse, for example.  Leaders have made sure that staff are trained well for their roles throughout the school. Middle leaders undertake their responsibilities well they make sure that there are continual developments and improvements. A particular focus is in improving the teaching of writing and pupils’ progress  Leadership and management are not outstanding because those responsible have not yet secured and sustained the achievement in writing that more able pupils have demonstrated they are capable of in reading and mathematics. They have not yet made sure that children’s progress in the Reception class is as rapid as it can be from the moment they start.  There are good partnerships with local schools, including a local secondary school that has strongly contributed to the recent improvements in writing.  The local authority provides support, on request, to this good school. It has an accurate view of how well

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The leadership and management are good

the school is performing.  Statutory requirements for safeguarding are met.

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The governance of the school:

 Governors have an excellent range of skills from education, church, finance, human resource management and legal professions to fully challenge and hold the school to account. They do this very effectively and accurately record it in their minutes. There is strong teamwork between them and the senior leaders at the school. They are fully involved in checking how well the school is doing; receiving accurate and detailed reports from the headteacher and experience in using data. The use of additional funding and sport premium is checked carefully and governors know that there is no gap in achievement for eligible pupils at this school. There is a strategic and effective programme of visits which enables governors to check the progress of the school, and especially the quality of teaching and learning, for themselves. Governors manage the performance of the headteacher well, choosing professional advice that furthers the particular priorities for the school.

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The governance of the school:

 Governors plan for succession well. They know exactly what they are looking for when they appoint new staff. For example, the management team restructured in order to enable the school to continually improve. They manage school finances well, for example ensuring that they get the best value for money in administration.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are keen and ready to learn in lessons. They fully understand the rules about how they are expected to behave and the consequences of not doing that. These are rarely used, except when the pace of learning slows in a few lessons. This is why behaviour is not outstanding.  Older and younger pupils and those from a wide range of backgrounds relate very well together. Their moral and social development is excellent; they value each other and work together well in pairs and groups.  Pupils and parents highly value the excellent care for, and knowledge of, each individual pupil that staff have. Pupils say this has really helped them when they have needed support in understanding their behaviour, improving their confidence and enabling them to make good progress with learning. There is evidence of marked improvements in behaviour for some individual pupils.  Pupils are considerate to each other and have positions of responsibility in classes throughout the school.

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Behaviour

This and learning values of democracy in the operation of the school council prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.  Pupils and parents say that bullying is very rare and any incidents are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Pupils understand about different forms of bullying including cyber bullying.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The premises are safe and secure and pupils are clear that there is always someone to talk to if they have any concerns. Occasionally, they cannot fully explain how they will stay safe outside school, for example on roads, and avoiding unsafe situations.  Attendance is above average for all groups of pupils. The school takes effective steps to ensure that pupils are punctual and attend school regularly.  Pupils know how to stay safe when using the internet.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers check pupils’ work regularly. Marking is effective in showing pupils what they need to do to improve and is used consistently throughout the school. Work in books shows that pupils’ progress in writing has improved recently.  Teachers have accurate knowledge of the subjects they teach and pass this on well to pupils.  Teachers and teaching assistants question pupils well to check their understanding in lessons and reshape tasks where necessary. Occasionally this is not rapid enough to accelerate pupils’ progress further.  Teachers use a range of resources well to stimulate pupils’ interest and learning, for example drama, role play and film. This provides a good stimulus for pupils to develop their writing skills. However, sometimes pupils are not given enough time to complete these and review them for themselves in the lesson. This hinders the quality of pupils’ subsequent written work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers check pupils’ progress well using a good range of assessments. They use this knowledge to make sure that pupils receive extra help when they need it in reading, writing or mathematics. They know pupils very well and respond quickly to individual needs.  Teaching assistants are trained well and contribute effectively to learning in lessons and supporting individual pupils’ progress when pupils need to catch up.  Homework activities extend learning in lessons well, providing a good variety of mathematics and literacy activities.  Pupils are clear about what they need to do in lessons, but occasionally this is not specific enough for each group of pupils to ensure they achieve as well as they are able. Higher ability pupils do not always have enough time to demonstrate what they can do through tasks that are challenging enough. Lower ability pupils sometimes depend too much on support from teaching assistants to complete a task.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils make good progress in reading throughout the school. Three quarters attain at the higher levels by the time they leave. This is much greater than the national average. Older pupils say that teachers help them to extend their choice of books and they enjoy reading.  Pupils in Year 1 understand letters and sounds (phonics) and can use them well to read new words. The phonic check shows almost all are competent at this. This is well above the national average.  At the end of Key Stage 1 almost all pupils are competent readers, with most achieving the standard expected and nearly half exceeding this. Pupils in Year 2 can use a range of vocabulary in their work and read it confidently.  Pupils achieve well in mathematics. By the end of Key Stage 1 a third are achieving above the expected level for their age and almost all are at the standard expected. This represents good progress from the

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The achievement of pupils is good

level of development they achieved at the end of the Reception class.  This good progress continues and accelerates in Key Stage 2. In Year 4, for example, pupils demonstrate good mental calculation skills and knowledge of place value to rapidly double and halve numbers. Whilst Year 6 can competently manipulate improper fractions. At the end of Key Stage 2 almost all achieve the standard expected in mathematics and most achieve the higher levels. This is significantly above national expectations.  Pupils do not achieve as well in writing as they do in reading and mathematics. At Key Stage 1 this is showing steady improvement. In 2014 the proportion reaching the higher levels was the same as the national figure for 2013. There is now steady progress in most year groups in Key Stage 2. By the time Year 6 pupils left, in 2014, the proportion of pupils now working at the higher levels also matched the

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The achievement of pupils is good

2013 national average.  The significant proportion of more able pupils make good progress throughout this school. They have opportunities to demonstrate higher level skills in reading, mathematics and in spelling and grammar. More able pupils have not yet shown all that they can achieve in writing at the end of Key Stage 2, but this is already improving in all year groups.  The small numbers of pupils known to be eligible for additional funding achieve as well as their peers at this school, and sometimes exceed this. There is no gap in their achievement in English and less than two terms gap in mathematics. They achieve better than the national average. They are over one year ahead in reading, achieve the same in writing, and are one term ahead in mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because they receive specialist help when they need it. Parents say how well the school has met individual needs so that their

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The achievement of pupils is good

children have been able to achieve as well as their peers. There is, however, some slowing of progress for a few pupils with special educational needs because sometimes they are dependent on the support they receive.  All groups of pupils, from a range of different ethnic backgrounds, make good progress in all subjects, demonstrating there is equality of opportunity for all in this inclusive school.

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The early years provision is good

 Children make a good start to the school in the Reception class. They arrive from a variety of pre-school settings. Parents say, and it is evident, that they settle quickly. They learn class routines well. For example, they were able to explain how many children were allowed at the different areas of the classroom by pointing out the numbers and accurately counting the children for themselves.  Most children arrive with skills that would be expected for their age. Some of the more able children can already count and order numbers to 20. Just under half, however, enter with skills in literacy that are below that which would be expected. They make good progress with these so that, by the time they enter Year 1, most are well prepared.  Children make good progress with their social development and their behaviour is good. They are safe and know how to use equipment, such as the bikes, safely. They enjoy having responsibility to set out the

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The early years provision is good

equipment in the playground, for example.  Teaching enables children to learn well and provides a full range of activities for all areas of learning and development. Occasionally these are not specific enough to accelerate progress rapidly because they do not take enough account of what children can already do.  Leaders and managers regularly check the effectiveness of the teaching and learning. However, leaders have yet to identify fully how to raise the achievement of the children so they can achieve their full potential, especially when they first start.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 101801 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 448232

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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 Fr Josef Doetsch Headteacher Timothy Hallett Date of previous school inspection 25−26 November 2009 Telephone number 01737 556036 Fax number 01737 558444 Email address admin@st-aidans.croydon.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 and 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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