St Mary Abbots CofE Primary School

School report St Mary Abbots Church of England Primary School Kensington Church Court, London, W8 4SP

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders and governors have raised expectations for pupils’ achievement and for the quality of teaching at the school.  They have established robust systems for monitoring teaching and holding staff to account.  The teaching of letters and sounds (phonics), spelling, punctuation and grammar, and mathematics has improved since 2013.  Pupils’ scores in the Year 1 phonic check and Year 6 tests in mathematics, spelling, punctuation and grammar improved considerably in 2014. Progress across Key Stage 2 has improved. In 2014, Year 6 pupils left having made rapid progress across this key stage for the first time.  There is a strong sense of community in the school, for pupils and parents. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is extremely well promoted.  Pupils conduct themselves with courtesy and respect. They play and work well together.  Pupils leave at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 with

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

high attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children in Reception are well supported in their learning and development. Here and elsewhere in the school, the school’s arrangements for keeping children safe and secure are good.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Many comment effusively about the school’s ‘warm, nurturing environment’ and its beneficial impact on their children’s personal development.  Leaders work exceptionally well with parents and attendance has risen to high levels.  Senior leaders are very well regarded by the local authority, who views the school now as one in need of little support, and which is able to share its expertise with other schools.  In 2013, the school received effective support from the diocese and local authority to improve the quality of teaching and to strengthen assessment systems.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The checks made on pupils’ learning by adults in lessons do not yet ensure that the work given to pupils is consistently at the right level. A small number of the least or most able pupils are not moved on in their learning at the right time.  Pupils do not regularly act on teachers’ written comments to improve their work.  Leaders do not consider as closely as possible the progress of groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs. Achievement of pupils is not yet outstanding.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 23 lessons and parts of lessons, across a range of subjects including English, mathematics, design and technology, science, music, physical education and French. They looked at pupils’ work in lessons and separately with senior leaders.  They listened to pupils read and held discussions with pupils in formal meetings and at informal times of the day. They observed pupils at break and lunch times, as well as in assembly and during a Eucharist ceremony.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, subject and key stage leaders, as well as the special educational needs coordinator. They also met with representatives from the local authority, the diocese and the governing body.  The 67 responses from parents to the online parent survey, Parent View, as well as comments made to inspectors by parents during the inspection, were considered. The school’s own parent and pupil surveys

p.2

Information about this inspection

were also scrutinised and staff responses to a questionnaire were analysed.  Inspectors also looked at a range of documentation. This included: information relating to the attainment and progress of year groups, other groups and individual pupils across the school; information about the monitoring of teaching and the management of staff performance; school improvement plans; a self- evaluation summary; and information provided on the school’s website.  Behaviour logs and safeguarding information were also considered.

p.2

Inspection team

Najoud Ensaff, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 St Mary Abbots Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school is located in the grounds of St Mary Abbots Church in the heart of Kensington.  Just over half of the pupils who attend the school are from White British backgrounds. The rest come from a range of other ethnic backgrounds. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds make up a larger than average proportion of pupils at the school. The same can be said for the increasing proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is roughly a third of that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding, additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils, is below average and is less than half that found nationally.  In 2014, the school met the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’

p.3

Information about this school

attainment and progress.  There is full-time early years provision in the school with one Reception class.  In the last year there has been a restructuring of the leadership team with the previous deputy headteacher stepping down to focus on her role as special educational needs coordinator. The headteacher, along with an acting deputy headteacher and the Key Stage 2 leader, form the senior leadership team.  The Chair of the Governing Body is currently on a sabbatical.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is outstanding by making sure that:  adults consistently check on pupils’ learning effectively, so that work provided to the least and most able pupils is at the right level and pupils are moved on in their learning at the right time  pupils develop their skills and deepen their understanding as much as possible by acting on comments in marked work.  Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:  leaders consider very closely the achievement of groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, so that they make at least good or better progress over time.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, along with other senior leaders and the governing body, has raised expectations for pupils’ achievement and for the quality of teaching.  Following a dip in performance in 2013, leaders have redirected energies to key priorities. They set challenging targets and clear milestones for pupils’ progress.  They have established robust systems for monitoring teaching and managing staff performance and have provided tailored training. For example, training linked to phonics, mathematics and science, as well as pupils’ use of computer software to accelerate progress in literacy, has been provided.  As a result of these changes, in 2014, progress for pupils across Key Stage 2 was consistently strong and Year 6 pupils left the school having made rapid progress across this key stage.  Attainment in mathematics rose once again to significantly above average following a dip in 2013, and Year 6 pupils’ test results in spelling, punctuation and grammar also improved to high levels.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ attendance, as well as their scores in the Year 1 phonics check, also rose in 2014. All of these strides forward indicate that there is strong capacity for further improvement in the school.  There are excellent links between the school and the church, as well as a well-planned range of subjects taught. These mean that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted extremely well. Pupils enjoy a rich and wide array of activities outside of lessons, with staff making the most of the school’s proximity to educational attractions in London.  Senior leaders are proactive in ensuring that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. This is achieved through personal and social education lessons, assemblies and by increasing the diversity of the school’s intake. Leaders promote equality of opportunities well. They take action against any form of discrimination.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Parents are extremely satisfied with the work of the school. They value its nurturing and caring atmosphere, where respect, tolerance and spiritual development are strongly promoted. Alongside the high standards pupils reach, these are rightly seen by parents as providing pupils with secure foundations for the next steps in their education and futures.  Leaders have worked exceptionally well with parents to improve attendance. They have set up good partnerships with a secondary school to enhance provision for the most able pupils.  The leadership of mathematics, English and the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Leaders have a clear idea about strengths and areas for development in their areas, and are now much more focused on raising achievement. They use information about pupils' achievement effectively to follow the progress of year groups and have started to look at the progress of groups of pupils, such as disadvantaged pupils.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 New systems introduced last year mean that pupils’ progress is followed more closely and the likelihood of pupils slipping through the net is much lower than before. While these systems ensure that pupils make good progress, they have not yet had time to embed. Inspectors agree with senior leaders who have identified the need to consider more closely the progress of groups of pupils across the school, including those with special educational needs. This is to ensure that they make at least good progress.  Primary sport funding is used to good effect. Pupils have increased opportunities to participate in inter- school sports competitions and a wider range of extra-curricular sports clubs, such as dance club. This enables specialist training for teachers and coaching for pupils to be provided.  Senior leaders in the school are very well regarded by the local authority and diocese. Previous support

p.4

The leadership and management are good

provided by these has been effective in improving assessment systems and the quality of teaching. The local authority now views the school as needing little support.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are strongly committed to improving outcomes for pupils. They know about data on the school’s performance and hold staff to account well for pupils’ achievement, and played a strong part in raising pupils’ achievement in 2014. They know about what is done to reward good teaching and tackle underperformance and ensure that there is a strong link between staff performance and progression along the salary scale.  The wide range of high-quality skills offered by governors is an asset. This, for example, has ensured that teachers’ skills in phonics have improved and financial resources are well managed.  Governors have a clear understanding about the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and achievement at the school. They ask searching questions about, for example, Year 6 pupils’ achievement in mathematics at the end of 2013. They check about the support provided to disabled

p.4

The leadership and management are good

pupils and those with special educational needs, as well as the challenge offered to the most able pupils.  They have ensured that additional funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils’ learning through, for example, additional support, homework clubs and access to enrichment opportunities. They also ensure that statutory safeguarding requirements are met.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils conduct themselves well. They are courteous and respectful to one another and are welcoming to visitors.  They take pride in their learning, present their work neatly and arrive well prepared for lessons.  In most lessons, pupils are engrossed in what they are learning and make good progress. Pupils respond quickly to teachers’ instructions and move between different activities with little noise. This comes as a result of clear expectations and well established routines.  Pupils reported that only occasionally do a few pupils distract them from their learning. However, when adults do not check on pupils’ learning as well as possible and work is too easy or too hard, a few pupils become distracted, slumping in seats or not taking an interest in their learning.  Parents, pupils and staff agree that the vast majority of pupils are well behaved and any rare instances of

p.5

Behaviour

low level disruption are effectively dealt with.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils reported that they felt safe because teachers took ‘good care’ of them and because there were clear rules in place. Parents and staff agreed that pupils are safe.  Pupils talked effectively about how they would keep safe in case of a fire, when crossing the road, when using scooters or the internet. They were confident that if ever they were to feel unsafe there were people in school who would help them.  Pupils have a clear understanding of what constitutes bullying. They know about different forms of bullying, such as through words, actions and over the internet or on mobile phones. They said that bullying was very rare. Any form of derogatory behaviour, such as racism or homophobia, was frowned upon, and effectively dealt with by staff. Logs of behaviour indicate that rare instances of unkindness are followed up by staff well.

p.5

Safety

 Pupils said that the vast majority of pupils moved around safely, but that occasionally pupils were a little careless on the playground and bumped into each other.  Inspectors found that the vast majority of pupils are extremely considerate of each other. Pupils were seen interacting well together at break times. They were active and exuberant, but leaders have measures in place to help pupils to keep safe and to deal effectively with any accidents that happen.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are committed and reflective practitioners who share leaders’ vision for pupils’ achievement.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Alongside productive working relationships with staff, this helps them to achieve well.  Good teaching of reading, writing and mathematics in school, and through homework, supports the good progress of pupils. Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to write for a wide range of different purposes and to apply their reading and numeracy skills across subjects. For example, in Key Stage 2 science and Key Stage 1 music lessons, pupils’ understanding of key subject-specific vocabulary was well supported.  Pupils pointed to helpful reminders which are provided on class walls as prompts for their learning in literacy and numeracy. They talked about the targets provided at the front of their books which they said, along with teachers’ comments, helped them to know how to improve their work.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, providing pupils with useful feedback in the form of written comments. These are sometimes acted on by pupils, but this is not done routinely. As a result, pupils do not develop their skills or deepen their understanding as well as they could.  Teachers use technology well to engage pupils’ interests and as a prompt for discussion. For example, in Year 3 and Year 5 literacy lessons, a video clip of a narrated myth helped pupils to learn about how stories are structured, and an image of a statue prompted pupils’ discussions about stories from other cultures.  Where learning is most successful, adults use questions effectively. They check that pupils fully understand material or probe pupils’ learning, so that both the least and most able pupils make at least good progress. Occasionally, where learning slows for a few of these pupils, it is because adults have not

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

used questioning as well as possible to check on their learning.  Pupils’ work is well celebrated. Their achievements are recognised through displays of art work such as stained glass windows. Their literacy skills and spiritual and cultural development are well promoted through prayer corners. Another example observed were the poetry poppies written in remembrance of the contributions made by soldiers from African countries.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress that Year 6 pupils made across Key Stage 2 rose considerably in 2014. The standards Year 6 pupils reached in the end of key stage spelling, punctuation and grammar and mathematics tests were higher than those of their predecessors in 2013.  The performance of pupils in the Year 1 phonics check improved greatly in 2014. The proportion of pupils who reached the higher than average levels in Years 2 and 6 in 2014 also rose.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has been well above average for some time. Year 6 pupils’ attainment rose once again to high levels in 2014, following a dip in 2013.  The most able pupils make good progress. A much larger than average proportion of Year 6 pupils reached above average levels and an increasing number reached the levels expected for the average 14- year-old in 2014. The school has improved teaching and learning for the most able pupils. However,

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

observations and current school progress information indicate that occasionally in lessons their learning slows when adults do not move them on at the right time.  The progress that pupils from White British and ethnic minorities make in reading, writing and mathematics is good. Pupils who speak English as an additional language also make good progress over time, reaching standards that are often higher than similar pupils nationally.  Disadvantaged pupils generally make good progress over time. Recent improvements in the school’s focus on these pupils are helping gaps in attainment between these pupils and their peers to narrow. Disadvantaged pupils usually reach standards which are at least in line with, and sometimes above, other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. They lag behind their peers in reading, writing and mathematics by between one and two terms.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs generally make good progress. However,

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

information on pupils' progress indicates that in mathematics, and occasionally reading, progress is less strong than in writing for a few of these pupils.

p.6

The early years provision is good

 Children enter Reception with skills which are usual for their age. Their skills in communication, language and self confidence are often better. Some year groups, such as those in Year 1, enter with skills which are weaker in physical development, managing feelings, literacy and mathematics.  Almost all children enter the school having had some form of pre-schooling, although they join from a range of settings. Leaders liaise effectively with these and with parents to ensure that children settle well into school and so that assessments on entry to the school are accurate.  Children are provided with good learning opportunities through well organised activities which help them to develop a range of skills. They are encouraged to make choices for themselves, so that their interests and curiosity are sustained. Vibrant classroom displays and 'learning journals' (collections of children's work and adults’ observations) celebrate children’s achievement across a range of areas, and help to

p.6

The early years provision is good

follow their progress.  Adults support children well by asking them questions which make them think. Occasionally, adults do not use questioning as well as they could to move children on in their learning.  The local authority has supported the school to improve checks on children's progress and outdoor learning in this section of the school. Good leadership and management have ensured that this has had good impact to date. It has yet to consider closely the progress of groups of children, so that children’s achievement rises to outstanding.  Most children leave Reception having achieved a good level of development and ready for new learning in Key Stage 1.  Children’s behaviour is good. Children socialise well together and move around safely. Adults help them to keep safe.

p.6

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 100497 Local authority Kensington and Chelsea Inspection number 449346

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

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 208 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Father Gillian Craig Headteacher Nicola Doyle Date of previous school inspection 28 March 2007 Telephone number 020 79370740 Fax number 020 79379142 Email address info@sma.rbkc.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10