St Mary's Catholic Primary School

School report St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The recently appointed headteacher has energetically set about making improvements to the school.  Systems for checking pupils’ achievement have improved. Teachers are now clear about how much progress their pupils are making and how effective their teaching is.  Leaders offer valuable advice on improving the quality of teaching. They have clear plans for making sure that their advice is followed up.  Backed by senior and middle leaders, the headteacher is ambitious to make the school outstanding. Her plans are purposeful and clear. Leaders are well supported by the loyal staff, who share their vision for school improvement.  Governors know the school well and provide good support and challenge to leaders and managers.  Parents rightly say that communications between school and home have improved.  Pupils’ behaviour throughout the school is good. Pupils are polite and get on well with one another. Pupils are kept completely safe.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school strongly promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. As a result, they think of others and respect their values.  Teaching is consistently good throughout the school and leads to pupils making good progress in their learning.  Teaching successfully meets the needs of groups within the school. As a result, the most able pupils and those with a range of additional needs do well in their learning.  Disadvantaged pupils do as well or better than other pupils. This is also true of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Pupils learn effectively throughout the school. By the time they leave Year 6 their attainment is above average in reading, writing and mathematics. They make good progress from starting points that are typically below those expected for their age.  The early years provision is good overall. Children learn particularly well in the Nursery class because

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the activities are stimulating and the play areas are inviting.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Marking of topic books does not consistently provide pupils with advice on how to improve the quality of their work. Some work in these books is not up to the best that pupils can do.  The play equipment and activities provided for children in the Reception class are not always stimulating enough to help them learn rapidly and with full enjoyment.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 18 lessons across a range of subjects. Most were observed jointly with the headteacher or with the assistant headteacher.  Inspectors spoke to a number of pupils, listened to them read and looked at samples of their work. An inspector met a group of pupils to hear how they felt about the school.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, including those who hold responsibility for specific subjects. A meeting was held with a local authority representative. Inspectors met with the Chair of the Governing Body together with two other governors.  Inspectors took account of the views of staff in 25 questionnaires.  Inspectors spoke to a number of parents during the inspection. They took account of 48 responses to the online survey, Parent View.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents. These included the school’s own views of how well it is doing, its plans for the future, and the minutes of meetings of the governing

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Information about this inspection

body.  Inspectors considered a range of evidence about pupils’ attainment and progress. Inspectors also examined safeguarding information, and records relating to behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Natalia Power, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Mary’s is a little smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The headteacher started in September 2014.  Children in the Nursery and Reception classes attend full time.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding used to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic heritages is higher than average. Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds with no one group predominating.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs varies from year to year and overall is currently a little lower 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 marking of topic books gives pupils as much guidance on how to improve as does the marking of English and mathematics books.  Improve the quality of the equipment and of the activities provided in the Reception class, both in the indoor and outdoor play areas.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents, staff and governors speak of a new energy in the school, driven by the headteacher. Senior leaders, governors and staff share her vision and drive for excellence.  New systems have been set up to check how well pupils are learning. Teachers use this information to pinpoint the areas where individual pupils might be struggling, and are thus able to provide the right support.  The headteacher has set up rigorous ways of checking the quality of teaching. She has made sure that any advice on how to improve is followed up. Teachers reflect on the quality of their work, set their own targets for improvement and identify their training needs. They commented to inspectors that they feel supported by senior leaders.  Subject leaders are relatively new to post and share senior leaders’ aim for excellence. They are being trained for middle leadership. With the encouragement of senior leaders, they share in checking the

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The leadership and management are good

quality of the teaching and of pupils’ written work. They make a good contribution to improving the school, drawing up subject plans that cover the right priorities.  Leaders’ ambition to make the school outstanding is clear from their plans. Leaders have quickly identified what needs to be done and how to do it. All members of the school are involved in helping the school to achieve its aim.  School leaders listen carefully to pupils’ views, take their contribution seriously and have enlisted their help. For example, the headteacher has written an innovative set of child-friendly plans, explaining to pupils how they can help the school to get even better. This is leading to improvement in pupils’ behaviour.  Communication between school and home has improved. Parents now have more chances to accompany pupils on outings, to participate in parent workshops and to receive informative newsletters.  As a result of the actions already taken and the clear plans, based on an accurate understanding of what

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The leadership and management are good

needs to be done, the school is extremely well placed to improve further.  The local authority knows the school well and provides the right amount of support, making it easy for the school to request the help it needs.  School leaders and governors keep pupils completely safe by making sure that systems for safeguarding are rigorous. They ensure that all are respected and that there is no discrimination against others.  Pupils learn a wide range of subjects that prepare them well for the next stage of schooling. The strong focus on reading, writing and mathematics ensures that pupils are well equipped to carry their skills forward to their next school.  Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. For example, the centenary of the Great War was used effectively, not only to promote good writing but also to encourage pupils to think of others and respect their views.  Displays of pupils’ work in classrooms and around the school show the breadth of topics covered, including

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The leadership and management are good

‘How did the pharaoh Tutankhamun die?’ and ‘How do you know which magnets are the strongest?’  The governance of the school:  Governance is effective. Governors know the school well. They visit it regularly to see how well the children are learning. They test out the school’s policies for themselves, and report their findings to other governors. They are ready to take the initiative, for example in suggesting mathematics workshops for parents and encouraging them to attend.  They know how well pupils are performing in comparison with national averages. They use this information constructively to ask searching questions. As a result of their close attention, all groups do well in their learning.  Governors have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching, and work closely with senior leaders to ensure that good teaching and management skills are appropriately rewarded. In this way they secure

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The leadership and management are good

good value for money.  Governors also get good value from additional funding from the government. Disadvantaged pupils do as well as, or better than, other pupils. The sport funding is used well to introduce new pupils to a wide range of physical activities from cricket to Zumba dancing.  The governors make sure that pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain by celebrating other faiths and cultures, for example in International Days and through links with a Ugandan school.  Governors work with the school to ensure that pupils are kept completely safe and that those who work with them are rigorously checked. For example, by undertaking safer recruitment training.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They want to learn, and are obedient in class. When moving from one activity to another, they are prompt and do what adults tell them. Their behaviour is not, however, outstanding, because they do not show an exceptional thirst for learning, and sometimes become a little restless if the pace drops.  Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and heritages get on well together. The school is, in the words of one parent, ‘a family’, and its strong values ensure that pupils respect the views of others.  This respect for others is fostered by the school’s strong promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils celebrate a wide range of faiths and cultures, and are given the chance to think about the world around them. Pupils as young as Year 2 are encouraged to explore for themselves such difficult questions as, ‘Why are there different religions?’ and ‘When is the world going to end?’

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Behaviour

 Pupils show their enjoyment of school through their above average attendance.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Adults who work with the pupils are rigorously checked. The site is safe and secure.  All parents who spoke to inspectors or who responded to Parent View agreed that the school keeps their children safe and happy and deals effectively with any bullying. Pupils reported that there was no actual bullying. Adults deal highly effectively with any rare instances where pupils are unkind to one another. There have been scarcely any exclusions over the four years since the previous inspection.  Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe. They understand how to deal with possible dangers from strangers or from drugs or when using computers.  School records show that pupils are kept safe and that any possible risks are thought about before school trips are taken.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good and leads to pupils making good progress in their learning throughout their time at the school.  Teachers are mindful of the needs of individual pupils. They plan carefully and are ready to adapt their questioning to meet pupils’ differing capabilities.  Teaching assistants and support teachers work effectively within lessons and in small groups to support those with a range of additional needs. As a result of such care, pupils in these groups make similar progress to others in their learning.  The teaching of literacy is a particular strength. Teachers work carefully with pupils to encourage them to write fluently and use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Year 6 pupils typically do very well in the tests of these skills. This is the result of careful marking in pupils’ English books throughout the school.  The teaching is effective in helping pupils understand mathematical concepts and make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

Pupils’ mathematics books give evidence of good teaching and learning, with individual needs being met. The marking in these books also shows that pupils receive helpful guidance on how to improve.  However, marking is less thorough in pupils’ topic books. Pupils are not always given enough guidance on how to improve the quality of their next piece. Sometimes pupils are allowed to get away with work that is not the best they can do.  The teaching of reading is effective. Pupils who read to inspectors spoke of the way the school encourages them to read at home. Books are used successfully to introduce pupils to ideas that make them think. For example, in one Year 5 English session, pupils imaginatively used their study of Michael Morpurgo’s Friend or Foe to help them understand the impact of war on family life.

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is good

 Pupils make good progress in their learning throughout the school. When they start school, their language, number and communication skills vary, but are generally a little below those typical of their age. They make consistently good progress throughout their time at school, and leave with results that are a little above average.  No group falls behind. This is because pupils receive the support they need at the time they need it. This shows the school’s successful commitment to equality of opportunity.  As a result of the school’s watchfulness in checking their learning, all groups make similarly good progress. Disabled pupils and those with a range of special educational needs do better than similar pupils nationally.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive the right amount of support, and do as well or better than others.  The most able pupils achieve well. They make good progress, and achieve as well as the most able pupils

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is good

in other schools across the country. Those who aim for Level 6, a high level for primary school pupils, are given additional support. This enabled a higher than average proportion to reach Level 6 in writing in 2014.  Disadvantaged pupils do very well at the school. Their learning is carefully checked by teachers and leaders, and governors take a close interest in how well they are doing. As a result they typically make similar progress to others in the school, and make better progress than disadvantaged pupils in other schools across the country.  This pattern is also true of the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. There is no appreciable difference between the results of disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics and those of other pupils in the school. Compared with similar pupils across the country, disadvantaged pupils at the school outperform the national average in all subjects.

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is good

 The early years provision in the school is good. Parents speak highly of the care and warmth shown by all the adults, and the way they help the children to become confident learners.  The provision is well led and managed. Leaders and managers have an accurate understanding of what needs to be done. They recognise that the outdoor play areas for the Reception class could be improved and have drawn up plans to do this. ,  The children behave well in the Nursery and Reception classes. They wait patiently to take their turn on the equipment. Children in the Reception class who were learning their sounds and letters (phonics) all cooperated in tracing the letter ‘f’ with their fingers in the air, on the floor and on one another’s backs.  The site is completely safe, and adults who work with the children are properly checked.  Adults give the children as many chances as possible to learn their basic skills. For example, in one

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is good

Nursery activity, the children threw a beanbag as far as they could along a row of hoops arranged on the ground. With the adult’s help, they jumped along the hoops, counting as they went. In this way they developed number skills while getting some good exercise.  Children learn a variety of skills in the early years. For example, children in the Nursery listened carefully to the sound of percussion instruments played by the teacher. They could not see the teacher’s instruments, but were able to select instruments they had been given that produced matching sounds. In this way they learned not only about music but also how to concentrate and distinguish between sounds.  Activities in the Reception class are more limited than in the Nursery, and this is because the classroom is more cramped and children have fewer stimulating experiences, particularly in the outdoor areas. Leaders and managers have identified this and plans are in hand to develop the areas and provide more activities

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is good

to stimulate imaginative and creative learning.  Children achieve well in the early years, making good progress in acquiring language, number and social skills. By the time they move to Year 1, they are confident and have gained skills that will help them to learn well higher up in the school.

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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 100350 Local authority Hammersmith and Fulham Inspection number 444257

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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 218 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Denis Barry Headteacher Robina Maher Date of previous school inspection 10 June 2010 Telephone number 020 7603 7717 Fax number 020 7602 7432 Email address admin@stmarysrc.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 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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