St Peter's Catholic Primary School

St Peter's Catholic Primary School Chapmans Lane, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 1JB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 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

 Leadership and management are good. Senior leaders have worked well together to improve teaching. As a result all pupils are able to reach higher standards than at the time of the last inspection.  Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics are now above average and their progress is good.  Governors effectively support and challenge leaders at all levels. This has helped the school to secure the current good teaching and achievement.  In this very inclusive school, all groups of pupils make good progress from their various starting points.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make especially good progress. Provision for these pupils is very well organised.  Leaders ensure that extra funding to support disadvantaged pupils is used well. There is no gap in attainment between these and other pupils.  Pupils joining the school speaking very limited English are well supported and make good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress.  Good provision in the early years ensures a confident start to school. Children make good progress and are well prepared for Year 1.  Teaching is good with examples of exemplary practice. As a result, pupils quickly acquire good literacy and numeracy skills. They are well equipped for secondary school.  Relationships are excellent because a high level of mutual respect prevails between all adults and pupils.  Behaviour is exemplary as is the promotion of the pupils’ personal development. The school’s values, encapsulated in ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated’, are clearly visible in the way that every adult relates to others.  Staff rigorously implement safeguarding procedures to ensure the safety of all pupils. Pupils say they feel very safe in school and this is also the view of parents.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In some lessons the most able pupils are held back because the challenging tasks planned for them are not given early enough.  Some pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to respond to teachers’ helpful marking so that they correct and improve their work.  Pupils do not have a good enough understanding of the next steps they should take to ensure that they make rapid progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors looked at learning in 14 lessons. Teaching assistants were observed working with individual pupils and small groups. The headteacher joined an inspector for some observations. Inspectors attended assemblies, talked to pupils about their work and life at school, and heard individual pupils from Years 2, 4 and 6 reading.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including systems for checking progress, records relating to behaviour and attendance, safeguarding procedures and analysis by the school of how well it is doing and how it plans to improve. Records of checks on the quality of teaching and the minutes of governors’ meetings were examined.  Inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects and classes, especially writing and mathematics.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, school staff and groups of pupils. Individual pupils were spoken to in lessons and around the school. A meeting took place with a local authority

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Information about this inspection

adviser.  Inspectors took account of the views expressed in the 56 online responses to Parent View, informal meetings with parents at the school during the inspection, and a telephone conversation with a parent. Inspectors also received five written communications from parents and these were also taken into consideration.

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Inspection team

Anna Sketchley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Peter’s Catholic Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Children attend from a very wide area.  Children in the early years attend the Reception class on a full-time basis.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils (those eligible for the pupils premium, additional funding provided by the government) is below average. In the 2014 Year 6 cohort there were very few disadvantaged pupils and there are none in the current Year 6.  The number of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average. A very small minority are in the early stages of learning English.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  English and mathematics have been led and managed this year by senior leaders. New middle leaders for

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Information about this school

English and mathematics take up their posts in September.  The Friends of the School, who raise extra funds, includes a group of pupils called Little Friends.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement and improve the quality of teaching further, sharing the exemplary practice that exists in the school, to ensure that:  the most able pupils move on to more challenging tasks sooner in lessons so that they make more rapid progress.  pupils have the opportunity to respond to teachers’ marking and correct their mistakes so that they deepen and develop their basic skills more quickly  pupils know and understand their next steps to take them on quickly in their learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher have successfully ensured a strong focus on improving standards in English and mathematics. Since the last inspection, their effective leadership and drive towards improving teaching in these subjects have ensured that pupils’ attainment has risen quickly. There are robust plans to support new middle leaders for English and mathematics when they take up their posts in September.  The local authority has provided valuable support to the school, working with senior leaders to check the school’s performance, especially the quality of teaching. The local authority has assisted governors with their understanding of information about pupils’ progress, helping them to effectively challenge leaders in their bid to achieve a more rapid pace of improvement.  The quality of teaching is checked regularly by senior leaders through lesson observations and by scrutinising pupils’ work. Teachers are very clear about the rates of progress pupils are expected to

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The leadership and management are good

achieve. They quickly provide support where necessary to ensure that pupils who are falling behind catch up quickly.  The high level of mutual respect and excellent relationships that exist in the school give rise to pupils’ exemplary behaviour. This provides a very positive atmosphere in which pupils’ learning flourishes.  Provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is very good. It is very well organised and delivered by highly skilled teachers and teaching assistants. Some pupils have very complex needs but they are fully included in all that the school offers. As a result, they make very good progress from their various starting points. One parent commented, ‘The special educational needs team have been incredibly supportive…and the transformation is wonderful to see.’  Pupil premium funding is used successfully to provide support for disadvantaged pupils so that they can

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The leadership and management are good

achieve as well as other pupils in the school.  The ‘Young Interpreters’ group for pupils who speak English as an additional language helps these pupils to thrive within the inclusive ethos of the school. This group meets at lunchtimes to lead ‘language workshops’ for other children so that they can share in learning different languages.  High quality provision for all groups of pupils demonstrates the school’s full commitment to equality of opportunity. The school does not allow discrimination of any kind.  Leaders have carefully reviewed and developed the range of subjects in line with new national requirements. Exciting topics and learning opportunities through, for example, visits to a farm, local woodlands and the Sea Life Centre ensure that pupils are keen and eager to learn. Links across subjects provide very good opportunities for pupils to practise their literacy skills, for example when writing up

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The leadership and management are good

experiments, annotating diagrams and thoughtfully writing the psalms in their own words.  The school plays a pivotal role in a strong partnership with other local schools, enabling it to take part in valuable collaborative projects to support all leaders in their areas of responsibility.  The school’s own cultural diversity provides excellent opportunities for pupils to learn about and develop an understanding of the diverse cultures that exist in Britain today. By sharing in each other's traditions, pupils clearly understand that they live in a multicultural society and that everyone, regardless of creed or colour, is a valuable and valued member of the school.  Pupils’ involvement in the many responsibilities offered by the school helps them to develop a good understanding of democracy and British values. A variety of elected groups exists. For example, the Eco Team, Little Friends, a valued extension of the Friends of the School Association, House Captains, Play

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The leadership and management are good

Leaders, for which there is proper training, and the school council. Pupils share their ‘manifesto’ with others before being voted for termly. As elected members they attend meetings, gather views and hold responsibilities for tasks around the school. This makes a significant contribution to pupils’ excellent personal development.  Leaders ensure, through a well-developed programme of initiatives, that extra sports funding is well used. A wider variety of sports is now offered and teachers have greater competence than previously in teaching them. The number of pupils able to take part in competitions and after-school activities has risen significantly. Pupils’ personal and social development has been enhanced by training to be Sports Leaders. Pupils demonstrate a good attitude to sport and knowledge of how this helps them to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.  Governors and leaders regularly ensure that the school’s procedures and well-developed systems to

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The leadership and management are good

safeguard pupils are rigorously adhered to. Safeguarding fulfils all statutory requirements.  The results of the parent questionnaire, comments gathered from parents during the inspection and complimentary letters demonstrate that the vast majority of parents are highly satisfied with the school.  The governance of the school: Governors play a supportive but challenging role alongside leaders in encouraging the school to perform as well as possible. They are very knowledgeable about the school’s strengths and areas for development. Alongside specific governor training, governors use their skills from the world of work to enable them to carry out their duties diligently and ask challenging questions about performance. Governors are very aware of how the performance of teachers and the outcomes for pupils are linked to salary awards. They apply this knowledge to the quality of teaching and use it to judge how well pupils are achieving. Through

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The leadership and management are good

careful scrutiny of the school’s performance information they keep abreast of the progress of different groups of pupils and how well they are doing. They have been particularly successful in gaining extra funding for projects and the school’s finances are managed extremely well.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. School records show that there have been no exclusions since the previous inspection. Racist incidents, challenging behaviour and bullying are extremely rare. The school has rigorous procedures for recording the very small minority of minor behaviour incidents, ensuring that these are dealt with promptly. Positive behaviour is consistently rewarded and reported to parents. Pupils look forward to weekly celebration assemblies when they are publicly congratulated for good work and behaviour.  Pupils say there is a ‘family atmosphere’. It is a friendly school that ‘prepares us well for life’. They confirm that they are expected to work hard. They really enjoy coming to school and attend well. Governors support this, saying that there is ‘a strong focus on the child’. One governor explained ‘I didn’t ever rush to school but my children all rush into school every morning!’

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Behaviour

 Pupils behave impeccably around the building, in assembly and in lessons. Their excellent attitudes and impeccable behaviour make a significant contribution to the good progress they are now making. Inspectors did not see any low-level disruption to lessons during the inspection. Pupils show respect and courtesy at all times by holding open doors, standing back for adults to pass and showing visitors the way.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy all the responsibilities they are given saying ‘We naturally want to help others’. These responsibilities make a significant contribution to pupils’ excellent personal development. Older pupils demonstrate an exceptional level of maturity.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say they feel very safe in school and are very well cared for. This view is supported by parents.  Safeguarding systems for protecting pupils, such as the vetting of staff and reporting concerns about pupils’ well-being, are rigorously applied.  The emphasis placed upon internet safety is very strong and both pupils and parents are regularly reminded of the need for vigilance.  Pupils told inspectors they had never heard of any bullying and quoted the school ‘motto’ saying, ‘Treat others as you would wish to be treated’. Pupils were confident that any kind of difficulty would always be sorted out by a teacher, and ‘even the odd nasty comment is very rare’.  Pupils are fully involved in safety across the extensive site. Play leaders play their part responsibly ensuring that pupils are kept safe at playtimes. The school council helped to choose outdoor equipment

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Safety

and pupils are very aware of how to play safely together.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good with exemplary practice. The high expectations set by teachers ensure that pupils listen and concentrate particularly well and do their best. Pupils say teachers make lessons fun but ‘we are always learning’.  Pupils’ excellent behaviour and readiness to learn ensures that lessons begin promptly. Equipment is to hand and pupils are well prepared for their tasks. They know what they are expected to learn because teachers give clear explanations about the learning at the beginning of the lesson.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is very secure so the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics are well taught. Opportunities to study books as a class and as individuals support pupils’ writing effectively. Pupils rehearse their comprehension skills thoroughly as they answer questions about the books they are reading and writing interesting book reviews.  Pupils enjoy writing. During the inspection, pupils were observed fully engaged in learning the skill of

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The quality of teaching is good

persuasive writing as they worked together to produce an advert. Pupils quickly learned the art of using rhetorical questions and boastful, persuasive language to tempt buyers. The most able pupils were encouraged to spot the use of the features of persuasive language in each other’s writing. This helped them to check which features they had not used and where improvements could be made.  In mathematics, pupils were observed using what they already knew about measuring to help them move from using non-standard measurement to the standard measures of grams and kilograms and millilitres and litres. Practical tasks and good mental skills helped them significantly with their understanding.  Teachers check pupils’ knowledge carefully by asking probing questions. This enables them to set challenging tasks. However, occasionally teachers do not ensure that the most able pupils move on to more challenging tasks soon enough in lessons. Consequently they do not make quite as much progress

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The quality of teaching is good

as they might.  Teachers mark pupils’ work thoroughly indicating where they need to make corrections to improve their work. In some classes pupils are not given time to respond so they do not complete corrections and learn quickly enough from their mistakes.  Pupils are not sufficiently aware of the next steps they need to take to move themselves on rapidly in their learning in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils

 Pupils in Year 1 are making very good progress this year and have caught up quickly after a significant dip in progress in the early years in 2014. Their attainment is now above that expected nationally.  Phonics (the sounds linked to letters) is taught correctly and this supports pupils’ reading and writing well. The school’s strong reading culture gives pupils the skills to read with growing fluency and expression and they make very good progress. Teachers encourage pupils to read daily and many say they enjoy reading. They talk with enthusiasm about their favourite authors and the types of books they like. Pupils’ reading records show that they are well supported at home with their reading practice.  In the 2014 national tests, standards in Year 6 in mathematics, reading and writing were above the national average. A significant number of pupils reached the highest available levels in mathematics and

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The achievement of pupils

reading.  Standards in Year 6 this year remain above that expected nationally. a high proportion of pupils in Year 6 are on track to reach the highest available levels in reading and mathematics again this year. Standards in Year 2 are also above those expected nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ performance across the school is improving rapidly in writing because of good teaching and firmly embedded strategies.  The quality of work in pupils’ books throughout the school, and the way it is presented, demonstrates that pupils enjoy learning and work hard.  During the inspection, the most able pupils in Year 6 were observed making exceptional progress in writing when challenged to write an emotive character description.  The percentage of Year 6 pupils making good progress is above that expected nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The percentage making more than expected progress is much higher than

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The achievement of pupils

nationally in all three subjects. This reflects the improved and rapid progress pupils are now making.  It is not possible to report on the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 last year as numbers were too few. This year there are no disadvantaged pupils in Year 6. However, disadvantaged pupils across the school in all other year groups develop the same levels of skill as their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. There is not a gap between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and in the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive well-organised extra support in small groups and as individuals. Skilled teachers and teaching assistants support pupils with social and communication difficulties particularly well. Pupils fully engage with a wide variety of speech and language games and activities to increase their social and personal awareness. They make very good

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The achievement of pupils

progress from their starting points.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve as well as all other pupils because they are well supported by especially trained teaching assistants. The local authority adviser for pupils with English as an additional language has also provided guidance and bilingual books.

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The early years provision

 Children begin Reception with skills and knowledge lower than those typical for their age in most areas of learning. Skills are particularly weak in language and communication.  In 2014, the proportion of pupils reaching a good level of development was well below the national average. However, provision has improved significantly this year and children in Reception are making good progress. Three quarters of the children are on track to reach a good level of development across all areas of learning.  The leadership and management of the early years are good. Reception procedures for welcoming children and parents, both before they start school, and on a daily basis are warm and welcoming. Parents know their children are well cared for and children quickly become confident in the safe and secure surroundings.  Teaching is good. During the inspection, children were observed learning to measure. They were

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The early years provision

immediately engaged and enthusiastic as they formed a line with adults in the room to decide upon who was the ‘shortest’ and ‘tallest’. The teacher unveiled a table of items with which to measure and extend children’s language and ideas exceptionally well as they decided the best item to use to measure children and adults.  During phonics the most able children demonstrated their good writing skills as they wrote simple sentences such as, ‘I went to the car park’ using the ‘ar’ sound of the day. Less able children were well supported by an adult as they used magnetic letters to form their words.  A combination of well-established routines and stimulating activities ensures that children are fully engaged in their learning so their behaviour is good. During activities chosen by children they show their independence and obvious enjoyment as they choose activities that encourage them to ‘have a go’ at

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The early years provision

something new, often inspiring their curiosity.  Adults regularly check how well children are learning so they have a detailed knowledge of children’s needs and interests and use this to plan appropriate activities. Records show children developing effectively because of rich opportunities across all areas of learning. These include exploring shaving foam while learning to write their names, carefully observing traffic lights and avoiding obstacles while exercising their muscles on a scooter, and exploring how things grow when planting in the small garden.  Each child’s progress in all activities is carefully collected into a valuable learning journey of their Reception Year to which parents are encouraged to contribute. This good provision prepares children well for Year 1.

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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 126060 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 462360

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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 203 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Donohue Headteacher Mary Claffey Date of previous school inspection 25–26 June 2013 Telephone number 01342 321985 Fax number 01342 300679 Email address office@st-peters-eastgrinstead.w-sussex.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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