St Pauls CofE VA Primary School

St Paul’s C of E Primary School Coronation Street, Cambridge CB2 1HJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Teaching is not good enough to ensure that all pupils, particularly those of lower ability, make the progress of which they are capable. In too many classes, teachers do not assess pupils’ work accurately and therefore fail to set work at the appropriate level.  School leaders are not sufficiently rigorous when making checks on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, the weaknesses that exist in certain aspects of the school’s work are not dealt with in a timely manner.  Teachers’ expectations are not always high enough. Too often they accept work of a low standard, in terms of both quality and presentation.  From their high starting points, too few children are making good or better progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The assessments that are made of children’s abilities are not used often enough to plan learning activities that challenge children, particularly the most able.

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This is a school that requires improvement

 The school does not ensure that disadvantaged pupils make sufficient progress. As a result, by the end of Year 6 the gap in attainment between them and other pupils is too wide.  In Key Stage 2, there is a lack of challenge in subjects such as science and history. As a result, pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education in these subjects.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils behave well. They have positive attitudes towards their work and are respectful towards each other and the adults who teach them.  The teaching of reading is effective. Pupils quickly develop good early reading skills and, by the time they are in Key Stage 2, many read widely and often.  Pupils are well cared for and their spiritual, moral social and cultural development is promoted effectively.  Pupils who join the school at times other than the normal entry point receive good support and settle quickly into school life.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by: – ensuring that the checks that school leaders make result in compliance with agreed procedures – raising expectations about the progress that pupils can make and the standards that they can achieve – developing the role of subject leaders in reviewing their areas of responsibility and supporting improvements – improving the wider curriculum so that, by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education – ensuring that more effective support is provided for disadvantaged pupils.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: – ensuring that all teachers use assessment effectively to plan work that challenges pupils – providing more effective support and guidance for pupils of lower ability, particularly in writing and mathematics – improving teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics – ensuring that teachers follow the school’s marking policy.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the Early Years Foundation Stage by: – ensuring that senior leaders have a more well-informed understanding of children’s attainment and progress so that they can better support improvements – using assessment to plan activities that challenge all children, particularly the most able.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 School leaders are too positive in their judgements about the quality of teaching and learning. They do not pay enough attention to the standard of work being achieved across subjects in all year groups. As a result, the progress that some groups of pupils make, including disadvantaged pupils for whom the school receives additional funding, is not as good as it should be.  Subject leaders are given regular time out of class to monitor their subject area. However, they are given too little guidance about what they are expected to do in relation to monitoring and evaluating the work of teachers and pupils. As a result, school leaders do not have a well-informed view of the school’s strengths or the areas that are in need of improvement.  School leaders do not focus closely enough on the performance of disadvantaged pupils when reviewing the work of the school. They do not check on the impact of the additional support that these pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

receive closely enough so that successes can be identified and built upon. For example, no specific reference is made to these pupils in the discussions that school leaders have with teachers during pupil progress meetings.  School leaders have developed a safe and caring school community which successfully places a great emphasis on developing pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. There is a clear collective identity, despite the diversity in religion and ethnicity and the regular changes to the pupil population as families move in to and out of the area.  The school provides opportunities for pupils to learn across a range of subjects. However, the quality of work seen in science and history was not of a good standard and provided little challenge.  Pupils sing well, and many pupils have music lessons individually or in small groups. The school has also made good progress in the introduction of the new computing curriculum. During this inspection, pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

demonstrated a very good understanding of how to design programs and use logical reasoning to detect and correct errors.  The school uses its physical education (PE) and sport premium effectively. It was used to part fund the school's AstroTurf pitch, which is now used on a daily basis for PE and games. This year the funding is being used to fund sports coaches who work alongside teachers and model good practice. Pupils have a good understanding of how sporting activities contribute to healthy living.  Pupils understand what is meant by British values. The school provides regular opportunities for pupils to consider the differences between various cultures and religions. They understand the importance of tolerance and respect towards people who hold different views and understand the general principles of democracy.  Parents are highly supportive of the school. Almost all of the responses on Parent View, Ofsted’s online

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

questionnaire, were positive. An overwhelming majority would recommend the school to another parent. They rightly believe that their children are well looked after at the school and safe while there. However, a small minority of parents, although generally supportive of the school, also expressed some concerns. One parent said, ‘The School is very caring and a lovely community environment but I feel my daughter could be attaining more academically.’ The inspectors carrying out the inspection agree that many pupils should be attaining higher standards by the time they move on to the next stage of their education.  The local authority has provided light-touch support to the school over the past few years, basing judgements about the school on end of key stage assessments. It has, therefore, not been in a position to support those aspects of the school that require improvement.  The governance of the school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

– Governors are highly committed to the school and bring a wide range of experience and expertise to their role. They play an active role in school life and are well known to parents and pupils. Governors are aware of how the school compares to others nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. However, they do not have a full understanding about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across different year groups and different subject areas in the school, as they are not provided with enough detailed information from school leaders. – Governors are aware that improvements are needed at the school. They have recently undertaken a comprehensive review of parental views of the school, which identified some of the concerns that have been highlighted by this inspection. For example, a number of parents said that they were concerned that children do not always make good progress. Governors demonstrated the capacity and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

commitment to ensure that the necessary improvements will be made.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School leaders, including governors, ensure that appropriate systems for safeguarding pupils are in place and regularly reviewed.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable across the school. Not enough teaching is consistently good or better. As a result, not all groups of pupils make good progress in all year groups.  Teachers do not always use assessment effectively to ensure that the work that they set for pupils provides the right level of challenge. This impacts particularly on those pupils of lower ability. The advice that teachers provide is not always helpful. For example, one pupil was told to write two paragraphs for her next piece of work when she was struggling with simple sentence structures.  Many pupils achieve good standards in mathematics by the end of Year 6. In some classes, teachers provide a good range of mathematical activities, which challenge pupils to regularly use and apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to solve problems. However, there are too many year groups in which

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

pupils do not progress at the rate that they should. In some lessons, teachers’ weak subject knowledge means that lessons do not lead to effective learning. The quality of assessment is also variable. Too often, teachers fail to identify errors in pupils’ work, which limits progress that is made.  Pupils are articulate and use language confidently to express their ideas and opinions in lessons. However, this competence is not always reflected in their written work. Pupils do not develop positive attitudes towards writing in the same way they do towards reading. This is because writing is not taught systematically across Key Stage 2 and pupils do not have regular opportunities to write at length.  The teaching of reading is effective. Phonics (the sounds that letters make) is taught effectively in the early years and Key Stage 1. Pupils develop positive attitudes to reading and in Key Stage 2 many pupils,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

particularly those of higher ability, read widely and often.  Teaching assistants are generally well deployed to support pupils’ learning. However, in some lessons they do not spend enough time working with those pupils who are in greatest need.  The many pupils who join the school at different times during the school year are supported well. Teachers and teaching assistants work effectively to support those pupils who are at the early stages of learning English.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils’ social and emotional development is extremely well catered for. As a result, pupils enjoy school and quickly develop good relationships with other pupils and the adults who teach them, and become confident, happy learners.  Parents say that the school provides a caring and nurturing environment. Almost all of the parents who responded to Parent View said that they would recommend the school to another parent.  The quality of care guidance and support, and the strong values that underpin the school’s work, ensure that the school provides highly effective spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  All of the parents who responded to Parent View said that their children are happy in school, well looked after and safe. Pupils also said that they feel safe in school and are regularly taught about different

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Personal development and welfare

aspects of personal safety. Older pupils said that messages about how to stay safe when using the internet are ‘drilled into us’.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ behaviour is good.  Behaviour in lessons is typically calm and purposeful. Pupils told inspectors that there is hardly ever any disruption in lessons and this reflected the behaviour seen during the inspection.  Pupils work hard in lessons and have positive attitudes to learning. However, sometimes this is not reflected in the quality of presentation in their books.  Pupils are polite, friendly and respectful towards each other and the adults who teach them.  School leaders have been successful in improving attendance this year by making expectations clearer to parents and being more rigorous in challenging persistent absence.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils are articulate and confident. They have positive attitudes to learning and are capable of producing a better standard of work than that seen by inspectors in many of the pupils’ books during this inspection.  From starting points that are above those typically found, pupils generally make progress at the expected rate as they move through the school. Overall attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 was slightly above the national average in 2015, in reading, writing and mathematics. However, for too many pupils, this represents typical rather than good progress.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and many are capable of producing a much better standard of work than that seen by inspectors in pupils’ books during this inspection. This was especially true in subjects such as science and geography, which are not sufficiently challenging for many pupils. As a result, pupils do not develop secure knowledge and skills and are not well prepared for the next stage of

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

their education in these subjects.  Achievement in mathematics requires improvement. Pupils, particularly those of lower ability, do not develop their mathematical knowledge and understanding quickly enough. This lack of progress was reflected in the 2015 Key Stage 2 results, which showed that attainment was broadly in line with the national average, as it was in 2014. However, for both of these years, rates of progress from Key Stage 1 were well below the national average.  Phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is taught effectively and the percentage of pupils passing the phonics check in 2015 was around the national average. At the end of Key Stage 1 in 2015, overall attainment in reading was also close to the national average. Pupils of higher ability read widely and often and generally make good progress in reading across Key Stage 2. However, other groups of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, make less progress than similar groups nationally.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding do not make enough progress to close the gaps in learning between themselves and other pupils nationally. At the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, these pupils are generally below the expected level for their age. Too few disadvantaged pupils make better than expected progress across Key Stage 2 so the gap between them and other pupils is not closing.  Many pupils join and leave the school during the course of each school year. They receive very good support and settle quickly settle into school life. School leaders were able to provide many examples of these pupils achieving well, even when English was not their first language.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates from their various starting points. The support provided by teachers and teaching assistants is effective and

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Early years provision requires improvement

 School leaders do not have a clear enough understanding of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the early years. They have failed to ensure that children make enough progress from their generally high starting points.  Outcomes at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage improved significantly in 2015, particularly in the areas of literacy and mathematics. Overall, the percentage of children achieving a good level of development was around the national average. These results reflect the improvements in the quality of teaching last year but do not represent good progress for many children, particularly the most able.  The early years teacher has taken steps to ensure that children have a broad experience in all areas of learning. This is having a positive impact on the progress that children make. However, she is not being supported well enough by senior leaders in developing her understanding of how to use assessment to

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Early years provision requires improvement

challenge children of different abilities.  Children’s ‘learning journeys’ record their progress over different areas of learning but do not include all the assessments which are carried out and so do not provide an accurate reflection of children’s achievements over time.  An engaging range of activities are provided both inside the classroom and outside. For example, during the inspection, children were enjoying opportunities to role play in Santa’s workshop, where they also practised weighing and measuring parcels. Outside, children enjoyed searching for sounds hidden in the play area. However, because assessments are not wholly accurate, too few tasks are planned which challenge and extend most-able children.  The school has developed very good relationships with parents. School staff visit children in their homes prior to them starting at the school in order to get to know about their interests, and this helps children to

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Early years provision requires improvement

settle in quickly once they start school. One parent said that she felt she was in a genuine partnership with the school in her child’s education.  Children who are disabled or have special educational needs are supported well in early years. Adults have clear plans in place and cater for these children well to ensure that their needs are met.  Safeguarding is effective. Children are happy and staff are caring and attentive. Children’s behaviour is good and shows that they feel safe while in school. Good systems and routines have been established and children have good attitudes to learning.

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School details

Unique reference number 110839 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10005667

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category 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 Christopher Hayhurst Headteacher/Principal/Teacher in charge Stephen Jordan Telephone number 01223 568840 Website www.stpauls.cambs.sch.uk Email address office@stpauls.cambs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 July 2012

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, for whom the school receives the pupil premium, is well below average. Pupil premium is additional funding given to schools for looked after children and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.  The percentage of pupils who join or leave the school at other than the normal times is well above average.  The percentage of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those with a statement of special educational needs or education, health and care plan, is around the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 11 lessons. Three lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors also observed other aspects of the school’s work, including an assembly.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and subject leaders for mathematics and English.  The lead inspector spoke with governors and a representative of the local authority.  An inspector met with groups of pupils to discuss life at the school. Another inspector listened to pupils read, and discussed reading and other aspects of school life.  Inspectors spoke with parents before school and scrutinised the 97 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They also considered 20 questionnaires completed by staff.  Inspectors scrutinised documentation relating to the school’s safeguarding arrangements, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and the quality of teaching and learning.

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Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Kim Hall Her Majesty’s Inspector Maria Curry Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

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