St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School Kingsbury Drive, Aspley, Nottingham NG8 3EP

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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This is an outstanding school

 The school excels at the things that have the most impact on the pupils’ personal development and their academic achievement.  The headteacher, senior leaders and the governing body have embedded a very strong ethos, which sets and achieves high expectations for and of the pupils.  A clearly expressed set of values is at the core of everything that the school does. Those values are imbibed by the pupils and result in very positive attitudes to life and to learning.  As a result, pupils make exceptional progress from entering early years to the time at which they leave the school, by which time they have, typically, reached standards that are well above average.  Senior leaders and the governing body have maintained those standards since the school was opened and actually improved them. In 2015, the school achieved its best results ever, including when compared with its predecessor school.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment

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This is an outstanding school

is consistently high. The approaches used by the teachers capture the imagination and the interest of the pupils and build pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding progressively and securely throughout the pupils’ time at the school.  The school sets high standards for pupils’ behaviour, and the pupils meet those standards.  The pupils look spick and span in their uniforms and show great respect for each other, adults, and the school environment, which is also spick and span.  Early years provision provides the children with a particularly strong start to their education. They make considerable progress, most notably in phonics, so that they are well prepared to begin Key Stage 1.  Parents hold the school, justifiably, in very high regard.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Remove the remaining differences between the achievement of groups of pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The school’s sense of purpose, unremitting commitment to its values, and constant pursuit of high standards emanate from the headteacher. These things are amplified by the senior leaders and the staff and transmitted consciously and consistently to the pupils.  The work of senior leaders is underpinned by thoughtful and carefully implemented ways of developing teaching and assessment. The monitoring of the school’s work, the management of the staff’s performance, and a varied programme of opportunities for professional development are blended together, resulting in staff who are open to change, willing to try new ideas, and seeking constantly to find the best ways to meet the needs of the diverse community of pupils.  The impact of the leaders’ and the governing body’s work in developing and sustaining an ambitious culture in the school can be seen most obviously in the consistently exceptional achievement of its pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The impact is not confined to pupils’ academic achievement, however, because pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is equally impressive. From the moment they enter early years, the pupils are introduced to and start to absorb the positive values promoted so assiduously by the staff. It cannot be said that no opportunity is missed, but the staff make considerable efforts to identify and to capitalise on as many as possible.  Accordingly, pupils are increasingly well prepared for life in modern Britain. They demonstrate a very good understanding of British values. They are able to discuss moral and ethical issues sensibly and to formulate and to express considered and balanced views.  Opportunities for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils are woven throughout the curriculum and form a part of daily lessons and life at the school. At the same time, the curriculum

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

provides very well both for key aspects of learning, such as English and mathematics, and for a broad range of other subjects, including science.  Senior leaders have made sure that the curriculum is enhanced through a series of activities and opportunities designed to extend pupils’ experience of the world beyond their local community. These experiences have a major impact on pupils.  The pupils’ wide-eyed excitement was palpable when they spoke, for example, about visiting the opera and ballet in London. Many examples of excellent art work by the pupils are on display at the school, some inspired by a visit to Nottingham Museum and Art Gallery; particularly impressive were numerous beautiful pieces in the style of artist Natalie Pascoe.  The depth to which the pupils reflect on their experiences, such as in relation to Remembrance Day, is apparent from things that they write subsequently; for example, comments such as, ‘My dream, to stop

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

racism and to stop fighting your brothers and sisters’.  The school has taken a broad-based approach to using the additional funding that it receives to support disadvantaged pupils. It makes sure that there are no aspects of the curriculum, or the life of the school from which these pupils cannot benefit. The result has been that these pupils make progress similar to that of others at the school and, increasingly, better than other pupils nationally.  There are a few things that the school does not do particularly well. For example, whilst it has spent the physical education (PE) and sport premium appropriately, the school’s evaluation of the impact of how it has done so is cursory. Nevertheless, pupils speak with enthusiasm about the sporting opportunities that they get and which are provided through use of the fund, such as the running club, and they derive much enjoyment from the element of competition.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The school gives high priority to its work to safeguard pupils. The staff undertake a programme of regular training, which ensures that they are familiar with the different types of concern to which they need to be alert, for example, the possible radicalisation of young people. Safeguarding is discussed regularly and very frequently at staff meetings, which ensures that staff know and use the school’s procedures for reporting concerns. The inspectors learned through discussions with staff that the staff are alert to things that may appear relatively unimportant and that they follow such things up to make sure.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The governance of the school The governing body is well informed about the work of the school. Governors use their knowledge effectively to ensure that senior leaders stay focused on the things that matter and that have the most impact for pupils, particularly the ethos of the school. The governing body maintains proper oversight of things such as the performance management of staff, so that decisions are based on performance. It is diligent in carrying out its duties for monitoring particular aspects of the school’s work, such as the use of the pupil premium for disadvantaged pupils and the operation of safeguarding policies.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 The school in general and lessons in particular create a very positive climate for learning. As a result, pupils develop a genuine love of learning.  Teachers balance stimulating topics and imaginative approaches to learning with careful and deliberate repetition of key knowledge and skills, crafting lessons in ways that guide pupils and result in pupils learning progressively and securely.  Teachers place considerable emphasis on getting pupils to solve problems, to think for themselves, and to formulate their own views and conclusions; this is a process that begins in early years and is continued relentlessly thereafter.  Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge. They use that knowledge to good effect, questioning pupils to make them explain their thinking and to extend their understanding.  They embed the development of the pupils’ reading and writing skills subtly in all of the subjects in the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

curriculum.  Equally, novel approaches, such as choral speaking, improve pupils’ speaking skills and boost their confidence in speaking to others. The inspectors observed impressive performances by pupils in different year groups in Key Stages 1 and 2, in which the pupils recited aloud and collectively, from memory, lengthy poems, with great enthusiasm, excellent intonation and inflection, clear diction, and without stumbling.  The school lives by the motto of its namesake, ‘Do the little things well’. Nowhere is that more evident than in teachers’ attention to detail in lessons.  Teachers manage pupils’ learning very effectively. The intended learning for each activity is identified clearly. Teachers ensure that previous learning is built upon.  Teachers use targets and success criteria with pupils to make sure that the intentions and level of challenge are understood by pupils and appropriate for them. They check constantly on pupils’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

understanding and progress and pick up on and correct mistakes astutely. As one pupil told an inspector, ‘We know exactly what to do to get even better’.  Teachers have a detailed knowledge of how well each pupil is doing and of each pupil’s particular learning needs. They adapt the work well to meet the needs of different groups of pupils.  For example, disabled pupils and pupils with special educational needs receive close support that ensures they are prepared for and so able to take part in whole-class sessions.  The most-able pupils find the combination of individual support from teachers, groups and sessions in which they are able to work with other pupils at a similar level, focused guidance and regular tasks set to make them improve their work to a higher standard, means that they get work that is consistently challenging. These pupils said that the teachers always find time for them, when they need or ask for it.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  High-quality relationships underpin this harmonious yet very diverse school community.  Pupils blossom in this calm, orderly, smooth-running school. Clear routines for the day-to-day management of the school are followed routinely. Pupils know what is expected of them and like the strictness of the rules.  Pupils develop very positive attitudes to learning and those attitudes contribute significantly to their high achievement. They learn how to manage themselves as individuals, as members of the school community, and as learners.  They show pride in themselves and in their work, becoming very polite, well-rounded and very engaging young people.  Pupils exhibit balanced attitudes to life. The school’s work to teach them how to look after themselves is effective. They show concern for healthy living, understand how to keep themselves safe in a range of

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Personal development and welfare

situations, including on the internet, when using the roads, and about the risks involved in misusing drugs. Year 5 pupils, working with a civil engineer from a local university on a science, technology, engineering and mathematics project, spoke knowledgeably about important aspects of health and safety in the construction industry.  A comment written during work on drug misuse and resistance education summed up the impact of the work: ‘DARE taught me how to handle situations and what to do when I am stressed and not to follow other people’s paths’.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly average, as is the level of persistent absence. At the time of the inspection, attendance was above average and better than in the previous year, as a result of effective work by the school to promote attendance and punctuality.  The school can point to successful examples of work with pupils who are persistently absent, leading, in

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  The school is a very calm and orderly place, not just because the pupils follow the rules, but also because they understand why the rules are important and have taken on board the values espoused by the school about respecting others and how people should treat one another. A comment in a piece of written work was typical of the views expressed by pupils: ‘In lessons, we share our views and opinions, but we understand the importance of listening to and respecting the views of others’.  There are very few instances of misbehaviour and pupils are very confident that any are dealt with quickly and effectively. Lessons are rarely interrupted.  Pupils, including those from the various different groups represented at the school, raised no concerns with inspectors about bullying. They stated that they did not hear racist or homophobic language being used and showed that they were quite prepared and knew how to tackle such things themselves.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Typically, all groups of pupils make better progress than might be expected from their starting points, and most do so to a significant extent, in reading, writing and mathematics. This is the case for boys, girls, disadvantaged pupils, pupils for whom English is an additional language, disabled pupils and pupils with special educational needs. The school has received a national award for the success of its work with disadvantaged pupils.  A few differences remain, though within a very positive picture. For example, boys do not do quite as well as girls in reading, writing and grammar, spelling and punctuation, and the attainment of disadvantaged pupils is below that of other pupils at the end of early years, and still a little behind at the end of Key Stage 1. Nevertheless, the combination of their generally high attainment and very positive attitudes means that pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education after St Teresa’s.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 The leadership of early years provision reflects the standard set by the headteacher and which is apparent throughout the school.  The early years provision provides an excellent, vibrant learning environment, with many exciting and interesting things for children to do. For example, children were engrossed in different tasks connected with the work of astronaut Tim Peake. Some were working studiously on writing to Tim about his work to repair the international space station; others were working out practically how to repair a model space station. Those working on the repairs were difficult to interrupt! The others talked with evident interest about the work that they were doing and had done previously about the planets.  The transition between learning indoors to learning outside is seamless; the attentiveness and alertness of the staff to what the children are doing and learning in each area are equally seamless.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 The children respond well, due to the skill and alertness of the staff, and consequently, they learn quickly.  Staff steer and guide the children very effectively. They pose a lot of questions and problems that stimulate children’s thinking and ensure that the children’s learning is constantly being expanded, an approach that continues throughout the school.  The themes and tasks selected for the children routinely involve some aspect of problem solving and grab children’s attention, as, for example, when they were trying to solve the mystery of the case of the missing underpants (an alien did it!).  The teaching sessions are planned very well. They are structured very carefully to ensure that time for learning is not lost or wasted, which means that children sustain high levels of engagement.  The staff’s assessments of children’s learning are frequent, detailed, purposeful and accurate. The

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Early years provision is outstanding

children’s progress is monitored diligently and that leads to activities being modified to meet individual and particular needs. Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used well when responding to some of those needs.  The teaching of phonics is highly effective.  The children make strong progress during their time in early years. They begin at levels well below average, getting much closer to average by the time they are ready to start Key Stage 1. That contributes significantly to the consistently above-average proportion reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics test.  The attention given to the personal development of the children also contributes significantly to their readiness for Key Stage 1. The school’s work to inculcate the values that permeate it and that drive its success begins and is as prominent here, an example being work produced by the children on a theme of

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Early years provision is outstanding

‘All friends together’.  Parents’ views are as strongly positive about the early years as they are about the school generally.

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School details

Unique reference number 138340 Local authority Nottingham City Inspection number 10003441

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 427 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gerry McMahon Headteacher Ann Glynne-Jones Telephone number 0115 915 5762 Website www.stteresasprimaryschool.co.uk Email address admin@st-teresas.nottingham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St Teresa’s became an academy in 2012. It is part of the St Barnabas Catholic School Trust.  The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  About one fifth of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language are well above average.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum requirements for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  A section 48 inspection of religious education did not take place at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed lessons in all phases of the school and in all classes. They looked at small- group sessions and examples of additional support for pupils. They carried out other visits to classrooms to look at particular aspects of the school’s work, accompanied by senior leaders. They scrutinised examples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors held meetings with leaders and managers, representatives of the governing body, and with other members of staff. They analysed questionnaires completed by five members of staff. They spoke with pupils in groups, in lessons and around the school.  The inspectors checked the 19 responses on Parent View, looked at the free-text comments submitted by those parents, spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day, and took account of the responses of 220 parents to a recent survey carried out by the school.  The inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s development plan and self-

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Information about this inspection

evaluation, policies and records relating to safeguarding, records relating to pupils’ behaviour, the school’s information about pupils’ achievement and attendance, and records of meetings of the governing body.

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Inspection team

Clive Moss, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Elizabeth Ferguson Ofsted Inspector Donna Moulds Ofsted Inspector Damien Turrell Ofsted Inspector Janis Warren Ofsted 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

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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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