St Saviour's Catholic Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Dean Houson Headteacher St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School 10 Bonfield Road Lewisham London SE13 6AL

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 8 March 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in July 2011.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

You and your leadership team have maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since joining the school in September 2013, you have maintained the strengths identified at the previous inspection. Other areas have further improved, notably outcomes for children in the early years and pupils in Key Stage 1.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Despite the recent significant changes to staffing, pupils continue to flourish academically and socially. They remain very positive about their school, as do their parents and the staff. The learning environment continues to be happy, calm and well ordered. Pupils’ achievements across all aspects of school life are celebrated, including their good academic results, attendance and punctuality.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Leaders successfully promote the school’s ethos, founded on Catholic principles. At the same time, you ensure that pupils appreciate the views of others. Pupils participate in events with different faith schools, learn about other religions and visit places of worship, including the local temple and synagogue.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

The curriculum continues to promote pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development effectively. In particular, pupils speak highly of their music education at the school. They are very proud of the school choir and its strong contribution within the community, particularly when they perform at local and national events. You and other senior leaders regularly monitor the quality of teaching, accuracy of teachers’ assessments and pupils’ progress. This enables you to provide training and development for teachers to improve their practice. These actions have resulted in a marked improvement in outcomes for children in the early years and Key Stage 1 since the previous inspection.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Leaders have addressed the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection in July 2011. The report recommended improvements to the governing body’s ability to give strategic direction to the school. Last year, governors undertook training to improve their understanding about academic assessment information. Following this, they requested and now receive termly reports about the progress all pupils make, including disadvantaged pupils. This enables governors to hold leaders to account for the academic achievement of pupils and groups.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

The previous inspection report also recommended improvements to the outside learning area for the children in Reception. You have addressed this effectively by ensuring provision offers a good range of learning experiences. This includes a new covered area to facilitate children’s learning in all weather conditions. Assessment information demonstrates that current Reception children are making much better progress in their physical development and understanding about the world than previously.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

School leaders ensure that safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements. Staff receive up-to-date training and are clear about how to report any concerns they have, including about protecting pupils from radicalisation and extremism. Furthermore, the school completes the necessary pre-employment checks to ensure the suitability of staff to work with children.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Leaders’ work with other agencies is rigorous in keeping children safe. This includes following up on cases where pupils are potentially missing from education. Records relating to the welfare of vulnerable pupils are detailed and monitored by designated staff to ensure that the actions of the school and others are effective.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Pupils confirm that the school is a safe place to be. They are able to explain how to keep themselves safe in different situations, including when they use technology to go online. Pupils can describe different forms of bullying, including physical, verbal and cyber bullying. They are confident they can talk to anyone if they have any worries and confirm there is no bullying at the school. Parents also confirm that their children are safe at the school.

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Short inspection of St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School

Leaders provided the inspector with the latest version of the school’s safeguarding policy. This is in line with the most recent statutory guidance.

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Inspection findings

 Senior leaders ensure that teaching in all parts of the school is typically good. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They make accurate assessments about pupils’ progress, in line with the new curriculum expectations. Consequently, pupils are making good progress in lessons, including the most-able pupils.  By the time pupils reach the end of Year 6, achievement is above average in writing and mathematics. The school’s assessment information indicates that higher proportions of pupils are likely to reach or exceed the expected standards in reading this year.  Under the current leadership, achievement in Key Stage 1 has improved since the previous inspection, including for disadvantaged pupils, the most able and those with special educational needs and disability. In reading, writing and mathematics pupils achieve above the national averages.  Leaders have an accurate view about the school’s priorities for

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Inspection findings

improvement. In January 2015, they identified that progress in reading for some of the older pupils was not rapid enough. Details about specific actions to address this were set out in the school’s plan and linked to leaders’ performance targets. These actions are having a positive impact on pupils’ current reading progress, which is strong across the school for all groups.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is effective. The school’s training programme for staff has successfully improved outcomes for pupils. The proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard at the end of Year 1 has risen since 2013. It is now above the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with special needs and disability. The previous gap in achievement for boys is now closing.  Governors know the school well. They are highly committed to improving the achievement of all pupils. Having completed a review of their skills,

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Inspection findings

governors have made subsequent appointments to the governing body. New members offer the relevant skills to bring about further improvement, additional challenge and support for senior leaders.  Good provision in the early years ensures that children are well prepared for their next stage in Year 1. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception has improved over recent years, remaining above the national average in 2015. Practitioners encourage children to learn well across all areas, including in the newly extended outdoor area. Children enjoy developing their understanding about the world when they play in the ‘Health Centre’, booking appointments, caring for patients and writing prescriptions.  Pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at other times of the day is good. They are clear about the school’s expectations, rewards and sanctions. They are very polite and enjoy a range of opportunities on offer to take responsibility

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Inspection findings

and help others. The school council is currently working with members of the local community to campaign for improved road safety. Attendance continues to improve and remains better than the national averages for all groups of pupils.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 pupils in Years 5 and 6 continue to accelerate their progress in reading  pupils’ progress in reading is rigorously and regularly monitored in all year groups.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Education for the Archdiocese of Southwark and the Director of Children’s Services for the London Borough of Lewisham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you and two other members of the senior leadership team, including leaders with responsibility for safeguarding. I also met a representative from the local authority and a group of governors, including the Acting Chair of the Governing Body. I visited classes during the day to observe teaching and learning, accompanied by you. In lessons, I looked at a sample of pupils’ work books. I evaluated the school’s most recent information relating to pupils’ progress, the school’s self-evaluation and the school’s plan for further improvement. Other records were scrutinised including documents relating to the performance of staff, and safeguarding. I spoke to a group of pupils to gain their views about the school and evaluated the responses of 10 staff and 19 parents to the online questionnaires.

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