St Anthony's Roman Catholic Primary School

St Anthony’s Roman Catholic Primary School Genoa Road, Anerley, London, SE20 8ES

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Leaders and governors have been successful in improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes. As a result, the school has improved and is now good.  Leaders have dealt successfully with the recommendations of the previous inspection. For example, pupils’ writing books throughout the school show that the quality of writing is strong.  Governors ask searching questions and hold school leaders firmly to account for pupils’ achievement. As a result of the close cooperation between leaders and governors, pupils now make better progress in their learning.  Leaders are successful in creating a school that has strong values, shared by all. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  Behaviour is good. Pupils are keen to learn. They are polite to visitors and get on well together. They show their enjoyment of school through attendance that is now above average.  Pastoral care is strong. The school keeps pupils safe

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This is a good school

and teaches them to keep themselves safe.  Good teaching overall results in pupils learning well in all subjects. Questioning is a strength of the teaching. Teaching assistants are deployed well to help pupils, particularly those who have a range of additional needs.  Consistently good feedback, both oral and written, helps pupils understand how to improve their work.  Pupils’ outcomes are much improved, especially in Key Stage 1, where outcomes have been significantly above average for the last two years.  A particular success story for the school is the achievement of disadvantaged pupils, particularly in mathematics in both key stages. Their attainment and progress generally match, or in a minority of cases exceed, those of other pupils at the school.  Children in the Reception class learn well and make good progress. The adults are caring. They work in close partnership with parents to ensure that the good learning at school continues at

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This is a good school

home.  The indoor learning and play areas provide good opportunities for children to learn a wide variety of skills, including literacy and numeracy skills.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The impact of teaching on pupils’ learning is not at a consistently high enough level to enable more pupils to make rapid progress.  Work set is not always carefully matched to pupils’ ability to ensure that they are suitably challenged.  The outdoor learning and play areas in the Reception class do not provide enough stimulating opportunities for children to learn such high-quality skills as they do indoors.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Secure outstanding learning, teaching and behaviour by: – providing tasks that have the right level of challenge, and are neither too easy nor too difficult, in order to secure the very best learning and to ensure that pupils pay close attention and are fully engaged – making sure that, in their checks on the quality of teaching, leaders ensure that the level of challenge successfully matches pupils’ abilities.  Improve the outdoor learning areas of the Reception class in order to provide more inviting and stimulating opportunities for children to develop the best literacy, numeracy and physical skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The school has improved because leaders and governors have taken careful account of the recommendations in the previous inspection report. Their plans for future improvements are strong, with a clear timetable for making improvements. Writing, a previous area of concern, is now better across the school. Leaders and governors are clear about the direction the school is taking, and are ambitious to make it outstanding.  The headteacher, working in effective partnership with leaders at all levels, has improved ways of checking pupils’ progress. Pupils’ achievement is set out clearly and conveyed effectively to governors. Staff know their pupils well, and play a full part in recording their progress. They use the information well to identify and address gaps in learning and as a result, pupils’ achievement, particularly in Key Stage 1, has risen since the previous inspection in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders are strongly supported by staff who responded to the online survey of their views. All staff who were at the school at the time of the previous inspection state that the school has improved a great deal.  Leaders check the performance of staff carefully and provide valuable advice on how to improve. Leaders offer plenty of opportunities for staff to undertake further training and develop their teaching skills. Teaching, however, is not outstanding because leaders do not always make sure that the level of challenge offered to pupils, though good overall, fully matches their capabilities.  Leaders use the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils effectively. Their achievement is carefully checked, and leaders are active in providing effective additional support for them. As a result, disadvantaged pupils now achieve as well as other pupils in the school.  The school spends the additional government funding for primary sports and physical education well. More

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils are attracted to the increasing availability of sports in after-school clubs. The school ensures that the benefits of the funding will continue in the future through team teaching, where class teachers are shown by sports coaches how to deliver effective sports teaching.  Senior leaders are effective in instilling strong values in the pupils, and promoting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. For example, in one assembly, a story about a mouse that feels he is not as skilled as the other animals was sensitively used to encourage pupils to have confidence in themselves. Pupils listened thoughtfully, and their answers to questions showed that they understood and took the message to heart. The school’s strong Christian values play an important part in making the school ‘a family’, in the words of several parents who spoke to inspectors.  The school ensures that pupils gain the skills to prepare them for growing up in modern Britain. For

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

example, school council prepares them for future involvement in democracy. Those wishing to serve gain a sound understanding of election processes through taking part in campaigning and voting. The school effectively promotes tolerance of other faiths and heritages.  Leaders engage well with parents. All those who spoke to inspectors, or who responded to the online Parent View survey, or to the school’s own survey of their views, confirm that children are safe at the school. A small minority of parents expressed individual concerns to inspectors. Inspection evidence confirms that the school deals effectively with parents’ concerns, once these are shared with leaders.  The curriculum has a strong focus on reading, writing and mathematics, and these skills prepare pupils successfully for the next stage of schooling. Pupils are given a range of opportunities to sharpen these skills, for example in daily guided reading sessions and in effective booster classes for talented

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

mathematicians. This effective promotion of pupils’ basic literacy and numeracy skills makes a strong contribution to their improved outcomes since the previous inspection.  The curriculum is balanced by opportunities for pupils to learn a variety of other subjects, such as Spanish and music. Pupils also benefit from stimulating additional activities outside the usual curriculum. For example, the inspection coincided with World Book Day, and many literary events were offered to pupils, many of whom appeared dressed as storybook characters. They were able to talk enthusiastically about their enjoyment of the book they had based their costume on.  The governance of the school Governors work closely with leaders and readily ask searching questions in order to hold the school to account. For example, they request full evidence of pupils’ performance, clearly set out. As a result, they are aware of pupils’ progress over time and use assessment information effectively to challenge

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

staff about targets for pupils and on any dips in performance. This attentiveness ensures that pupils’ achievement has risen since the previous inspection. The governors are committed to the school and are ready to test its work for themselves. They visit regularly to see how well pupils are learning. They are ready to hold the school to account for. They ensure good value for money from expenditure on staff. They are aware of the importance of the link between teachers’ progression along the pay scales and pupils’ progress. Their scrutiny contributes well to the improved quality of teaching since the previous inspection. Governors effectively fulfil their obligation to keep pupils safe. They study anonymised safeguarding records to ensure that the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe are robust. Governors are well trained in safeguarding procedures, such as ensuring the safe recruitment of staff and making sure that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils are kept safe from the effects of extremism.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school is safe and the site is secure. Those who work with children are effectively checked.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching has improved since the previous inspection. It is consistently good across all year groups and subjects.  Teachers’ questioning is strong. Skilful questioning ensures that pupils are engaged and alert in answering. In one Year 1 English session, for example, based on Michael Rosen’s poem, ‘My Friend Elsie’, pupils were asked to think up rhyming words of their own. In this way, they were stimulated and helped to write their own poems.  Feedback, both written and oral, is consistently good across all subjects, and helps pupils understand what they need to do to improve their work.  Pupils make good progress in developing a range of reading skills. The youngest children in Reception develop good skills in learning sounds and letters (phonics), and this groundwork pays dividends in pupils’ reaching above average outcomes in the Year 1 screening check of their phonics skills. Pupils who read to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

inspectors showed a good ability to read unfamiliar words, using their phonics skills. Frequent reading sessions, such as in a guided reading session observed in Year 6, enable pupils to master a range of comprehension, spelling and vocabulary skills.  Pupils receive many valuable opportunities to write fluently and for different purposes in a range of subjects, including history, science and religious education. The ‘big write’ books contain examples of well- crafted pieces, edited well by the pupils.  Pupils’ mathematical skills are promoted well. Inspectors observed strong examples of challenge that was pitched accurately at pupils’ abilities. For example, a group of the most-able Year 3 mathematicians received tasks that provided challenge, and engaged them fully, so that they were eager to discuss the tasks and worked diligently until they had solved the problems set. Such close attention to pupils’ individual

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

learning capabilities ensures that the most-able pupils make good progress.  On occasion, however, the level of challenge is not pitched accurately enough at pupils’ abilities. Sometimes tasks are too easy and do not demand a high enough level of thought from pupils. At other times, the challenge is pitched too high, leaving some pupils struggling and making less rapid progress than they might.  Teaching assistants are deployed well to provide effective support, particularly for pupils who have a range of additional needs.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pastoral care is strong. Pupils are looked after well. In this small school, each pupil’s needs are known and provided for effectively.  Pupils told inspectors that they ‘feel one hundred per cent safe’. They know which adults to turn to if they have a worry or concern. Pupils report that there is no bullying or name calling at the school and that pupils are kind to one another. During breakfast club, inspectors observed how the other children in the group comforted a child who looked sad.  The school teaches pupils to keep themselves safe, whether at school or at home. For example, the school filters their access to the internet at school, and advises them on safe practice when using computers at home.  Breakfast club and the after-school care provision give pupils a welcome chance to interact with those from different year-groups. They receive well-planned and interesting activities, both indoors and out.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The school’s strong values have a good impact on pupils, promoting thoughtful conduct, so that pupils get on well together and respect the views of others. They are polite to visitors and ready to tell them how much they like their school.  The school is an orderly environment. Pupils keep their books and wall displays neat. They move smoothly and considerately through the corridors.  Pupils care about others, and are ready to raise money for good causes. Inspectors observed public- spirited pupils insisting on paying money into the charity box along with others, even though they had not dressed up as storybook characters.  Behaviour during learning sessions is generally good. In some cases, however, particularly where the level of challenge in tasks does not match their abilities, a few pupils can become restless and lose concentration.  Pupils show their enjoyment of school through their above-average attendance, which is on a rising trend

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Behaviour

and higher this year than it has ever been.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Progress over time for all pupils is good. No group falls behind, and all achieve consistently well. In-school assessment information shows that over time, pupils make consistently good progress in all year groups in reading, writing and mathematics. Current learning and progress, as seen in lessons and in pupils’ workbooks, are good but not exceptional. There is not always enough challenge to ensure that pupils of varying ability work at the highest level they can.  Year 1 pupils achieved well in the 2015 national screening check of their ability to read familiar and specially made-up words, designed to test their ability to read what they actually see, rather than guess at.  Pupils in Years 1 and 2 attain well in reading, writing and mathematics, with no areas of weakness.  By the time pupils leave Year 6, they have made reasonably good progress from their starting points. They are well prepared for secondary school, with good literacy, numeracy and speaking skills. Their confidence

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Outcomes for pupils are good

and strong social skills also prepare them successfully for the next stage of their schooling.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make strong progress in their learning. This is because their needs are quickly identified. The school puts in extra support for these pupils, and checks the impact of this support, so that it always delivers. The school is equally effective in providing for other groups, such as those who speak English as an additional language, and those at risk of falling behind in their learning.  The attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils are particularly strong. School assessment information showing their achievement in all year groups confirms that there is no appreciable difference between their achievement and that of other pupils at the school. In many cases, disadvantaged pupils outperform other pupils. This success reflects the rigour of leaders and governors in carefully measuring

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Outcomes for pupils are good

the progress of all groups and providing effectively for their needs.  The school provides well for the needs of the most-able pupils, for example by providing booster classes in key subjects such as mathematics. As a result, proportions gaining Level 5 or above are equal to or slightly better than the average expected nationally. While it was well above in grammar, punctuation and spelling, it was, however, below in writing.

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The early years provision is good

 Children in the Reception class make good progress in acquiring good literacy, numeracy and social skills.  The early years provision is well led. Leaders check children’s progress carefully, and provide support for those who need it. As a result, no child falls behind in acquiring a range of skills.  Children’s outcomes are good. The proportion leaving the Reception class with a good level of development has risen since the time of the previous inspection, and is now not significantly different from the national average. All groups do well, including children who have special educational needs or disability, and those who speak English as an additional language. This is because each child is seen as an individual, and provided with additional support where needed.  The additional early years pupil premium funding is used well to enable disadvantaged children to make good progress in line with others.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good overall. The adults work successfully together to provide interesting and worthwhile activities for the children. They are careful to promote children’s language skills, by asking them questions to stimulate their thinking and giving them the time to develop their lines of thought.  However, teaching is not outstanding. The level of challenge is sometimes uneven, with activities that are either too hard or too easy. In one phonics session, for example, a large group of children were all engaged in writing the same sentence on their individual whiteboards. Some were able to do this easily, while others struggled and made slower progress. Over time, however, the school’s checks on how well children are learning show that they make overall good progress. These checks were carefully scrutinised by inspectors and found to be accurate. The grounding children receive in phonics in the Reception year

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The early years provision is good

results in Year 1 pupils doing well in the screening check.  Activities provided for the children indoors have a good scope for them to learn a variety of skills. Outdoors, however, activities are less inviting. There are too few opportunities for children to learn literacy and numeracy skills in a stimulating environment. Children’s ability to acquire strong physical skills, such as through balancing and climbing, are restricted by the cramped space and the lack of challenging equipment.  Children are looked after well and behave well. They get on well together. They learn good social skills, such as resilience and patience.  Transition into Year 1 is handled successfully. Children spend a morning in Year 1, and this helps them to gain confidence.  There are strong home-school links in the Reception class. For example, parents contribute to the children’s reading records, and the dialogue between school and home enables children to continue their

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The early years provision is good

learning after the school day has ended.

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School details

Unique reference number 101654 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 10002013

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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 185 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Egan Headteacher Lorna White Telephone number 020 8778 7681 Website www.st-anthonys.bromley.sch.uk Email address admin@st-anthonys.bromley.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10 October 2013

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Information about this school

 St Anthony’s is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  A higher than average proportion of pupils are eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium. The funding is used to support pupils who are eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after.  Most pupils come from minority ethnic heritages. A wide range of heritages is represented. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs support is higher than average but the proportion with a statement or education, health or care plan is below average.  The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care provision.  Children in the Reception class attend all day.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited classes throughout the school and observed pupils’ learning in a range of subjects. The headteacher and her deputy joined inspectors on most of their classroom visits.  Inspectors spoke to a number of pupils, listened to them read and looked at samples of their work. An inspector met with a group of pupils to hear how they felt about the school. Inspectors took into account 17 responses to the online survey of pupils’ views.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, including those who hold responsibility for specific subjects.  A meeting was held with the vice-chair of the governing body and two other governors. Two governors attended the final feedback meeting.  A telephone interview was held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to a number of parents during the inspection. There were eight responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, and inspectors took these into account. Inspectors also took into

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Information about this inspection

account the school’s own survey of parents’ views.  Inspectors took account of eight responses to an online questionnaire for members of staff.  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 minutes of meetings of the governing body.  Inspectors considered a range of evidence on pupils’ attainment and progress. They also examined safeguarding information, and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Natalia Power, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Rekha Bhakoo 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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