St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School

St Paul’s Cray Church of England Primary School Buttermere Road, St Paul’s Cray, Orpington BR5 3WD

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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

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 The school requires improvement because, although some improvements have been made, the leadership team has not improved the school sufficiently so that it is good in all areas of its work.  Pupils’ outcomes are not consistently good. Although there are pockets of strong progress, this is not sustained across all year groups and in all subjects. In particular, the most able pupils do not consistently make good progress and achieve well enough.  Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching are not sufficiently rigorous to secure consistently good teaching. As a result, pupils’ learning and progress are inconsistent across the school. Governors do not hold leaders sufficiently to account for this inconsistency.  Plans for future improvement are not sharply focused on improving teaching and learning. Plans are not reviewed rigorously enough to ensure that actions taken have made sufficient impact on pupils’ learning.

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Leaders have not ensured that pupils experience a sufficiently wide curriculum. As a result, pupils sometimes miss out on opportunities to learn literacy and numeracy through a wide enough range of subjects.  Teaching is not consistently good. Teaching does not sufficiently provide tasks that challenge pupils of all abilities, and particularly the most able, to learn as well as they can.  Teaching does not secure sufficiently accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar in pupils’ written work because teachers’ expectations are not high enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 The school is a happy and harmonious environment. Pupils are safe and well cared for.  Pupils behave well and want to learn. They respect others and are polite and helpful.  The headteacher, supported by leaders and governors, has placed the school on an upward path. Leaders and governors are ambitious to make the school as good as it can be.  Governors successfully use additional funding to improve the progress of disadvantaged pupils. There are no significant gaps in their progress and that of other pupils.  Some teaching is strong, enabling pupils to make good progress in their learning.  Safeguarding is effective. Pupils feel safe at school and are taught to keep themselves safe when out and about or when using computers.  The Nursery and Reception classes are safe, happy places, where children get off to a good start in acquiring a range of skills.  Pupils with a range of additional needs are given

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The school has the following strengths

effective support that enables them to make progress in line with others. The effectiveness of the support is carefully checked.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to a consistently high standard, so that it makes a stronger impact on the quality of pupils’ learning, and ensures that: – pupils, particularly the most able, are provided with learning tasks that challenge them fully – improvements are made in the spelling, punctuation and grammar in pupils’ written work to ensure that they are prepared for the additional demands that secondary school will bring.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that leaders raise pupils’ achievement in all subjects, by: – rigorously checking the quality of teaching to ensure that it is consistently as good as it can be and meets the needs of all pupils – improving the school’s plans for the future so that they have a closer focus on the quality of teaching and provide sharper evaluation of the effectiveness of actions already taken – broadening the scope of the curriculum, so that pupils receive a well-rounded education in a wide range of subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and governors have secured some improvements since the previous inspection. However, some aspects of the school’s work have not improved at sufficient pace. For example, teaching is not consistently strong enough to raise pupils’ overall achievement, and particularly that of most-able pupils.  Leaders do not ensure that teaching is at least consistently good across all year groups. The local authority shares the school’s evaluation of itself as good in all areas, including teaching. This has not promoted sufficiently rigorous checks and evaluation of the quality of teaching.  Leaders’ plans for future improvement do not sufficiently cover all the areas of the school’s work that need improving. For example, there is no plan specifically to improve teaching. The school’s improvement plan is not an effective tool for improvement, because it does not set out clearly enough what actions need to be

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

taken and how leaders will evaluate the success of any actions taken.  Leaders and governors have rightly made their main priority raising pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. The curriculum is focused on this, so consequently pupils are adequately prepared for the next stage of schooling. However, leaders do not sufficiently ensure that pupils learn a wide enough range of subjects. As a result, opportunities to develop literacy and numeracy skills through a study of such topics as geography, art or modern languages are sometimes missed.  The school shows capacity to improve. Leaders and governors are ambitious to make the school as good as it can be, and have made a number of improvements. For example, inexperienced subject leaders are encouraged to attend courses to improve their professional development. These enable them to grow in confidence and strength so that they make a similar contribution to pupils’ learning as more experienced

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

teachers.  The school understands the need to provide pupils with a range of activities beyond the schoolroom. The school takes pupils out on trips and visits to museums and theatres to broaden their horizons. A popular feature of school life is the opportunity pupils have to learn outdoor skills and learn about nature in the school’s woodland setting. Such experiences contribute well to pupils’ personal development, enabling them to become enquiring and to build their resilience.  The school develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils care about others. They cheered one another’s success in sports day. Inspectors enjoyed seeing Reception children cooperating well to present a ‘pirate’ assembly to pupils and parents. It was lovely to see how absorbed older pupils were in the presentation, and how well it was received. This reflects the family feel of the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils are prepared well for growing up in modern democratic Britain. Their views are welcomed through the school council. They share in celebrating such British milestones as the Queen’s 90th birthday. Pupils are tolerant and respect the heritages and backgrounds of others.  Leaders and governors use the additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils well. As a result, these pupils make progress in line with, and sometimes better than, other pupils.  Leaders and governors make good use of the additional government funding for primary sports and physical education. There are now more competitions in football, tennis and gymnastics than before. New participants are attracted to such physical activities as dance. The school ensures that the benefits of the funding will continue. For example, sports coaches train class teachers in delivering good-quality lessons, and this ensures that pupils’ involvement in sport continues to grow.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school Governors are fully committed to the school and play an active part in its life. They check that pupils are kept safe by testing the school’s safeguarding policies for themselves. Through their thorough safeguarding training, such as in the safe recruitment of staff, governors ensure that all adults are trained to spot signs of extremism. As a result, the school is a harmonious and tolerant community. Governors know the school’s strengths. They keep a watchful eye on how the funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent, and this is effective in ensuring these pupils make progress in line with others. They expect and get good results for expenditure on focused support for pupils who need it, such as pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They make sure that the additional funding for sports in primary school is used effectively. However, governors are less successful in ensuring that the quality of teaching and learning is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

consistently strong to enable all pupils, particularly the most able, to make strong progress. They do not always ensure that pay decisions are linked strongly enough to pupils’ outcomes.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Background checks on those who work with children are robust. Staff training in a wide range of child protection procedures is up to date. New staff know who to contact, should they have a safeguarding concern about any pupil.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is variable; some requires improvement. This has an impact on pupils’ rates of progress, which are not consistently good across the school.  Tasks set for pupils, particularly the most able, do not consistently challenge or inspire them to learn well. Pupils told inspectors that the work is interesting but not always hard enough. The most able pupils said that they would welcome additional guidance to enable them to learn as well as possible.  Feedback to pupils, both written and oral, is not consistently effective in improving pupils’ written work. Spelling, punctuation and grammar errors are not tackled effectively. As a result, pupils’ basic literacy throughout the school is less strong than it should be.  Where teaching over time is strong, tasks are challenging and engage pupils’ interest. For example, in one Year 6 English lesson, based on the Aidan Gibbons’ film animation ‘The Piano’, pupils were encouraged to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

explore their own responses to this emotional film. Pupils were inspired by concepts such as growing old, remembering the past and giving love to grandchildren. Pupils of varying abilities were set tasks based on their responses, and these provided a good level of challenge for all pupils. Scrutiny of pupils’ books shows that this is typical over time where teaching is strongest.  Teaching assistants are deployed usefully to help pupils, particularly those requiring additional support, to make progress in line with others.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. This is a caring school, in which no child’s concerns are overlooked. As a result, they feel safe. Pupils told inspectors that acts of unkindness between pupils were few and far between. If they had any worries, they knew whom to turn to, and were confident that their concerns would be sorted out. One pupil told inspectors, ‘The adults are good at solving our problems.’  Parents confirm that their children are well looked after. A typical comment from one parent was, ‘My child has additional needs and the school has catered well for these. It has been very supportive to me as a parent when times have been bad.’ This comment reflects the views of several parents who told inspectors they felt the school was a warm community.  The school effectively teaches pupils how to keep themselves safe, whether in school or outside. Pupils are

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Personal development and welfare

taught about the risks from using computers and from talking to strangers. They are encouraged to wear clothes that are visible at night and to be vigilant about road safety.  An examination of school records show that risks are thought about in advance, both when pupils are in school and when they are taken out on trips. In this way, the school keeps pupils safe.  Breakfast club gives those who attend a calm and settled start to the day, and provides them with enjoyable activities.  As a result of good care, pupils develop good personal qualities. They respect others. A typical comment from one pupil was, ‘The school helps us to accept differences, like faces, skin, religions, the way you dress.’ The school is a happy and harmonious one with, in the words of one parent, ‘A family feel’.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are articulate, confident and polite to visitors. They are considerate towards others when moving about the school or in the playground.  Pupils keep the pleasant school environment neat and tidy. They move quickly from one activity to the other, so that time is not wasted. They readily come to order after discussing topics with one another.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They want to achieve. Occasionally, when the tasks set do not challenge them enough or fully meet their needs, they sometimes lose concentration.  Pupils’ attendance has been low for a number of years, but is improving. Inspectors looked closely at reasons for the low attendance and explored what the school is doing to raise it. Inspectors found that the school, in partnership with the family worker and the education welfare officer, is tireless in its efforts to raise attendance. The family worker works closely with parents, particularly those where additional family

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Behaviour

support is required, to ensure that any child able to come to school does so. As a result, attendance is gradually beginning to rise, and the proportion of persistent absentees has dropped.  The school is inclusive and pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and heritages are considerate towards each other and get on well together.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Outcomes require improvement because progress across the school in reading, writing and mathematics is too variable. Some pupils in some year groups make good progress, but this is not consistent across all year groups and for all pupils. School figures for the last academic year, 2014 to 2015, show that the strong progress made by Year 6 pupils from their Year 2 starting points was not typical of the progress made by all pupils that year. School figures for the current year show that progress remains variable, with strength in some year groups, including Year 6, but not in all years.  The overall picture of pupils’ progress, as seen in their workbooks and in their learning in class, shows areas of strength and of weakness. Overall, progress is not strong, and this is particularly the case for the most able pupils. The school measures the progress of individual pupils, and this is particularly helpful in

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

identifying pupils who require additional support in small groups or in booster lessons. However, the school does not identify the most able as a group requiring additional challenge. As a result, these pupils do not routinely achieve as well as they could.  From the time of the previous inspection to the present, attainment and progress have stayed broadly average. Children’s skills at the end of the Reception Year have remained much the same. Pupils’ skills in reading familiar and unfamiliar words in the screening check at the end of Year 1 have remained broadly static. Ways of checking pupils’ achievement in key stages 1 and 2 have changed recently, but school figures show that, in spite of occasional strengths, there is little consistent improvement in their overall achievement.  Pupils’ achievement across the curriculum is not strong. Pupils receive a good grounding in history topics. However, they are given too few opportunities to achieve well in other subjects, such as art, geography

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

and modern languages. As a result, though pupils are prepared adequately for secondary school in their acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills, they are not fully prepared for the wide range of subjects they will learn in their next school.  A success story for the school is the progress made by disadvantaged pupils throughout the school. This matches, and occasionally exceeds, that of other pupils. The school checks the progress of these pupils carefully, and swiftly provides support where it is needed. Leaders and governors check that the support is effective.  The school provides well for pupils who need additional support in small groups. The support is flexible. The large number of teaching assistants and learning mentors are deployed well to enable such groups of pupils to make progress in line with others. Groups that particularly benefit from the additional support include pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils at risk of being left behind

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

in their learning. The additional support is regularly checked by leaders and governors to make sure that it effectively enables pupils to catch up.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years provision is a welcoming place where children can happily learn new skills in a safe protected environment. It is graded higher than the school as a whole, because children make good progress in acquiring a wide range of skills.  The provision is well led. The experienced leader knows the children well. She ensures that there is effective additional support for those who need it to enable them to make good progress. Children who present as requiring additional support are quickly identified. The school works effectively with a range of external agencies to cater for their needs, so that they do not fall behind in their learning. A recent success story is the learning of disadvantaged children. Through determined action by leaders at all levels, scrutinised by governors, these children now acquire skills in line with other children.  Teaching is good, enabling children to acquire language, number and social skills typical for their age.

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Early years provision is good

From their starting points, which vary considerably but which are generally below those expected for their age, this represents good progress in the early years provision.  The classrooms and the outdoor play areas for the children are stimulating, enabling them to acquire a range of skills. There are plenty of opportunities for children to climb, dig and ride wheeled vehicles. Those who want a more protected environment for part of the day have access to home corners and quiet reading areas. Those who want adventure can find it in the many activities involving sand or water.  Adults encourage the children to see the world in a different way. In one activity for Reception children, for example, adults built on the current pirate theme to explore the sound of running water and how it affected their mood. This inspired the children and produced some good responses from them. One said, ‘I thought the waves were very, very calm.’

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Early years provision is good

 Adults give the children opportunities to learn good literacy and numeracy skills. For example, in one Nursery activity, children were prepared effectively for writing by inventing ‘superhero vegetables’ and making marks on their drawings in speech bubbles. Occasionally, however, the most able children do not have activities planned for them to provide the extra challenge to stretch them enough.  Children behave very well in the early years provision. They are fully engaged and absorbed in the many exciting and imaginative activities that they are offered. Inspectors enjoyed seeing how supportive Nursery children were of one another when watching a film they themselves had made about their superhero vegetables. They praised each other and were proud of the achievement of others.  The provision is very safe. Adults are caring and well trained in safeguarding procedures. Gates are locked, and those collecting children are carefully checked.

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Early years provision is good

 Children who attend the provision for two-year-olds have a safe area within the Nursery, enabling them to retreat to a protected environment when they need to, or to venture out and play with the three-year-olds when they want.  Engagement with parents is strong. Parents have regular opportunities to ‘stay and play’ and to join in with the singing.  Transition arrangements are well planned and enable children to proceed smoothly from Nursery to Reception and then into Year 1. Children and their parents meet their new teacher at ‘teddy bear picnics’. Children entering Year 1 find much that is familiar to them, with attractive outdoor play areas and informal as well as formal learning opportunities indoors.

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School details

Unique reference number 101647 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 10002012

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 291 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jeff Blyth Headteacher Jackie Tranchina Telephone number 01689 821993 Website www.st-paulscray.bromley.sch.uk Email address admin@st-paulscray.bromley.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13 November 2013

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Information about this school

 St Paul’s is an average-sized primary school.  It is in the process of expanding from one form of entry to two.  The headteacher took up her post in September 2015.  The proportion of pupils eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is higher than average. The funding is used to support pupils who are eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who come from minority ethnic backgrounds is higher than average. Pupils come from a wide range of heritages. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than average.  The school runs a breakfast club. The after-school care provision is run by an outside provider and inspected separately.  Nursery hours are flexible. Children can attend part time in the morning or afternoon sessions, or can stay

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Information about this school

all day on some days. There is part-time provision for two-year-olds in the afternoons. Reception children stay all day.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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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 deputy headteacher 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 a group of key stage 2 pupils to hear how they felt about the school. There were 22 responses to the Ofsted 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 chair and vice-chair of the governing body, together with two other governors. Seven governors attended the final feedback meeting.  A telephone interview was held with a representative from the local authority.  A telephone interview was held with the diocesan director of education.  Inspectors spoke to a number of parents during the inspection. There were 24 responses to the Ofsted

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Information about this inspection

online survey, Parent View, and inspectors took these into consideration.  Inspectors took into consideration 31 responses to the Ofsted 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 welfare.

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Inspection team

Natalia Power, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Lou Anderson Ofsted Inspector Jane Ladner 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

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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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