Our Lady of the Rosary RC Primary School

Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School Inspection report

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125215 Unique Reference Number Surrey Local Authority 315197 Inspection number 1 December 2008 Inspection date Madeleine Gerard Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 254 School (total) 45 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr P O'Brien Chair Mr JF Mescall Headteacher 6 December 2004 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Park Avenue School address Staines TW18 2EF 01784 453 539 Telephone number 01784 449 485 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 1 December 2008 Inspection date 315197 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School, 1 December 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and investigated the following issues: the pupils' achievement and the standards that they reach; the quality of teaching and learning, of the curriculum and the academic guidance given to the pupils. Evidence was gathered from a range of documents, data on pupils' progress, school records, discussions with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff and pupils, observations around the school and replies to the parents' questionnaire. Some aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggests that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary is slightly larger than the average primary school. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average and most of these have specific learning needs or speech and language difficulties. The school holds a number of nationally recognised awards including the Activemark, Basic Skills Quality Mark and Healthy Schools. The governing body manages a playschool for children in the EYFS as well as the Cool Club after-school for children in the Reception class and for pupils in Years 1 to 6.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School, 1 December 2008

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Grade: 2

Our Lady of The Rosary is a good school. There are some outstanding features that include the pupil's extremely good personal development, the quality of the pastoral care provided for them and the curriculum. The majority of parents are confident that their children are safe, well cared for and enjoy their time in school. This is reflected in pupil's extremely high attendance, and helps pupils to make good progress. Behaviour is excellent in lessons and around the school. Pupils are very polite, and keen to learn. One parent, expressing the views of many, wrote, 'Every morning, my daughter goes to school with a big smile on her face.' The spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of pupils' development are outstanding. The Catholic culture permeates the whole school. Pupils regularly raise funds to support many local, national and international charities. This fosters generosity of spirit and helps to develop their very

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Grade: 2

good awareness of those less fortunate than themselves. Pupils are very enthusiastic to take on responsibility for instance, as house captains or in the eco group. The school council takes an active part in school development. For example, they have helped to introduce a school tracksuit for pupils to wear during physical education (PE) in winter. Pupils play a positive role in the local community. The school choir sings for local elderly residents. In the summer, pupils grow vegetables in the school grounds. Children make good progress in the EYFS so that many have exceeded the goals expected of them by the start of Year 1. Pupils achieve well through the rest of the school. Over recent years, standards have risen and attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 has been above average. Provisional tests results for 2008 show standards were particularly high in reading at the end of Year 2 and in mathematics at the end of Year 6. The school's own tracking data

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Grade: 2

shows that rates of progress through the school are good. There are examples of outstanding progress, for example in reading, but this is not consistently the case across subjects and classes. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and is sometimes outstanding. Teaching assistants are managed skilfully to meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. As a result, these pupils make outstanding progress. Pupils enjoy good opportunities to talk about their learning in pairs and small groups, which promotes their extremely good social skills. Pupils appreciate the interesting work that teachers plan. For example, pupils in Year 6, who were learning to use persuasive language, thought carefully about the environmental impact of product packaging, while considering the viewpoints of manufacturers, shopkeepers and the elderly. Although teachers use assessment well, there are shortcomings in marking

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Grade: 2

because guidance on how pupils can make their work even better is not consistently given. Throughout the school, strong relationships amongst pupils and staff contribute to pupils' self-confidence and progress. This, combined with pupils above average standards in basic skills, prepares them well for the next stage in their education. The outstanding curriculum is broad and balanced. One pupil said, 'I like coming to school because it's fun, it's exciting, every day is new.' Literacy and numeracy are given appropriate emphasis. Reading is particularly well supported, both through small group sessions and ensuring pupils are heard to read individually on a very regular basis. Workshops for parents offer useful guidance on how they can support their children's learning at home. Specialist mathematics teaching and support for pupils who find numeracy difficult in Key Stage 2 ensures pupils reach particularly high standards by the end of Year 6. Pupils in Year 4 enjoy opportunities to learn

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Grade: 2

a musical instrument and there is a good range of very popular extra-curricular clubs including Bookworms, gardening, athletics and sewing. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 learn French. Computing 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School, 1 December 2008 facilities have recently been enhanced and pupils' skills are developing very well through regular opportunities to use computers across a range of subjects. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the school's wide variety of sporting activities and are rightly proud of their numerous successes in local tournaments. One pupil enthused, 'We've only just had the trophy cabinet put in and it's already full.' This develops pupils' self-esteem, skills in teamwork and encourages their very positive attitudes to keeping fit and healthy. Pupils also like the after school Cool Club. This offers a good range of activities for pupils of all ages and they say they enjoy getting to know

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Grade: 2

pupils in other year groups. Themed weeks ensure pupils have opportunities to enjoy a wide range of new experiences. For example, during the recent arts week, pupils learned flamenco, Indian and ballet dancing, enjoyed African drumming workshops and tasted foods from a variety of countries. This contributes to pupils' good understanding of the lives of others who live in communities other than their own. Pupils comment positively about visits to local places of interest and visitors to the school. Older pupils speak with particular enthusiasm about annual residential visits. Through the summer term enrichment programme, pupils choose to develop new skills including learning Polish, German and philosophy. Effective pastoral care and support are centred on all staff knowing the pupils very well and helping pupils make outstanding gains in their personal skills. An excellent 'buddy' system ensures that all pupils in Years 1 and 2 are partnered with Year 6 pupils who play with them

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Grade: 2

and check they are happy at break times. Safeguarding pupils' welfare, safety and health is rigorous. The school works very well with a variety of outside agencies to promote pupils' well-being and to support those who need extra help with their learning in class so they achieve as well as they can. Pupils are very clear about how to keep themselves safe and they are confident that should any problems occur, adults will take swift action. Pupils' academic progress is generally promoted well. Tracking systems enable the school to check how well they are achieving. Although some pupils know their targets, there are inconsistencies. As a result pupils do not always know what they have to do to move up to the next level in their work. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school that is shared by all leaders and managers and staff. Good self-assessment has identified priorities

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Grade: 2

for development. These lead to appropriate action to bring about improvements, such as the addition of the new computer suite and changes to the way mathematics is taught in Years 1 and 2. Consequently, the school has a good capacity to improve further. Monitoring is taking place. However, leaders and managers do not systematically check the quality of teaching and learning in order to ensure it is always as good as the very best and, therefore, raise rates of progress consistently through the school. The governing body is strongly supportive of all the school's work. It knows the school well and is committed to taking an active role in school improvement. The school has plans to develop links with schools abroad to promote further pupils' awareness of global communities. Parents are very supportive of the school. Many made a point of writing to express their appreciation for the work of the headteacher and for that

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Grade: 2

of the staff. One parent of a pupil in Year 6 wrote, 'I will be very sorry when my child leaves this lovely school in July.'

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Grade: 2

Children join the EYFS with attainment generally at the expected levels for their age. Opportunities to visit the playschool prior to starting and well-established routines help children to settle well. Personal and social skills are rightly prioritised and pupils take turns and share equipment well. Children in the playschool and the Reception class have very good opportunities 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School, 1 December 2008 to develop their learning in the outside areas that have been very successfully developed since the previous inspection. The EYFS is well led and managed. Although in the playschool children's progress is recorded, planning is not always matched precisely enough to children's individual needs. As a result, children make satisfactory progress. When children start in the Reception class, their skills and capabilities are generally at the expected levels for four-year-olds. In Reception, staff are very good at regularly observing and

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Grade: 2

noting children's achievements in all areas of development. They use this information to plan the next steps in their learning, which helps them make rapid progress. The parent of a child in Reception expressed a commonly held view in writing, 'My child has settled in school very well and has made a good start. This is due to the support and care the teachers give to each child.' Children in the Reception class who attend the after school Cool Club are well cared for and enjoy a good range of appropriate activities in the inside and outside areas.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Use marking and targets consistently to make clear to pupils what they need to do in order to improve their work. ■ Develop the role of leaders and managers in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning so that it is consistently as good as the very best. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School, 1 December 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School, 1 December 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School, 1 December 2008

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School, 1 December 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 December 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School,Staines,TW18 2EF Thank you for being so friendly and helpful when we visited your school recently. We really enjoyed our visit and particularly appreciated hearing you all singing so well in assembly and listening to the school choir in the afternoon. Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary is a good school. You make good progress and reach above average standards by the time you leave the school. These are the best things about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy school, attend very regularly and your parents told us they like the school very much, too. ■ You are keen to learn and get on very well with each other and the adults.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You do a very good job in supporting many charities, which shows you care very much about those less fortunate than you are. ■ You know how to keep yourselves safe and understand why it is important to be fit and healthy. ■ You help the school and local community very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You like the very interesting activities that the teachers plan for you and the extra-curricular clubs that the school organises. ■ The school makes sure everyone feels safe and happy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked the school to make sure that when your work is marked you are always given lots of ideas about how to improve. Everyone is working hard to help the school to improve further. We would like the teachers to make even more checks on the work they are doing to make sure all your lessons can be as good as possible. You can help by continuing to do the best you can. Finally, we would like to thank you once again for all your help and wish you well in the future. Yours faithfully Madeleine Gerard Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of The Rosary RC Primary School, 1 December 2008

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