St Clement's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Clement’s Catholic Primary School Fennells Mead, Chessington Road, Ewell, Epsom, Surrey KT17 1TX

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Outcome

St Clement’s Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Clement’s is a welcoming school where pupils feel safe and valued. Pupils, parents, carers and staff relish the friendly, family atmosphere at this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend their school because leaders have created a culture and a climate where pupils are keen to learn. Pupils are confident and articulate and talk with passion about their school and their learning. The school’s motto of ‘Growing together in love and learning’, along with its Catholic values, is an integral part of daily life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and pupils have equally high expectations of each other. As a result, pupils behave well. They are polite, have good manners and show respect to each other and to adults. Pupils say that bullying happens rarely but, if it does happen, they trust that adults would quickly sort it out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to do well and eagerly take part in the engaging activities that teachers provide. Leaders plan the curriculum to help pupils develop personally, as well as to achieve academically. Leaders are determined that pupils will leave the school with the skills they need to be successful in their futures.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have high expectations and want all pupils to do well. Pupils behave well in class and take great pride in their work. Teachers ensure that activities are interesting and build well on pupils’ previous learning in most subjects. This is particularly clear in English and mathematics. The way teachers plan learning for pupils is not as systematically organised in some other subjects. Leaders make sure that teachers receive good support and training to develop their expertise across the curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders prioritise reading well. They see reading as the skill that underpins the whole curriculum. Teachers introduce phonics from the beginning of the Reception Year. In key stage 1, teachers put support in place for pupils to catch up in their phonics knowledge if 15–16 October 2019

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they fall behind their peers. The proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is in line with the national average. Early readers are given books to read that match sounds they already know. However, sometimes, the most able early readers are given books that are not sufficiently challenging. Pupils use their reading skills and knowledge to access the curriculum across all subjects. Older pupils read with enthusiasm and fluency. For instance, Year 5 were looking at extracts from ‘The Diaries of a Wimpy Kid’ to guide them to write diary entries. This encouraged many of them to read the whole series of books.

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The teaching of science and mathematics is logically planned and well delivered. Teachers make science engaging and interactive. This helps pupils to remember their learning. Pupils enjoy discussing and debating within science lessons, for example deciding upon the relative sizes of the sun, moon and earth. They present their findings clearly. Pupils achieve well in mathematics. They build up their knowledge securely over time. This helps them to use their skills to solve more difficult problems as they move through school. At times, however, teachers do not always challenge the most able pupils to give reasons for their answers.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils receive the support they need. Class teachers are clear which pupils need extra support and plan activities and use resources well to meet those pupils’ needs.

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Children get off to a great start in the early years. Attentive, caring adults support them well to feel safe and confident. They ensure that the children quickly become familiar with routines and expectations. Learning is well organised and sequenced. Indoor and outdoor learning environments are attractive and inviting. Staff get to know children quickly and use this knowledge to engage them in learning. The adults continually focus on children’s early reading and mathematics skills. As a result, children do well and are prepared for Year 1.

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A range of clubs and enrichment activities develop pupils’ wider interests and talents. There are lots of visits to places of interest, such as places of worship and museums. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures. Older pupils have responsibilities which they take seriously. Pupils are developing a well-rounded appreciation of life in modern Britain.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff receive regular training to know the signs that might raise concerns about a pupil’s welfare. Staff know what to do and follow the school’s policy for managing any concerns. The safeguarding leads work well in school and with outside agencies to get pupils the help they need. The school’s record of the checks they carry out on adults working in the school is detailed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. Road safety is taught, and pupils learn how to ride their bicycles safely. Online safety is taught in computing lessons and 15–16 October 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The strengths seen in English and mathematics are not matched in all other subjects. Leaders have already begun to address the foundation subjects but the content of some is not yet ordered well. This is the case in art, geography, history and design and technology. Leaders need to ensure that all subjects are well planned and carefully sequenced and that teachers have the subject knowledge to deliver them effectively.  The work given to most-able pupils is not consistently demanding enough. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum content is demanding enough for the most able pupils so that they are able to learn more. Leaders should make sure that teachers use information about what pupils already know and can do when planning activities.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 20–21 April 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 15–16 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111357 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mr Michael Davies

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20–21 April 2016

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her position in September 2019.  The senior leadership team was reformed at the start of this academic year.

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Information about this inspection

 I held a wide range of meetings during this inspection, including with the headteacher, senior leaders, the school business manager and governors.  I took account of 95 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey and 52 free-text comments. I also took account of 19 responses to the staff survey and 54 responses to the pupil survey.  Reading, mathematics and science were considered in more depth as part of this inspection. I met with leaders of these subjects, visited lessons, looked at teachers’ planning, heard pupils read, talked to teachers and pupils, and looked at work in books.  I checked the school’s record of recruitment checks for every adult in the school. I met with the designated safeguarding leaders to discuss safeguarding. I looked at some records of incidents reported by staff and the subsequent actions carried out. 15–16 October 2019

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Inspection team

Marcia Goodwin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 15–16 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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