St Vincent De Paul Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Vincent De Paul Catholic Primary School Morpeth Terrace, London SW1P 1EP

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Outcome

St Vincent De Paul Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told me they enjoy attending St Vincent De Paul Primary School. A family ethos is shared by everyone involved in the school. The value of ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ permeates throughout. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy and prosper in a caring environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. They listen to their teachers in lessons and move around the school sensibly. They are motivated to earn ‘house points’ for showing good behaviour or positive attitudes to learning. Pupils say that incidents of bullying or poor behaviour do not happen very often. But if incidents do occur, they trust that adults will sort them out quickly. Pupils play well together at lunchtime and playtime, enjoying well-organised active games and spaces to talk.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school, and parents and carers agree. Pupils know that the site is kept secure and know how to keep themselves safe outside of school. Pupils said that staff help them if they are worried about something. Pupils who may have had difficulty in other schools settle happily here due to the care and support they get.

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

Leaders, staff and governors have high expectations. They are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. They make sure that the school provides an interesting and exciting curriculum.

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

Leaders and staff have thought carefully about how learning is planned and sequenced. This is the case in science, history and geography. In most classes, skilful teaching and planning mean pupils can remember important content over time in a range of subjects. However, there is more work to do in geography and history to ensure consistency in teaching across the whole school.

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

Leaders and staff promote pupils’ wider development well. They make sure that the 4–5 December 2019

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curriculum is not limited to academic learning. Staff teach pupils how to stay safe and about different cultures and religions. Pupils spoke with maturity about the importance of tolerance and respect and how it is acceptable to be different. Pupils are enthusiastic about the extra responsibilities available, such as house captains, anti-bullying ambassadors and school councillors. Pupils enjoy extra-curricular experiences which add to their learning, including clubs and regular visits to museums and art galleries.

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Leaders make sure that reading is a high priority from the start of the early years. Phonics is taught daily and is taught well. In Nursery and Reception, teachers ensure that they focus on developing children’s language and communication skills. They promote a love of books. Teachers make sure that reading books are well matched to the letters and sounds pupils know. This means pupils develop into confident readers from an early age. Pupils in key stage 2 are developing into mature independent readers. Teachers encourage pupils to challenge themselves in reading. They are provided with high-quality reading materials. The teaching of reading is effective, and pupils read well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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The mathematics curriculum is well planned, and pupils enjoy learning this subject. Leaders ensure that there is a strong focus on early mathematics. Children have the chance to explore number and vocabulary, for example through the reciting of nursery and number rhymes. Teachers make sure that pupils understand the basic methods of calculation. They provide pupils with opportunities to gain a thorough understanding of mathematical vocabulary and to revisit previous learning through ‘do now tasks’. Pupils use their knowledge and skills to work out problems and to explain their answers. As a result, pupils achieve very well in mathematics.

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Teachers use assessment well, particularly in English and mathematics. They use the information to inform future learning and to help address misconceptions immediately. However, assessment in geography and history is not as well developed.

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Pupils with SEND are supported well and are fully involved in lessons. Leaders make sure that these pupils have equal access to the many opportunities available, including after- school activities. Staff understand pupils’ needs and adapt their teaching approaches to ensure that these are met. As a result, pupils with SEND learn and achieve well from their starting points.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders and are proud to work at this school. Staff spoken to say that they have good opportunities for professional development. Leaders consider the well-being and workload of staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

A strong culture of safeguarding is present in the school. Leaders make sure that everyone is well trained in spotting signs that pupils may be at risk. Staff are confident in reporting and recording any concerns they may have. Leaders follow these up in a timely manner. They engage well with outside agencies to support the most vulnerable pupils 4–5 December 2019

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and their families, providing early help when needed.

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Adults know the pupils well. They take time to build positive relationships and listen to pupils. This helps them to notice quickly if pupils have any worries. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, including when outside school and when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders make sure that pupils benefit from a high-quality curriculum. Learning is well sequenced and planned across a full range of subjects. Leaders have a clear understanding of which subjects are stronger and which need further refining, for example history and geography. Leaders should ensure that teachers across the school have the subject knowledge required in these subjects to enable pupils to learn well.  Leaders have established a successful assessment strategy in English and mathematics. They now need to do the same in other subjects, including geography and history. This is to ensure that teachers can identify and correct gaps in pupils’ subject knowledge.

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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. 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 10–11 March 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. 4–5 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110478 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10–11 March 2016

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Information about this school

 The school has a Catholic religious character.  The most recent section 48 inspection was carried out in October 2019.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other leaders. I held a meeting with a group of governors, including the chair. I had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Reading, mathematics and history were considered in depth during this inspection. This involved speaking with leaders, visiting lessons, looking at samples of pupils’ work and holding discussions with staff and pupils.  I listened to pupils read from a range of classes in key stage 1 and key stage 2.  I checked the school’s safeguarding records, policies and employments checks. I spoke with pupils, leaders, staff, governors and parents to gather evidence of the effectiveness of safeguarding in the school.  I observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, on the playground, in the dining room, at assembly and around the school. I asked pupils and parents for their views on 4–5 December 2019

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behaviour and bullying, and checked the behaviour records.

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Inspection team

Andrew Hook, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 4–5 December 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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