St Barnabas and St Philip's CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Barnabas and St Philip’s CofE Primary School 58 Earls Court Road, Kensington, London, W8 6EJ

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 19 and 20 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults’ expectations for all pupils are not consistently high, particularly in early reading and mathematics. Generally, pupils do not behave well across the school. During breaktime for example, pupils do not behave as positively as they should. When pupils are not clear about what is expected of them in class, they lose focus.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and are safe. Leaders are quick to deal with issues of bullying should they arise. The school has strong provision for pupils’ character development. They have rich opportunities to develop their interests. This includes in sport, culture, and the environment. Pupils speak confidently about the school’s values of friendship, trust and peace. All pupils are included in what the school has to offer. Pupils are respectful of those from different backgrounds.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is promoted through exploring real-life questions. For example, teachers introduce them to issues about stereotyping and discrimination. Pupils contribute to life beyond the school, including raising money for charities. Teachers organise many opportunities for pupils to learn about the local area through outings. They help pupils to foster a sense of awareness of global issues and empathy for the environment. Pupils have considered how to reduce greenhouse gases and the importance of sustainable tourism. In the early years, children are taught about different festivals and celebrations. Adults help children to understand their feelings and how to manage their concerns.

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better?

In Years 1 and 2, pupils have not built their reading confidence and fluency securely. Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics reading scheme. This is not implemented as well as it could be. Additional sessions are beginning to help pupils to use phonics to read unfamiliar words. However, teaching is not enabling pupils to catch up quickly. This includes the weakest readers and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. Older pupils enjoy reading a variety of high-quality texts and talk about their reading preferences and favourite authors. Children in the early years enjoy listening to well-selected stories.

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better?

The sequencing of subject plans is not routinely strong. For instance, in history schemes of work do not typically identify important knowledge that pupils need to know. Plans do not ensure that pupils deepen their understanding about key concepts such as ‘empire’. Pupils do not learn routinely about different historical interpretations. In some other subjects, including physical education and science, plans are sequenced well to help pupils build on their previous learning.

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better?

The implementation of curriculum plans is variable. For example, in mathematics, while pupils know strong arithmetic strategies, teachers do not typically develop 19 and 20 October 2021

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pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills. Adults do not assess and check pupils’ understanding regularly or clarify any pupils’ misunderstanding in a timely manner. This means that some pupils continue to make mistakes. Sometimes adults do not provide pupils with clear instructions, including in the early years. As a result, pupils lose attention, including those with SEND. This limits their learning. In the early years, children have opportunities to access a broad curriculum. They enjoy the learning which adults plan for them. However, adults sometimes miss opportunities to deepen children’s understanding, for example, through rich discussions.

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Adults identify and respond to the needs of pupils with SEND and adapt the curriculum. Leaders liaise with external agencies to provide specialist support in a timely way.

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Staff feel supported because leaders prioritise their well-being. Leaders acknowledge that recent curriculum changes and changes to the school’s timetable have added to teachers’ workload. Staff said that leaders explained the importance of these changes and try to help them maintain a work-life balance.

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Governance has changed over the last few years. Governors have improved their systems of accountability, including in finance. They keep up to date about leaders’ work. Governors are reflective and know the school’s priorities, including for curriculum development.

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Parents appreciate the school’s caring ethos. They value the work teachers do to keep their children safe and happy.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are knowledgeable and committed to keeping pupils safe. They know families well. Leaders liaise with external agencies in a timely manner. They act on information quickly and manage concerns effectively should they arise.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular training to make sure they know and fulfil their safeguarding duties. They deal with any concerns should they occur. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online. They know the importance of sharing any concerns they may have with adults.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Phonics sessions do not help pupils to build up their reading fluency effectively. Additional catch-up sessions do not help pupils to revise previously learned sounds and move on to new ones as quickly as they should. Leaders should 19 and 20 October 2021

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ensure that all adults’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are high enough to enable them to quickly catch up.  The school’s subject plans are not fully embedded. In mathematics, opportunities to reason and problem-solve are not consistent. In some subjects, plans are not sequenced well enough so that the important knowledge and concepts that pupils need to learn over time are clearly identified. Leaders should ensure that all subject plans identify the key knowledge the pupils need to learn in a coherent manner.  Adults, including in the early years, do not address pupils’ misconceptions in a timely manner. They do not check or explain as well as they should, which sometimes leads to pupils being confused about what is expected of them. Leaders should ensure that all adults, including in the early years, use assessment information carefully and check pupils’ understanding.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 19 and 20 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199369 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 14 February 2007, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a Church of England religious character. The school’s previous section 48 inspection took place on February 2018.  The previous substantive headteacher left the school in July 2019. The school then entered into a soft federation with another school. This ended in July 2020. An interim senior leadership team was then put into place.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science, mathematics and physical education. They visited lessons and looked at subject planning documents and pupils’ work. They considered other subjects as part of this inspection. 19 and 20 October 2021

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 Inspectors met with school leaders, the chair of governors and members of the governing body. An inspector also met with a representative from the London Diocesan Board for Schools. They also met with members of staff.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils. These meetings were used to gather pupils’ views, including about their learning, behaviour and safety.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding, pupils’ personal development and behaviour. They also considered the views of parents and staff, including through surveys.

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Inspection team

Noeman Anwar, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynn Martin Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 October 2021

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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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