St John XXIII Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St John XXIII Catholic Primary School 1 India Way, London, W12 7QT

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected since May 2008. 29 and 30 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely proud of their school, which they describe as being part of a large family. Pupils are happy and safe. They strive to become active members of their school community and pupil leadership opportunities are plentiful. For example, staff train pupils to become well-being ambassadors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect all pupils to achieve highly. They have created a culture which empowers pupils to succeed and be aspirational about their future lives. Pupils said that they want to make a positive contribution to society.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. From the time children join the early years, they learn to get on well with each other. Pupils are polite, respectful, and considerate of one another. Pupils and staff enjoy strong positive working relationships. There is a very calm and purposeful atmosphere across the school. Leaders deal with the rare incident of bullying effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ provision for supporting pupils’ personal development is first rate. Pupils very much enjoy the many enrichment activities on offer. These include gardening and cooking clubs as well as special days, such as for careers education, for example. Staff also plan regular ‘science challenges’, which aim to inspire pupils to achieve excellence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are very positive about the school. They value the work of leaders and staff, and the shared school ethos.

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better?

Pupils achieve exceptionally well. Leaders have created a highly ambitious curriculum, which helps pupils to gain and remember deep knowledge across a broad range of subjects. In thinking about each subject, leaders have carefully considered the impact of the pandemic on pupils’ learning. They have identified and worked to close gaps in pupils’ knowledge while also taking account of pupils’ well- being.

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better?

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. Throughout the school, they have created a culture in which reading is both valued and loved. Staff are trained well in the teaching of phonics, which begins in the early years. They make sure that pupils read books, which are well matched to the sounds that they know. Staff promptly identify pupils that are falling behind and provide targeted support to help them catch up. Pupils enjoy story time and are encouraged to read at home often. Early years staff run workshops for parents, so that they know how to support their children’s reading. Pupils quickly learn to read with confidence and fluency.

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better?

Across the subjects, leaders have considered in depth what they want pupils to know and when. They plan logical step-by-step chunks of knowledge, from the early 29 and 30 June 2022

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years onwards. This helps pupils to deepen their knowledge successfully and make links across different areas of the curriculum. For example, children in the early years develop a strong understanding of numbers and place value. This prepares them well for deeper mathematical study when they join Year 1. By the time they reach Year 6, pupils apply their mathematical knowledge innovatively and with accuracy. For example, pupils confidently recalled and applied their mathematical understanding in a project to support their move to secondary school.

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Teachers have high-quality opportunities to develop subject-specific knowledge and their teaching expertise. This supports them to deliver the curriculum in the way that leaders intend, and in turn help pupils to build up detailed knowledge. Leaders and teachers make strong use of assessment. They check pupils’ understanding often and purposefully. They identify any gaps or misconceptions, and then address these gaps effectively. Pupils achieve highly in all the subjects studied.

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Leaders have established strong systems for identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Working with parents and, as appropriate, with therapists, they assess these pupils’ needs with care. Leaders then create bespoke support plans, which they review regularly. They ensure that staff are well trained on how to make adaptations to resources and teaching to meet pupils’ individual needs. As a result, pupils with SEND, including those in the specialist resource provision, have equal access to the ambitious curriculum.

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Children in the early years are attentive and concentrate well during formal activities. Throughout the day, they are inquisitive and enjoy discovering and learning new things. Pupils are highly motivated to do well. They demonstrate resilience in their lessons, for example, by not giving up if they find the work tough. Lessons proceed smoothly and low-level disruption is uncommon. Pupils’ highly positive attitudes make a very strong contribution to how well they learn.

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The school’s provision for pupils' wider development is exemplary. Staff encourage pupils to take good care of their physical, mental and emotional health. They teach pupils about equality and diversity and the wrongs of homophobia, for example. Staff support pupils in understanding how to form healthy relationships. Pupils have rich opportunities for developing and sharing their talents, such as in dance and music performances. Many pupils pass externally graded examinations in a variety of musical instruments

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Leaders give staff the support they need and take care of their well-being. Staff said that their workload is manageable and that they feel valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff have regular safeguarding training. Staff are vigilant and know how to report concerns. This helps the safeguarding team to identify pupils who need early help, or who are at risk of abuse. They make referrals to external 29 and 30 June 2022

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agencies promptly. There are robust procedures in place for monitoring vulnerable pupils and following up on responses to referrals.

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Pupils are taught about risk, how to keep themselves safe, and seek help. This includes when going online, and sexual harassment, for example.

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Leaders follow the proper procedures for vetting candidates' suitability to work with pupils.

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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. 29 and 30 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10228701 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 Elizabeth Uwalaka

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Date of previous inspection

22 May 2008, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND and caters specifically for additional needs associated with autism spectrum disorder. The provision offers up to eight places for pupils in Year 1 to 6.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school is a voluntary-aided Roman Catholic school under the Diocese of Westminster. The latest Section 48 statutory inspection by The Catholic Schools’ Inspectorate was on 4 October 2018.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 29 and 30 June 2022

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school, assistant headteachers and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority, and met with three governors, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, computing, science, Spanish and art. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also looked at curriculum plans and samples of pupils’ work in some other subjects.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for

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improvement. They also reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered and considered through discussions and Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Sahreen Siddiqui, Lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Janice Howkins Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 June 2022

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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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