St Francis RC Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Francis RC Primary School Friary Road, Peckham, London SE15 1RQ

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Outcome

St Francis RC Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where pupils are kind and welcoming. Pupils are inquisitive and show an interest in their learning. They are happy and safe at school. Pupils know that staff will help and support them if they are worried or upset.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious for pupils and have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils share this ambition and are proud of their achievements. They want to do well and are confident learners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is calm and orderly. Pupils are respectful to staff, visitors and to one another. Children in the early years learn routines that prepare them well for Year 1. They are understanding of other people’s needs. Pupils across the school work with and play alongside each other well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have ensured that pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as being part of the school council. Pupils who are ‘Minnie Vinnies’ discuss needs in the community and what they can do to help. They lead various fundraising events, such as cake sales to raise money for charity.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. They ensure that learning is well sequenced from early years to Year 6. This helps pupils build on what they know year on year. Leaders have reviewed the curriculum recently and made some changes. These include teaching certain subject content in greater depth. In some subjects, these changes are too recent to be fully embedded.

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

Teachers know the essential knowledge and skills that they need to teach. They explain new subject content clearly. Teachers carefully select and model new vocabulary effectively. They make sure that pupils get ample opportunities to practise using new words. In subjects such as mathematics, teachers are skilled in addressing 14 and 15 June 2023

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misconceptions as they arise in lessons. However, in some subjects, teachers do not check carefully what pupils know and remember. Sometimes, teachers move on to new learning without addressing gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This means that pupils sometimes struggle to remember what they have been taught in those subjects.

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Leaders have embedded a systematic approach to teaching pupils to read. Children begin to learn phonics early in Reception. Staff are well trained in teaching early reading. Staff make regular checks on pupils’ reading and identify weaker readers. They give these pupils extra support to help them keep up and catch up. Occasionally, staff do not follow a consistent approach to supporting weaker readers. For example, staff read out the words that pupils struggle with. This means that on these occasions pupils do not get the chance to practise their decoding skills.

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Leaders take prompt action to assess and identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They take advice from specialists, as necessary, to make sure that pupils with SEND get the right support. Teachers adapt learning to help pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils behave well and lessons are not disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils focus on their learning and they are keen to take part in lessons. Staff apply a fair and consistent approach to managing behaviour. Pupils know what is expected of them and they strive to demonstrate the school’s values, such as honesty and tolerance.

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Leaders promote pupils’ wider development through the school’s broad and diverse curriculum. Pupils are taught about different faiths, for example. Pupils are encouraged to treat everybody equally, regardless of differences. Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to develop their interests and talents, such as singing in the choir or learning to play instruments such as the keyboard, guitar and drums.

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The governing body carries out its duties well. Governors understand their roles and hold leaders to account effectively.

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Staff value opportunities to develop their teaching skills. Staff are proud to work here. They said that workload is manageable and that efforts have been made to improve this over time. Staff appreciate the actions taken by leaders to support their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding team work well together and prioritise pupils’ safety and well-being. Leaders know pupils and their families well and understand their contextual safeguarding needs. They work closely with a range of professionals to ensure that the right support is in place. Leaders share important information with parents and carers about how to keep their children safe online and how to be healthy. Pupils are taught about keeping safe, such as when travelling to and from school. 14 and 15 June 2023

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Staff know how to identify potential risks to pupils, and they report any concerns promptly. Leaders follow up any issues with appropriate action. Leaders ensure that all pre-recruitment checks are completed.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not systematically check pupils’ understanding. They sometimes move on to new learning without addressing gaps in knowledge. As a result, pupils do not develop secure understanding of essential subject content. Leaders should ensure that all teachers check what pupils know and remember and identify and address any gaps or misconceptions before introducing new learning.  Occasionally, staff do not follow a consistent approach when giving additional support to pupils who are learning to read. They do not routinely encourage pupils to decode words. Leaders should make sure that all staff follow a consistent approach to supporting pupils who are learning to read.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 14 and 15 June 2023

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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. 14 and 15 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10289791 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 6 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher was appointed in September 2018.  The school has a Roman Catholic ethos. The school’s last Section 48 inspection was in November 2022.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to a sample of pupils read. 14 and 15 June 2023

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 The inspector had meetings with the headteacher, other school leaders and groups of staff and pupils. The inspector spoke with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector met with the school leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and SEND. The inspector checked the record of pre-recruitment checks and reviewed a range of documentation, including information on safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and SEND.  The inspector spoke with leaders and staff to understand how workload and well-being are taken into account.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Kieran Bird, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 June 2023

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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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