St John Vianney RC Primary School

Inspection of St John Vianney RC Primary School Stanley Road, Tottenham, London, N15 3HD

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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 Good 7 and 8 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive an exceptional education at this school. This begins in the early years where strong foundations are built. The school provides an exciting and rich curriculum. Pupils thrive because the school has high academic ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school creates a love of learning at all ages.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is driven by its mission statement which likens life to an adventure. Pupils explore the world around them with curiosity and great enjoyment. The school provides a wide range of enrichment opportunities to ensure pupils gain valuable life experiences. Pupils take part in trips, singing assemblies and clubs. This is in addition to listening to visitors and authors, and taking part in competitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Respect is a core value at the school, and pupils support each other as buddies and mentors. Pupils also take an active role in the school council and other leadership roles. The school fosters a keen sense of community, working closely with families.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is exemplary and pupils are highly motivated to learn. This begins in early years where children follow instructions quickly and show great care for each other. Older pupils listen to their peers attentively and are enthusiastic about their learning. They are polite, courteous and confident. Pupils are happy and safe at this school.

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better?

Pupils follow a strikingly ambitious and rich curriculum. The school has identified the knowledge that pupils will learn precisely, across all year groups. This is planned coherently, so that pupils repeat and practise key concepts and have strong understanding. Teachers use activities that are designed to deepen and consolidate what pupils have learned. Pupils, including those with SEND, develop a secure body of knowledge and skills in different subjects.

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better?

Teachers think carefully about what is learnt and when. In the early years the curriculum is built around celebrations to encourage children to share experiences and understand the world around them. They learn in a language rich environment. For example, when exploring the garden, children are encouraged to look ‘above,’ ‘on top,’ ‘below’ and ‘through’ to find numbered dragons as part of the Chinese New Year. Teachers also provide a strong foundation in mathematics by exploring the composition of numbers with a range of interactive activities. Older pupils quickly master challenging mathematical concepts. One comment from a pupil, typical of many, was ‘I love maths; I love thinking about these equations.’ Similarly, pupils demonstrate sophisticated writing and a strong command of language.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject expertise and pupils excel as a result of high-quality teaching. Pupils with SEND are quickly identified and are almost always fully included in ambitious learning within the classroom. The school encourages pupils to 7 and 8 February 2024

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think critically and draw connections. For example, in the history curriculum pupils in Year 6 compare the ancient kingdoms of Benin and Ethiopia.

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The school has made reading an absolute priority and a love of reading is evident. The phonics programme is set out and sequenced in a logical way to build knowledge gradually and securely. Pupils take home books which match the sounds practised in class and their progress is carefully monitored. As a result, pupils gain fluency quickly. A love of stories is introduced in the early years, while older pupils read a diverse and ambitious selection of novels to enable thoughtful discussion.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. A wide variety of enrichment activities is available. The school plans numerous trips including to museums, galleries, the Houses of Parliament and theatres. Visitors routinely deliver talks and pupils take part in competitions, swimming lessons and a range of clubs. The school is a strong community and pupils also take an active role supporting each other as playground buddies, mentors and school council representatives. Pupils are confident to take the initiative and support others. For example, pupils wrote a proposal for Autism Awareness week, which they then planned and delivered with leaders’ help. Pupils learn about how to stay healthy and how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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Children learn and play cooperatively in the early years. They move from one activity to the other seamlessly and develop strong social and emotional skills. Older pupils demonstrate kindness and respect. They are highly motivated to learn in class. The school works closely with parents and carers to ensure pupils have high attendance and are nurtured throughout their time at school. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and consider it a ‘home from home.’

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Leaders ensure that all pupils are known, nurtured and flourish. The school provides an excellent quality of education and care for the community it serves. Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school. They are provided with high quality professional development. Leaders and governors are dedicated to continual improvement which drives a culture of ambition.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 7 and 8 February 2024

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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.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-johnvianney.haringey.sch.uk

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 13 – 14 December 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St John Vianney RC Primary School is a Catholic school within the Diocese of Westminster.  The most recent section 48 inspection, which is an inspection of the school’s religious character, took place in 2018.  The school runs its own breakfast club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspectors met with senior leaders, a number of teaching and support staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions 7 and 8 February 2024

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about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for school improvement.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors took account of the views of pupils, parents, and staff, as gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s surveys.  Inspectors checked the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors held meetings with staff and spoke with pupils during social times.

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They observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including as they arrived and left school.

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Inspection team

Sarah Saunders, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julian Grenier His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 February 2024

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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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