St Alban's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Alban’s Catholic Primary School Heron Flight Avenue, Hornchurch, Essex RM12 5LN

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Outcome

St Alban’s Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school

The school sits at the heart of the community. There is an inclusive culture in which everyone is made to feel welcome, whatever their religion or nationality. Pupils are polite and welcoming to visitors while being courteous and respectful to staff and each other. Staff and pupils have warm relationships. Pupils are confident that they can share their worries and staff will resolve their concerns quickly. They enjoy coming to school. Pupils are happy and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement and behaviour. Pupils challenge themselves to meet these. Staff aim to make learning an adventure for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well because they are excited by their learning and want to do their best. They try hard and ‘never give up’. In lessons and around the school, pupils’ conduct is exemplary. Bullying is rare and not tolerated.

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What is it like to attend this school

Pupils have a range of opportunities beyond the classroom to support their learning and development. They enjoy educational trips to museums and theatres, for example, and look forward to participating in concerts and outdoor learning residential experiences. Pupils get the chance to develop their interests, talents and skills through extra-curricular clubs, such as British sign language, athletics and gardening.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been several changes in staffing and leadership. The school has managed these changes well. New staff receive effective support. The school’s evaluation of the impact of these changes is accurate. Leadership is clear about what it needs to do next to secure the highest quality of provision in all areas of pupils’ education. 3 and 4 July 2024

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The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that is well considered and carefully arranged. Knowledge and skills have been carefully identified across the curriculum so that staff know precisely what pupils should learn. Subject content is sequenced so that pupils secure basic facts and principles before using these to help them understand more complex ideas. The curriculum is skilfully taught with a precise focus on the key things that pupils need to grasp securely and in depth. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and deliver the curriculum well. Fun, engaging and memorable activities motivate pupils to do their very best and apply their learning.

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Staff make thoughtful and intelligent checks on learning. They use this information to ensure pupils’ knowledge and skills are retained and to inform future teaching. They then take swift and appropriate action to revisit or move learning on. This helps pupils to secure their understanding and make connections between what they already know and what they are learning now. As a result of the school’s work, pupils learn the curriculum well. The most recent published outcomes also show that pupils achieve well, especially in reading and mathematics.

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Reading is at the centre of the school’s curriculum. Leaders place the highest priority on making sure that pupils quickly learn to read. Children are taught to read right from the start of Reception. The programme for early reading is very well sequenced. Staff are highly trained in delivering the school’s phonics programme. Books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils know. This means that pupils read with developing fluency. As pupils gain reading knowledge, staff check pupils’ learning often and provide personalised support for those who need it. Pupils enjoy listening to teachers read and develop a love of reading for pleasure.

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Starting in early years, the school skilfully identifies and addresses the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff swiftly tackle any barriers to pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum alongside their peers.

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Pupils learn about equality and diversity in an age-appropriate way. Pupils also learn to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including the role that a balanced diet and regular exercise can play. Pupils are eager to take on positions of responsibility, such as play leaders or school councillors. They are taught how to keep themselves safe. This includes topics about road safety, the risks of gangs and how to stay safe online. Nevertheless, a few aspects of the school’s approach to promoting pupils’ wider development are not as fully thought through as others. While pupils are taught to be respectful of difference, there are occasions where the school’s provision does not include a breadth of experiences to build pupils’ appreciation of different beliefs and perspectives as well as the values that shape modern Britain.

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The school continues to promote good attendance. Staff provide effective support to families of pupils whose attendance is low. This helps to ensure that attendance and punctuality improves. While many parents appreciate the communication that they get from the school, some parents feel that there are times when the school does not provide them with timely and helpful information about their children’s education. 3 and 4 July 2024

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Staff enjoy working at this school. They find leaders supportive. Staff know that their workload and well-being are considered by leaders and governors. The governing body knows the school well and provide appropriate support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While overall, the school is preparing pupils well to be citizens of modern Britain, there are occasions, where provision for pupils’ wider development is not as effective as it could be in building awareness and appreciation of fundamental British values, including the beliefs and perspectives of others. The school should strengthen the quality and breadth of experiences on offer so that pupils are very well prepared to live in a complex and diverse society.  There are instances where parents feel that the school’s communication with them is not as helpful or timely as it could be. As a result, some parents do not feel that they are fully informed about how their children are doing and the wider work of the school. The school should review how it communicates with parents so that they consistently get the information they need about their children’s education.

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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 February 2015.

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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. 3 and 4 July 2024

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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 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). 3 and 4 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Alban’s Catholic Primary School is a voluntary-aided school in the Diocese of Brentwood. Its last section 48 inspection took place in February 2022.  The headteacher was appointed in January 2023.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in this evaluation of the school. 3 and 4 July 2024

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, other school leaders, teaching staff, the chair of governors and a range of other members of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science and physical education. 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 also considered the curriculum in other subjects, such as geography.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including those relating to behaviour and the provision for pupils with SEND.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime.  The inspector considered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions

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during the inspection and the responses to the Ofsted surveys.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.

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Inspection team

Chris Birtles, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 July 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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