Setting

ST. PETER’S RC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Date of inspection: 7 th – 10 th July 2003

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ST. PETER’S RC PRIMARY SCHOOL

The school was inspected by four inspectors, led by John Ayerst. This is a summary of the inspection report, which is available from the school.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St. Peter’s Catholic Primary School is of average size with some 202 boys and girls of 5–11 years of age. The school is over-subscribed. Most of the pupils come from the surrounding multicultural area of Woolwich in South London. The school is in an Education Action Zone. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals (28.2 per cent) is above average. There is a high proportion of pupils from ethnic minorities and of pupils who speak English as an additional language (20.3 per cent), although almost all have sufficient English to enable them to have full access to the curriculum. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs (18.8 per cent) is average, but the number of those with a Statement of Special Educational Needs is below average (1 per cent). Some pupils have dyslexia or a hearing impairment and a number have moderate learning difficulties. Taken together, pupils’ attainment on entry is below average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science at the end of both Years 2 and 6. Since the last inspection in 1997 test results show improvement that is above the national trends, but with a dip in 2002. The latest test scores for 2003 show above average attainment and good achievement. To achieve these good results the school spends much curriculum time, in a below average week, on the tested subjects, to the detriment of subjects such as geography and history, where standards are lower. In addition, pupils spend considerable time preparing for tests in the period leading up to them. The school accepts that now that good standards have been achieved, it is appropriate to broaden the learning experiences of pupils, including those in the reception class where the provision is too formal, and by providing sufficient time for all subjects.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is very effective in promoting pastoral care for all its diverse races. Pupils from all backgrounds achieve well in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Standards of behaviour are good and pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Overall, the school provides a sound education and satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieved higher than average standards in the latest national tests in 2003, at the end of Years 2 and 6 in English, mathematics and science. • The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal development and, as a result, relationships throughout the school are very good. • Pupils from all backgrounds are carefully supported and the school has strong links with its local community. • The school provides good opportunities for extra-curricular activities that are well supported by the pupils.

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What could be improved

• While some teaching is good, its quality overall is not consistently so. • Pupils do not achieve as well as they should in subjects other than English, mathematics, science and art and design. • The curriculum is not sufficiently balanced and teaching and learning in the reception class are too formal. • The school does not make best use of the skills of the leadership team to monitor teaching and pupils’ work with sufficient rigour. • Assessment procedures do not always provide sufficient information for teachers to monitor pupils’ progress and to plan the next stage of learning for the different needs of pupils in the class.

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What could be improved

St Peter’s RC Primary - 1 The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection in 1997. Since then most of the key issues have been successfully addressed and standards and the quality of teaching have improved. The issues that remain are that there is too much use of worksheets in some years, the total curriculum time is still below average and provision for information and communication technology is only just becoming established. In addition, the deficiencies reported in the provision for children in the Foundation Stage have not been addressed.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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2000 2001 2002 2002

English D C B A Mathematics C B B A Science C C C B well above average above average average below average well below average A B C D E

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2000 2001 2002 2002

The table shows that standards in the tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002 were above average in English and mathematics and average in science. In comparison with similar schools the numbers achieving the expectations were well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science. In the Year 2 tests, standards were below average in reading and average in writing and mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, standards were above average in reading and writing and well above average in mathematics. Teachers’ assessments show average standards in science. The 2003 results for both Years 2 and 6 show a distinct improvement in all tested subjects and standards are above average, with almost all pupils attaining the national expectation at both stages and a good proportion attaining higher levels. The work seen during the inspection reflects the standards indicated by the 2003 tests, though much of the work

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2000 2001 2002 2002

leading to the tests was repetitive and limited in range. Pupils enter the school with attainment that is below average and these results indicate good achievement over their time in the school. In the reception class children make good progress in personal and social development, in reading and in writing and the numeracy aspect of their mathematical development. In these areas they surpass the standards expected for children of this age by the time they enter Year 1. They make satisfactory progress in other learning goals, but, in aspects of mathematical development other than numeracy, in speaking and listening, in knowledge and understanding of the world, in physical and in creative development, standards are below average on entry to the Year 1 class. Even so, standards overall are in line with expectations at the end of the Foundation Stage. In Years 1 to 6, pupils achieve well and show above

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2000 2001 2002 2002

average standards in English, mathematics and science and in art and design, due to some good teaching, but in design and technology standards are average. In geography and history standards are below average because too little time is provided for pupils to make satisfactory progress. Standards are also below average in information and communication technology, which is only now becoming more established in the school. Too little evidence was available to judge overall standards in music and physical education. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are carefully supported in class and they make good progress along with their peers in the tested aspects of the curriculum as they move through the school. It was not possible to judge progress for pupils with special educational needs in individual lessons. There is little significant difference between the performance of boys and girls or

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2000 2001 2002 2002

of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. The current targets set for the school are realistic, in terms of the attainment of individual pupils in each year group, and the school is well on course to meet them.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to school and to learning are good. They come to school ready to learn. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and Relationships are very good and make a significant contribution to pupils’ attitudes to learning. Personal development is good, but opportunities for pupils to take initiative

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Aspect Comment

St Peter’s RC Primary - 2 relationships in their learning are sometimes missed. Attendance Satisfactory. There is some unpunctuality at the beginning of the mornings.

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Aspect Comment

The very good relationships between all people, and the support given to pupils from all backgrounds have a significant impact on the good achievement made by all pupils.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. It is satisfactory in the reception year and in Years 2, 3 and 4. Teaching is good in Years 1, 5 and 6. Pupils’ learning follows a similar pattern; it is satisfactory overall because much of the curriculum is too narrowly based on tested aspects and this limits the range of learning opportunities for pupils. In general, teaching and learning are good and of a higher quality in English, mathematics, science and art and design than in other subjects. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well in English and mathematics, but procedures to promote the skills across the curriculum are not yet firmly

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

established. Information and communication technology is being increasingly used in other subjects, but again is not yet established. Overall, the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. Good and very good lessons are planned well so that pupils are challenged to succeed in their learning, and teachers have high expectations of pupils of all levels of attainment. In good lessons, teachers use assessments effectively to plan their lessons, with clear learning aims for the needs of different pupils in the class. In satisfactory lessons the planning is sound, but tasks are not always well suited to the full range of ability in the class. Too often, in satisfactory lessons, pupils are engaged on repetitive tasks and do not have enough opportunities to use their initiative and learn independently. Even so, they generally make satisfactory progress. Pupils with special educational needs are taught in classes with their peers and receive the same

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

quality of teaching. However, they make generally good progress within the tested areas of English, mathematics and science because of the large amount of time allocated and because teachers are careful to support their learning within the class. Overall, the teaching meets the needs of all pupils satisfactorily, but it could be better focused on individual needs. During the inspection the teacher who provides individual tuition for pupils with special educational needs by extracting them from class was on a long-term absence, so the quality of this work was not seen. The school has now made provision to cover this absence.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum. Unsatisfactory overall. Statutory requirements are mainly met and generally the curriculum is of satisfactory quality and breadth, but there are weaknesses in balance. Some subjects have too little time. The curriculum for children in the reception class is unsatisfactory. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs are carefully supported in lessons by teachers and support assistants to ensure that they keep pace with the rest of the class, but targets on their individual education plans could be better focused. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Class teachers have appropriate strategies to help pupils to develop sufficient language skills to quickly gain access to the full curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision makes a valuable contribution to the harmonious nature of the school. The Catholic ethos of the school provides a strong foundation for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school looks after pupils well in a safe and secure environment. Assessment procedures are good in English and mathematics, but underdeveloped in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Parents have very positive views of the school and links with parents are effective in supporting children’s learning. Pupils spend more time than is usual on English and mathematics to the detriment of their progress

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Aspect Comment

St Peter’s RC Primary - 3 St Peter’s RC Primary - 4 in other subjects. This is exacerbated by the need to comply with the diocesan requirements for a tenth of curriculum time to be spent on religious education, and by the length of the school week, which is below the recommended time. The school makes good use of information gained from periodic testing, but day-to-day assessments are not used as well as they should be for planning in most classrooms.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The quality of management and leadership is satisfactory overall, but there are some shortcomings. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school, but strategies for improvement are not sufficiently clear. The strengths of the senior management team are not used to best advantage so that development and improvement are not as effective as they could be. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Most governors are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, but few are able to visit frequently. The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. Test results are used well to identify strengths and weaknesses in English, mathematics and science, but monitoring of the work of the school is not sufficiently rigorous. The strategic use of resources Good. The school uses its funds well.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a well-established staff. They are sufficient in number and are deployed well. Accommodation is satisfactory, though there is no specific outside area for children in the Foundation Stage. Resources for learning are sound. The school applies the principles of best value satisfactorily and has good potential to improve further.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Parents report that their children like school. • They consider that they are making good progress. • Behaviour is good. • Children get the right amount of homework. • Parents consider that teaching is good and that expectations are high. • Parents are happy to approach the school with problems. • Parents consider that the school is well led and managed. • Parents would like to be better informed about how their child is getting on. • They do not consider that the school works closely with parents. • Some do not consider that the school provides an interesting range of extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are very positive about the school. The inspection team agrees with the positive comments except that teaching was judged satisfactory overall, with a significant proportion of good teaching. Similarly the leadership and management of the school were judged to be satisfactory overall. The inspectors do not share parents’ concerns. Information for parents is good and there is a good range of extra-curriculum activities. The school works appropriately with parents, though it does not make full use of those who would like to make a more active contribution.

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OTHER INFORMATION

The governing body is responsible for drawing up an action plan within 40 days of receiving the inspection report, showing how the school will tackle the improvements needed. This action plan will be circulated to all parents at the school. The contractor appointed by OFSTED for this inspection was Serco QAA, Herringston Barn, Herringston, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9PU. Any comments, concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made to the inspection contractor. Complaints which are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Complaints Manager, Inspection Quality Division, The Office for Standards in Education, Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London WC2B 6SE.

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OTHER INFORMATION

This document may be freely reproduced in whole or in part, for non-commercial purposes, provided the St Peter’s RC Primary - 5 source and the date are acknowledged.

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