Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Holy Family Catholic Primary School Inspection report

p.1

100178 Unique Reference Number Greenwich Local Authority 276267 Inspection number 12 °13 July 2006 Inspection dates Daniel Brian Evans Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll School

p.1

The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Frances Emblin Chair Mrs Teresa Hills Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Tudway Road School address Kidbrooke Greenwich London SE3 9YX

p.1

020 8856 2708 Telephone number 020 8856 1299 Fax number

p.1

3 °11 Age group 12 °13 July 2006 Inspection dates 276267 Inspection number .

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Holy Family Catholic is an average-size primary school. It serves a community located in an area within the 10% most deprived in the country and which is being redeveloped over the next 10-15 years. Two thirds of the pupils are of African origin. The proportion of pupils with English as an additional language is well above average, the most common languages being Yoruba, French and Vietnamese. Just under a third of pupils are entitled to free school meals. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is average. There are no pupils with statements of special educational need.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 7 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 12 °13 July 2006

p.3

What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that there are more opportunities in the Nursery for children to make choices and to take responsibility for their own learning • Extend the existing good practice in marking to all year groups.

p.4

Grade:

Teaching and learning vary from outstanding to satisfactory but are good overall. Planning and preparation of work are thorough and suitably linked to a range of teaching methods and resources. For example, in an outstanding literacy lesson, the teacher's very good use of interactive whiteboard and laptops ensured that all pupils were well focused on learning through editing each other's work. Support staff provide good support for pupils with learning difficulties and for those for whom English is an additional language. Some teachers assess and mark pupils' work well and this provides pupils with clear strategies on how to improve their work. However, this good practice is not always apparent in every classroom and so the pace of learning is slower. Most lessons are calm and purposeful. Pupils work hard and demonstrate their thirst and enthusiasm for mathematics. In one lesson their achievement in subtracting 7 from 15 with the

p.4

Grade:

help of 'Jack the puppet' shone through as they talked animatedly about their success. During playtime a pupil said 'We are doing sums next and I love it'. Staff in the Reception class plan their sessions with a very good understanding of how young children learn. Consequently, children are rapidly gaining skills and confidence as independent learners. In the Nursery, although the work is well prepared and resources are placed readily to hand, there are missed opportunities for the children to explore, use their own imagination, make choices or decisions about their work and take greater responsibility for their learning.

p.4

Grade:

The curriculum overall is good and enables all pupils to achieve well whatever their background or ability. Provision for basic skills is good. The school is working well towards developing links between the use of English and mathematics to support other subjects in order to make learning more enjoyable. Good use is made of ICT to support learning. Pupils' personal development is promoted well through the personal, social, health and citizenship programme. The Nursery curriculum provides satisfactory coverage of all areas of learning but the provision is too tightly controlled and currently lacks sufficient opportunities for children's independent learning. 4 of 7 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 12 °13 July 2006 The extra curricular enrichment opportunities are very good and pupils enthusiastically attend these activities. Older pupils are highly appreciative of the links the school has with the

p.4

Grade:

residential centre at Wrotham. Extensive links with other schools, parental contributions to the curriculum, local places of worship, visits to museums, opportunities to make and perform music as well as walks into the local park enhance the curriculum opportunities.

p.5

Grade:

The school provides outstanding levels of care, guidance and support for its pupils. This is a place where every child matters and all staff have a high commitment to meeting the needs of all pupils. Rigorous procedures for child protection and good attention to detail in promoting the welfare, safety and well-being of the pupils ensure that all are well cared for. One parent commented, 'The support that is given to the children is paramount to their well-being and helps to boost their morale and confidence.' Relationships between staff and pupils are very good. The supervision of the pupils at lunch and play times is outstanding because the wide range of activities provided regularly engage the pupils in healthy exercise and team building skills. Good assessment procedures enable the staff keep track of individual pupils' progress and personal development and they use this information well to keep parents informed of their

p.5

Grade:

child's progress. The school has outstanding links with the local community. Outside agencies are extremely supportive and are very closely involved in the work of the school. New pupils are helped to settle into school well. Pupils' good achievements in basic skills and their mature and responsible attitudes prepare them very well for the next stage of education.

p.5

Grade:

5 of 7 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 12 °13 July 2006 .

p.5

Grade:

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 7 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 12 °13 July 2006

p.6

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Pupils Thank you for welcoming us to your school and telling us about your work. We enjoyed our visit. There are things about your school that we like very much. * You behave well and you are a pleasure to talk to. * You help teachers and each other. We were impressed by the way you worked so well together in teams and small groups. * You are aware of how to live healthily and join in activities outside lessons. We were very impressed with your reports on the Grease musical and of the photographs on display. * You work hard and are good learners. Your writing and handwriting in lessons and other work on display around the school are of a high quality.* We liked the school allotments and the plants and vegetables you grow. These are things we asked the school to do to make it even better:* that teachers in the Nursery find even more exciting ways to make activities more interesting and* that your work is marked

p.7

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in line with the best practice in the school so that you know what to do to raise your standards even further. Yours sincerely Brian Evans Lead inspector 7 of 7 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 12 °13 July 2006

p.7