St George's Hanover Square CofE Primary School

St George's Hanover Square CofE Primary School Inspection report

p.1

101130 Unique Reference Number Westminster Local Authority 276456 Inspection number 5 °6 July 2006 Inspection dates Mary Summers 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 5 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll School

p.1

The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Fitzpatrick Chair Mr Malcolm Lothian Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection South Street School address London W1K 2XH

p.1

02076291196 Telephone number 02076414920 Fax number

p.1

5 °11 Age group 5 °6 July 2006 Inspection dates 276456 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

This small school serves the local community and further beyond. Many pupils come from relatively advantaged homes. A third are White British and the remainder represent many different ethnic backgrounds. Half speak English as an additional language and this includes 43 who are in the early stages of learning it. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is low as is the number entitled to free school meals. The school recently gained the Artsmark Gold award. There has been a high turnover of staff over the past two years.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 7 Inspection Report: St George's Hanover Square CofE Primary School, 5 °6 July 2006

p.3

What the school should do to improve further

* Improve provision in the Foundation Stage, particularly for creative and physical development. * Raise the achievement of the more able pupils in Years 1 and 2. * Improve systems to evaluate the school's performance and ensure that there is clear understanding of how progress in tackling weaknesses will be measured.

p.4

Grade:

Teaching is good overall and helps pupils develop their skills, knowledge and understanding well. Teaching in Reception and Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory but is improving as new and inexperienced staff develop their confidence and skills because of good ongoing professional development. Teachers throughout the school create an extremely warm and welcoming atmosphere in their classrooms and pupils feel confident to express their ideas, knowing they will be valued and respected. Pupils learn especially well in Years 3 to 6 because teachers use the information provided by ongoing assessment to plan appropriately challenging experiences for different groups of pupils. Pupils with additional learning difficulties are very well supported and those who are more able complete work at very high levels. Expectations of teachers are high and pupils relish every new challenge presented.

p.4

Grade:

Curriculum provision is good overall. The school provides an interesting and relevant curriculum which contributes well to pupils' good academic achievement and outstanding personal development. In Years 1 and 2, although teachers plan different activities for the more able pupils, these are sometimes not challenging enough to really extend their learning sufficiently. A high number of pupils participate in the good range of clubs and activities available. They develop literacy, numeracy and ICT skills appropriately in other subjects. Visits, for example to the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum, contribute immensely to pupils' learning. Focus days and weeks help pupils develop their initiative and enterprise skills to stand them in good stead for the future. Talks from the Police and Fire Brigade and participation in the Junior Citizenship programme help pupils learn to be safe and responsible. Pupils organise

p.4

Grade:

fundraising events themselves which both involve and support the local community. The curriculum for the Reception class provides a range of well planned experiences. However, it is new and not yet embedded in practice. The outdoor area is too small to organise really 4 of 7 Inspection Report: St George's Hanover Square CofE Primary School, 5 °6 July 2006 exciting activities that extend children's creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world. The lack of suitable resources further hinders planning for these areas of learning.

p.4

Grade:

Good care, guidance and support enable pupils to achieve high standards in their work and personal development. Specific social and emotional needs are met very well by the learning mentor, who also organises a useful programme to help Year 6 pupils prepare for secondary school. The school's strong Christian ethos contributes significantly to pupils' personal development. Pupils always know they have someone to turn to if they have a problem. Good assessment procedures track pupils' development and trigger intervention programmes to support those who are experiencing any problems. However, the information is not always used well enough to plan challenging enough activities for the more able pupils in Years 1 and 2. Pupils know their targets for improvement and take delight in checking their own work to see if they have achieved them. Arrangements for promoting pupils' health, safety and welfare are

p.5

Grade:

5 of 7 Inspection Report: St George's Hanover Square CofE Primary School, 5 °6 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: St George's Hanover Square CofE Primary School, 5 °6 July 2006

p.6

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Pupils We want to say a big thank you for your warm welcome and for sharing with us your views about the school. Miss Thompson and I thoroughly enjoyed watching you in lessons and chatting with you in the dining room and in the playground. Everything we saw and heard convinced us that you go to a good school. Your school is good in lots of different ways.:) You work really hard and achieve high standards by the time you leave the school:) You are extremely well behaved and considerate towards others:) The teachers plan interesting work for you and help you to succeed:) Your headteacher and deputy headteacher do a good job in leading the school and helping the rest of the staff:) The teachers organise some fun activities for you, like the Enterprise Week you enjoyed recently:) All the adults in the school look after you well and help you feel safe and happy. Mr Lothian and the other staff and governors want to make things even better for you and

p.7

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

they have already started to improve things for the Reception children. Some building work during the summer will help to ensure that these children will have nicer areas in which to play and work. Mr Lothian will also be looking at the ways in which he plans for the future, to make sure that improvements happen quickly enough and that they help you to do even better at school. For example, we think that some children in Years 1 and 2 could be doing harder work and reaching higher standards than they are at present.We can see you really enjoy coming to St George's and we would like to wish you well in the future. Yours sincerely Mrs Mary Summers Lead Inspector 7 of 7 Inspection Report: St George's Hanover Square CofE Primary School, 5 °6 July 2006

p.7