St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 4 Oct 2005

Inspection Report St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School

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101647 Unique Reference Number Bromley LEA LEA 276561 Inspection number 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 Inspection dates David Marshall AI Reporting inspector

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

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Buttermere Road School address Primary Type of school Orpington Voluntary controlled School category Kent BR5 3WD 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01689821993 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01689821993 Fax number 207 Number on roll Rev Stewart Biggs Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Lisa Martin Headteacher 17 July 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276561 3 October 2005 - 3 to 11 4 October 2005 Inspection Report: St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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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.

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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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Paul's Cray is an average size Voluntary Controlled CE School with 207 pupils on roll. The school is in an area of high social deprivation. Most pupils come from white British backgrounds and are fluent in English. Over 20% of the pupils are from Traveller backgrounds. Currently 50% of the children are entitled to free school meals, which is well above the national average. Around 31% of pupils are identified as having special educational needs, which is also well above the national average. The headteacher has been in post for a year having previously been the deputy. Five new teachers have joined the school this term - including a new deputy head.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The inspection team and the school agree that St Paul's Cray provides a good standard of education for all its pupils. Strengths and weaknesses are quickly identified because the school has good systems for monitoring its work. It provides good value for money.The provision in the Foundation Stage is good, and these young children make a good start to their education. The quality of teaching throughout the school is inconsistent as it varies from outstanding to satisfactory. However, teaching and learning are good overall. Lessons are well planned and teachers aim to make learning fun. Pupil progress is good and achievement in most subjects is good. The significant raising of standards in English over the last three years has not yet been matched by a similar rise in standards in mathematics. The curriculum covers all subjects well and is enhanced by a very good range of additional activities. Pupils are cared for very

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Grade: 2

well, and all feel safe and secure in school. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is outstanding. Provision for traveller children is also outstanding.Leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides very good leadership and is ably supported by her deputy and all staff. Teamwork is the overall maxim of the school. Members of staff who are new to the school are well supported. The school's capacity to improve is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Build on the current provision in mathematics to ensure full curriculum coverage and raise levels of attainment* Ensure that systems for sharing best practice in teaching are implemented effectively to ensure consistently good teaching across all classes and subjects.

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Grade: 2

Most children enter the school with standards that are below expectations for their age, especially in language and social development. Due to the very effective organisation they make good progress in the Foundation Stage. Much emphasis is put on developing personal and social skills in the excellent nursery and this enables children to settle in quickly and make a good start to their education. In Years 1 and 2 the main focus is on developing speaking and listening skills and this has a very positive impact on the standards pupils reach in reading and writing. Standards in all subjects are improving and pupils' achievement is good throughout the school. There is a secure system in place that tracks the progress each pupil makes and identifies where additional teaching will be most beneficial. Although results for Year 6 in 2005 were lower than those in 2004, they represented good achievement for that particular

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Grade: 2

year group in their final year in the school. Standards in mathematics in Year 6 are lower than in English but new arrangements this term are already beginning to have a positive impact on raising pupils' levels of achievement.Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress overall. They are very well supported and have access 2 Inspection Report: St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 to a curriculum that helps them all to achieve very well. Children from traveller families also make very good progress.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils are polite, well-mannered and confident when talking with each other and adults. They speak warmly about their school and enjoy the many opportunities that it has to offer them. As one of them observed, 'The teachers are not just our teachers, they are our friends'. All others agreed.Attendance is satisfactory. The school's arrangements for ensuring attendance and punctuality are good. Pupils participate fully in lessons and behave well. They feel safe at school and have confidence in knowing that they can ask any adult for help if they need it. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay healthy, by eating sensibly and enjoying physical activities. They speak very confidently about the need to live in a healthy and safe way.Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are respectful of each other, follow a clear moral

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Grade: 1

code, and relate very well to each other and adults. They are keen to take responsibility both for classroom tasks and by taking on school roles. Pupils participate in a wide range of activities that help them to understand about the beliefs and lives of people from different cultures. Pupils' contribution to the community is outstanding. In addition to fund raising for different charities, they participate in many activities that have strong community links. They are learning well the necessary personal and social skills that will enable them to become good citizens in the future.

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Grade: 2

Overall, teaching and learning are good, although there is some variation in the quality of teaching. The school has a clear priority to share good practice and enable teachers with special skills to take several classes in order to ensure consistently good teaching across all classes and subjects. Teachers' planning is good and is firmly based on the use of careful assessments. This ensures that tasks are pitched at the right level for all pupils. Teachers plan to make learning fun. The use of resources, such as interactive whiteboards, holds pupils' attention well. High expectations of pupils' behaviour are evident in all classrooms. Teachers and teaching assistants are good at creating a learning environment where pupils are encouraged to think for themselves and work together to meet the exacting challenges they are given.Marking is used well and gives pupils clear and immediate pointers about what they need to do reach higher standards.

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Grade: 2

Targets are used well and again pupils know what they have to do to improve their work. 3 Inspection Report: St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Grade: 2

Pupils experience a wide range of interesting and exciting activities, which enable them to achieve well overall. The school plans the curriculum well to meet the needs of individual pupils, including pupils with special needs, children of travellers and higher attaining pupils. In addition to a broad statutory curriculum, there are many opportunities for pupils to participate in opportunities that are created from links with other schools, visits and school events like Book and Science Weeks. Knowledgeable visitors, like writers and artists, come into school to work on exciting projects with the pupils. Pupils enjoy a good range of well-attended extra-curricular activities.

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Grade: 1

The care for pupils is outstanding. It is well planned with regular meetings between staff and outside agencies. The school has developed its programme for personal and social education very well. Assessment systems are rigorous and are used very well to identify and provide appropriately for pupils' needs. Pupils have a good understanding of what they need to do to improve. The accommodation and grounds are regularly checked so that pupils can work and play in a safe environment. The school building, outdoor play areas and the spacious grounds are very well maintained. Child Protection procedures are clear, known and understood by all staff. Pupils with special educational needs are very well provided for. In their individual educational plans, clear targets are set to help them make progress, and these are reviewed on a regular basis. The school makes exceptionally good use of external support agencies in order to support

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Grade: 2

The inspection team and the school agree that leadership and management are good. The headteacher leads the school very well and shows her determination to help each pupil to achieve their best. One of her key roles recently has been to support teachers who are new to the school and this has been done very effectively. The recently appointed deputy head is an outstanding teacher and is already making a difference to the overall provision. The special educational needs co-ordinator and the support staff for traveller children are all very experienced and make an outstanding contribution to the well-being and education of the pupils in their care. Most governors are new to the school this year, but they bring a good range of skills to their role and are very committed to supporting the school.All staff have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas that need more development. The school has made

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Grade: 2

very good use of the framework for self evaluation and all aspects of the school that need further development have been appropriately identified. The School Improvement Plan provides clear guidance on relevant issues for raising standards and details very well the support and initiatives available from all sources. Management at all levels is 4 Inspection Report: St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 good with effective systems in place to monitor pupils' progress and the quality of teaching and learning. Within the school there is a high commitment to include all pupils in all activities and care and concern for all pupils is high priority. There is a strong will from all staff to enhance their performance and the school's capacity to improve is good. 5 Inspection Report: St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you so much for welcoming us into your school and telling us all about yourselves. We enjoyed our time with you and would now like to tell you what we found out on our visit. We think that you all do well and really try hard at all times. We saw that you know you are especially lucky to have so many different activities both during and after school. We saw how keen you are to take part. Many of you told us how much you enjoy being at school, and how proud you are of what you achieve. We certainly thought that you all behaved very well while we were in school. We liked the way you make everyone who comes to your school so welcome. All of you know what good progress you are making. We were very impressed that you knew what to do to make your work even better. Your enthusiasm bowled us over. Now your teachers plan to give you even more opportunities to get better at mathematics, you must continue to listen carefully and take note of what they say. Although all the teaching at

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your school is satisfactory some of it could be better. Then you will all make really good progress in your learning.Finally, we would like to thank you once again for all your help. We wish you well in the future.

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