St Matthew's CofE Primary School

Inspection Report St Matthew's CofE Primary School

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102592 Unique Reference Number Kingston Upon Thames LEA LEA 276741 Inspection number 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 Inspection dates Lynn Bappa AI Reporting inspector

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

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Langley Road School address Primary Type of school Surbiton Voluntary aided School category KT6 6LW 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 020 8399 3909 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8399 3337 Fax number 288 Number on roll Dr Jonathan Holbrook Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Julie Ritchie (Acting) Headteacher 18 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276741 1 March 2006 - 4 to 11 2 March 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Matthew's is a larger than average school that is increasingly popular. Pupils come from a very wide range of backgrounds, particularly in Years 5 and 6, where there is high pupil mobility, and very high numbers of vulnerable children. The school population is beginning to stabilise, however. The percentages of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those learning English as an additional language are higher than average. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties is above average. The school is led by an acting headteacher.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Matthew's CofE Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

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Grade: 2

'Every day my child comes home buzzing about the work she has done'. This comment from a parent sums up the school. St Matthew's is a good school with outstanding features. It provides good value for money, has improved from its position at the time of the last inspection and has the capacity to improve further. It offers a well-rounded education. Strengths and weaknesses are speedily identified because the school has good monitoring systems. The school's view of its effectiveness closely matches that of the inspectors. Standards are rising and pupils make good progress. The 2005 teacher assessments in Year 2 showed that standards in writing were lower than in other subjects but the school has started to tackle this and writing standards have begun to catch up. The curriculum is rich and helps motivate the pupils to work hard and enjoy learning. Inspectors agree with the school that it should continue to develop

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Grade: 2

the use of information technology across all subjects. Teaching is good overall, although in a few lessons some tasks are not particularly engaging. Excellent standards of care lead to outstanding personal development for pupils, particularly those who are vulnerable. Their behaviour is excellent because they understand that it is important to set themselves high targets and try hard to achieve them. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good and children are well prepared for more formal learning in Year 1.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Continue to improve standards in writing so that they match the improved standards elsewhere.* Increase the proportion of good lessons by providing more consistently interesting work for all groups of pupils.* Continue the drive to use information technology creatively across the curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Attainment on entry is rising and is now broadly average. Children in the Reception class make a good start to their education and achieve well. One parent commented that the experience had been absolutely brilliant for both her children. Teacher assessments in Year 2 in 2005 were well above average, except in writing. The school has begun to tackle this. Work seen during the inspection showed that writing standards are beginning to improve. Although the results of the 2005 national tests in Year 6 were average, this represents a good level of success for these pupils, many of whom had learning difficulties or had been identified as vulnerable. The higher standards of attainment in Years 1 and 2 are a feature of the changing nature of the school intake, which is becoming more[r1] settled.Pupils in all year groups make consistently good progress given their starting points. Those with learning difficulties and disabilities

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Grade: 2

gain the basic skills for learning and achieve well. Minority ethnic groups and those learning English as an additional language make good progress. The large numbers of vulnerable pupils make particularly good progress because of the excellent care and support that they receive. The school has high aspirations for its pupils and sets itself 2 Inspection Report: St Matthew's CofE Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 challenging targets. Last year it fell short of its targets for the more able in writing in Years 1 and 2, but it is on track to succeed this year.

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Grade: 1

Pupils make outstanding progress in their personal development because each is valued as an individual and given the confidence to succeed. They feel safe and welcomed, despite many arriving with low self-esteem and many disadvantages. Older pupils help younger pupils, both in the playground and in lessons. One pupil said, 'I like the way we all work together as a team'. Behaviour is excellent because pupils understand and agree with the rules and try extremely hard to obey them. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. A strong Christian ethos underpins school life, an example being the striking 'prayer wall' where pupils record personal prayers. Pupils show a very good understanding of right and wrong. They have a strong respect for other cultures and beliefs. A pupil who arrived speaking no English commented, 'Everybody helps you if you come from a different country'.They enjoy physical activities

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Grade: 1

and show a good awareness of healthy lifestyles. Several pupils said they thought they should go outside more often for physical education (PE) because fresh air was good for them. They feel safe from bullying and trust the adults around them. Pupils have excellent attitudes, thoroughly enjoy school and attendance has improved significantly since the last inspection. Pupils express their views through the school council and enjoy a wide range of responsibilities. Older pupils appreciate the opportunity to train as 'peer mediators'. They make good progress in basic skills and are very well prepared for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good. In the best lessons, the pace is fast and teachers set challenging work. Teachers know exactly what they want pupils to learn. They try to make lessons interesting and fun. As one pupil commented, 'we're always up for a challenge'. The best teaching sparkles with imagination and flair. In Year 6, for example, pupils compiled interim crime reports based on their reading of a detective story. As young sleuths, they identified witnesses and suspects and came up with theories to solve a murder. This approach appealed particularly to boys and inspired pupils to write their own murder mysteries. Classroom relationships are positive. Pupils want to do well, even though they are occasionally given work that is not particularly interesting. Assessment procedures are well used to identify pupils who need extra help. Marking shows pupils how they can improve. Vulnerable pupils, and those with learning difficulties and

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Grade: 2

disabilities are very well supported by a strong team of support assistants. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. As a result, children make good progress and enjoy the wide range of experiences they are offered. 3 Inspection Report: St Matthew's CofE Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The school provides a rich curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils. In the Foundation Stage good use is made of outside areas, and creative play is a strong feature of the provision, something that continues in Years 1 and 2. The curriculum for personal, social and health education is particularly strong. For example, Year 5 pupils work with younger pupils, teaching them new skills and building up relationships. This in turn boosts the older pupils' confidence. Teachers are beginning to make more confident use of information and communications technology in lessons (ICT), although the school does not yet have interactive white boards in every classroom. The school is anxious to purchase more of these, so that it can increase the use of ICT across the curriculum. The weekly modular programme is a particularly strong feature of the curriculum. It offers pupils a cornucopia of activities, including flower-arranging,

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Grade: 2

ballroom dancing, photography and Spanish. The curriculum is enhanced by a wide range of clubs and visits to places such as the Florence Nightingale Museum. These help to motivate pupils and add to their enjoyment of school.

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Grade: 1

The care provided for pupils is excellent. Parents are unanimous in praising this. One parent wrote 'my daughter looks forward to going to school and feels very happy and loved - the support she receives is more than I could ever expect'. Child protection procedures are robust. The school works very well with outside agencies to ensure that pupils with specific learning and personal difficulties receive the best support. Health and safety routines and risk assessment are very good. The care for vulnerable pupils is exceptionally strong. The support they get means that they gain rapidly in confidence and participate fully in all aspects of school life. For them, school is a haven where they can work and play in a secure and calm environment. The headteacher's lunch club is one of many examples of this support. Pupils' academic and personal development is carefully monitored and, as a result, their needs are met very effectively.

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Grade: 2

The school's aims are very clear. Whilst pupils' personal development is a very strong focus, this is not at the expense of their academic achievement. There is a very strong commitment towards valuing each and every pupil. The acting headteacher, supported by all staff, has worked tirelessly to improve behaviour and raise pupils' self esteem so that good foundations for learning are in place. The atmosphere is calm and harmonious and there are clear and well understood daily routines.The acting headteacher sets very high expectations and is a gently inspirational leader who is supported by everyone. One parent described her leadership as 'superb - with her staff, she has created a school where my child is very happy and learning very fast'. She knows the school's strengths and weaknesses very well and this is evident in the 4 Inspection Report: St Matthew's CofE Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

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Grade: 2

good quality of the school's self-evaluation. This is comprehensive and rigorous, clearly identifying strengths and weaknesses. The opinions of parents and pupils are always valued and frequently acted upon. Issues from the last inspection have been resolved. Monitoring systems are effective and good use is made of performance data to improve standards. The school is keen to improve even further and has the capacity to do so. Governors have a good grasp of the school's strengths and weaknesses and provide an increasingly effective balance of support and challenge to the school. 5 Inspection Report: St Matthew's CofE Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 .

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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 Matthew's CofE Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

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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 2 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 2 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 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 1 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 2 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 for the very friendly way in which you welcomed us to your school and showed an interest in what we were doing. We enjoyed talking with you during our visit and this letter is to tell you some of the things we found. We felt very privileged to read your personal prayers on the prayer wall. We especially enjoyed talking to members of the lunch club and also the children in the Reception class who were very excited about making their windmills. These are the things we liked best about your school:* We think your school is a really good school. You make good progress in your lessons because you work hard and your teachers make your work fun and interesting. This means that standards at St Matthew's are getting better.* You are proud of your school and we think you are right to feel this way. We think your behaviour is excellent because you all try very hard to behave as well as you possibly can. You are friendly

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and cheerful and we were impressed by the way older pupils help the younger ones.* We think you are getting a good all-round education. We agree with you that the different activities you do on Friday afternoons are fun and help to teach you all sorts of different things like office skills and flower-arranging. These are the things we have asked your school to do now to make it even better:* Some of you could cope with even harder work in some of your lessons.* Your teachers have worked very hard to improve your writing and we agree with them that they should carry on doing this.* Your school is going to let you use computers and other information technology even more in your lessons.

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