St Peter's Catholic Primary School

Inspection Report St Peter's Catholic Primary School

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103469 Unique Reference Number Birmingham LEA 276929 Inspection number 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006 Inspection dates Bogusia Matusiak-Varley AI Reporting inspector

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

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Adams Hill School address Primary Type of school Bartley Green Voluntary aided School category Birmingham, West Midlands B32 3QD 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0121 4646921 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 4646533 Fax number 204 Number on roll Mrs Pam Williams Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Marie Ireland Headteacher 11 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276929 11 July 2006 - 4 to 11 12 July 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Situated in an area of high economic deprivation, the school has an above- average number of pupils eligible for free school meals and a high percentage of pupils with learning difficulties. Attainment on entry to the school is below average, especially in communication, language and literacy. The school has a small percentage of pupils who are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language. A high percentage of pupils either enter or leave the school at other than the usual times, especially in Years 3 to 6. The school has been awarded the Healthy Schools Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Peter's Catholic Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory but rapidly improving school with some outstanding features. Its own self-evaluation is accurate. Provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Standards in English, mathematics and science are broadly average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall but progress well in speaking and listening, reading and mathematics. In writing, pupils’ progress is satisfactory overall but higher attainers are not sufficiently challenged. This is because not all teachers are using information from assessment to move pupils on in their learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those with English as an additional language make good progress throughout the school. Teaching and learning are satisfactory, with good features. Good assessment procedures have been introduced but not all teachers use them effectively to ensure that tasks set in lessons match the needs of the most able pupils. The curriculum is outstanding

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Grade: 3

and is expertly enriched with a wide range of residential visits and excellent opportunities for sport and music. Care, guidance and support are outstanding, as is provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and they have good attitudes to learning. Overall, the leadership and management are satisfactory but not all subject leaders take sufficient responsibility for raising standards in their subjects. The headteacher’s leadership and management are good, with outstanding features in the way that she has managed to create a harmonious community. Governance of the school is good. The school has the capacity to improve and provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in writing by ensuring that information from assessment is used rigorously to challenge higher-attaining pupils. • Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that tasks set in lessons meet the needs of higher-attaining pupils. • Develop the role of subject leaders so that they have a better understanding of how to raise standards in their subjects.

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Grade: 3

Standards are broadly average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils achieve satisfactorily. The school carefully analysed the reasons for a drop in standards in 2005. Several pupils did not fulfil their potential, though nearly half who took the tests had not attended the school continuously from the infants onwards. Very rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning carried out subsequently by the headteacher and deputy headteacher, combined with effective target setting, has since led to improvement. 2 Inspection Report: St Peter's Catholic Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006 The school’s own data shows that standards are better this year, with more Year 6 pupils attaining the higher levels in English, mathematics and science. In the Foundation Stage, children make good progress in personal, social and emotional development, and satisfactory progress in all other areas of learning. The vast majority attain the

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Grade: 3

expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. In Years 1 to 6, pupils make good progress in speaking and listening, reading, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT). Their progress in writing is variable and no better than satisfactory overall. Higher-attaining pupils are not always sufficiently challenged, especially in Year 3 and Year 5, because teachers do not use assessment data precisely enough to move them on in their learning.

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Grade: 1

The pupils’ personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are outstanding. Pupils are very confident and take their responsibilities very seriously. Older monitors look after the younger pupils and peer mediators quickly respond to pupils who might be experiencing any particular difficulty. The school council is the true voice of the pupils so that many changes have been introduced, such as improved toilet and playground facilities and recent plans for a prayer garden. There are very good arrangements to ensure the health and safety of pupils. Children say that they feel safe because they are valued by all staff. They readily ask for help and relationships around the school are excellent. Health initiatives are expertly managed and pupils are very proud of their Healthy Schools Award. Lunchtime supervisors, together with play monitors, ensure that pupils have enjoyable lunch

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Grade: 1

sessions, with plenty of games and sport to support their outstanding knowledge of healthy lifestyles. Pupils eagerly talk about their Catholic faith and put it into living practice by considering the needs of others before their own. Pupils have good attitudes to learning in lessons: they listen carefully to their teachers’ every word. Children in the Foundation Stage enjoy school and are developing good skills of independence and group co-operation. Attendance is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, with some good and outstanding features. Pupils love learning and they are very keen to please their teachers. In the best-planned lessons, they try very hard, and they say how much they like the way teachers use role play and discussion to make learning more exciting. In the best 3 Inspection Report: St Peter's Catholic Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006 lessons, teachers have high expectations. Well- trained teaching assistants support below-average-attaining pupils to keep up with the rest of the class. Teachers have excellent relationships with their pupils. Pupils are not afraid to ask for help if they don’t understand. A weakness in teaching is that, in several classes, not all teachers make the best possible use of assessment data to move higher-attaining pupils on in their learning. Teachers mark work thoughtfully but not all teachers use pupils’ individual targets as a starting

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Grade: 3

point for learning. When assessment is used well, as in Year 1 and Year 6, the pupils make rapid progress. The quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall and personal, social and emotional development is taught well.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. Excellent opportunities are provided for pupils to have first-hand experiences of staying safe, being healthy and achieving economic well-being. A strong Catholic ethos underpins all learning opportunities. Pupils are encouraged to think of the impact knowledge can have in making the world a better place. Outstanding opportunities are provided for pupils to work alongside students from Newman College and local secondary schools. This has a very positive effect on pupils’ standards of attainment in sport, art and design, French and ICT. Thriving outdoor provision, such as the mini-golf course, is impressive and features specialist areas for environmental work and spiritual reflection.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are outstanding. The headteacher knows all her pupils well and she nurtures, guides and supports the whole-school community. Everyone is valued for their uniqueness and individuality. Staff work tirelessly to provide a safe and secure environment. Children acknowledge the outstanding levels of care shown to them, saying they feel safe and very well looked after. The special educational needs and assessment co-ordinators ensure that all pupils are included in activities and that their needs are carefully assessed. Child protection procedures are robust, as are risk assessments. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those with English as an additional language are given outstanding personal, emotional and academic support. Systems for tracking academic progress are good but have only recently been implemented and, as yet, not all staff are using them consistently. Pupils know their targets and strive hard to achieve them.

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Grade: 1

4 Inspection Report: St Peter's Catholic Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory rather than good because of some shortcomings in middle management. However, the leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher have some outstanding features, especially in creating a harmonious community within which pupils thrive. These two senior leaders are inspirational role models who lead by example. The headteacher and deputy headteacher know the school well. Their evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses is accurate, as is their strategy to raise standards quickly and effectively. However, not all subject leaders are sufficiently aware of how to raise standards in their subjects. The headteacher and deputy headteacher set the highest standards for all, especially in striving to overcome any limitations to excellence, and this is most clearly reflected in the outstanding provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Grade: 3

Parents are particularly pleased with the excellent links made with the parish, outside agencies and the way that they are given every opportunity to have access to life-long learning in order to help their children achieve well in school. The deputy headteacher has introduced several initiatives that have helped to develop these partnerships and has played a lead role in their implementation. The monitoring of teaching and learning is both rigorous and accurate and appropriate targets for improvement are set. This is having a positive effect on raising standards, though its impact on getting teachers to use assessment consistently well is less good. Governance of the school is good. Statutory requirements are met and governors fulfil their roles as critical friends. The school has a good capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: St Peter's Catholic Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 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 Peter's Catholic Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 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 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 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 2 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 1 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 3 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 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 such a warm welcome to your school. We spent a very pleasant two days with you all. We are particularly pleased with your good attitudes to learning and your exemplary behaviour. We are delighted with the ways in which you represent your school in the community, especially in the singing of your history songs. We are delighted with the many awards that you receive from your teachers for good attendance and trying hard, and with how the youngest ones of you settle down so quickly in accepting classroom routines. Well done school council, you have done a wonderful job at improving the facilities around the school and you execute your duties very well! Those of you who are playground monitors work hard at lunchtimes, and when you organise games for the younger children this is very much appreciated by them. You all have an in-depth insight into what is right and wrong and this will stand you in good stead when you go on to your next steps of education. You are very

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

caring towards one another and you follow the example set you by your headteacher, who looks after you all so expertly. We think that your teachers support and guide you very well and you have some outstanding opportunities for learning, such as going on residential trips. We have asked your teachers to use information from your assessments more thoroughly and to help you raise your standards in writing, especially those of you who find learning easy. We have asked your teachers who have responsibility for leading subjects to find out more about how these subjects are taught in the best schools so that they can help your very busy headteacher and deputy headteacher in raising standards. We wish you all the very best for the new academic year.

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