Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Bristol

Inspection Report Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Bristol

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109251 Unique Reference Number Bristol, City of LEA 278164 Inspection number 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 Inspection dates Joan Lindsay AI Reporting inspector

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

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Tide Grove School address Primary Type of school Lawrence Weston Voluntary aided School category Bristol BS11 0PA 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0117 9030025 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0117 9030026 Fax number 204 Number on roll Mr Cyril Frain Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Ann Hibbert Headteacher 14 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278164 27 June 2006 - 4 to 11 28 June 2006 Inspection Report: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Bristol, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

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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

Our Lady of the Rosary is a slightly smaller than average primary school, situated on a council estate on the outskirts of Bristol, close to Avonmouth docks. Most of the pupils come from the immediate area. There is a much higher than average number of pupils eligible for free school meals. The majority of pupils are White British, with about one tenth coming from minority ethnic heritages. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is slightly above average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Bristol, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school that judges itself too modestly in several respects. It provides excellent value for money. Pupils achieve very well and standards have been exceptionally high for several years. The excellent start that children make in the Foundation Stage is maintained throughout the school, with pupils of all abilities making exceptional progress. Key to this is the outstanding teaching throughout the school and extremely effective support given to meet pupils’ specific needs. The atmosphere in the school is very welcoming and warm. Pupils flourish as a result of the excellent provision for their personal development, care, guidance and support. Extremely high expectations feature in all areas of the school’s work, including the Foundation Stage. The curriculum is good throughout, including in the Foundation Stage, where there are plans to enhance the outdoor provision. Across the school,

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Grade: 1

literacy and numeracy skills are being used very well in other subjects. Parents have very positive views of the school but some pupils and parents would like more after-school activities. Leadership and management are outstanding at all levels. There is a great sense of everyone working to a common goal, with a very strong awareness of the school’s success yet a complete lack of complacency. Issues raised at the last inspection have been resolved effectively and the school is very well placed to continue to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Implement plans to improve the outdoor provision for the Foundation Stage as soon as possible to enhance children’s physical development even further. • Develop the range of after-school activities to enable more pupils to participate.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ achievement is exceptionally high as they make outstanding progress during their time in the school. Standards are consistently high. Pupils start school with skills that are below average, especially in language and literacy. By the end of Reception, the majority of children meet the expected goals for learning and many exceed them. In particular, children make rapid progress in their personal, social and emotional development, and they show high levels of independence. This equips them to enjoy learning and achieve very well during the rest of their time in school. This momentum continues in Years 1 and 2, and pupils attain above-average standards overall in the national assessments for seven-year-olds in reading and mathematics. The school has successfully addressed the fall in standards that occurred in 2005 through highly effective targeted teaching. Writing remains a relatively weaker area, however. From

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Grade: 1

Year 3 to Year 6, pupils make outstanding progress. They achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and they exceed the challenging targets the school sets. The work produced by pupils is most impressive. They confidently produce 2 Inspection Report: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Bristol, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 interesting and imaginative writing in English and tackle challenging problems in mathematics. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities also make excellent progress towards the targets that are set for them.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils of all ages really love being at this school and approach all their lessons with a huge amount of enthusiasm. A class assembly was a perfect example of their excellent personal development as Year 1 pupils were confident, very enthusiastic and loved taking part. Behaviour is good around the school and normally excellent in lessons. This has a very positive impact on learning. Attendance is satisfactory. A focus on a small number of poor attendees has improved the figures for the current year. Pupils feel safe in school. ’I feel comfortable with everyone,’ commented one pupil. They are also very secure in the knowledge that adults will help them. Pupils have good understanding of the need to maintain healthy lifestyles through a focus on healthy eating and exercise. Community links benefit pupils and the local area. Pupils take part in Masses in the church, which is much appreciated by the congregation and

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Grade: 1

enhances pupils’ spiritual and personal development. Pupils have developed excellent skills that will benefit their future economic well-being. Outstanding performance in English and mathematics is a key element, as are the savings club, organising fundraising activities and working cooperatively. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development underpins everything the school does and is outstanding. There is a great sense of ‘family’ within the school, modelled by all the adults working there. Consequently, pupils have a very strong spiritual awareness, a keen sense of right and wrong and excellent relationships, especially across the age groups. This has an extremely strong impact on how well pupils learn.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding, which enables pupils to make excellent progress. Teachers and learning support assistants have very high expectations of their pupils, and they consistently capture their interest and enthusiasm. Assessment information, including test results, is used extremely well to identify the needs of different groups of pupils, and to provide suitably challenging work. Marking is thorough, showing pupils clearly how to improve further. Older pupils are also encouraged to identify for themselves how to develop their work. This helps them take a keen interest in how well they are doing. Class teaching is exemplary, and is based on very good subject knowledge. Clear instructions and explanations are provided, often with very good use of interactive whiteboards. Relationships are a major strength, with pupils readily turning to teachers 3 Inspection Report: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Bristol, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

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Grade: 1

and teaching assistants to discuss their work. Lessons are very well planned, and an impressive array of resources is used to benefit pupils’ learning. Pupils show great enthusiasm and they have high expectations of their own work, which not only shows high standards of knowledge and understanding, but is also neatly and carefully presented. Children in Reception benefit greatly from the many opportunities provided for them to choose their own activities and to work independently. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are given first-class support by their teachers and teaching assistants, which allows them to contribute well in class and to achieve as well as their classmates.

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Grade: 2

Pupils benefit from a good curriculum that is broad and enhanced for older pupils by the teaching of Spanish and some input from specialist secondary school teachers. Particularly strong features are the way subjects such as history and geography give pupils the chance to practise their writing skills, and how the curriculum is adapted to meet any class-specific needs. This has a very positive impact on progress. Personal, social and health education, although not timetabled separately, is fully covered through other subjects and makes a highly effective contribution to pupils’ personal development. The Foundation Stage curriculum meets the needs of all children very well. Plans are in place to improve the outdoor provision for Reception children to enhance their physical skills even further. The specific needs of pupils are met extremely well through careful planning. This includes those who are more able as well as pupils who may have learning difficulties.

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Grade: 2

The school has a well-used ICT suite and library, an improvement since the last inspection. A wide range of visits and visitors and good use of the local community enrich pupils’ lives and learning very well. There are some lunchtime clubs for pupils but currently few after-school activities, although pupils do participate in tournaments for team sports. Pupils and parents would like to see a wider range of clubs.

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Grade: 1

The standards of care, guidance and support are outstanding. From the time children enter the Reception class until they leave the school, extremely committed staff ensure that pupils’ pastoral and academic support is highly individual and effective. Child protection and health and safety are given very high priority. Staff and governors play a large part in ensuring pupils are safe in school and that all necessary risk assessments are carried out. The academic support that all pupils receive, regardless of their ability, is key to the excellent progress they all make. When a pupil or class-specific need, such as speech and language, is spotted through the detailed assessment procedures, outside agencies are consulted, targeted support is put in and specialist training undertaken. The 4 Inspection Report: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Bristol, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 contribution of the very well-trained learning support assistants is integral to this.

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Grade: 1

Pupils of all abilities are supported extremely effectively to ensure they all achieve of their best.

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Grade: 1

An outstanding leadership team, dedicated to exemplary practice, has created this school’s exciting learning culture. Everyone works hard to meet the needs of all pupils, with a strong focus on learning, enjoyment and success in which they can thrive. As a result, pupils’ achievement is excellent. The headteacher has a very accurate and realistic understanding of the school. She receives very good support from the deputy headteacher and senior managers in what is happening now and in planning to improve the school still further. Teachers and support staff have a united determination to do their best for the pupils in their care. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ achievement are highly detailed, and are used very well in setting the goal of high standards. The monitoring of teaching is accurate and supportive, and this has contributed to the consistently very high standard of teaching. Resources are very carefully managed and monitored for the benefit of the pupils.

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Grade: 1

The governing body is very well led and carefully fulfils its statutory duties. Governors provide a good critical challenge to senior staff, and they have an outstanding knowledge of the school and its many strengths. The views of parents and pupils are regularly sought, and these views are taken into account during policy reviews. Under the excellent leadership and management of the headteacher, senior staff and governors, the school has continued to improve since the last inspection. Their joint commitment to the school’s success indicates that there is very good capacity for it to continue to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Bristol, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 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: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Bristol, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 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 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 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 2 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 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 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 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 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 very much for welcoming us into your school. It was a real pleasure to talk to you and your teachers and to see all the wonderful things you do in your lessons and in the lovely class assembly. We think that your school is outstanding in many ways. These are some of the things that it does really well. From when you first start in the Reception class until you leave in Year 6, your teachers expect you to do really well, and because they are very good teachers, you do! You all really love coming to school, have lots of friends and behave well. You know that adults in school will help you. You are extremely well looked after and your teachers know what you are good at and when some of you might need a bit of extra help. Your headteacher and all the other people involved in running the school do an extremely good job. We think the school needs to do two things to make it even better. Improve the outdoor play area for the Reception children.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Organise a few more after-school clubs for you to go to.

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