St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School

Inspection Report St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School

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110041 Unique Reference Number Wokingham District Council LEA 278356 Inspection number 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005 Inspection dates Roy Blatchford HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Western Avenue School address Primary Type of school Woodley Voluntary aided School category Reading, Berkshire RG5 3BH 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0118 9693893 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0118 9693765 Fax number 355 Number on roll Mrs Katherine Wilson Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Teresa Jones Headteacher 7 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278356 19 October 2005 - 4 to 11 20 October 2005 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 inspectors over two days.

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Description of the school

St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary, with 355 pupils on roll, is larger than average. The majority of the pupils are drawn from the local Catholic community, on the eastern fringes of Reading. The proportion of the children eligible for free meals is well below average, as is the number of pupils identified as having special educational needs. About 5% of the pupils have a first language other than English. Children enter the school in September or January of the year in which they will be 5.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The headteacher and governors are justified in their view that St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary is a good school, with a number of outstanding features. The pupils' personal development and well-being, and way the children are cared for, are judged outstanding by inspectors. The school offers good value for money because it deploys resources skilfully and maximises learning opportunities for all pupils. Effective and enabling leadership at all levels characterises the school. Teaching is good, with elements of outstanding practice, and therefore the pupils make generally good progress from the time they enter the school. The quality and standards in Foundation Stage are good. The school has successfully addressed those issues for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection. On taking up her post two years ago, the headteacher's searching analysis of what needed to be done to improve overall provision has led to

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Grade: 2

beneficial change and development. Staff and pupils thrive on the Catholic ethos which underpins all aspects of the school's values and day-to-day life. The school has a strong capacity to sustain, and improve further, the quality of education that it provides.

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What the school should do to improve further

* strengthen the established systems for sharing best practice in teaching and learning* extend opportunities for pupils to tackle work independently* enhance external play facilities, including for the Foundation Stage

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Grade: 2

Pupils are achieving well and reaching good standards. In recent years, the school's performance in national tests (SATs), although generally above average, declined and did not keep pace with national trends. The school addressed this issue successfully and Year 6 pupils achieved good standards in 2005. Provisional results indicate that their attainment in English and science was well above average and more able pupils did particularly well across the board.Children make good progress in all areas of learning in the reception class which gets them off to a good start in Year 1. Again, the standards achieved by the end of Year 2 fell over recent years but picked up in 2005. Standards in the current Year 2 are good in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils of all abilities make good progress because teachers assess their work carefully and set challenging targets matched to individuals. For example, many pupils with

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Grade: 2

special educational needs achieve the standards that all pupils are expected to reach by Year 6.

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Grade: 1

The school's outstanding support for pupils' personal development is reflected in the delightful attitudes they have to all aspects of school life. They attend well and thrive 2 Inspection Report: St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005 in the positive atmosphere. Through assemblies, art, music and drama pupils have very good opportunities to reflect on human achievement and make a personal response. Their very good behaviour reflects the school's excellent provision for social and moral development and the role models that all adults provide. The school council is an effective conduit for children's views. Pupils know that their views are valued and reward the school's trust in them by making a very strong contribution to school and community life. It is rare to see pupils taking assemblies with such confidence and maturity as those for infant children led by Year 6. Cultural development is supported

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Grade: 1

very well through art workshops, theatre visits and musical performances. Pupils gain a good understanding of cultural diversity in Britain and beyond through work in religious education and geography, and by special focus weeks. They were eager to talk, for example, about how much they had learned during the recent Africa Week.Pupils develop an excellent understanding of health issues because the school approaches this in a wide variety of ways. They learn about nutrition and such issues as drug abuse in science lessons, healthy eating is promoted at break and lunchtimes, and there are many openings for exercise. The children are well aware of the need to keep themselves safe and are mutually supportive in the playground, ready to lend a hand if there is a minor accident. Their economic well-being is assured through strong curriculum opportunities.

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Grade: 2

Effective and enthusiastic teaching and learning are a strong feature of the school. In particularly productive lessons, including a number which included outstanding practice, pupils made very good progress. The teachers possess strong subject knowledge and motivate children to achieve the best they are capable of. Teachers plan assiduously, share learning objectives with the class, check that pupils understand their learning, and manage pupils' behaviour with skill and great care. In literacy, mathematics, music, and in different classes across the primary age range, inspectors saw children engaged in their learning, collaborating well with their friends in groups, and enjoying the acquisition of new skills and knowledge. Occasionally, a small minority of pupils wandered off task, and the school has already begun to introduce a number of ways in which it can promote pupils' independent learning habits. One pupil commented

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Grade: 2

affectionately on the warm-up activities in physical education: 'He tires us out before we're even started'. Other comments from pupils which reflect the strong quality of the teaching included: 'I always seem to understand because they explain it well', and 'It's not really serious all the time, it's fun'.The teachers' secure knowledge of the pupils' prior attainment and achievement means that teaching is well aimed at individual needs, although some very able children in Year 6 observed that they would like more challenging work in mathematics and literacy. One parent commented incisively: 'Our Year 6 child wants more difficult homework, but not more homework'. 3 Inspection Report: St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The curriculum meets the needs and the interests of the learners well because teachers plan interesting coverage of all subjects. Planning for literacy, numeracy and science is appropriate and meets the individual learning needs of pupils The exciting and stimulating provision in the Foundation Stage covers the six areas of learning well, although the outdoor play area should offer greater variety of opportunity for children to work beyond the classroom. The good variety of visitors and theme weeks, such as Book Week and Africa Week, add to the pupils' enjoyment and are designed to provide opportunities for all pupils to achieve. They effectively link many areas of the curriculum and engender much excitement and enjoyment. The school has rightly identified the need to develop planned curriculum links which enable pupils to use their newly acquired skills across a broad range of subjects. The newly introduced planning and

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Grade: 2

preparation time for teachers has broadened the curriculum offer for pupils, with opportunities extended in art, physical education, drama, and information and communication technology.There is an excellent emphasis on helping pupils to stay fit and enjoy competitive sport. There are opportunities to learn French, which also promotes awareness of other countries. The school makes outstanding efforts to give all children the chance to benefit from all it offers, such as the Year 6 annual residential trip to the Isle of Wight. Other trips have pupils bubbling with excitement, such as the Victorian schoolroom at Katesgrove, or the Egyptian display in the British Museum. The school has begun to extend opportunities for Year 1 and 2 pupils to make visits outside the school environment.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding care, guidance and support which children receive are evident in the school's daily life. They are warmly greeted and very well supervised throughout the day. Pupils' academic progress and personal development are carefully monitored. Staff know the pupils well and children are secure in the knowledge that there is always an adult they can turn to. Support for vulnerable children is excellent, as is the lead given by the coordinator for special educational needs. The school works in close partnership with other agencies in the interests of individual pupils, for example is supporting children of travellers' families. The close partnership developed with parents enables any individual concerns to be addressed. In the words of one parent of a child in Year 6: 'We have continued to be impressed by the excellent pastoral care she has received and the high standards of teaching and learning'.

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Grade: 2

The school judges rightly that leadership and management overall are good. Since September 2003, the headteacher has introduced a broader curriculum and a range of other worthwhile initiatives, at the same time improving pupils' standards in their 4 Inspection Report: St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005 learning. The headteacher's visible leadership style enables those around her to flourish. The senior management team works harmoniously and to good effect. It is focused thoughtfully and rigorously on school improvement at all levels, and has a keen recognition of the many strengths and potential of the school. Through a well designed programme of in-service training, the school is sharing its best practice among all staff. Teachers readily respond to their responsibilities and accountabilities. Leadership in learning comes also from the school's skilful and well deployed team of classroom

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Grade: 2

support staff. There is an unswerving commitment from all staff working in the school to provide the quality of education the children deserve. The school rightly enjoys the confidence of the parents. During the inspection, inspectors received a number of unsolicited comments from parents and visitors, all of which were complimentary about St Dominic Savio School's work. The governing body is strongly committed to the well-being and achievement of the school; its procedures for effective governance and financial management are secure. The chair of governors takes a lead with the headteacher in monitoring pupils' standards in national tests, and ensures that the school's leadership team is held to account with rigour. The Portsmouth Diocese has given the school valued support in a number of pastoral and academic matters.The school enjoys generous accommodation and uses every inch of space with imagination

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Grade: 2

and pragmatism. The outstanding quality of display throughout the school, in classrooms, halls, common spaces, locker areas and corridors, enhances the climate for learning, and is a reflection of the staff's meticulous attention to detail in creating an environment within which children can flourish.The school is very well placed to build upon its many strengths to continue to provide a strong quality of education for its children, and to realise its vision: 'A community moving forward together'. 5 Inspection Report: St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School, 19 October 2005 to 20 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 Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School, 19 October 2005 to 20 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 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 1 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

You may remember that we visited your school just before half-term to inspect the quality of education which you receive. We spoke to a number of you and observed you in lessons and around the school. We would like to thank you for the way you made us feel welcome and shared your thoughts and values with the inspection team. A full report is available for you to read, but this letter gives you some highlights to talk about, perhaps through your school council.During our two days in the school, we were especially impressed by:* The quality of the teaching and care you receive from all the adults who work with you* Much of the work we looked at in your books* Your positive attitudes towards all aspects of school life* The way in which Year 6 pupils led assemblies for the younger children* The quality and variety of display around the school, especially the displays linked to Africa Week* The caring work - and lovely sashes! - of the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

playground pals. To make the school an even better place to learn, we have recommended that your teachers share with each other their good ideas, resources and teaching styles. We also think that some of you could be better at learning to work more carefully on your own in the classroom.We have also asked the headteacher and governors to see how they can improve further your outdoor play areas.You all know that you are part of a good school, and we wish you well in your studies and the other activities which you so clearly enjoy at St Dominic Savio.

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