St Andrew's Cof E VA Primary School

Inspection Report St Andrew's CofE VA Primary School

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113417 Unique Reference Number Plymouth LEA 279166 Inspection number 1 December 2005 to 2 December 2005 Inspection dates Geoffrey Burgess RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Citadel Road School address Primary Type of school Plymouth Voluntary aided School category Devon PL1 3AY 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01752 201660 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01752 205067 Fax number 197 Number on roll Mrs Val Armitage Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Val Woollven Headteacher 4 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279166 1 December 2005 - 4 to 11 2 December 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an inner city primary school situated in a commercial area between The Hoe and the centre of Plymouth. Levels of social deprivation are high and a well above average number of pupils qualify for free school meals. Around a sixth of pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds other than White British. Several of these pupils have English as an additional language. The number of pupils who join the school other than at the usual time of admission is above average. Some are vulnerable and many require extra help when they join the school. The overall proportion of pupils who find learning or conforming hard is much higher than in most primary schools. The attainment of children when they start school is well below that seen in most schools, notably in their personal and language development.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Andrew's CofE VA Primary School, 1 December 2005 to 2 December 2005

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Grade: 1

St Andrew’s is an outstanding school but it sets itself such high standards that it sees itself as good. It provides a haven of quality, security and calm in a fragmented community. Many of its richly varied intake start or join the school later than usual, with poor language and social skills and low self-esteem. By the time they leave, they are happy, confident learners who are pleased to express themselves and contribute to the life of the school. Key to the school’s success is its very positive, caring and inclusive ethos. Children are given an excellent start in the Reception class. High quality teaching ensures that pupils make excellent progress, although achievement in reading and writing is not quite as good. The school is working on this and on helping its less experienced teachers to develop their skills to match the very high levels seen in other classes. Pupils’ exceptional behaviour, social awareness and attitudes to learning are fitting

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Grade: 1

testaments to the remarkable efforts the school makes to support and guide them in these areas. Relationships and communications are very good. Great care is taken to ensure that the school provides a rich range of activities which are very well matched to pupils’ needs and interests. The school is constantly trying to improve. Excellent leadership and management has seen it maintain its first-rate provision and enviable reputation in the community. The school’s track record shows that it still has the capacity to continue to improve and thrive. It provides very good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Improve achievement in literacy skills so that standards match those in maths and science. •Support less experienced teachers as they aspire to match the very high standards set by their colleagues.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ achievement is outstanding, given the very low base from which they start. Challenging individual and group learning targets are regularly achieved. A particular strength is the way in which pupils with a wide variety of learning needs succeed at their own level. The increasing number of pupils for whom English is an additional language make very good progress. Those who have learning difficulties also move on rapidly. Children in the Reception class make very good progress and several are on course to reach the standards expected for their age before the end of the school year. An encouraging sign for the future is the fact that this year, pupils in Year 2 achieved average standards in the national tests for the first time ever. This shows very good 2 Inspection Report: St Andrew's CofE VA Primary School, 1 December 2005 to 2 December 2005 progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities. Pupils currently in Years

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Grade: 1

1 and 2 are doing equally well. Observations in lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ progress books and school records show that pupils achieve much better standards than those in similar schools by the end of Year 6. Recent results in Year 6 national tests confirm that pupils of all abilities and from a range of backgrounds make excellent progress in mathematics and science. Although literacy standards have been lower than in mathematics and science, pupils start from a lower base and their progress in this area is good.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development is outstanding as a result of the exceptional efforts made by the school. Children really enjoy school and are made to feel good about themselves. For example, the self-esteem and pride of Year 1 pupils after their class assembly was almost tangible. Many parents say how very excited their children are about what they have been doing. Almost all attend very regularly. Children are open, friendly and welcoming. They behave very well and are extremely polite, spontaneously greeting all visitors with “Good morning”. Their awareness of other faiths and cultures develops well. The school’s Christian ethos is powerful but unobtrusive and securely supports the pupils’ spiritual development. Following the examples of the adults in school, older pupils provide very good role models for their younger schoolmates. One child summed up the school community as ‘like a book….we’re a team – nothing can break us’. Children develop very good

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Grade: 1

understanding of the importance of regular exercise through the many activities that help them to keep fit. They also gain a strong awareness of the importance of healthy eating. Friday afternoon enrichment sessions make a substantial contribution to ensuring that children’s social skills and cultural awareness increase very effectively. Various initiatives help pupils to become very aware of the wider community. For instance, Year 6 pupils enjoy writing to pen friends in Hungary, and pupils raise funds to help educate a boy in Ethiopia.

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Grade: 1

The excellent quality of teaching is shown by the way, year on year, pupils thrive and make tremendous progress as they move through the school. Further evidence comes from the eagerness pupils show for learning, their willingness to ‘have a go’, and their evident desire to please. It is also significant that two senior teachers have been officially recognised for their advanced teaching skills. From the Reception class on, pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. Confident and knowledgeable teachers challenge pupils with thought-provoking activities. Expectations of the standards all pupils are capable of attaining are very high. Work 3 Inspection Report: St Andrew's CofE VA Primary School, 1 December 2005 to 2 December 2005 is very carefully planned to be taxing but ‘doable’ for pupils of all abilities and backgrounds. Although the overall quality of teaching is highly effective, the school

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Grade: 1

is aware that some less experienced teachers need time to achieve the high standards of their more experienced colleagues. Very skilled teaching assistants, working closely with teachers, make an exceptional contribution, notably working with children who find learning difficult. A particular feature of the school is the way in which teaching assistants are given time to plan lessons with the teachers. Teachers routinely check on pupils’ progress and refocus their teaching using well-established very effective procedures. Pupils are clear about what they need to learn and very proud when they achieve their learning targets.

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Grade: 1

The school’s outstanding curriculum is exceptionally well tailored to the ever-changing range of children’s needs. The excellent early years curriculum has been recognised as a model of good practice and copied further afield. Literacy and numeracy skills are at the core of all learning. Excellent use of local cultural and historic sites to broaden pupils’ experiences prompts some thoughtful pieces of writing. Regular special weeks, such as on Africa and India, when work in many subjects focuses on a particular theme, are much appreciated by pupils and parents. The school’s commitment to the enrichment of day-by-day lessons is exemplary. It skilfully draws on the expertise of staff, parents and visitors, and pupils benefit from a rich variety of activities. A Friday afternoon enrichment session observed included 16 activities ranging from dance, yoga, sewing and mosaics, to first aid, gardening and Russian.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding care, guidance and support make children feel very happy and safe in school. All staff, including the caretaker, the dinner ladies and the administrative team, ensure pupils’ welfare is paramount and their health and safety secure. The school’s many important awards include the Active Gold Mark and the Healthy Schools Award. These recognise the invaluable work it does to help each child feel valued and be healthy. The school has a strong family feel and provides a calm, nurturing environment in which children can grow and flourish. Staff know children very well and are particularly alert to any who may be having a hard time at school or at home. The headteacher invests a great deal of time in supporting and counselling parents and carers which, in turn, benefits the pupils. The school’s well-attended breakfast club is an effective way of making sure children start the day with a nourishing breakfast as

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Grade: 1

well as helping them to keep up with their homework. 4 Inspection Report: St Andrew's CofE VA Primary School, 1 December 2005 to 2 December 2005

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Grade: 1

The headteacher, staff and governors are to be congratulated on making St Andrew’s School a beacon of all that is good in primary education. This has been achieved in an unpromising area, on a cramped site and with an increasing amount of pupils who are vulnerable and who join the school other than at the usual time of admission. It represents excellent leadership and management by the whole team. The focus of the school community is on providing the best for, and getting the best out of, all children. Every possible human and physical resource is exploited to make this achievable. Every nook and cranny in the school has been turned into a teaching area. Inclusion and involvement are at the heart of everything, as recognised by the Inclusion Kitemark gained recently. Diversity is celebrated and vulnerability recognised and managed. The school does all it can to encourage parents and carers to get involved in their

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Grade: 1

children’s education. The contribution of the headteacher over several years has been outstanding. She ensures that everyone has the opportunity, capability and support to make a positive contribution and is very good at getting the best out of those with whom she works. This is shown by the impressive number of staff promoted to senior posts in other schools. Governors, staff and pupils have the confidence to be self-critical and open about how well they and the school are doing. Excellent monitoring procedures ensure that they know what works and what could be even better. The Governance of the school reflects the outstanding care, guidance and support, with the long-serving chair a very influential and much appreciated ‘critical friend’. The high quality education provided represents very good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: St Andrew's CofE VA Primary School, 1 December 2005 to 2 December 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 Andrew's CofE VA Primary School, 1 December 2005 to 2 December 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 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 3 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 1 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 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

St Andrew’s CE VA Primary School Citadel Road Plymouth PL1 3AY 3 December 2005 Dear Pupils, We really enjoyed our time at your school and would like to thank you for making us feel so welcome. You will probably know by now that, like you, we think St Andrew’s is a great school. This is what we liked most about your school: •everyone is welcomed and valued. You are very polite •you try really hard and are always willing to have a go. A lot of you make fantastic progress •you take a real pride in your school and thoroughly enjoy all the exciting activities your teachers and helpers provide for you •all the adults help and look after you very well. You know they are your friends •we agree with you that your headteacher is ‘brilliant’. She knows exactly what to do to get the best out of everyone. To make things even better, this is what we have asked your school to do now: •see what more your teachers can do to help you read and write as well as you do maths •help

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

all your really good teachers to be as good as the best. Once again, well done. We know that you will carry on helping all the grown-ups to make sure St Andrew’s stays a very special school. Yours faithfully, The Inspection Team

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