St Jude's Catholic Primary School

Inspection Report St Jude's RC Primary School

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116376 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279807 Inspection number 18 January 2006 to 19 January 2006 Inspection dates Olson Davis AI Reporting inspector

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

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Bishopsfield Road School address Primary Type of school Fareham Voluntary aided School category PO14 1ND 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01329235131 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01329827939 Fax number 261 Number on roll Mrs R Falstein Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs C McGrew Headteacher 20 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279807 18 January 2006 - 4 to 11 19 January 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 Jude's is an average size Catholic Primary School. It serves a diverse population from a wide range of economic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school other than at the usual times is above average because some parents serve in the Armed Forces. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below average. The number of pupils with learning difficulties is below average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is broadly average. The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is low.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Jude's RC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 19 January 2006

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Grade: 3

Inspectors agree with the school's own evaluation that St Judes' provides a satisfactory standard of education. Provision for pupils in the reception class is satisfactory and provides children with a sound start. The school has some strong features including the leadership of the headteacher and the pupils' good personal development. Pupils enjoy school and their attendance is good. Pupils say that adults care for them well. They trust the adults and feel that they will be listened to if they have a problem. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Parents speak highly of the school and feel that their children do well both academically and socially. Pupils benefit from the good links the school has with other agencies and the Church.Pupils make satisfactory progress. They attain good standards in science but standards in English and in mathematics could

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Grade: 3

be higher. The more able pupils do not achieve as well as they should in these subjects. Teaching and learning are satisfactory but there are inconsistencies in teachers' use of assessment.Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher and governors lead and govern the school well, although other managers in the school have underdeveloped roles in leading others in school improvement. The school's self-evaluation is accurate. The school provides satisfactory value for money and demonstrates a satisfactory capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Raise standards in English and mathematics, particularly for the more able pupils.* Improve teachers' use of assessment in their planning and in setting learning targets for pupils.* Develop the leadership and monitoring role of managers to allow them to play their full part in raising standards.

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Grade: 3

Standards and achievement are satisfactory. When children start in the reception class their level of skills is broadly average. They make satisfactory progress in their reading and writing and make good progress in number and their social skills. By the time they leave reception most reach the levels expected of their age group. Standards at the end of Year 2 are above average in reading, writing and mathematics representing an improvement on previous years. Progress has improved because of good teaching in the Year 1/2 classes. The most recent test results show significant improvement in writing on the previous year. Pupils make satisfactory progress from Year 2 to Year 6. In the 2005 national assessments pupils attained good standards in science because the school focused its teaching on improving pupils' investigational skills. However, standards in English and mathematics were average because too few of the more able

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Grade: 3

pupils achieved as well as they could. The school exceeded its challenging target in English in 2005, but fell short of its target in mathematics. Pupils with learning 2 Inspection Report: St Jude's RC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 19 January 2006 difficulties make satisfactory progress. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those pupils for whom English is an additional language achieve as well as their peers.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good resulting in positive relationships between adults and children in school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and show it in their good attendance. They behave well and have good attitudes to their learning. They work and play well together. Pupils show a good understanding how to be healthy and stay safe. They participate enthusiastically in a good range of physical activities. Pupils' contribution to the community is good. They learn about teamwork and decision-making through the election process and effective working of the school council. The Catholic message of caring for others is well demonstrated by the pupils' keenness to raise funds for a range of charities. They are acquiring satisfactorily the skills and attitudes that will help them prepare for their future.Pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is good. They are given good opportunities to reflect on issues and the

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Grade: 2

world around them. They recognise the advantages and responsibilities of living in a community through such actions as preparing for the weekly mass, and carrying out their duties as monitors. As a result of this good provision, pupils show respect for others and make good sense of the wider world as well as their locality.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage and in the rest of the school are satisfactory. A significant minority of lessons seen were good and no lesson was inadequate. Effective learning took place when teachers used challenging questions and consistently asked pupils to explain their answers. Pupils realised that their views were valued and they wanted to participate and do well. In the good lessons teachers had high expectations of pupils. They provided both challenge and pace to the lessons by making good use of assessment to match work well to pupils' abilities. However, teachers were not using assessment consistently to prepare work that accurately matched the pupils' abilities. As a consequence the needs of more able pupils were not always met because learning did not build appropriately on what they already knew and the pace of their learning slowed. The quality of teachers' marking, though

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Grade: 3

satisfactory, is inconsistent across the school. Such inconsistencies exist partly because subject managers' roles are underdeveloped and there are missed opportunities to share good practice. 3 Inspection Report: St Jude's RC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 19 January 2006

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum. Pupils learn how to stay safe and healthy through the effective personal, social and health education programme and in science and physical education. Opportunities for learning in the reception class provide a good balance between self chosen and adult led activities. The new areas provide a good resource to extend pupils' outdoor play experiences. English lessons and mathematics lessons are given prominence in the curriculum throughout the school. There are improved opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills within other subjects but opportunities for them to practise their numeracy skills in a similar way are not well developed. The curriculum is enriched by a good number of after-school activities and clubs which are well supported and greatly enjoyed by pupils. Pupils also benefit from a wide range of visits and visitors to the school.

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Grade: 3

Although provision for pupils' guidance and support is satisfactory, the school's care for pupils is good. As a parent commented 'Everyone's focus is on the children... and their welfare'. Inspectors agree with the pupils that they are safe and well cared for. Children in the Foundation Stage are well nurtured, and made to feel secure when they quickly learn the routines of school life. The school successfully emphasises the quality of relationships and caring for others, particularly through the pupils' religious education and personal, social and health education lessons.The school has secure arrangements for safeguarding pupils. Child protection procedures and health and safety routines are well established and known by all the staff. Pupils' progress is charted well across the school through regular assessments and teachers know how well individual pupils are doing. However, there are inconsistencies in teachers' use

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Grade: 3

of assessment and not all pupils have targets for improvement that are specific enough to help them improve their work.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher is hardworking and committed to pupils' good personal development. She provides good leadership giving clear direction to the work of the school. Pupils from all backgrounds are included well in school life. School leaders play a satisfactory role in raising standards. Under the effective leadership of the headteacher they have been successful in improving behaviour in school and have been effective in raising standards in science at Key Stage 2 and pupils' skills in writing at Key Stage 1. However, there is more to be done to develop the leadership role of senior staff so that they share the full responsibility for school improvement in raising standards.The headteacher closely monitors the quality of teaching with a focus on raising standards. The monitoring of the subject leaders is not rigorous enough for them to know what needs to be improved.The

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Grade: 3

4 Inspection Report: St Jude's RC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 19 January 2006 school's self-evaluation is satisfactory and presents a realistic picture of the school's strengths and is used to identify accurately the key areas for improvement. The school involves parents and pupils in this process. Governors are strongly involved in the process of school improvement. They have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and have a good knowledge of the standards pupils achieve. They carry out their monitoring role well and provide good challenge to the school. Satisfactory improvement has been made since the previous inspection demonstrating the school's capacity to improve. 5 Inspection Report: St Jude's RC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 19 January 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 Jude's RC Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 19 January 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 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 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 3 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 3 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 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 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 making us so welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you and took careful note of your comments. We agree with the headteacher, staff and governors that your school provides you with a satisfactory education. Here are some of the many good things we found when we visited your school:* You behave well in lessons and around the school.* You enjoy school and the many opportunities it offers such as after school activities.* The teachers and other adults take good care of you.* You are learning to have healthy life styles. There are some things that we have asked the headteacher and staff to do to improve the school. These are:* Make sure that you do as well as you should in English and mathematics.* For teachers to use the information they have about what you can do to plan better work for you and to help you improve your work.* For teachers to work on improving the skills they

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

need to make your school even better for you.We hope that you will help your teachers as they try to make your school the best that it can be for you.

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