St George's Catholic Primary School

Inspection Report Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School

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116924 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire LEA 279950 Inspection number 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 Inspection dates Paul (Alex) Baxter AI Reporting inspector

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

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Thorneloe Walk School address Primary Type of school Worcester Voluntary aided School category Worcestershire WR1 3JX 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01905 25841 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01905 27621 Fax number 204 Number on roll Father Paul Fitzpatrick Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Joseph Baker Headteacher 9 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279950 21 February 2006 - 4 to 11 22 February 2006 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 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

St. George’s Catholic Primary School is average in size. It serves a relatively advantaged area, with some pupils coming from other parishes. Most pupils are of White British origin. About 13% of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, with half of these speaking English as a second language. Very few pupils are eligible for free school meals and the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is also low. Most children start school with levels of attainment that are generally above the levels expected for their age.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some significant strengths. It has improved well since its last inspection. Standards have risen in science, provision for the children in the Reception class is better and planning for work in different subjects throughout the school has improved. The school evaluates its effectiveness accurately. It has a good capacity to improve further. Everyone is committed to the Catholic ethos of the school. The headteacher leads a strong team. He enables staff to use their strengths to improve the allround provision for the pupils. Pupils achieve well in all classes because teaching is consistently good and by the time pupils leave in Year 6, standards are high in English, mathematics and science. Good teaching, good curriculum planning and effective care and guidance also help pupils to develop their personal qualities successfully. However, pupils do not have enough opportunity to use their skills in

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Grade: 2

independent research. Most teachers use assessments of the pupils’ work effectively to meet their needs but at times pupils are not always kept fully informed about what is expected of them to improve further. Leadership and management, including governance, are good, with strengths in promoting improvement through accurate strategic planning. Overall the school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• In Years 1 to 6, provide more opportunities for pupils to follow their own lines of enquiry, such as independent research, to match the good practice in science and information and communication technology (ICT). • Ensure that teachers are more consistent and precise in the way they use marking to inform pupils about what it is they need to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well. Children enter the Reception class with above average standards in most areas of learning, especially in communication, language and literacy. Children make good progress in this class and exceed the goals expected of them by the end of their Reception Year. Many of these children do very well in reading and in their personal, social and emotional development. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2, because of consistently good teaching that is sharply focused on meeting pupils’ differing needs. By the end of Year 2, standards are well above average in reading and are above average in writing and mathematics. Teachers’ high expectations in Years 3 to 6 underpin the good progress that pupils make. Most pupils, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language, reach the challenging targets set for them. Standards are

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Grade: 2

significantly above average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6 and reflect pupils’ good achievement. With more opportunity to work independently, some pupils could achieve even more. Year 6 national tests in 2005 showed that boys 2 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 and girls achieved equally well and reached higher standards than those found at the time of the last inspection.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils are very proud of their school and are exceptionally happy. Consequently, they attend very well, have an outstanding desire to learn and work extremely hard. Parents comment about the ‘strong sense of identity’ and ‘family ethos’ in the school. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very good. Pupils’ outstanding behaviour was demonstrated in school Mass, where very high levels of spiritual awareness were apparent. Prayer and reflection are important parts of everyday life. Pupils relate very well to one another, are very caring and have a keenly developed sense of right and wrong. They are confident and enthusiastic. They take their responsibilities very seriously. Members of the school council, for example, are thoughtful, concerned about others and have successfully introduced ‘Buddy benches’ in the playground to help

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Grade: 1

pupils who need friends. Pupils contribute very well to the local and wider community by supporting charities. They have developed an ‘Eco Code’ to improve the school environment. The highly successful ‘Pupil Press’ (school newspaper) encourages pupils to think for themselves and is solely organised by the school council. Around school and in lessons pupils keep themselves and each other safe. Pupils are very knowledgeable about healthy lifestyles and are well prepared for life in the future and say, ‘We are all treated fairly and help one another’.

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Grade: 2

Good, interesting teaching challenges pupils and promotes good achievement throughout the school. Frequently, teaching is inspirational, as in Year 4 where pupils responded with audible sighs of enthusiasm to the teacher's challenge to calculate the area of shapes. Pupils with learning difficulties and those with English as an additional language have their needs addressed effectively. Key elements in the successful teaching and learning include high expectations that are presented in a warm supportive manner and challenging work. Another strength lies in the consistency of good practice across the school, with one pupil remarking, ‘I like lessons because I am kept busy’. Occasionally teachers take too strong a lead in lessons, and although effective in imparting knowledge, this does not make best use of pupils’ independent learning skills. In contrast, teachers have promoted improved standards in science by

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Grade: 2

a consistent emphasis on learning through investigation. Teachers know the pupils well and are skilful in questioning pupils to develop their ideas. Teachers give clear oral guidance to pupils but are not always as effective in the quality of written feedback they give through the marking of pupils’ work. 3 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and pupils have a wide range of learning opportunities. The Foundation Stage (Reception Year) is planned well, including increasing opportunities for children to organise work for themselves. In Years 1 to 6, there are good links between subjects that make lessons more interesting. Design and technology, and art and design are closely connected. Writing and speaking and listening skills are developed well across the curriculum and science is also often related to other subjects. Pupils make good use of ICT in work in different subject areas. Personal, social and health education is taught extremely well through science and physical education, ensuring that pupils learn about keeping healthy. Pupils learn independently outside lessons, for example undertaking responsibilities during play and lunch times or attending school council meetings. These help them to develop the skills needed for

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Grade: 2

their future economic well-being, but there are not yet enough opportunities for them to follow their own ideas within lessons to extend learning. There is a good variety of trips, including a trip to Kingswood residential centre, and visitors such as local firemen. A good range of extra-curricular activities, including sports and gardening, also enriches the curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The school is very caring, one parent commenting, ‘My child continues to be guided and nurtured in the best possible way’. Very good procedures, including child protection and risk assessments of health and safety, ensure that pupils are well looked after. The school’s good local links with the church community and secondary schools ensure pupils’ well-being. Parents are confident that if there is a problem, ‘the school responds very promptly’. Pupils know there is always an adult available if they need help. They say, ‘Teachers always listen’. Pupils are well supported when transferring to secondary school. Plans to improve the transition from a range of pre-school providers are being implemented. Assessment data is used well to track groups of pupils and very effectively to target additional specialist help where needed. However, there is some inconsistency in helping pupils

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Grade: 2

themselves to understand what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

Effective leadership and management result in significant strengths in key areas of provision. Pupils’ academic and personal skills are developed successfully. The good curriculum and higher standards represent major improvements in these areas since the last inspection. The school has a good capacity to improve and as one parent commented in the questionnaire, ‘continues to drive to do the best for the children in its care’. Self-evaluation is good. The school consults others very fully and has an accurate view of its strengths, areas for development and overall effectiveness. 4 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 Initiatives such as raising standards in science are formulated in a well-considered three-year school development plan and developed through focused monitoring of lessons. Progress towards challenging targets is evaluated effectively to check that

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Grade: 2

planned improvement is reached. This is shown in pupils’ improved investigative skills in science. There is scope to build even more on the school’s strengths in its strategic plan for improvement, for example by transferring the success in science to plans for independent work in other subjects. The quality of teaching and learning, the planned curriculum and the quality of the day-to-day care, support and guidance given to the pupils are all monitored, evaluated and developed well. An effective team approach to leadership and management is promoted diligently by the headteacher and is strengthened by a shared commitment to the school’s Catholic ethos. Governors have a good understanding of the effectiveness of the provision, are fully informed and contribute well to the success of the school. 5 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 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: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 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 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 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 2 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 2 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 1 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

Dear Pupils, Thank you for your extremely warm and friendly welcome and for talking to us about your work. You are very fortunate to attend such a good school and we thought that you were all extremely polite and helpful. We were pleased to find a number of strengths in the school: • You enjoy school, behave really well, get on very well with each other and show outstanding attitudes to your work. • You make good progress in all classes and develop very good skills in English, mathematics and science by the time you leave. • Everyone cares for each other and you are looked after well. • Your teachers are good and plan interesting activities. • Mr Baker and his team lead and manage the school well. We think you could learn even better if you had more opportunities to develop and follow up your own ideas and knew more about what you need to do to improve next. Thank you again, Yours sincerely, Alexander Paul Baxter

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