St Dunstan's Catholic Primary School, Woking

Inspection Report St Dunstan's Catholic Primary School

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125238 Unique Reference Number Surrey LEA LEA 281921 Inspection number 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005 Inspection dates Rob Isaac AI Reporting inspector

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

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Woking School address Primary Type of school Onslow Crescent Voluntary aided School category Surrey GU22 7AX 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01483 715190 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01483 722866 Fax number 411 Number on roll Mr J Fitzgerald Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Anne Newling-Ward Headteacher 18 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281921 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

Three additional inspectors carried out the inspection.

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Description of the school

St. Dunstan's is bigger than many other primary schools. Pupils have a range of backgrounds. About a fifth has a variety of ethnic minority heritages, and the rest are of white British origin. Almost all pupils speak English fluently and most join the school in the Reception class. The immediate area has a high number of advantaged homes, although pupils come to this Catholic school from a much wider area. Pupils' attainments on entry are broadly average. Very few have free school meals. Fewer pupils have additional learning needs than in many other schools.

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Key for inspection grades

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

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Grade: 1

St Dunstan's is an outstanding school. Its leaders are cautious and consider it to be only good because they have very high expectations. The school's major strengths include the way it is led and managed, the high standards its pupils achieve, its accurate self-evaluation, the high quality of teaching, learning and assessment and the richness of the curriculum. It provides excellent value for money. Pupils achieve very well because of teaching which is often outstanding. By the time Year 6 pupils left in 2004, their test standards showed they had improved a lot in their time at school. Boys' and girls' test results at age eleven have steadily improved in recent years. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are included very well in school life and achieve just as well as their classmates. Pupils' personal development, their behaviour and attitudes, are excellent. They appreciate their teachers and most attend well. The school makes

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Grade: 1

every effort to help pupils be happy and enjoy learning. Teachers and learners share a vigorous culture of self-improvement. Teaching and assessment are often excellent with a strong commitment to further improvement. Although standards in mathematics are above average, the school feels rightly that pupils can do better and is implementing good strategies to assist this. Provision in Reception is good and children make good progress. Very good attention is given to improving their language skills. Although the overall quality of care is good, some toilets are sometimes dirty and unhygienic.The headteacher provides first-class leadership. Other teachers also check regularly on what is happening throughout the school, with great attention to detail. They work very hard to make improvements. The school has strong links with parents. Money is spent very carefully and staff morale is very good. The school has dealt excellently

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Grade: 1

with the issues raised in the last report and it has an extremely good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

* continue to improve further the standards pupils achieve in mathematics; and * ensure all toilets are clean and hygienic

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Grade: 1

Pupils achieve very good standards. They enter the school with broadly average attainments and, but by the time they leave, standards are well above average in English and science and above average in mathematics. The school sets challenging targets and pupils meet them often. Reception children achieve well in all areas of learning and exceed the standards expected of their age. Teachers have accurately identified what needs to be done to raise standards in mathematics still further. As a result pupils now get more opportunities to apply their mathematical skills through solving problems. Their understanding of shape and space is also improving. Teachers have high expectations and these are reflected in the large numbers of more able pupils achieving higher levels in English and science. The recent improvements to 2 Inspection Report: St Dunstan's Catholic Primary School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005

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Grade: 1

science teaching have resulted in far higher standards. Pupils read very well and their positive attitudes are further reinforced by exciting events such as Book Weeks. Pupils also receive very good, specialist teaching in a well-equipped computer suite and achieve very high standards in information and communications technology (ICT), a big improvement since the last inspection. Careful monitoring of the standards and achievement of pupils from minority ethnic groups ensures that they make very good progress. Pupils with additional learning needs also make very good progress because they are given carefully-planned work, which meets their individual needs well.

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Grade: 1

The school judges the personal development of pupils to be good. However, inspectors judge standards in personal development to be outstanding and contribute very well towards pupils' achievements.Pupils show excellent attitudes to learning and this is reflected in their good attendance and punctuality. They behave very well and greatly enjoy learning, describing their experience of school as 'educational fun'. Pupils feel safe and well cared for. There are very good procedures to deal with the rare cases of bullying or harassment and pupils confirm that staff deal with these very well. Older pupils supervise younger ones at lunchtime and relish opportunities to become librarians, house captains or members of the school council. Most parents are very pleased with what the school offers and have praised the way older pupils act as 'ambassadors', showing new parents and children around. This reinforces pupils' life

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Grade: 1

skills and develops qualities that will serve them well in future.Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. The school's ethos, founded on its strong religious links, is successful in developing pupils' clear moral and social values. Pupils show great depth of understanding, for example, of how St. Paul persecuted the Early Christians, believing in 'an eye for an eye', whereas Jesus' teaching was based on 'not retaliating when someone hits you'. Pupils benefit from topics and lessons that develop a greater understanding of cultural traditions around the world, including minority ethnic cultures in Britain. Pupils have a very good understanding of what makes for a healthy lifestyle, adopting safe practices in their daily school life and showing initiative and a growing independence.

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is often outstanding. Excellent teaching, for example of literacy, helps pupils make at least good progress. A few struggle to learn because they have little English or they have additional learning needs, but all the staff work very well together to help them and this has a very positive impact on their achievements. Nothing is too much trouble. Pupils know this and show them great respect. The school considered teaching to be at least good and was accurate in its appraisal of what needs to be improved. Specialist teachers teach a 3 Inspection Report: St Dunstan's Catholic Primary School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005 range of subjects particularly effectively and the quality, for example, of teaching in ICT and music lessons is often excellent.In the lessons seen, pupils knew they had to behave well and they did. Teachers and other staff have clear routines and plan very

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Grade: 1

carefully. Pupils follow lessons closely and find them very interesting. Staff provide many opportunities for pupils to improve their language, such as 'response partners', where two pupils discuss things together before giving their answers to a question. Often, the work pupils are given is pitched well, so it is not too hard or too easy. The school has put in place good measures to raise standards in mathematics and these are already having an impact upon pupils' achievements. Pupils' work is marked regularly and often. Written comments are helpful. Work has clear targets written on it and pupils are starting to be closely involved in assessing how well they understand and deciding what they need to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 1

The school considers the curriculum to be good but inspectors judge it to be outstanding. Teachers keep the content under review to ensure that it meets pupils' needs. They actively explore links between subjects and make time for discussion of topical events. The school uses ICT very well to support pupils' learning. Teachers use national strategies very skilfully in their planning and ensure that lessons build well on previous learning. Pupils are encouraged to become actively involved and share their knowledge with teachers. This enables teachers to build carefully on what pupils know and can do.The school provides an outstanding range of extra-curricular activities, such as cross-stitch, board games and basketball. Clubs are supplemented further by a wide range of visits to sites of historical and cultural interest. Pupils have good opportunities to learn a range of musical instruments, and they sing well. Teachers

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Grade: 1

use the plentiful resources effectively to support learning, for example, the onsite swimming pool and extensive grounds.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support provided for pupils are good. Pupils' views are valued and acted on through the school council. For example, they suggested improvements to the way the 'buddy bench' is used and these have been acted on. The headteacher, governors and staff implement effective child protection procedures. Appropriate training and systems are in place to review their effectiveness. The school has very good links with other schools and with the town. A local secondary school provides 'enrichment classes' for older pupils. Classes often visit Woking town centre; for example, Year 2 pupils studying fire safety have linked their geography and science work after a visit to the fire station. Parents have commented and inspectors agree that some toilets are sometimes dirty and unhygienic because they are not cleaned regularly enough. Pupils have excellent opportunities to represent the school

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Grade: 2

competitively in a range of sports. These enable them to adopt healthy lifestyles and attitudes. Fundraising activities are regular and wide-ranging, helping pupils to 4 Inspection Report: St Dunstan's Catholic Primary School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005 contribute to their community and influence other people's lives. Partnerships with parents and the Church are strong. Consequently, the community and church parishioners are very involved in school life and have a positive impact on pupils' confidence and achievements.

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Grade: 1

Inspectors judge leadership and management as outstanding and better than the school thinks. A high quality senior management team works very hard, ensuring that all are cared for and achieve very well often. They are excellent role models, watching many lessons and providing very good guidance for teachers on how to improve. The headteacher has very good records of what is going on in the school and never takes her eye off the most important things for pupils. Subject leaders work hard and successfully to make their subjects interesting and the teaching at least good. The school council, which includes pupils from Year 2 to 6, is regularly involved in decision-making.Pupils come from a range of backgrounds, but all are respected and valued highly. Staff morale is high, because teachers and assistants work very well together and are enabled to develop professionally with quality in-service training.

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Grade: 1

The school has a very strong spirit of teamwork. Links with parents are developed well. Most parents think highly of the school and give it excellent support by helping in lessons or assemblies and through fundraising events. The governors know a lot about many aspects of school life, and a number come in to observe or help in classes. They care greatly for the school and do their best to help it improve. The school spends less than most other schools on its resources, but uses everything it gets very carefully for pupils' benefit. Modern computers, very good equipment and well-decorated and spacious accommodation help pupils to love where they work and play. The school provides outstanding value for money and is very well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: St Dunstan's 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 Dunstan's 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 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 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 1 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 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 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 for your help during our time in your school. We really enjoyed meeting you and hearing your views and ideas. Many good things are happening and those that we think the best are: * the way you behave well, help one another and work hard * the very good help you are given to improve your work in subjects like English, science and ICT * the care the staff show for you, so you can grow up healthy and safe * the way Mrs Newling-Ward runs the school with the help of her staff, always thinking about what is best for you* the interesting school building which gives you a nice place to work Even in an outstanding school like yours there are one or two things that are not quite as good as they could be. We think the school would improve more if teachers helped you to understand mathematics better and if all the toilets were kept clean all the time. We hope you continue to enjoy attending your outstanding school.

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