Bishop Ridley Church of England VA Primary School

Inspection Report Bishop Ridley Church of England V A Primary School

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134780 Unique Reference Number Bexley LEA LEA 282688 Inspection number 23 November 2005 to 24 November 2005 Inspection dates Robert Lovett HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Northumberland Avenue School address Primary Type of school Welling Voluntary aided School category DA16 2QE 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 02083034461 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02083015014 Fax number 293 Number on roll Mr Ian Miller Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Steven Hall Headteacher 23 November 2005 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282688 23 November 2005 - 3 to 11 24 November 2005 Inspection Report: Bishop Ridley Church of England V A Primary School, 23 November 2005 to 24 November 2005

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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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Bishop Ridley Church of England VA Primary School is situated in Welling in the London Borough of Bexley. With 293 pupils on roll it is larger than average. While most pupils come from the immediate area surrounding the school some choose to come from further afield. This follows the school's change of character and re-designation as a Church of England VA Primary School in September 2004. The proportion of pupils who speak a first language other than English is about average, as is the number of pupils from minority ethnic groups. The area is one of average prosperity and the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The number of pupils with special educational needs is below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bishop Ridley Church of England V A Primary School, 23 November 2005 to 24 November 2005

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Grade: 3

Inspectors agree with the school's self-evaluation that it is a satisfactory school with a number of good features. Pupils generally make satisfactory progress but some more able pupils do not do as well as they should. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress. Standards in English are good and are improving in mathematics, but standards in science are low. Those pupils who speak a first language other than English achieve well.The school's curriculum is good overall. Standards and provision in the Foundation Stage are satisfactoryThe school is a happy place and pupils say they enjoy coming to school very much. Behaviour is good and pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They like their teachers and get on very well with each other. They appreciate the wide range of clubs and activities available to them outside of normal school hours and are positive about the changes the school has been through

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Grade: 3

since becoming a Church of England VA school. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The school knows its own strengths and weaknesses well but needs to take more effective action to accelerate the pace of improvement.The school provides satisfactory value for money and has the capacity to continue to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

Focus on:* greater use of practical investigations in order to improve standards in science* effective use of target setting to raise the attainment of some more able pupils* ensuring the school improvement plan includes how pupils' progress will be measured

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Grade: 3

Standards are satisfactory overall. Pupils enter the infant school with an appropriately broad range of skills and knowledge and a variety of pre-school experiences, although some join with below average number and language skills. In the Foundation Stage, pupils make good progress in speaking and listening and satisfactory progress overall. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress during their time at the school, with better progress in English and mathematics than in science.In English, standards are good, with pupils achieving well by Year 6. Pupils make good use of what they have learned in English lessons to improve the quality of their writing across the curriculum. In mathematics pupils make significant progress and standards are improving. In science, standards are low, and some pupils make insufficient progress. Where pupils have too few opportunities to carry out practical investigations, to observe and record

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Grade: 3

results and discuss their work, they do not make as much progress as they should.Some more able pupils throughout the school are not doing as well as they could. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress. Pupils who speak a first language other than English achieve well. 2 Inspection Report: Bishop Ridley Church of England V A Primary School, 23 November 2005 to 24 November 2005

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Grade: 2

The majority of pupils are happy and keen to talk about their work and the range of other activities on offer. Pupils in the Foundation Stage are given good individual support, enjoy their work and settle quickly in the school.All pupils make good progress in their social development, and satisfactory progress in their cultural development through a range of work on different cultures and faiths. Behaviour throughout the school is good, and reflects the high priority the school places on this. Pupils say there is no bullying. They are also clear about who to talk to if they have a problem and feel that all staff are approachable and that other children are friendly. Pupils are supervised well throughout the school day and say they feel safe and secure. The school has a strong and developing Christian ethos which supports pupils' spiritual development well. There is a good moral focus too, as shown by the work done on protecting the

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Grade: 2

environment. Pupils have good opportunities to contribute to the life of the school, both through the eco-committee and the elected school council. The school council helps pupils develop important skills for living in a democratic society. Pupils' attendance is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning across the school is satisfactory overall. All teaching seen was satisfactory or better and much was at least good. Good teaching was characterised by well planned and organised learning, which was effectively matched to pupils' needs. Teachers ensured a brisk pace with clear learning objectives so that pupils knew what they were to learn. In less effective lessons pupils were unclear about why they were doing things and had insufficient opportunities to discuss their work. In all lessons pupils had positive attitudes to their work and behaviour was at least good and sometimes outstanding. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. These pupils know how to improve their work and receive good support from teaching assistants. Pupils speaking a first language other than English make good progress because care is taken to ensure work is well matched to what they need to

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Grade: 3

learn.While the school is developing a range of assessment strategies, these are not effectively used to set clear targets for some more able pupils, so that they know what they need to learn next.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school that the pupils' work covers a range of activities and experiences. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is broad and balanced and helps pupils make progress, particularly in speaking and listening. Teachers use national guidelines effectively to plan their work across the full range of subjects, and the 3 Inspection Report: Bishop Ridley Church of England V A Primary School, 23 November 2005 to 24 November 2005 planned opportunities for pupils' spiritual and moral development are a particular strength of the school.Pupils say this is a 'busy school' - there are many out-of-lessons clubs and activities including handbell ringing and a brass band. The eco-committee has been responsible for making many improvements to what was previously considered a dreary outside area.Pupils can choose from a wide range of sporting activities. These contribute to children's appreciation of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Pupils

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Grade: 2

are encouraged to be involved in fund-raising and charitable activities for the benefit of the wider community, fostering responsible citizenship.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school that its level of care is a major strength. Pupils in the Foundation Stage settle quickly and happily into the school. The school's Christian character permeates all areas of its work and underpins the high levels of care shown by adults and pupils.Health and safety and child protection procedures are clear and widely understood, so that pupils feel safe and secure. Pupils are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles. In 2005 the school successfully gained a Healthy Schools Award.Very good support is available, both in and out of lessons, for pupils who have learning difficulties. The school identifies such pupils and tracks their progress very well. Guidance for some more able pupils on how to improve is not as effective and these pupils are not always sufficiently challenged. Reports to parents are clear and informative.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher knows the school well. He and the senior management team have been very successful in promoting the personal development and well being of pupils. The school has had a clear focus on improving pupils' behaviour and raising standards in mathematics. It has been successful in both these aims. Science has rightly been identified as a weakness and the school is taking action to raise standards. The school has appropriate self-evaluation procedures and knows its strengths and weaknesses well. The views of parents and pupils are sought and valued. The school has identified a large number of priorities but its improvement plan does not clearly identify how it will know if it has achieved these. The school has worked hard to provide teachers with time for planning and preparation. Training for teachers and other staff is in place and is closely linked to

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Grade: 3

school priorities. The quality of subject leadership is inconsistent. In some subjects there has been a clear focus on raising standards through setting measurable achievement targets for pupils. These targets are written so that pupils easily understand what they have to do. In others subjects, while detailed plans for improvement have been written, how progress will be measured is unclear.Governors have high expectations of the school and are well informed. They play an active role in setting and reviewing the school improvement priorities and support and challenge the school effectively. 4 Inspection Report: Bishop Ridley Church of England V A Primary School, 23 November 2005 to 24 November 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. 5 Inspection Report: Bishop Ridley Church of England V A Primary School, 23 November 2005 to 24 November 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 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 2 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 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 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 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 3 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 very much for welcoming us into your school and telling us about it. Your views were very helpful and ensured we got to know your school well. We think your school cares for and looks after you well. We were impressed with your good behaviour. You get on well with each other and with the adults who work in the school and are very polite, for example by holding doors open for each other and visitors. You said you enjoy coming to school very much and you really appreciate the many clubs and activities on offer. The headteacher and staff work hard to make the school a better place. They have a clear picture of what is good in the school and what you all need to work harder at. One of the jobs ahead is to use what they know to make sure the school continues to improve. You have all put a lot of effort into making mathematics in the school better. Your teachers now need to make sure science also improves and you do more practical work. Those of you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

who find school work more difficult make good progress but some of you could be doing better. You told us your school has improved a lot recently, it's now up to you and your teachers to make it even better. We wish you success in making this happen and hope you enjoy the rest of your time in school. With best wishes Robert Lovett, Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools (on behalf of all the inspectors)

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