Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School

Inspection Report Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School

p.1

108018 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 287999 Inspection number 5 °6 February 2007 Inspection dates Clive Petts Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Royds Lane School address Primary Type of school Rothwell, Leeds Voluntary aided School category West Yorkshire LS26 0BJ 5 °11 Age range of pupils 0113 2146313 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0113 2889037 Fax number 191 Number on roll (school) Clare Skinner Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Steven Nicholson Headteacher 18 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287999 5 °6 February 2007 5°11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Rothwell St Mary's is a smaller than average primary school with a wide catchment area in the suburbs of south east Leeds. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well below average, with the proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational need less than half the national average. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. The pupil population is very settled and has benefited from a stable teaching and support staff. Since the last inspection, a new deputy headteacher has been appointed and, more recently, a new headteacher.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School, 5 °6 February 2007

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school with a number of outstanding strengths. Both pupils' personal development and the care and support provided for them are excellent. The school makes certain that all pupils enjoy learning, do as well as they can, feel safe and secure and adopt healthy and safe lifestyles. As a result, their attendance is well above average and they consistently achieve well. Pupils value the opportunities they are given to contribute to school improvement and, as a consequence, are growing in confidence and maturity. Pupils' achievement is good. In the Foundation Stage and in mathematics across the school it is outstanding because of a relentless focus on achievement in lessons. The standards achieved by pupils in Years 2 and 6 are high. In all classes from Year 2 to year 6 the proportion of pupils who reach higher levels in English, science and mathematics exceeds national average. Personal development is outstanding, including all aspects of spiritual, moral, social

p.4

Grade: 2

and cultural development. Pupils clearly like coming to school every day and are proud of their good achievement. Few pupils miss school for holidays and many make huge efforts to attend even when they are 'off colour'. In assemblies, pupils enjoy the messages conveyed through the 'Statements to live by' which are rooted in the Christian faith and have a firm spiritual focus. Pupils respond well to opportunities to take responsibility and show a genuine concern for others, particularly younger pupils. Teaching is good with some outstanding lessons seen. In the very best lessons for example, teachers use role-play well to encourage pupils to show initiative when applying learning to new situations. Teachers pay good attention to meeting the learning needs of individuals when preparing activities. However, not all teachers use strategies in lessons which challenge and excite pupils to learn as well as they should.

p.4

Grade: 2

The successful development of pupils' writing skills throughout the school makes a significant contribution to driving up achievement. Marking is systematically completed in lessons and generally considered guidance for improvement is given. The good curriculum successfully meets the needs and engages the interests of all pupils. Parents are quick to recognise the very high quality of pupil care and support. When asked, parents are full of praise for the way in which staff look after their children, for example, they really value the care taken in Reception to ensure children settle quickly. Leadership and management are good. The shared understanding of the headteacher and deputy headteacher has rapidly established a culture of high expectations in all school life. This is exemplified in their exceptional vision for care, concern and learning for all pupils. Effective monitoring makes certain that they know their school extremely

p.4

Grade: 2

well. It is further strengthened by valuable collaborative work undertaken with the local authority. The governors work very closely with staff to help the school move forward. Since the last inspection, the school has made excellent progress. As a consequence, it has a very good capacity to improve further. 2 Inspection Report: Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School, 5 °6 February 2007

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that all teachers plan lessons which consistently challenge and motivate children to achieve well.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils enter Reception with a wide variety of nursery experiences and broadly average skills. A significant proportion of pupils have above average speaking and listening skills. By the time they enter Year 1, the large majority of pupils have exceeded the expectations for their age with particular strengths in reading, writing and mathematical skills. Writing skill is a particular strength. Overall, this represents outstanding achievement for pupils of all abilities. In 2006 assessments at the end of Year 2, standards are well above average with a distinct rising trend in mathematics and writing. By the end of Year 6, overall standards are significantly above average with standards in English and mathematics a continuing strength. Achievement in mathematics between Year 1 and 6 is exceptionally high for pupils of all abilities and needs. In work seen, all pupils are continuing to make good progress. This reflects the effective combined action taken by the recently appointed

p.5

Grade: 2

headteacher, deputy headteacher and subject leaders to raise achievement.

p.5

Grade: 1

Behaviour is excellent and pupils treat everyone with respect, are considerate, helpful and work well together, for example, Reception pupils work happily and play safely together in the new outdoor classroom area. Pupils enjoy excellent relationships with one another and this is mirrored across the whole school in lessons and in the playground. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Eating and drinking healthily is an integral part of school life. The 'Fruit Tuck Shop' has been recently introduced, to supplement the healthy lifestyles initiative. This was originally proposed by the school council and is a very good example of the active role the council has in discussing issues which affect school life. The high level of participation in sports development programmes reflects pupils' commitment to their own well-being. Systematically they are developing attitudes that will help them thrive

p.5

Grade: 1

and grow into responsible adults. 3 Inspection Report: Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School, 5 °6 February 2007

p.5

Grade: 2

Staff are highly motivated, committed and work extremely capably together. In the outstanding lessons seen, questioning and interventions provide challenge and extend learning. In the Foundation Stage, children of all ages and abilities make excellent progress. This is a result of careful monitoring of imaginative but structured approaches to learning, which inspire and capture interest in exciting, stimulating and challenging learning environments. Lessons are well planned throughout the school. In the best lessons, tasks are structured to extend all pupils' knowledge and understanding; additionally, clear guidance is given to pupils as to what the next steps are in their learning and what they can do to improve their work. Although marking is supportive overall, it does not always sufficiently add to pupils' grasp of how they can improve further. Support staff work skilfully to support individual pupil's learning. Pupils feel valued, enjoy excellent

p.6

Grade: 2

relationships with staff and as a consequence, display a desire to do well.

p.6

Grade: 2

Overall, the curriculum is good. It meets requirements and is well structured with some excellent opportunities for pupils to extend their learning and personal skills outside of lessons. For example, residential programmes promote pupil confidence, independence and offer challenging teamwork experiences. Pupils in Reception enjoy a stimulating programme of activities that is focused on personal and emotional development. Pupils appreciate the way in which the curriculum is adapted to capture interest, commenting on their lessons being made 'fun' and a feature they would not change. Provision for both literacy and numeracy is very good and it is improving all the time for information and communication technology. The curriculum is well planned to promote pupils' understanding of multicultural diversity and reinforces the school's strong commitment to inclusion, for example, reflecting on recent disasters across the

p.6

Grade: 1

Care and concern for the learning of all pupils is very successfully promoted by all staff, governors and the local parish Deacon. Pupils' say they feel safe at all times. They value the high quality support they receive from staff and volunteers, including parents. Relationships between all staff and pupils are excellent. In this supportive, secure environment pupils reach the challenging targets they are set. Procedures for 4 Inspection Report: Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School, 5 °6 February 2007 assessing and managing risk are in place and regularly reviewed. Vetting procedures for adults who work with children and child protection procedures are all in place. Pupils receive excellent support throughout school and this prepares them exceptionally well for secondary school transfer. Pupils' needs are identified early, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Thorough support and guidance plans are

p.6

Grade: 1

provided for all pupils who require them, including the more gifted and talented. Pupil performance is rigorously monitored and progress carefully tracked. Individual action plans are well related to the teaching and curriculum to ensure there are no barriers to learning. The school works very hard with agencies to make certain support is well matched to need. Relationships with parents are excellent and reflect the high level of confidence parents have in the school.

p.7

Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher make certain that the school runs smoothly. The total commitment of staff, recognised and frequently acknowledged by parents, reflects the school mission 'together everyone achieves more'. The school provides warm, stimulating and safe settings within which pupils can learn. Self-evaluation undertaken by senior managers is reliable and presents an accurate picture of strengths and areas for improvement. Increasingly, subject leaders make well-judged contributions to the process. Governors systematically review performance data and are increasingly proactive in asking questions about how things are going. They are effective in holding the school to account. Resources are efficiently used to steadily improve the conditions for learning and raise achievement. As a result, the school offers good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School, 5 °6 February 2007

p.7

Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School, 5 °6 February 2007

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School, 5 °6 February 2007

p.9

and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School, 5 °6 February 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for such a warm welcome to your school and for being so considerate, helpful and friendly. We enjoyed talking to you about your work, speaking with your staff, your parents and joining you in lessons, at lunchtime and in assembly. What we most liked about the school is: • the way you enjoy school and the pride you show in your learning • the way all of your staff work together and encourage you to work hard • the care and attention of your teachers and support staff to help you settle quickly when you first arrive, particularly in the Reception class • the speed with which you learn new skills • the way your headteacher and deputy headteacher and others who are responsible for running the school listen to pupils, take advice and make sure the school money is spent wisely. We think that your school could be even better if: • your lessons were even more challenging and exciting so that you could make extra progress.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We hope that you will continue to attend school regularly, enjoy life at school, work as hard as you can and remember to listen carefully to the guidance and help staff give you in lessons. We wish you well in the future. 9 Inspection Report: Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School, 5 °6 February 2007

p.11