Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School

Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School Inspection report

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113845 Unique Reference Number Bournemouth Local Authority 289744 Inspection number 22 °23 March 2007 Inspection dates Eileen Chadwick Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 434 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Vacant Position Chair John Regan Headteacher 15 October 2002 Date of previous school inspection St James Square School address Boscombe Bournemouth BH5 2BX

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01202 427544 Telephone number 01202 427544 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 22 °23 March 2007 Inspection dates 289744 Inspection number .

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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

This large primary school draws pupils predominantly from Catholic families living in the east of Bournemouth and the surrounding area. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities is average. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds, although the number speaking English as an additional language is slightly above average. Children's attainment on entry is similar to that in most schools. The school is on a split site. Reception and Year 1 pupils are in a small annex within a short walking distance from the main school. There have recently been substantial building improvements to the main school. The school's national awards are the Healthy Schools Award, Football Association Charter, Anti Bullying Award and Investors in People.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, 22 °23 March 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school with strengths in pupils' good personal development and excellent behaviour. The school provides a very caring and safe environment based on the Catholic faith where pupils feel secure and want to learn. The school's aims of courtesy, care and concern are expressed and experienced fully in everyday life. Almost without exception, parents have every confidence in the school. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. From broadly average levels of attainment when they enter the school in Reception, pupils make satisfactory progress through to Year 2 to reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Their overall progress in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory and good in English. By Year 6, standards are above average in English and average in mathematics. The school's drive to improve achievement in English is having a good impact in Years 3 to 6. However, there is more to do to improve the rate of progress in reading and

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Grade: 3

writing in Reception through to Year 2. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers manage pupils well and make sure they develop good work habits. However, teachers' lesson planning is not sharp enough because there is not always enough challenge for more capable pupils and the steps in learning can be hard for lower attaining pupils. The curriculum is satisfactory with good opportunities for sport. Pastoral care is strong. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and know how to stay safe and healthy. They make an excellent contribution to their community by helping people less fortunate than themselves. Care, support and guidance of pupils are satisfactory. Assessment systems are satisfactory and have been substantially improved recently. However, there are still not enough checks on how well pupils are achieving through the school. This

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Grade: 3

prevents swift action being taken to improve provision and pupils' progress where this is needed. The school's view of its effectiveness is more positive than that of inspectors. It has identified the right priorities for improving pupils' achievement. However, it does not have a sufficiently clear view of the impact of achievement on school effectiveness. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher provides a clear direction and strong pastoral leadership. The school has recently established a new leadership structure and is revising its management systems. However, the roles of subject leaders in monitoring intended improvements and checking their colleagues' work are not sufficiently developed.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve pupils' progress in reading and writing in Reception to Year 2 and in mathematics throughout the school to match the good progress made in English in Years 3 to 6. • Improve the quality of teaching by ensuring work is always well matched to the needs of lower attaining and more capable pupils. • Make subject leaders more effective in their roles of raising pupils' achievement. • Evaluate assessment information more rigorously in order to make better checks on pupils' progress and quickly improve provision where needed. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, 22 °23 March 2007

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Grade: 3

Pupils' overall achievement is satisfactory. Although there is variation between different year groups, pupils' attainment on entry is broadly at the level expected. By the end of Year 6, pupils generally reach above average standards in English and average standards in mathematics. Children make satisfactory progress in Reception and in Years 1 and 2. By the end of Reception, standards are similar to those expected. Standards remain average in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. Handwriting develops well but the lack of opportunities for pupils to write creatively and at length prevent writing standards rising. By Year 2, a small proportion have weak knowledge of sounds and do not recognise enough commonly used words. From Reception to Year 2 opportunities for pupils to read vary in different classes and are not rigorous enough to promote higher reading standards. In mathematics, more capable pupils sometimes mark

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Grade: 3

time when they spend too long consolidating previous work. In Years 3 to 6, pupils' progress is satisfactory. Pupils achieve well in English because of good teaching in this subject. However, in mathematics the progress of lower attaining and more capable pupils sometimes slows when too much teaching is geared to average levels of ability. Standards in Year 6 national tests have been significantly above average for the past two years in English, mathematics and science. These pupils made satisfactory progress from their higher than average starting points. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make satisfactory progress. They do well in literacy in Years 3 to 6. Their progress is not as fast in Years 1 and 2 where steps in learning are not so well matched to their needs. The progress of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

Relationships are excellent among pupils of different ages and abilities and from different ethnic backgrounds. This is a major reason why pupils thoroughly enjoy school. Pupils know that consideration of others is important because of the examples they are given by the caring community to which they belong, including the Church. Pupils feel safe and are adamant that bullying is very rare and promptly dealt with. Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the school, Church and wider communities. They show compassion and understanding of others less fortunate than themselves when supporting a wide range of charities. Pupils develop a good understanding of global issues and the need to care for their environment. Pupils have a very good awareness of healthy eating and the importance of physical exercise. Pupils develop good decision-making skills, whilst their sound numeracy skills and improved progress in literacy

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Grade: 2

mean that they are adequately prepared for the next stage in their learning. Pupils' good personal development is not yet leading to their good achievement. This, and their average attendance, prevent their personal development from being better than good.

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Grade: 3

Teachers have excellent relationships with pupils and high expectations of their behaviour and application. They use practical resources and interactive whiteboards most effectively to bring learning alive and to help pupils enjoy lessons. Teachers provide good opportunities for 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, 22 °23 March 2007 discussion, which help pupils to clarify their thinking and understand specific subject vocabulary. The rigorous monitoring in English in Years 3 to 6 has improved lesson planning and pupils' achievement. In lessons in other subjects, teachers' planning is detailed but does not consistently provide for the range of pupils' abilities. Consequently there is sometimes a lack of challenge for more capable pupils and work for lower attaining pupils can be hard, especially in mathematics. In Reception and Year 1, teaching time is not used effectively on occasions when

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Grade: 3

too much time is spent on cutting, sticking or colouring during literacy activities. Throughout the school teaching assistants are well organised and provide good support.

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Grade: 3

Provision is satisfactory in Reception with a sound balance between direct teaching and opportunities for children to learn through purposeful play. This has improved since the previous inspection. Throughout the school, the curriculum is broad and enriched by a good range of extra-curricular activities which encourage pupils to be active and healthy. Good provision for personal and social education provides pupils with a strong base to become effective learners. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is good and far better than when previously inspected. However, curriculum plans do not provide consistent challenge for more capable pupils. There are insufficient opportunities for Years 1 and 2 pupils to write imaginatively and at length. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is satisfactory but lessons plans do not consistently ensure there are systematic small gains in

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Grade: 3

literacy and numeracy skills over a period of time.

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Grade: 3

Child protection, and health and safety procedures are strong. The school works closely with parents and, where necessary, with outside agencies to support pupils. Academic guidance is satisfactory. This has been improved in the last year. Assessment is usually thorough but there is no single tracking document which shows pupils' progress from Reception through to Year 2. This impairs the ease with which staff and school leaders can make regular checks on how well they are doing. Pupils are clear about their English targets and this contributes to their good achievement in Years 3 to 6. Target-setting is not so well established in mathematics. Teachers' marking is often thorough, although written comments are sometimes hard for younger pupils to read. With the help of the attendance officer, the school is paying close attention to pupils' attendance and trying to discourage families from taking holidays during

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Grade: 3

The headteacher consistently promotes a calm and supportive ethos and has built good team working across the staff. This has been particularly important during the building improvements which caused significant disruption, with every class in temporary accommodation at some point. The headteacher sets a clear educational direction and has identified the right priorities for improving pupils' achievement. A new leadership structure and new appointments at senior level are having a positive impact on improving pupils' achievement in English in Years 3 to 6. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, 22 °23 March 2007 The school's self-evaluation is mostly accurate. However, systems for analysing pupils' achievement are not consistently rigorous across the whole school. This prevents teachers, school leaders and governors easily evaluating and improving achievement and the quality of

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Grade: 3

provision. The school realises there is a way to go before all subject leaders have a secure overview of their subjects. Several are still receiving training for their roles and are not yet fully involved in checking the quality of teaching and learning in their colleagues' lessons. Governors provide very good levels of support. Several new governors are still receiving training and they are not yet in a position to challenge the school on its performance. Steady improvement since the last inspection shows the school has satisfactory capacity to continue to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, 22 °23 March 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, 22 °23 March 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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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? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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

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and interests of learners?

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

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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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, 22 °23 March 2007

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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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, 22 °23 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for being so friendly and helpful when we visited your school to find out how well you are doing. Your school provides you with a satisfactory education. There are lots of good things about it, although we found out some ways in which it could be even better. These are some of the good things about your school: • You make good progress in English in Years 3 to 6 because you are well taught. • Your behaviour is excellent and you are a credit to your school. • You get on extremely well with each other and help others who are less fortunate. • You have some really good opportunities for learning through clubs, especially sport. • Teachers make sure you are well cared for and you are kept safe. • Your headteacher and teachers are working hard to make the school better. Here are the things we are asking the school to change: • Improve your progress in reading and writing in Years 1 and 2 and in mathematics throughout

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the school. • Make sure that the work you are given is neither too easy nor too hard. • Make better checks on how well you are learning. You can help your teachers by making sure you continue to work hard at improving your reading and writing and mathematics. Thank you again for being so helpful. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, 22 °23 March 2007

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