St Jude's CofE Primary School

St Jude's CofE Primary School Inspection report

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116344 Unique Reference Number Portsmouth Local Authority 290509 Inspection number 10 °11 July 2007 Inspection dates John Seal HMI 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 controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 402 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Wendy Evans Chair Mr Alan Matthews Headteacher 4 March 2002 Date of previous school inspection St Nicholas Street School address Portsmouth PO1 2NZ

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023 9282 4061 Telephone number 023 9275 0543 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 10 °11 July 2007 Inspection dates 290509 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Jude's Primary is a two-form entry, Church of England school situated in the older part of the City of Portsmouth. The number on roll is above the national average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is above average. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. Most pupils are of White British heritage.

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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: St Jude's CofE Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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Grade: 2

St Jude's is a good school. It is well regarded by parents who appreciate the school's caring approach to their children. The school has a warm and friendly atmosphere where pupils are able to settle in and have extensive opportunities to take part in a wide range of extra curricular activities both on and off the school site. A parent stated, 'I doubt if anywhere could have offered my children a better primary experience.' Standards are good. The school has a good track record of high standards at the end of Year 6. Children make good progress in Reception. By the time they leave Year 2 their skills are above average. Pupils make good progress throughout their time in Years 3 to 6. By the time pupils leave Year 6, a higher than average proportion attain nationally expected results and a significant proportion of them attain results which are well above average. Achievement is good. This is because of the consistently good quality of teaching in Reception and Years 1

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Grade: 2

and 2. Between years 3 and 6 pupils continue to make good progress as a result of the high levels of support from parents and the increasing proportion of good teaching. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are well behaved, polite and courteous. They enjoy school and this is reflected in their above average attendance. Pupils know how to live a healthy life and are aware of how to eat a balanced diet and take part in physical activity. The school's curriculum is good and there is a wide variety of activities on offer. French lessons are taught throughout the school and the well-resourced information technology and communications (ICT) suite is used effectively. There is a strong, successful emphasis on sport which brings the school local and national recognition. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Since the current headteacher was appointed three years ago, he has encouraged teachers to plan and teach lessons which effectively match

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Grade: 2

different groups of pupils' learning needs. There is a significant and increasing proportion of lessons where that is now the case. Where teachers have adopted these strategies, teaching is good. Lessons are well planned, interesting, and practical, providing pupils with clear strategies on how to improve. However, in many lessons, teachers lose pupils' interest by talking for too long and providing them with the same learning activities regardless of their abilities and needs. The school's provision of care and support is good but, because of the insufficient consistency in its academic guidance, care guidance and support is satisfactory overall. The school takes good care of the pupils and procedures for child protection are robust. The school has developed strong links with outside agencies which work effectively with vulnerable pupils. The inconsistencies that exist in lessons as regards activities matching pupils' learning needs are

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Grade: 2

strongly linked to them not being informed about how to improve their skills. Therefore, pupils and parents are not always provided with accurate academic guidance. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher knows what the school's strengths and weaknesses are and has identified what the school needs to do to improve. However, there is a lack of consistency in how some of the middle managers implement the procedures to monitor pupils' progress and the quality of teaching. The governing body are supportive and are aware of what needs to be done to improve the school further. Issues identified for improvement in the last inspection have been addressed well. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Jude's CofE Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the proportion of good teaching by matching activities more consistently to pupils' learning needs. ■ Ensure that all middle managers monitor and evaluate effectively their areas of responsibility.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards of pupil attainment in writing at the end of Years 2 and 6.

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Grade: 2

The children have a good start to the school in Reception. Their skills and abilities are broadly in line with national expectations and they continue to make good progress overall throughout the school. At Key Stage 1 and 2, attainment is average in writing but above average in all other respects. The school has a good track record of high attainment in the Key Stage 2 tests. Although the overall English results are also above average, the standards in writing are significantly lower than in reading. The school has recognised that standards in writing require improvement and has appropriate strategies to tackle this issue in its development plan.

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Grade: 2

Pupils demonstrate politeness and are helpful to each other. Their behaviour is good overall. Relationships between pupils are considerate and respectful both in classes and around the school. A significant number of parents and pupils expressed some concerns about a very small group of pupils' sporadic, inappropriate behaviour in the playground and their occasional disruptions to learning in lessons. The inspectors agree with these concerns, but these events happen usually when behaviour management strategies or lessons do not meet pupils' needs. Pupils are enthusiastic about school and this can be seen from their good attendance and keenness to learn. They enjoy opportunities to take responsibility. For example, they are enthusiastic about being part of the school council and there is a good take up for joining the signing club which supports pupils with hearing impairments. Good cultural opportunities exist

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Grade: 2

including opportunities to learn music and speak French. Pupils understand importance of a healthy lifestyle. For example, they understand the changes made towards healthier eating opportunities at lunchtime and talk very enthusiastically about the wide range of sporting opportunities. Pupils make a positive contribution to school life. They are involved in contributing to making rules, electing the school council and presenting assemblies. They are also encouraged to take part in raising money for charities. Pupils' preparation for future education and life is good. They develop above average skills in speaking, listening, mathematics and ICT.

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Grade: 3

The range of quality of teaching is from satisfactory to good. There is a consistently good picture in Reception and in Years 1 and 2.There is a higher proportion of satisfactory teaching between Years 3 and 6 but the number of good lessons is increasing. Where teaching is good, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Jude's CofE Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007 lessons are well planned with details regarding the different learning needs of pupils. They make good progress and are encouraged to take part in a range of practical activities such as drama. Teachers use information effectively regarding pupils' prior attainment as the basis for planning. In a small number of lessons children are encouraged to assess their own progress and quality of work. Teachers use questioning well to motivate pupils and encourage them to work together, discussing their work to improve it further especially in developing their writing

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Grade: 3

skills. Nevertheless, there are many lessons where the full range of pupils' abilities and needs are not taken into account. There is a lack of challenge or excitement. Some pupils are critical of 'unexciting' lessons in which 'they do not do enough'. Teachers talk for too long, there are inconsistencies across and between classes in marking and providing pupils with specific strategies on how to improve. Where these lessons occur, many pupils still manage to make good progress. This is because the pupils' attitudes to learning are very good and most of them have the capability to overcome insufficiently challenging activities which do not match their learning needs. In addition they have very supportive parents, who have high aspirations and value their children's education.

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Grade: 2

The school's curriculum provision is broad and balanced. Pupils have access to all areas of the curriculum. The school is working hard to increase the level of participation in outdoor learning. To this end it is developing an exciting woodland area with an accessible pond. Provision for ICT is good. This is supported by the well-resourced ICT suite and the installation of interactive white boards in most classrooms. The introduction of French across the whole school is a strength of the curriculum. In the Foundation Stage, provision and practice has been effectively developed. Pupils learning English as an additional language receive good support to enable them to access the curriculum and make good progress. The school provides a very good range of extra curricular opportunities. These include high quality sporting activities including clubs in athletics and football. There are also clubs for chess, ICT, and signing. The experience for

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Grade: 2

young musicians and the choir to take part in local concerts enables pupils to effectively develop their talents. Visitors such as the local policeman help the children to understand safety issues. Popular visits to places of interest such as Southsea Castle and residential trips to France enhance the curriculum and bring learning alive for pupils.

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Grade: 3

Vulnerable pupils receive high quality personal support which enables them to make good progress and develop confidence through the effective support of the learning mentors. The school has strong links with other services and outside agencies which are well coordinated by school. Procedures for child protection and safety are effective. Good transition arrangements exist between the Nursery and secondary schools. Support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good. The school has good provision for gifted and talented pupils. For instance, there are opportunities for pupils to visit the art gallery and participate in multi-skills sports. The school has put into place suitable systems for tracking pupils' progress and setting challenging targets. These are not yet consistently used to maximum effect by all teachers. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Jude's CofE Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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Grade: 3

Pupils are often provided with learning outcomes for a lesson but these are not sufficiently specific to either individuals or groups of learners.

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Grade: 3

Since his appointment the headteacher has worked hard to establish a clear view on what the school needs to do to improve further. There is a lack of consistency in addressing whole-school approaches to classroom management and adopting the most effective strategies to support pupils' learning. In September 2006, the leadership team was re-structured. Middle mangers have suitable roles and responsibilities for monitoring and evaluating the progress of all pupils. The impact of this restructuring is not sufficiently consistent across the school. Governors are supportive and increasingly aware of the need for detailed information in order to fulfil their responsibility to provide challenge for the school. The school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis and resources are used well. The school has good links with parents and the community, and works well with outside agencies such as the education welfare service.

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Grade: 3

The school has many sound policies and procedures which are having a positive effect on the quality of teaching and learning whilst maintaining pupils' good progress. As a result of this improving but uneven implementation, the school's capacity to improve is satisfactory. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Jude's CofE Primary School, 10 °11 July 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: St Jude's CofE Primary School, 10 °11 July 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? 2 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

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

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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

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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: St Jude's CofE Primary School, 10 °11 July 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: St Jude's CofE Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

3 September 2007 Dear Children Inspection of St Jude's CofE Primary School,Portsmouth,PO1 2NZ Thank you very much for your friendly welcome when we visited your school. The other inspectors and I really enjoyed talking to you, seeing your lessons, talking to you at playtime and looking at your work and displays around the school. You told us that St Jude's is a good school and we agree. You make good progress and a lot of you reach very high standards in your work. This is because you work hard at home and at school. You are good at concentrating on what you have to do. Many of you said that you enjoyed lessons and learned more when your teachers gave you interesting activities to do like science and drama. You also have a lot of activities to learn outside the school day, particularly sport, information technology and visiting that wonderful wooded area with the pond. Some of your teachers work hard to take you on school trips, for

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

example to France and Southsea Castle. Some of your teachers are good at checking how well you are getting on so they can help you do better. Your headteacher is working hard with all of the teachers to plan ways to do this by making sure you will have more time in lessons to speak and to discuss how to learn even more. Your headteacher and the teachers who help him manage the school are planning to spend even more time visiting lessons. They will be looking at your work, talking to you about it and letting you know what to do next to improve. Your headteacher, governors and many of your teachers know how well the school is doing and are going to be working hard at making it even better. I hope you continue to be happy at school and learn as much as you can. Best wishes, John SealHer Majesty's Inspector of Schools 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Jude's CofE Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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