St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome

Inspection Report St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome

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123844 Unique Reference Number Somerset Local Authority 292812 Inspection number 25 °26 September 2006 Inspection dates Jacqueline Ikin 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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Welshmill Lane School address Primary Type of school Frome Voluntary aided School category BA11 3AP 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01373 463728 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01373 453465 Fax number 210 Number on roll (school) Colin Parsons Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Richard Triggs Headteacher 1 February 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 292812 25 °26 September 2006 4°11 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

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Louis Catholic Primary school is an average-sized primary school which serves the parish of Frome and villages in the local area. Most pupils come from White British backgrounds. A small number come from monitory ethnic groups and some of these speak English as an additional language. The number of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below average. A below-average number have learning difficulties or disabilities. Extensive building works were in operation at the time of the inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome, 25 °26 September 2006

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Grade: 3

St Louis School provides a sound education for its pupils. Standards are above average and achievement is satisfactory. Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language achieve satisfactorily alongside their classmates. The leadership and management of the school, although satisfactory overall, have many strengths, including the strong leadership of the headteacher. His accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses and clear vision for the future have successfully moved the school forward since the last inspection. The ambitious remodelling of the building that is taking place during the current school year is a good example of his high aspirations, as is the recent significant improvement in the teaching and assessment of English which have led to good achievement and above average standards in reading and writing. Standards in science are also above average

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Grade: 3

and achievement is good. Staff work together well. The senior management team supports the headteacher well in areas such as devising and initiating action plans to aid improvement and monitoring the quality of teaching. However, their individual responsibilities are still being worked out and, because of this, the school's capacity to improve further is currently satisfactory rather than good. Satisfactory teaching is helping pupils to make sound progress. In some lessons, good teaching moves pupils learning on at a more rapid rate through well-planned work which ensures that each and every pupil is stretched to the full. However, sometimes teachers do not use assessment information precisely enough when planning lessons and this means that tasks provided do not always match pupils' needs. Some more able pupils do not always achieve as much as they should in mathematics because insufficient attention is given

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Grade: 3

to deepening their understanding of mathematics in problem-solving. Provision in the Reception class is satisfactory and ensures that most children reach the standards that are expected for their age. Pupils with learning difficulties achieve well as a result of the good teaching they receive. The good range of links that the school maintains with the community and its impressive range of after-school activities and visits to places of interest capture pupils' interest and contribute well to their enjoyment of school and learning. A strong Catholic ethos pervades every aspect of school life and makes an important contribution to the good provision that is made for pupils' personal, growth. Pupils get on well together and behaviour is good. 'In our school', said one pupil, 'age doesn't matter, we are all friends'. Pupils feel trusted and well cared for, and grow in confidence and self-esteem. Together with their positive attitudes towards

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Grade: 3

learning and good grounding in basic skills, this prepares them well for their future lives. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and of how to live healthy lifestyles. Most parents speak highly of the school. They appreciate its warm and friendly atmosphere and report that staff promote a strong sense of community where everyone is respected and valued.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise the achievement of more able pupils in mathematics by improving their skills in solving mathematical problems. 2 Inspection Report: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome, 25 °26 September 2006 • Improve the quality of teaching by ensuring greater precision in the use of assessments to inform teachers' planning.

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Grade: 3

Children in the Reception class achieve satisfactorily. Although most reach the standards expected for their age by the end of the Reception Year, not enough children are achieving beyond them, given their above average starting points on entry. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 achieve well in both reading and writing, where the school has successfully raised standards and closed the gap between boys and girls. The achievement of most pupils in mathematics is satisfactory but their progress is better in some year groups than others. Some more able pupils do not always achieve as much as they should because their skills in solving mathematical problems are not sufficiently developed. Standards are above average in science and pupils' achievement is good. Standards and achievement in information and communication technology have improved since the last inspection and are satisfactory

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. The school produces well-rounded, confident pupils who are well prepared for their future lives. They enjoy school and behaviour is good. An atmosphere of mutual respect permeates the school and relationships are good. Pupils have a very well developed sense of their responsibilities in the school and contribute well to its smooth running. A good example of this is when older pupils help younger ones at lunchtime in their role as 'Red Hats'. The good contribution that pupils make to both local and national charitable events contributes well to their growing awareness of their responsibilities in the wider world. However, on occasions, too much is done for pupils in lessons that they should be able to do for themselves, and this limits the extent to which they can develop the skills of independent learning. Pupils have a

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Grade: 2

good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Their good involvement in physical activities and in healthy eating initiatives contributes to this. As a result of the school's efforts, attendance rates have improved and are now good.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning and assessment are satisfactory. Some good lessons were seen during the inspection, for example the teaching of reading and writing is good. Well-planned opportunities for reading in small groups, the rigorous use of target setting and the involvement of pupils in assessing their own work contribute to pupils' 3 Inspection Report: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome, 25 °26 September 2006 good achievement in these subjects. However, this is not sufficiently well applied in other subjects. The teaching of mathematics is not yet as effective, particularly for more able pupils. The expectations of what pupils can achieve and the quality of questioning vary and problem solving is not always used as well as it should be to deepen pupils' mathematical understanding. Assessment is used well to plan work which enables pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities to meet the targets that

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Grade: 3

are set for them. Its use to inform planning for other pupils is less precise.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum, with a strong emphasis on music, sport and art. It is enriched well by extra-curricular activities and visits which engage pupils' interest and make learning enjoyable. Good personal, social, health and citizenship education make a significant contribution to pupils' personal growth and well-being. The curriculum meets the needs of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities well but the needs of more able pupils are not always met in mathematics. The curriculum for the children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, although the learning environment is not sufficiently focused on promoting children's learning through imaginative play and creativity. The current remodelling of the school limits access to resources and outdoor facilities and the use of information and communication technology to support other subjects. However, the school is doing all that it can to

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Staff work well with parents and outside agencies to promote pupils' learning and to secure pupils' health, safety and protection. Pupils say, 'When we need help, are upset or lonely, people are always there to support us'. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language benefit from effective individual support and academic guidance. They make good progress towards the targets set for them. Other pupils also receive good pastoral support, but academic guidance is inconsistent. Pupils have good guidance in English, where they are involved well in checking how they are getting on and encouraged to think about the next steps in learning. However, academic guidance in other subjects is not always as precise.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher provides strong and principled leadership. He has high expectations for the school and these are reflected in the clear sense of educational direction in the school's improvement plan. All members of the school community are involved in selfevaluation and development planning. Performance data is used well to give an accurate picture of where the 4 Inspection Report: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome, 25 °26 September 2006 strengths of the school lie and where improvements are needed. The subject leader role has improved since the last inspection and is satisfactory. The senior management team has been a significant influence on improvements in English. Their role has not yet had time to be as effective in other subjects, and responsibilities within the team require more precise definition. The chair of governors gives good support to the

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Grade: 3

headteacher, and the expertise of governors is well targeted. Governors recognise that their role in monitoring and evaluation needs further development and they have well-established plans for this. 5 Inspection Report: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome, 25 °26 September 2006 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome, 25 °26 September 2006

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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? 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?

2 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. 7 Inspection Report: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome, 25 °26 September 2006

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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? 8 Inspection Report: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome, 25 °26 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Thank you for making us feel so welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you and watching you learn and play. We were impressed with your good behaviour, the polite and friendly way that you greeted us and the way in which the older pupils help younger ones. We can see why you like your school and think that it gives you a sound education. What we liked about your school: • your headteacher is working hard to make the school a better place to be and to help you do even better than you are already • the school helps you to keep yourselves safe and to lead healthy lifestyles • the school helps you all to do well in reading and writing • the school provides a good range of activities after school and visits to places of interest, which help you to learn. What we think needs to be improved: • the school needs to provide more challenging tasks for those of you who find mathematics easy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• the school has lots of information to show how you are getting on. To help teachers make all of your lessons good, we have asked them to find better ways of using this information when they plan your lessons - so that work is always as interesting and challenging as possible. 9 Inspection Report: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome, 25 °26 September 2006

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