St Paul's CofE Primary School

St Paul's CofE Primary School Inspection report

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100351 Unique Reference Number Hammersmith and Fulham Local Authority 307369 Inspection number 9–10 December 2008 Inspection dates Alison Thomson Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 220 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Simon Downham Chair Mrs Claire Fletcher Headteacher 13 June 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Worlidge Street School address London W6 9BP 020 8748 4951 Telephone number 0871 266 8876 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 9–10 December 2008 Inspection dates 307369 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Paul's is a primary school of average size. There is Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision in Nursery and Reception classes. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is much higher than average. There is a much higher than average proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils who do not have English as their first language is also much higher than average. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, which includes a group with behavioural, social and emotional problems, is much higher than average, although the proportion with a statement of special educational need is average. The school achieved the Healthy Schools Award in 2007.

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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 Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008

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Grade: 2

St Paul's is a very effective school where the pupils have good personal development and achieve well. It is an inclusive school where careful attention to the needs and interests of each pupil means that their progress and achievement are good. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. The views of many are summed up by the comment, 'St Paul's is a superb school, with fabulous staff and facilities.' The school's good leadership and management are central to its success. The drive and vision of the headteacher are excellent. In the four terms she has been here, along with the deputy headteacher, she has instilled a culture of accountability, stability and cohesion among the staff. The current leadership team has been in place in its current format for just under a term. The newly appointed middle leaders welcome and understand their responsibilities well, but as yet they are insufficiently involved in monitoring and evaluating their subjects. Systems for

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Grade: 2

tracking pupils' progress are rigorous and strategies for addressing underachievement have led to improved planning by teachers to meet individual needs. The result is that the decline in standards over the past three years is rapidly being reversed and all pupils, regardless of ability or background, now make good progress. From starting points that are exceptionally low, pupils leave at the end of Year 6 with standards that are in line with those seen nationally. This is due to good teaching and learning, and well-targeted support by teaching assistants. The curriculum is also good, very creative and meets the needs of the pupils well. Pupils say that they know how to improve their work, especially in areas such as writing where they now have individual targets. At present, however, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to be involved in assessing their own learning in lessons against clear success criteria, thus limiting their rate of

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Grade: 2

progress. Governors know the school very well and are increasingly holding it to account effectively. Parents value the increasing opportunities to be involved in their children's learning. As one parent commented, 'We are often given direction on how to support their learning at home which is great fun.' Pupils' good personal development and well-being spring from the high level of care, support and guidance that the staff provide on a daily basis. Pupils are well behaved, polite and show respect towards each other and adults. They know how to keep themselves and others safe. They say they like school because it is 'fun' and 'you learn new things'. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. Pupils understand well the diverse cultures present in our society and what it means to be healthy. Many take advantage of the numerous clubs on offer during and after school, including opportunities to keep fit by participating in sporting

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Grade: 2

activities. They make a good contribution to both the school and wider communities through their willingness to help others. Pupils feel valued and the school council is proud of the part it played in the school having a new bike shelter. When asked to describe their school, one pupil commented, 'It's a great school to learn in because teachers do their job well and teach us the right things.' This is a school that knows itself very well. It is aware of improvements that need to be made, such as increasing the outdoor opportunities in the EYFS. The many improvements over a relatively short period of time indicate that the capacity to improve even further is good. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008

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Grade: 2

Children make a positive start in school because of good teaching and provision. One parent reflected the thoughts of many in writing, 'My son is blessed to have such a good start to life'. This good teaching ensures that from exceptionally low starting points children make good progress. Relationships are excellent and high staffing levels contribute to good care. The children enjoy coming to school and are relaxed, happy and eager to learn. Children develop confidence, independence and respect for others because staff are skilled at providing a good balance of adult-led activities and giving children the freedom to make their own choices. Staff know the children's needs well through encouraging parents to come into school and share information about their children. Regular assessments track individual progress well and help future planning by building on children's previous learning. The highly experienced EYFS leader

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Grade: 2

provides good leadership and management and has a clear vision of future improvements. At present there are not enough opportunities for outdoor learning. This is not helped by the physical restraints of the building. At the end of Reception, although achievement is good, standards are still short of the expected goals for children of that age, especially in communication, language and literacy.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Accelerate pupils' rate of progress by giving them more opportunities to be involved in assessing their own learning. ■ Develop the role of middle leaders in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the outdoor learning opportunities for pupils in EYFS.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well throughout their time in school. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those for whom English is not their first language benefit from experienced and well-focused support. As a result, they make good progress, in line with their peers. Pupils enter Year 1 with standards that are below average, particularly in communication, language and literacy. By the time they reach the end of Year 2 their good progress results in standards that are broadly in line with those seen nationally in reading and mathematics, and below average in writing. The school was very quick to pick up on this, and through well-focused strategies, progress in writing has already improved dramatically this term. The good progress pupils make continues throughout Years 3 to 6, so that standards overall at the end of Year 6 are securely in line with those seen nationally in English, mathematics and science. A strong

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Grade: 2

focus on mathematics over the past year, through the school's excellent self-analysis, has resulted in good progress and improved standards there.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy coming to school. This is evident in their positive attitudes to learning and in their good participation in school activities. They show respect for others and appreciate the consideration the school gives to their views. Pupils behave well in lessons and throughout the school, and they know how to stay safe. They enjoy the many opportunities for exercise and understand the importance of diet to their future well-being. The recent 'bike-it' initiative has 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008 been successful in encouraging pupils to use bicycles and scooters for getting to and from school. Attendance has improved and is now satisfactory. However, despite the school's best efforts, persistent lateness for a small minority of children mean that they do not always get the best start to the school day. Pupils have a good sense of right and wrong, and support one

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Grade: 2

another in the playground. Pupils are also involved in the wider community and regularly take part in fundraising activities for causes both at home and overseas. These strengths contribute well to the pupils' good spiritual, moral, and cultural development. Standards of basic skills are rising rapidly. These, together with the positive relationships existing between different ethnic groups, help to prepare pupils well for their future lives.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is lively and engaging, and lessons are planned well with appropriate and varied activities. As a result, pupils describe their lessons as 'fun' and they are eager to learn in this positive and purposeful environment. Lessons generally have good pace, and the good emphasis on literacy and the effective use of whiteboard technology promote good learning. Teaching assistants know and understand the learning needs of their pupils well. As a result, all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and those for whom English is not their first language, make good progress. There are good opportunities for sharing ideas and pupils do so in a confident manner. Teachers usually explain to the pupils what they should be achieving by the end of the lesson. Sometimes this is not made clear enough and the pupils have difficulty in understanding exactly what it is they should be able to do. The expected

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Grade: 2

outcomes of lessons are not detailed enough or sufficiently graduated in difficulty. This limits the opportunities for the pupils to be effectively involved in assessing their own learning. However, in a Year 5 lesson on the reporting of a news item about their own school Olympics, pupils were actively engaged in assessing not only their own learning but also that of their peers. Marking is carried out regularly and informs pupils well of how well they are progressing and the next steps to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Pupils receive a varied and stimulating curriculum that helps them develop their personal and social skills very successfully. Teachers have adapted the curriculum effectively to take account of the differing needs of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Teaching in music and French contribute well to pupils' achievement and enjoyment. For example, the recent school visit to Paris helped pupils to apply their learning, and also promoted good cultural awareness. Creative links, especially in writing, bring the curriculum alive and have improved achievement in many areas including art and design, and design and technology - areas identified at the previous inspection as needing improvement. At present there are not enough opportunities built in for developing independent thinking skills. The school recognises this and has this as a point for development. A wide programme of educational visits and

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Grade: 2

extra-curricular activities contribute considerably to pupils' good personal development. These include trips to London's major museums and a residential experience on the Isle of Wight. Parents are positively encouraged to involve themselves in curriculum activities through the 'home learning' initiative. Inspectors saw creative examples of Tudor ships made at home from an interesting range of 'junk' materials. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008

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Grade: 2

Staff are highly committed to the care and welfare of students. This, along with good academic guidance, ensures that pupils' achievement and personal development are both good. There are secure arrangements to ensure the safety of pupils, including robust systems for child protection. The school pays good attention to health and safety, through regular risk assessments. High-quality guidance and support for the most vulnerable pupils ensures they are able to overcome barriers to learning, feel a sense of belonging and make good progress. Likewise, systems for supporting pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who join school with little or no English are particularly strong and well managed, so that these pupils make good progress equal to their peers. Pupils feel behaviour has improved because of highly valued reward systems. Pupils are set challenging targets and they were able

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Grade: 2

to discuss their individual writing targets in some detail with the inspectors, including the next steps they needed to take in their learning. While there are class targets in other areas, pupils do not yet have individual targets there against which they can measure their success. There are very good partnerships with parents, helped by 'home learning'. This greater involvement of parents in their children's education has helped raised standards. Links with local secondary schools are strong, helping to prepare pupils for the next stage in their education.

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Grade: 2

The school is now in a period of stability, following successive changes in leadership. Parents describe the current leadership of the school as, 'incredible'. Staff feel that the headteacher has 'stimulated the school well'. They welcome their new responsibilities and are eager to develop their roles in monitoring and evaluating their subject areas. They say that they feel valued and that their 'learning has flown'. Excellent self-evaluation and rigorous tracking systems ensure that the needs of every child are well known and any possibility of underachievement is successfully tackled. This has resulted in the recent rapid increase in progress in mathematics and writing. Increasingly, targets set are more challenging and are becoming more personalised. The school has recognised areas where improvements need to be made, such as developing middle leadership and improving the outdoor provision in the

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Grade: 2

EYFS. There are many strong links with the local community that allow pupils to develop better understanding of national and global communities. The school works extremely hard with parents to involve them as fully as possible in their children's education. This is having a significant impact on both the progress and the personal development of the pupils and is much appreciated by the parents who feel that 'communication between parents and the school is excellent'. Governors are very supportive, offer constructive criticism and challenge the school appropriately and effectively. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008

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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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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 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 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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 Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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 Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

05 January 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of St Paul's CofE Primary School,London,W6 9BP Thank you for welcoming us into your school when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you and seeing all the interesting things that you do. You say that your school is a good one that makes learning fun and we agree with you. Here are some of the things that we particularly liked.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well and you look after each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You like coming to school and you are keen to learn.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher is an excellent leader.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers make your lessons fun and interesting.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The adults in school make sure that you are very safe and well cared for.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make the improvements in your progress happen faster by giving you more opportunities to be involved in checking your own learning ■ ask the teachers responsible for the different subject areas to check how well all pupils do across the school ■ improve the outdoor area for the children in the Nursery and Reception classes.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You have your part to play too: please ask your teachers to let you know how you can check for yourselves how well you are doing in each of your lessons. Yours faithfully Alison Thomson Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul's CofE Primary School, 9–10 December 2008

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