St Paul With St Luke CofE Primary Federation

St Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School Inspection report

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100958 Unique Reference Number Tower Hamlets Local Authority 307538 Inspection number 5 °6 June 2008 Inspection dates Maria Coles 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 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 250 School The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Urfi Lowri Chair Miss Sarah Rhodes Headteacher 13 October 2003 Date of previous school inspection Leopold Street School address Bow London E3 4LA 020 7987 4624 Telephone number 020 7538 8655 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 5 °6 June 2008 Inspection dates 307538 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average size school serves a socially mixed urban community. Almost three quarters of the pupils come from minority ethnic groups, the majority speaking Bengali or Sylhetti as a first language. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities such as emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) and speech and language difficulties (SLD) is above the national average. The school has undergone a period of turbulence with high staff turnover and a change in headteacher but is now in a stable position.

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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 with St Luke CofE Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory and improving school. The headteacher is tackling a legacy of underachievement with determination. Achievement is now satisfactory and more pupils are now making expected levels of progress. There are still pockets of underachievement because there is much to catch up on, for older pupils in particular. Standards remain well below average although improving. Pupils and parents are supportive of the school and many state how much better it has become. One commented 'The school is a great choice and I am glad I chose it. I am very happy with it.' The care, guidance and support of pupils is satisfactory with pastoral care being good. Academic guidance is only satisfactory because target setting, to help pupils evaluate their own performance and progress, is inadequate. Although attendance has been in line with national averages, it has fallen this year and some pupils arrive late at the start of the school day. The

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Grade: 3

school does not do enough to promote good attendance and punctuality. Overall, pupils' personal development is good because the school does much to make sure that all children know they matter as individuals. The school enables them to develop a good awareness of healthy lifestyles and keeping safe. Pupils enjoy school, behave well and have good relationships with the adults who teach them. They work and play well together and take up the many opportunities for extra responsibilities, such as being a class monitor or reading partner, with enthusiasm. The strong purposeful leadership of the headteacher has resulted in many improvements over the last year. She has prioritised what things need to be done and put into place appropriately selected strategies to address these. She has drawn on the expertise of the local authority, outside educational agencies and local businesses to help her promote better standards. The

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Grade: 3

implementation of a whole school tracking system has meant that pupils' progress is monitored closely at whole school level. Pupils needing support are identified and receive extra help through a range of carefully selected interventions. However, high attainers and those needing extra challenge to reach higher levels of attainment do not have adequate additional provision, as the school has recognised. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Although the work of the new senior management team is contributing to the improvement in the quality of learning, it has not yet ensured this is consistently good in all classes. Improvement in the quality of teaching means that this is now satisfactory. There is some good teaching but still not enough. In the better lessons, teachers match work to pupils' abilities, so that the high attainers are challenged and the less able are supported appropriately. However,

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Grade: 3

this is not consistent. Marking of work does not always inform pupils how well they are doing, or what they have to do next to improve their work.

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Grade: 3

The provision is satisfactory overall with a good use of the indoor and outdoor areas to provide stimulating and interesting exploratory activities. However, the adult led activities do not always focus as well on pupils' basic needs in language, literacy and numeracy as they do in other curriculum areas. Children start school with a wide range of skills but with abilities below national 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008 expectations for their age. By the end of their Reception year, children have made satisfactory progress and many reach the nationally expected levels of attainment in their personal, creative and physical development. Their progress in learning sounds and letters and reading is too slow. Most children achieve satisfactorily given their abilities and starting points although still below the levels expected for their age by the start of Year 1. The children are happy in school,

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Grade: 3

feel safe and are confident learners in the setting. There are trusting and caring relationships between adults and children as demonstrated by childrens' positive attitudes to school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of teaching in order to raise standards and ensure that all pupils make good progress. ■ Use marking and assessments more effectively to plan appropriately challenging tasks for all pupils and to make sure that pupils understand what they need to do next to improve their work and attainment. ■ Work together with parents and pupils to promote regular attendance and good punctuality.

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What the school should do to improve further

A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory. Results of national assessments at the end of Year 6 in 2007 were below average in English and well below average in mathematics and science. School assessments and current work demonstrate that more pupils are likely to reach expected levels of attainment by the end of Year 2 and 6 in 2008. Extra targeted support lessons and programmes of work have had a demonstrable impact on progress made by pupils. Those pupils with speech and language difficulties benefit from working with a visiting therapist. Those with emotional and behavioural difficulties are given good levels of support through the work of the learning mentor and teaching assistants so that their difficulties do not hinder their progress or that of their peers. More pupils are making the expected levels of progress in English, mathematics and science with at least a third of pupils in most classes making better than average progress.

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Grade: 3

Current standards demonstrate an improvement in standards in science and English. Although standards in mathematics have improved, they remain well below average by the end of Year 6 as these pupils have many gaps in their learning. Similarly, overall standards remain exceptionally low because of inadequate progress in the past.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' social, moral and cultural development is good as the harmonious and inclusive relationships throughout the school show. Their spiritual understanding is demonstrated in their knowledge and understanding of a variety of world faiths. Pupils enjoy coming to school. One parent commented, 'My child enjoys school and when I go to pick him up from school he doesn't want to come home.' Pupils feel safe and are confident that adults will sort out any problems should they occur. Behaviour in class and around the school is good. Pupils have a good understanding about healthy lifestyles. They make a good contribution to the community, for example as class monitors and raising funds for charity. The active school council has successfully brought about improvements, such as the new playground equipment boxes for 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008 each class and a fruit tuck shop for pupils in Years 3 to 6. Their satisfactory progress in basic

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Grade: 2

skills prepares them adequately for the next steps in their education.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, although this varies across the school. Pupils enjoy good opportunities to work together and to discuss their learning and share ideas in pairs. Teachers plan a variety of interesting activities for pupils to do. However, tasks are not always well matched to the individual learning needs of all pupils, particularly for those who find learning easy. Marking is not used consistently to make clear to pupils what they should do next in order to move up to the next level in their work. Committed teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to supporting pupils who struggle with literacy and numeracy, so that they achieve as well as their peers.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. The focus on literacy and numeracy is helping pupils to make satisfactory progress. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to enhance and practise their literacy, numeracy and computing skills through a wide range of other subjects. There is a good range of extra-curricular clubs including gardening, cookery and sports. Pupils enjoy opportunities to take part in physical activities at lunch times and older pupils speak enthusiastically about swimming and salsa lessons. These help to develop their positive attitudes to keeping fit and healthy. Outings to local places of interest and residential visits for older pupils are popular highlights.

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Grade: 3

Adults know the children well and good provision is made to support pupils' well-being, which is reflected in their good personal development and attitudes to learning. There are clear procedures in place for keeping all pupils safe and secure. Pupils who join the school after the start of the school year are well supported, so they settle quickly. However, the school does not do enough to promote good attendance and punctuality as important life skills. Academic guidance is satisfactory. New systems are enabling the school to check how well pupils are making progress. However, information from these assessments is not always used quickly enough to identify pupils who are not making enough progress and to set appropriately challenging targets.

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Grade: 3

The leadership of the headteacher is good. One parent called her 'very inspired'. Since her appointment staffing difficulties have been resolved. Measures such as systematic monitoring, a professional development programme and the modelling of good practice have resulted in improvements to the quality of teaching and learning. Target setting is more rigorous in English, 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008 and is contributing positively to raising standards and accelerating the progress that pupils make. However, it is still not good enough in mathematics and science. The headteacher is developing her new senior management team so that they are able to contribute to driving up standards. The governing body is supportive of the school, but does not yet sufficiently hold it to account for its performance. The school now demonstrates a satisfactory capacity to

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Grade: 3

improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008 .

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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 Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School, 5 °6 June 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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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the 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? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 4 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?

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 How well learners enjoy their education 4 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 3 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 Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008

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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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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 Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

18 June 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of St Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School,London,E3 4LA We would like to thank you for making us feel so welcome. We think that St Paul with St Luke CofE is a satisfactory and improving school. We are pleased that so many of you are proud of your school, behave well and enjoy being with your friends and teachers. You tell us that you are well looked after and know a lot about how to live healthy lives. We hope you enjoy the new fruit tuck shop, especially as it was your idea. We enjoyed your singing in assembly and salsa dancing. We know that more of you are making better progress than you did in the past so we hope that this continues. We think that Ms Rhodes leads the school well and now has a good team to help her. To make things better, we have asked staff to improve their teaching even more so that all of you can keep doing well. We have also asked them to use their marking and assessments to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

make sure that you get work that is just right for you, and to make sure you all know how well you are doing. We would also like you and your parents to help by making sure that you come to school everyday and arrive on time, so that none of your learning time is wasted. Yours sincerely, Maria Coles Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008

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