St Peter's CofE School

St Peter's CofE School Inspection report

p.1

101139 Unique Reference Number Westminster Local Authority 307599 Inspection number 23 °24 January 2008 Inspection dates Barry Jones Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 5 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 210 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Kitchen Chair Ms Samanda Adcock Headteacher 3 November 2003 Date of previous school inspection Chippenham Mews School address Paddington London W9 2AN 020 7641 4385 Telephone number 020 7641 4318 Fax number

p.1

5-11 Age group 23 °24 January 2008 Inspection dates 307599 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

St Peter's is an oversubscribed, average-sized primary school. It takes children into its Reception class in either January or September in the year they are five. Pupils come from homes that are more disadvantaged than usually found. The number of pupils with learning difficulties is above average for a school of this size. The proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school at unusual times has increased in recent years and is now higher than in most schools. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and for whom English is an additional language are higher than in most schools. The school has Healthy Schools status, the Investors in People award and Active Mark Gold. The school has experienced difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff in recent years and has made some temporary appointments. There have been frequent changes in the teaching force. Six of the current eight class teachers started in

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's CofE School, 23 °24 January 2008

p.3

Grade: 2

Strong leadership by the headteacher has steered the school through a turbulent period and it is now providing a good quality of education. It maintained the welcoming, family ethos but standards dipped as a result of inconsistencies and frequent changes in the teaching. Governors were determined to make suitable appointments but this has meant employing some temporary staff as an interim measure. This principled strategy is now paying dividends and teachers are now a strength of the school. The staff are a strong, united, effective team who place the interests of each pupil at the heart of their work. Parents are very appreciative of the high levels of care and excellent relationships and most say that their children make good progress. As one parent said, `It is a great school to be in with teachers who take the time to understand the child...The SATs results go nowhere near in reflecting the quality of teaching given.'

p.4

Grade: 2

Children get off to a very good start in Reception. In 2007 they began Year 1 with standards that were broadly average. In recent years, progress has been uneven as pupils moved through the school. The instability in the staffing has contributed significantly to variations in the quality of teaching which ranged from unsatisfactory to outstanding. This was also reflected in the uneven progress made by pupils. In the national tests taken by Year 6 pupils in 2007, standards were below average overall and exceptionally low in science. Some of these pupils, particularly boys and more able pupils did not do as well as they should. The school has responded rigorously to this underperformance. It has been helped considerably in doing this by its good appointments which means the current staff is of high quality. The new teachers have settled quickly, and complement the core of very good teachers who have been at the school for a longer time. The

p.4

Grade: 2

school has improved provision. The quality of teaching is now good with some outstanding lessons. Teachers are enthusiastic, hard working and committed to raising standards. The curriculum is good and pupils are cared for well. The school uses the good tracking of pupils' progress to identify any underperformance. This is then followed up with effective support and challenge. Scrutiny of pupils' work and the school's monitoring shows that pupils are now making good progress in English and mathematics. The school is back on track to meet challenging targets for Year 6 pupils. Achievement is now good. The school has robust monitoring and evaluating procedures. Subject coordinators are encouraged to take initiative and respond well. Their enthusiasm and energy help to stimulate and motivate other staff. For example, the new science coordinator analysed the reasons for the underachievement in the Year 6 science tests. Further scrutiny revealed weaknesses in

p.4

Grade: 2

teachers' planning. To address this, the school has provided training, received additional expert support and improved resources. This is fairly recent and so has not yet been followed up by monitoring in the classroom. It is therefore too early to judge the effectiveness of these measures. The school makes good use of data from external tests to inform planning by senior managers. It uses data it collects for itself to support individual pupils well. However, it does not use the data as effectively to track the progress of groups of pupils, for instance, those who join the school during the course of a term. Pastoral care is outstanding. Adults set good role models and this is reflected in the excellent relationships. Pupils are polite, courteous and are very well behaved. They feel safe and enjoy coming to school very much. They are appreciative of the caring support from their teachers. They contribute well to the school and wider community. There is good take up for after-school

p.4

Grade: 2

clubs and pupils have a good understanding of healthy living issues. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's CofE School, 23 °24 January 2008 Improvement since the previous inspection has been uneven. Given the strong leadership and management, a stable and capable teaching force and recent improvements, capacity to improve further is good.

p.4

Grade: 2

Children settle in quickly and make very good progress in the Reception class as a result of the very good teaching. At the end of 2007, the great majority of them were achieving or exceeding the expected standards for their age. The standards attained by the September entrants are higher on average than those who start in January and so have one term less in Reception. The school is making arrangements to ensure that these children receive extra support when they transfer to Year 1.The provision is managed very well. There is a good balance between teacher-led activities and opportunities for children to learn through well-structured play. The teacher tracks children's progress very carefully. Consequently, she is able to plan the work well to take them to the next step in their learning. She is ably supported by a permanent classroom assistant. The outdoor area has been improved since the previous inspection. It is

p.5

Grade: 2

used well to provide the children with suitable challenges and activities.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that pupils make good progress in science, particularly boys and more able pupils.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Analyse data effectively to track the progress of groups of pupils.

p.5

Grade: 2

On entry to Reception, children's skills vary from year to year. Skills are below expectations for their age for communication, language, literacy and physical development, but are usually average in other respects. Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1 to reach average standards in Year 2 assessments. Progress in Key Stage 2 has been too variable between different classes in previous years. In 2007, the school met some of its targets but missed those for higher attaining pupils. A significant number of the Year 6 pupils underachieved because of weaknesses in the teaching. Robust actions by the school and good teaching this year mean that pupils are now making good progress in lessons. This is making up for their erratic progress in earlier years. Pupils with learning difficulties and those who have English as an additional language are making the same good progress as their classmates.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. This is developed through specific provision in lessons, assemblies and circle time. Pupils respect different beliefs and cultures. A weekly achievement assembly celebrates pupils' successes through the week and helps to build their self-esteem. Pupils feel confident to speak and perform in front of others. They say that there is little bullying and that the rare occurrences are dealt with effectively. As one pupil said, `We have bullying steps but no-one has to use them'. Members of the school council take their role seriously. They have their own budget and say that their views are valued. They have influenced decisions on healthy eating, the school environment and playtime activities. Given their average numeracy and literacy skills, pupils' preparation for their economic well-being is satisfactory. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's CofE School, 23 °24 January 2008

p.5

Grade: 2

Teachers manage their classes well. They have established positive climates for learning. Consequently, pupils come ready to learn and are not distracted by others' misbehaviour. Teachers explain things well and make learning objectives clear so that pupils know what they are expected to learn. They make effective use of interactive whiteboards and the pupils say that this adds to their interest. They are broadening their teaching styles in mathematics to strengthen pupils' abilities to calculate and to solve problems. Monitoring by the school shows that this is raising achievement. Teachers provide too few opportunities for pupils to investigate in science and to write up their findings. This is currently being addressed, and planning has improved. Marking is good and helps pupils to know how they can improve further.

p.6

Grade: 2

Provision for personal, social and health education is good and contributes significantly to the pupils' personal development. Provision for literacy has been improved in the last year and is now good. Pupils have many opportunities to write creatively. Staff are piloting a new approach to help younger pupils to link letters and sounds. The curriculum is enriched by many opportunities to work with dancers, artists and musicians. The school works hard and successfully to ensure that the curriculum reflects its ethnically diverse community.

p.6

Grade: 2

The ethos of the school is such that staff are expected to provide high quality support. This stems from its strong Christian ethos. Staff respond accordingly and pupils confirm that they are looked after well. All pupils are valued and encouraged to play their full part in the life of the school. As one appreciative parent commented, `no-one feels left out, regardless of belief or religion'. The school is welcoming to all-comers, including those pupils who join during a key stage. They settle well and quickly make new friends. The school's perception is that these pupils achieve less well than pupils who have been at the school for the whole of key stage. This was not the case for the 2007, where the Year 6 test results showed that the late joiners did a little better than their peers. However, the school does not analyse its data for groups of pupils to have an accurate picture of their progress in other year groups. Nevertheless, academic

p.6

Grade: 2

The headteacher and governors have given the school consistently good leadership and management. The school has analysed the reasons for staff leaving and this shows it was because of factors beyond the school's control. Leadership at other levels, however, has been hampered in the past by the exceptionally high turnover in staff. This has been rectified this year and coordinators are very clear about their roles. Staff receive very good induction and are helped by the well-established, good routines in the school. Staff are keen to make a 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's CofE School, 23 °24 January 2008 difference in the school and enthuse about their plans for the future. The governors rightly called for a detailed report from the headteacher to explain the fall in the Year 6 test results in 2007. This was discussed robustly at a governors' meeting with the senior managers and the headteacher was able to demonstrate the significant improvements made since September.

p.6

Grade: 2

7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's CofE School, 23 °24 January 2008 .

p.7

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 Peter's CofE School, 23 °24 January 2008

p.8

Inspection judgements

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

p.9

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? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

p.9

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 disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 1 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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 Peter's CofE School, 23 °24 January 2008

p.9

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 2 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 Peter's CofE School, 23 °24 January 2008

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

06 February 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of St Peter's CofE School,London,W9 2AN Thank you very much for your help and cooperation when we inspected your school recently. You told us that St Peter's is a good school and we agree. You told us that you enjoy school very much, feel very safe there and that the teachers look after you very well. Members of your school council told us that their views are valued. They have been consulted on the anti-bullying policy and have been able to influence decisions on playground equipment and healthy eating. Some of you like the dinners but say curry is offered too often! The things we like about your school are that:

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the youngest children get a very good start in the Reception

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you make good progress in your lessons

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The school is always trying to do even better. There are two things that we have asked the school to do.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Ensure that the actions taken this year mean that you make good progress in science.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Ensure that senior managers make more use of data they collect on how well you are doing to check on different groups. For your part, please ask if there is anything that you do not understand. The teachers will be very pleased to help you. Barry Jones Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's CofE School, 23 °24 January 2008

p.11