St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Inspection report - amended

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109238 Unique Reference Number North Somerset Local Authority 309937 Inspection number 26 September 2007 Inspection date David Westall 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 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 205 School The governing body Appropriate authority Michael Flexman Chair Elisabeth Jeffery Headteacher 23 June 2003 Date of previous school inspection Bristol Road School address Portishead Bristol BS20 6QB 01275 848367 Telephone number 01275 845638 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 26 September 2007 Inspection date 309937 Inspection number

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Amended Report Addendum

Report amended due to administration error

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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 Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: children’s achievement and standards; pupils’ personal development and well-being; the quality of teaching, learning and the curriculum; and leadership and management. Evidence was gathered from observations, discussions and analysis of documentation. Other aspects of the school’s work were not inspected in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school’s own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified and these have been included in this report.

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Description of the school

The school serves the Catholic community of Portishead and surrounding areas, as well as an increasing number of non-Catholic families in the locality. It is situated in an area of mainly privately owned homes, and the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is very low. The vast majority of pupils are White British. The percentage of pupils identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, 26 September 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school, which has some outstanding features. It provides a well-rounded education, enabling pupils to make good academic progress and to become responsible young citizens. Pupils' personal development is excellent. Staff know the pupils well and help them to develop into kind, cooperative and caring individuals. It is clear that pupils like and respect their teachers and these feelings are reciprocated. Consequently, the school is a happy and harmonious community where pupils enjoy their education. In these circumstances, parents understandably hold the school in high regard. A typical remark to the inspector included: 'My son is doing really well here, and the most important thing for me is that he absolutely loves school'. Whilst parents are pleased with almost all aspects of the school's work, a significant number think that it could do more to communicate effectively with them. Visitors to the school are immediately struck by the bright and interesting displays. These show

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Grade: 2

the pupils' hard work and reflect the rich variety of activities and exciting learning opportunities provided through the good curriculum. It is no surprise, therefore, that pupils achieve well. From mainly above average starting points on entry to the school, pupils do well to attain exceptionally high standards in Year 6. Children make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage. However, in Key Stage 1, progress accelerates and is good. Overall standards are well above average by the end of Year 2, although standards in writing are not quite as high as in reading and mathematics. There is no complacency in this school and it is striving hard to make writing standards even better in Year 2. It recognises that opportunities for writing across the curriculum should be increased. In Key Stage 2, pupils' progress continues to be good and standards are impressive by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science.

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Grade: 2

The significant progress made by pupils results from good teaching. Teachers' enthusiasm and professionalism shine through in lessons. They know what they expect pupils to learn and their explanations are clear so that pupils are confident about tackling their work. Often, teachers know just when to intervene with well-judged advice and when to stand back and let pupils work things out for themselves. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because they are supported well, including by conscientious teaching assistants and, when necessary, through the school's strong links with external agencies. Teachers have the knack of making learning interesting. Indeed, laughter and smiles are everywhere in this school, and learning is seen as an enjoyable experience. For example, during the inspection, pupils enthusiastically spent part of their lunch break finding information about European countries.

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Grade: 2

Nevertheless, there is still scope for improvement. At present, teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage remain satisfactory, as they were at the time of the last inspection. The high quality of pupils' personal development stems largely from the supportive relationships that exist across the school. Pupils know that staff have their best interests at heart and they have a clear sense of self-worth and know they are valued as individuals. Fuelled by the outstanding care provided for them, by good teaching and a broad and interesting curriculum, pupils become keen and confident learners. Predictably, the attendance rate is high. Across the school, pupils are polite, friendly and helpful. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The school's Christian ethos has a strongly beneficial impact on pupils' personal development. Pupils have a well-developed sense of fair play, and their

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Grade: 2

behaviour is exemplary. Pupils respond well when given responsibility, for example as members of the active school council and as mentors for those who need support at lunch or breaktimes. The school has achieved an Eco Award and pupils are vigilant about recycling and avoiding 4 of 9 Inspection Report: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, 26 September 2007 waste of electricity and water. For example, pupils routinely monitor the school's meter readings, suggest remedial actions if there are unexpected increases, and have been powerful advocates for the installation of solar panels. Overall, pupils have a very strong social and community awareness and the ability to work together constructively and make good progress in their academic learning. Consequently, they are well prepared for their future. Good leadership and management are at the heart of the school's success. Self-evaluation procedures are rigorous. These help to ensure that the school has a clear sense of direction,

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Grade: 2

based on an accurate view of its strengths and areas for improvement. Strategic planning is consequently well focused and is generally very effective. For example, recent initiatives have had a beneficial impact on pupils' standards in mathematics and science. However, there is still work to be done to improve the Foundation Stage to match the good provision elsewhere in the school. The headteacher works tenaciously to enrich pupils' educational opportunities and communicates her high expectations persuasively so that staff feel part of a successful team. Staff morale is high. The senior management team, subject leaders and governors all fulfil their roles well and contribute to the school's success.

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Grade: 3

Overall provision is satisfactory. Most children reach the expected standards at the end of the Foundation Stage in all areas of learning, and a significant minority do better. This represents satisfactory achievement, given children's mainly above- average starting points on entry. All areas of learning are covered adequately and there is a suitable balance between direct teaching and opportunities for children to learn through purposeful play. Children settle in quickly, have very positive attitudes and learn to relate well with others. The care provided by adults is excellent and helps children to feel secure and confident. Evidence from planning, assessment data and observation shows that teaching and learning, and leadership and management, are satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. They are particularly effective in promoting children's personal development, which is of a high standard. However, children's progress is sometimes

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Grade: 3

restricted because they are left to carry on with their activities for too long without adult interaction, especially during structured play. Consequently, opportunities are missed to extend their language and learning skills and to enable them to make the most of the activities on offer.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ improve provision in the Foundation Stage, particularly teaching, in order to accelerate children's progress ■ close the gap between standards in reading and writing in key Stage 1, including by providing pupils with more opportunities to develop their writing skills in work across the curriculum ■ investigate, and address, parental concerns about the effectiveness of the school's communication. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, 26 September 2007 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, 26 September 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? 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 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 1 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?

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

1 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 of 9 Inspection Report: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, 26 September 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 2 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, 26 September 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

28 September 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Portishead, BA20 6QB Thank you for welcoming me into your school and for being so friendly, polite and helpful. Here are some of the things I found out:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you think St Joseph's is a good school, and I agree with you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you enjoy school very much, like your teachers and have lots of friends

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the grown-ups take very good care of you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you are doing well with your school work because the teaching is good

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the school is well organised and you have many opportunities to learn different things.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I found just three things that the school needs to improve:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ children in the Reception class could do even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ children in Key Stage 1 do not achieve quite as well in writing as they do in reading.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ some parents think the school could be better at giving them information and asking their opinions. Thank you again for your help. I really enjoyed my time at your lovely school. David Westall Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, 26 September 2007

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Annex B

Inspection of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Portishead, BA20 6QB

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Annex B

Thank you for welcoming me into your school and for being so friendly, polite and helpful. Here are some of the things I found out:

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Annex B

• you think St Joseph’s is a good school, and I agree with you • you enjoy school very much, like your teachers and have lots of friends • your behaviour is excellent • the grown-ups take very good care of you • you are doing well with your school work because the teaching is good • the school is well organised and you have many opportunities to learn different things.

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Annex B

I found just three things that the school needs to improve:

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Annex B

• children in the Reception class could do even better. • children in Key Stage 1 do not achieve quite as well in writing as they do in reading. • some parents think the school could be better at giving them information and asking their opinions.

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Annex B

Thank you again for your help. I really enjoyed my time at your lovely school.

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