St Bede Church of England Primary School

St Bede Church of England Primary School Inspection report

p.1

116329 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 312263 Inspection number 11 °12 December 2007 Inspection dates Alison Storey HMI 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 controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 311 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Dominic Hiscock Chair Mrs Louise Fitzpatrick Headteacher 23 February 2004 Date of previous school inspection Gordon Road School address Winchester SO23 7DD 01962 852463 Telephone number 01962 865271 Fax number

p.1

4-11 Age group 11 °12 December 2007 Inspection dates 312263 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 of Her Majesty's Inspectors and one

p.3

Description of the school

St Bede is a larger than average primary school in a city centre location. Since the last inspection it has stopped providing nursery education as part of the local authority's reorganisation of provision. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. There are slightly more boys than girls. Few pupils are from minority ethnic groups and a very small minority speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below that found nationally, although the proportion with a statement of special educational need is average.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: St Bede Church of England Primary School, 11 °12 December 2007

p.3

Grade: 2

St Bede is providing a good standard of education. There is a strong commitment from school leaders to educating and nourishing pupils as individuals and preparing them for later life, through the 'caring and rich learning environment' valued by parents. Pupils are equally enthusiastic in their praise and one young boy described it as 'the best school in the whole wide world'. The holistic approach to children's education is evident in the broad curriculum, described by one parent as a 'vibrant, stimulating learning experience'. Good use is made of the local environment to bring learning to life. The city of Winchester is regularly used as a valuable learning resource. In return pupils are encouraged to make a positive contribution through activities such as supporting the local night shelter and carol singing outside the cathedral. The care, guidance and support for pupils is good and as a result their personal development

p.4

Grade: 2

and well-being are strengths of the school. Behaviour is outstanding and working together well is a feature of life at St Bede. The 'Enhanced Healthy Schools Award' has recognised the school's good work to help pupils understand how to live healthily. When children first come to school at age four their skills vary between subjects and from child to child but overall attainment is broadly in line with expectations for their age. Their educational development is well supported and generally they reach above average standards, which show they have made good progress in their time in the school. Teaching is good and links between subjects are developing well, although greater use could be made of information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning. In some, but not all classes, good use is made of individual targets, day-to-day assessment and marking to help pupils know how they can improve.

p.4

Grade: 2

The headteacher, senior staff and governors work well together to translate their commitment to developing the whole child into reality. This manifests itself in the increasingly rigorous tracking of academic progress in English and mathematics and the work that has begun on extending this to science. Close attention is paid to providing additional support for those who need it, for whatever reason. For example, a learning mentor scheme involving senior staff, parents and governors has recently been introduced to motivate older pupils who need some extra encouragement with their work. The leadership of the work with pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities ensures that programmes of work are established to help them and that learning support assistants are used effectively to support them to make good progress. The school invests a lot of time and resources in the range of additional support. Governors

p.4

Grade: 2

and school leaders are sure this is successful but are not yet systematically evaluating its impact.

p.4

Grade: 2

Children join the Reception class with a wide range of skills and abilities. They settle quickly into school because of the of the high quality induction planned by staff. Parents are particularly pleased with the very positive relationships established between staff, children and parents. This helps children to develop in confidence as they learn new routines. They quickly become able to make independent choices. They learn to get on well with each other as they work and play and their behaviour is very good. The Foundation Stage team is well led and managed. As a result, the quality of provision is good and carefully planned to meet children's needs. This 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Bede Church of England Primary School, 11 °12 December 2007 means they get off to a flying start, make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage of learning.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the use of ICT to support learning across all subjects.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that there is good, consistent use of assessment information across the school to guide pupils' progress, and evaluate the impact of its use.

p.5

Grade: 2

In the school as a whole pupils' achievement is good. Inspectors saw good progress in lessons and pupils' books during the inspection. Pupils make good progress during their first years in school and by the age of seven they reach standards which are higher than those expected for their age. This good rate of progress continues throughout the school. Standards at the age of 11 had shown year on year improvement and by 2006 were significantly higher than the national average in all subjects. Although standards in some areas were not as high in the most recent tests in 2007, the numbers of pupils leaving at the level expected for their age was close to the national average in all subjects. There were also notable strengths with about half of the pupils reaching the higher levels in English and mathematics. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make the same rate of progress as other pupils because their needs are

p.5

Grade: 2

carefully assessed, ensuring they receive the support that they need.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils really enjoy school! They are very enthusiastic about their learning and all the opportunities provided for them. Pupils treat each other with respect; they are polite and courteous. Relationships formed with each other and with adults in school are very positive and pupils' behaviour is very good. It is no wonder that their attendance is good! Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Cultural development has improved since the last inspection, although more could be still be done to develop their multi-cultural awareness. Consideration of moral issues encourages pupils to reflect on the needs of others. In school they enjoy being recycling monitors, 'buddies', school councillors and house captains. The curriculum and other activities ensure that pupils develop a clear understanding of the need to keep safe and healthy. The residential visits for older pupils are popular and help them

p.5

Grade: 2

to develop the skills needed to work effectively with others. This, together with good academic standards, prepares pupils well for later life.

p.5

Grade: 2

The good quality of teaching and learning fosters pupils' positive attitudes to their work and enables most of them to make good progress in lessons. Activities are well planned to engage pupils in learning, to meet their needs and to appeal to their interests and experience. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Bede Church of England Primary School, 11 °12 December 2007 Questioning is effectively used to develop pupils' thinking and discussions are well used to support learning. There has been a strong focus on the use of assessment to inform teaching and learning. In the best lessons the intended learning is shared with the pupils and their understanding and progress carefully checked. All pupils have targets for English and mathematics and in some lessons they are well used to help pupils see how they can improve their work.

p.5

Grade: 2

The curriculum is well-planned and enriched by visits and visitors. A real strength of the school is its provision for music. Pupils also gain from expert tuition in French, Spanish and religious education. There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities. The residential visits for Years 4, 5 and 6 support pupils' personal and social development and their academic work well. There is good provision for developing basic skills. The grouping by ability ensures that work is matched to the needs of different groups of pupils and that there is extra challenge for the higher attaining pupils. The links developing between subjects increase pupils' motivation and enjoyment. All classes benefit from interactive whiteboards, which add interest and impact to lessons and pupils develop their ICT skills during lessons in the suite. ICT is used satisfactorily to support other subjects. However, pupils do not have enough opportunities to choose to use

p.6

Grade: 2

computers in classrooms in order to support their learning.

p.6

Grade: 2

The pastoral care offered to pupils is of a good quality. Parents value the care their children receive, as described by one parent who credits her children's enjoyment of school with 'the importance that it places upon each and every child'. Similarly, links with external agencies are strong and ensure that the needs of pupils with specific learning difficulties or disabilities are well met. Procedures for child protection and safeguarding the interests of pupils are in place. A few parents expressed concerns about the level of supervision of Reception children at lunchtime. It is adequate, but the school takes feedback seriously and is thinking of ways to improve it. Guidance for pupils' academic development is good. Teachers are now more confident in their assessment of pupils' attainment and track pupils' progress well. This is carefully monitored by leaders in school and used to set targets in English and mathematics for all pupils. All pupils

p.6

Grade: 2

know that they have targets, although not all teachers routinely use them in lessons to help pupils understand how to improve their work. Similarly, there are examples of good quality feedback to pupils during lessons and in the marking of their work but this is not yet consistent through school.

p.6

Grade: 2

There is a clear commitment from the headteacher and her senior staff to ensure good outcomes for pupils academically and personally. They are well supported by middle management, who share their sense of common purpose and direction. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Bede Church of England Primary School, 11 °12 December 2007 Leaders accurately evaluate what the school does well and where it needs to improve. Appropriate action is taken to address weaker areas. For example, there has been a very careful analysis of the reasons for the fall in standards in some areas this year and robust plans are in place to make sure this does not happen again. Similarly, a great deal of time has been invested in training staff and as a result the good quality of teaching has been successfully maintained despite a number of recent changes. This shows that there is good capacity to improve further. Governors fulfil their role well. They have a clear picture of the school and provide support and

p.6

Grade: 2

challenge to bring about improvement. The large majority of parents are very supportive and speak highly of the school; they often use the word 'fantastic' to describe it. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Bede Church of England Primary School, 11 °12 December 2007 .

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 Bede Church of England Primary School, 11 °12 December 2007

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? 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

p.9

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 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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 Bede Church of England Primary School, 11 °12 December 2007

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 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: St Bede Church of England Primary School, 11 °12 December 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

2 January 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of St Bede Church of England Primary School,Winchester,SO23 7DD Thank you for your welcome when we came to your school recently. We are particularly grateful to the members of the school council for talking to us about their important role, to the Band 2 and 3 pupils who talked to us about their work and to all of you who talked to us in the playground, in lessons and around school. We know that you think you go to a good school and we agree with you. We think that St Bede's is helping you to become confident and make good progress in your learning. We were very impressed by your excellent behaviour and the way you work well together. Your teachers organise a lot of interesting activities for you. We know that you really enjoy your lessons and all the clubs that they run and that the residential visits are popular with the older children. Your headteacher and governors are always thinking about ways of making your school better.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Before we left, we talked to them and asked them to do two things. Firstly, we want them to give you more opportunities to use computers to help with your learning. Secondly, so that everyone can make even better progress we would like them to make sure all your teachers help you know how you can improve your work and what you have to do next. Best wishes Alison Storey Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Bede Church of England Primary School, 11 °12 December 2007

p.11