Setting

Mrs Gillian Coffey Acting Headteacher St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School Montacute Road Morden SM4 6RL

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CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Following my visit to your school on 10 and 11 June 2008, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector to confirm the inspection findings.

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CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

The visit was the second monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures in October 2007. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the main judgements are set out below.

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CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Progress since being subject to special measures – satisfactory

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CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – satisfactory

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CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Newly qualified teachers may be appointed subject to the following qualifications: agreement with the monitoring HMI.

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CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be posted on the Ofsted website. Please inform the Regional Inspection Service Provider of any factual inaccuracies within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter.

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CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the chair of governors, the Archdiocese of Southwark and the Head of School Improvement for Merton.

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H M Inspector

Prospects Learning Services Prospects Services LTD 19 Elmfield Road Bromley Kent BR1 1LT T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 020 8315 1250 Direct F 020 8315 1279 Elisabeth.Linley@ofsted.gov.uk

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents, pupils’ work and met with the acting headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other members of staff. They also met with groups of pupils, parents, the vice chair of governors, the chair of the governors’ finance committee plus a representative from the local authority (LA).

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Context

Since the last monitoring visit, staff and pupil numbers have remained fairly constant. However, a number of staff have decided to leave the school at the end of the current academic year. As a result, five new teachers will join the staff in September 2008 in addition to a nursery teacher who will fill this vacancy in the Foundation Stage. The governors and senior leaders have also restructured the leadership and management of the school. The new roles of responsibility that have been created will become operational from September 2008.

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Achievement and standards

The school is benefiting from the support provided by the LA through the ‘Improving Schools Programme’ (ISP) in its work to raise the achievement of pupils in English and mathematics. ‘Progress meetings’ between individual teachers, the acting headteacher, deputy headteacher and the LA are helping staff to see quite clearly whether or not individual pupils are making enough progress. These conversations are helping to raise teachers’ expectations of their pupils’ capabilities. However, even though lesson planning is better than it was, the actual content of lessons does not always challenge pupils to achieve as well as they can and this in particular remains the case for those pupils who are more able. Developments in science continue to lag behind those in mathematics and English. Work to secure the leadership and management of science, and planning for its improvement, has been secured. Pupils’ improved achievement in science must now be a clear priority.

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Achievement and standards

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in October 2007:  Raise standards in English and science and ensure greater consistency in standards in mathematics by matching work more closely to pupils’ needs and challenging able pupils more effectively so that they make better progress –

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Personal development and well-being

The positive qualities in pupils’ personal development seen at the time of the last monitoring visit have been maintained. Pupils continue to speak with enthusiasm and confidence about their school. They give examples of the influence they now have in the life of the school, citing the improving quality of support they give to others. For example, members of the school council are to give an assembly on the prevention of bullying. As a result of the changes school leaders have made, pupils feel an increasing pride in their school. For example, more has been done to reflect its multi- cultural nature and this is reflected in the engaging displays seen in the school corridors. In addition, the recent development of rewards and sanctions to improve behaviour and attendance is seen as a positive development by both pupils and parents. The ‘Good Day Ticket’ and the ‘Bonus Points’ are highly valued and are

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Personal development and well-being

helping to improve pupils’ attitudes to learning and to boost their enjoyment of school. However, while pupils believe that school deals effectively with bullying when it occurs, several said the fact that it still happens remains a cause of concern.

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Quality of provision

Senior leaders have a good overview of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and have introduced an effective training programme to share good practice and to extend the range of teaching and learning strategies used. As a result, improvements in teaching are being made. In discussion, pupils commented that lessons are much more exciting now. It is also evident that teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well and working relationships are good so that pupils want to co-operate with staff.

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Quality of provision

Teachers’ planning is now improved, particularly for English and mathematics, and better indicates the needs of groups of pupils in lessons. However, although teachers have access to better assessment data they are not all using it well enough to inform planned activities. This is particularly noted for those pupils who are more able and in the teaching of science. In the best lessons, teachers set effective tasks and targets using the knowledge that they have about the pupils in their class effectively. In other lessons, pupils in need of support are regularly identified, but more needs to be done to alter teaching methods that do not promote learning successfully, for example in the use of undifferentiated worksheets or over-reliance on them. The proportion of good teaching is increasing steadily, however, there is not yet enough consistently good teaching throughout school to make the needed impact on pupils’

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Quality of provision

Identification and assessment of the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities plus English as an additional language have improved. The school is now better able to track the progress of these pupils and to note the impact of intervention strategies used. Teachers are starting to identify these pupils in their planning. However, the outcome of the school’s early work has yet to be seen in terms of consistent and quality provision for pupils throughout school.

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Quality of provision

The school has recently introduced the setting of pupils for English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6. Guided group work is also a more regular feature of lessons throughout school. Such strategies have been established to provide more appropriate guidance for pupils’ learning and so aid their achievement and raise standards. Improved tracking of pupils’ progress in English and mathematics is beginning to identify where pupils need better access to the curriculum or to specialised support. However, some teachers are more confident than others in completing the assessments of pupils’ work on which the tracking depends. Leaders have correctly highlighted the need to ensure the security of teachers’ assessments in order to guarantee the accuracy of the tracking.

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Quality of provision

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in October 2007:  Improve the quality of support for pupils with learning difficulties and pupils who are learning English so that they make more sustained progress –

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satisfactory

 Raise the quality of teaching so that a much greater proportion is good –

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Leadership and management

Much work has been carried out since the last monitoring visit to improve the leadership and management of the school. The acting headteacher provides outstanding leadership. She is effectively supported by the deputy headteacher who is developing well in her own role whilst also ably managing the school when the acting headteacher is not on site. Together they have initiated important changes through a well focussed school development plan. In so doing they have empowered most of the staff to embrace the changes needed. There is now clear accountability through the ‘progress meetings’ for teachers to ensure that their pupils achieve as well as they can. Tracking is now more robust for English and mathematics although it has yet to be developed in science. Nonetheless, analysis has begun and leaders know that their next steps are to include greater evaluation of pupils’ progress at different levels, for example, at whole year level and for groups of pupils as well as

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Leadership and management

Leaders who have recently been appointed to take on new roles from September are enthusiastic about the challenges that lie ahead. They talk positively about the new expectations of them and are looking forward to the contribution that they will make to the school’s improvement. Fundamental to this improvement is the role of the new governing body. As a group they are developing well and offer an effective balance of challenge and support to the school. Relationships with school are positive and communication is effective. The governors’ priority to establish positive links with parents and to take account of their views has been well received. Parents acknowledge the improved communication and developments that have been made whilst recognising that more has yet to be achieved.

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Leadership and management

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in October 2007:  Improve the quality of leadership and management by establishing better links with governors and parents and setting the right priorities for improvement that will raise standards – good

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External support

The LA is providing good support for the school’s development. It is well focused on the priorities identified for improvement and the LA is mindful of the need to build capacity and sustainability for the school’s future. The contribution made by the partnership with a National Leader of Education, who has taken on the role of acting headteacher for three days per week, is significant to the school’s progress. Her contribution to the school’s focussed drive for improvement is excellent.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Ensure that teachers’ assessments of the standards pupils attain are accurate.

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