Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Holy Family Catholic Primary School Inspection report

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100178 Unique Reference Number Greenwich Local Authority 323241 Inspection number 25–26 June 2009 Inspection dates Lily Evans Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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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 229 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Daly Chair Mrs Teresa Hills Headteacher 12 July 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Tudway Road School address Kidbrooke Greenwich London SE3 9YX

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3–11 Age group 25–26 June 2009 Inspection dates 323241 Inspection number 020 8856 2708 Telephone number 020 8856 1299 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 25–26 June 2009 Inspection dates 323241 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. 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This popular school is situated in an estate which is undergoing a long-term major redevelopment and demolition. As a result, many families are being relocated. However, the roll of the school has been unaffected so far as families travel in from outside the area. Three quarters of all pupils are of African origin, and a higher than usual proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language, most pupils being from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with statements of special educational needs, is below average. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties or speech and language difficulties. The school operates a crand;egrave;che when parents are attending workshops, and a very popular daily breakfast club. There is an after-school club which is not managed by the governing body, and is therefore inspected separately.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school. It provides high standards of care, and fosters the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils very well in a welcoming environment with a deep sense of community. Pupils' enjoyment is successfully fostered and is at the heart of the school's work. This is reflected in pupils' good behaviour and above average attendance. They are happy and work cooperatively together. Standards are below average and achievement is satisfactory. Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with attainment that is below expectations for their age and with very low communication skills. They make good progress in most areas of learning, including building their vocabulary and starting to read, though writing remains at an early stage of development. By the time they enter Year 1, children's attainment is below expected levels in aspects of language development and in mathematics. Progress is good in Years 1 and 2. As a result,

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Grade: 3

standards at the end of Year 2 are average in reading and mathematics, but below average in writing. Progress is satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Pupils' attainment in Year 6 is average in English, but inconsistent progress has led to a dip in attainment in mathematics and science. Several factors have contributed to this dip in standards, including staffing difficulties which have led to weaker teaching in some classes, and pupils entering the school late with low levels of attainment. The quality of education is satisfactory. There is some good teaching, but the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. The curriculum fosters pupils' personal development well and promotes their academic achievement satisfactorily. In English, the curriculum is adapted well, through support programmes, to meet pupils' needs, especially those learning English as an additional language and those with moderate learning difficulties. Literacy is well planned

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Grade: 3

as part of topic work, resulting in good progress. In science, however, topics are covered in insufficient depth and investigative work is too infrequent. This has contributed to a dip in attainment in science in Year 6. In mathematics, teaching is satisfactory, but teachers in Years 3 to 6 do not always focus sufficiently on building pupils' basic numeracy skills. As a result, too few pupils reach the higher levels. The headteacher ensures that parents are actively involved in the school and have first-hand experience of how their children work, and celebrates with them the cultural diversity of the community, for example in the excellent annual cultural event. This very good partnership is reflected in the parents' confidence in the school and their willingness to provide support with homework, and pupils' feelings of safety and well-being. Pupils have good involvement in sporting activities in and after school. They work together to raise funds and provide support

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Grade: 3

for those less fortunate than themselves, including charities for the homeless. Pupils are very aware of how to be healthy, and are thoughtful towards others within the school and wider communities. In a current project to introduce a fruit tuck shop, members of the school council have used their initiative well, consulted and surveyed pupils, and planned and budgeted changes, showing a very good sense of community and citizenship. Leadership and management are satisfactory. There are many strengths in the way that senior leaders direct aspects of the school's work. Self-evaluation is good overall and this has led to improvements, for instance in progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. However, efforts to maintain and raise standards have not been rigorous enough in all areas in Years 3 to 6. Governors give good support to the school, and are prepared to challenge 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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Grade: 3

standards as they seek the best outcomes for the pupils. The school's capacity to improve further is satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress as a result of good teaching, but by the time they enter Key Stage 1 most are still below expected levels for their age, particularly in writing and in their understanding of shape, space and measures. In the Nursery, children move freely in and out of the classroom and relate extremely well to activities that address all areas of learning effectively. For example, the writing table with diaries and birthday invitations encourages them to explore very early writing skills. Reception aged children, in structured lessons, are confident in their understanding of letter sounds and names, identifying words relevant to their everyday experiences. Children learn vocabulary from an enjoyable range of stories, but activities that promote children's numeracy skills are less evident. The outdoor learning environment here is too small. Children's personal development and well-being are good. They

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Grade: 2

work and play amicably together with good levels of concentration, perseverance and independence. Staff use effective strategies to deal with a very small number of children who do not find it easy to socialise. A well-maintained learning log records progress effectively. Provision for children's welfare and safeguarding is promoted well, and there is good contact and communication with parents. Leadership and management are good, and staff work as an effective and coherent team.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards, especially in writing in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2, and in mathematics and science in Years 3 to 6. ■ In planning the topic-based curriculum, ensure that science is addressed with sufficient depth and breadth. A small proportion of 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

Standards in Year 2 are average overall for the first time this year. There has been a successful focus on improving pupils' achievement, especially that of boys, in reading, and the school has maintained its average standards in mathematics. Standards have declined in writing, partly as a result of several changes of teachers over the last year. In Years 1 and 2, pupils have made good progress in reading and mathematics, and satisfactory progress in writing. In the five years up to 2008, standards in Year 6 were in line with the national average, and achievement was good from a below average starting point. In the current Year 6, assessment information and pupils' work in English indicate that attainment has dipped slightly, though it remains broadly average. In mathematics and science, attainment has fallen to below average. These pupils have made satisfactory progress in mathematics but their progress in science has been

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Grade: 3

inadequate. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language make satisfactory progress overall, and their progress in reading is often good, because of the good support they receive. 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, social and cultural development is outstanding and their moral development is good. They say that they enjoy school, and this is reflected in their good attendance. Pupils are thoughtful in the way they reflect on a variety of issues, including assembly. Older pupils have mature attitudes towards their work and willingly accept responsibilities to help others, particularly at lunchtimes. They make an outstanding contribution to the school community. In the wider community, they participate enthusiastically in local events and festivals. Pupils organise some of the activities and entertainments for the annual school cultural day which celebrates and involves people living in the community as well as pupils' parents and families. They have a good understanding of how to stay safe and say that there is no bullying in school. Pupils appreciate the systems available for support, should they have any worries. Pupils develop

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Grade: 2

good personal qualities and make satisfactory progress in basic skills. The school prepares them satisfactorily for the next stage in their education and for the future.

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Grade: 3

There is some good teaching, but the quality of teaching and learning is inconsistent and, therefore, satisfactory overall. This is particularly the case in Years 3 to 6. Teachers manage pupils well and have good relationships with them. As a result, pupils concentrate well on the tasks in hand in most lessons. Throughout the school, there is a consistent emphasis on developing pupils' listening and speaking skills, and extending their vocabulary. This ensures that pupils develop these skills systematically. Teachers use the interactive whiteboards effectively, and this helps pupils' understanding. However, in mathematics, teachers do not always match work to the next steps in pupils' learning, so that some pupils make less progress than others. In addition, practical activities and apparatus are not used often enough to help pupils' understanding. Teachers' marking is often helpful, but work in pupils' books suggests

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Grade: 3

that they are not given time to follow up the improvements suggested. In science, teachers give pupils insufficient opportunities for investigative and practical work, and some planned units are dealt with in insufficient depth.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum ensures that pupils make good progress in their personal and social development. The focus on developing pupils' speaking and listening skills is, rightly, also given priority in order to improve their access to learning. Specialist provision in music adds a valuable dimension to the curriculum, promoting good opportunities for singing and performance. However, the well-planned curriculum is not always sufficiently fine tuned to ensure that all pupils progress as well as they should. This is because the work planned for higher-ability pupils at times does not always challenge them sufficiently. Improvements in curriculum planning in reading have yielded promising results, but the same is not yet true of writing in Years 1 and 2. Throughout the school, there is good evidence of cross-curricular themes, often linked with literacy, although not all topics ensure sufficient depth and breadth within subjects. There is a good range of

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Grade: 3

visits to stimulate and interest pupils, such as those to the science museum and the Houses of Parliament, and pupils in Year 6 recently went on a successful residential trip to Wales. The 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009 school offers a good range of extra-curricular activities, including the involvement of local sports partnerships, which lead to achievements in competitive sporting events.

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Grade: 3

The school takes great care of its pupils and provides a secure learning environment where their personal needs are taken into account. Child protection and safe recruitment procedures are well established. The implementation of the school's policy for personal, social and emotional development ensures that children are in an environment where friendships are well promoted and bullying rare. Good links with outside agencies ensure that pupils benefit from all the services they need, including speech and language therapy and behaviour therapy. The school works very effectively with families, providing regular workshops and classes, and a crand;egrave;che for babies if necessary, and ensures that pupils who attend the daily breakfast club have a substantial breakfast. A resident learning mentor provides effectively for the needs of pupils with behavioural difficulties and vulnerable children. The school has recently established

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Grade: 3

good monitoring systems for tracking the progress of individuals, and is taking action to intervene where pupils are making less than expected progress. In mathematics, pupils do not have targets to guide them to the next steps in their learning, and individual education plan targets in mathematics are often inappropriate, because they are pitched too high.

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Grade: 3

Senior leaders are very successful in helping to place the school at the heart of the community. The vast majority of parents pay tribute to the way the school is managed, and they know that their children's well-being is in safe hands. The school is rigorous in promoting opportunity for all and eliminating discrimination. Parental involvement is active, as seen in the cultural evening event where over 20 different ethnic groups come together to celebrate their differences and traditions. The school promotes community cohesion well, and all members of the school community are equally included. Locally, the school engages in a number of activities to promote social cohesion, and in its own evaluation recognises that there is more to be done to develop the same understanding further afield, including internationally. School self-evaluation is good. Strengths, and most areas for development, have been identified; the process has involved

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Grade: 3

governors, who are also involved in development planning. Since the last inspection, the school has successfully improved most aspects of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Quite rightly, it identified that reading in Years 1 and 2 was a priority, and the impact of efforts to raise achievement is evident in the much-improved results in this area. However, in other areas, such as science and mathematics in Years 3 to 6, the drive to raise achievement has not been rigorous enough. Targets for staff and pupils have not been sufficiently challenging. Governors, nevertheless, know the school well and are fully engaged in supporting and challenging senior leaders. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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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 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

09 July 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Holy Family Catholic Primary School,London,SE3 9YX We would like to thank all pupils in the school for helping us when we visited. It was a pleasure to talk with you and to observe you at work and play. Your school has a real community feel, gives you a satisfactory education, and does a good job in helping you to grow into responsible and independent young people. We like the fact that the school welcomes your families in and gives them guidance on how to help you. Your attendance is good because you enjoy school. Most of you behave well in lessons, because you enjoy learning and want to get good jobs when you leave school. You are committed to living a healthy lifestyle, and learn a lot about gardening and growing your own vegetables. The school works hard to help your community and ensures that you have a good say in the way that it is run. You make good progress in your English but you could make better progress in mathematics

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and science in Years 3 to 6, and more of you could reach the higher levels. Teachers could give you more opportunities for investigation in science. In Years 1 and 2, you are making good progress in your reading and mathematics. We are pleased that boys are now enjoying reading more than before. You can help your teachers by continuing to work hard, behaving well and enjoying your lessons. Yours faithfully Lily Evans Lead Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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