Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School

Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School Inspection report

p.1

100504 Unique Reference Number Kensington and Chelsea Local Authority 323291 Inspection number 30 September 2008 Inspection date Alison Grainger Reporting inspector

p.1

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.

p.1

Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 225 School (total) 60 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 Dr Gwynneth Flower Chair Mrs Sarah McBennett Headteacher 18 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Clareville Street School address London SW7 5AQ 020 7373 4491 Telephone number

p.1

3–11 Age group 30 September 2008 Inspection date 323291 Inspection number 020 7244 0591 Fax number

p.1

3–11 Age group 30 September 2008 Inspection date 323291 Inspection number .

p.2

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.3

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 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, 30 September 2008

p.3

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. Inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues:

p.4

Introduction

■ The quality of the start given to children in the Nursery and Reception Years.

p.4

Introduction

■ The influence of teaching, the curriculum and academic guidance on pupils' progress and on their development of initiative and independence. ■ How well subject leaders and governors are involved in checking the school's effectiveness and in promoting improvement. Evidence was gathered from the school's data on pupils' progress; visits to lessons and scrutiny of pupils' work; discussions with staff, governors, parents and pupils; and analysis of responses to the parents' questionnaire. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail but inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments of these areas, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

p.4

Description of the school

About a third of pupils are White British. Others are from a variety of other ethnic backgrounds, mainly Italian, Spanish and French. While a significant proportion of pupils have English as an additional language, many of these pupils are fluent in English. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. These pupils' needs are varied and some have complex learning difficulties. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is low. More pupils than is usual join or leave the school other than at the customary times. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) are provided for in the Nursery and then in a Reception class. They begin Nursery part-time in the September of the school year in which they are four. They gradually build up to full-time attendance by the second half of the autumn term. The current headteacher took over responsibility for the school in September 2007.

p.4

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, 30 September 2008

p.4

Grade: 2

This is a good school. It is held in high regard by parents. 'I am extremely happy with the school' and 'I cannot praise this school highly enough' are typical of parents' comments. Pupils emphasise how much they enjoy school because 'It is a friendly, happy place'. All pupils are valued as individuals, with equal attention given to their academic and personal development. As one parent observed, 'There is an atmosphere of being one big family of staff, parents and children.' Parents really appreciate the way in which they are being increasingly involved in the school. Pupils' achievement is good and standards are significantly above average by the end of Year 6. The progress of all groups of pupils, including the more able and those with learning difficulties, is good between Years 1 and 6. In the Nursery and Reception Years, progress is satisfactory. Almost all children have skills above the level expected when they enter the Nursery.

p.5

Grade: 2

Their skills remain above the level expected at the end of the Reception Year. There are several reasons for pupils' good achievement in Years 1 to 6. Teaching is good and based on high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Time in lessons is used well. Pupils respond to teachers' high expectations and clear instructions by behaving impeccably and taking pride in their work. A recent focus in the curriculum on developing pupils' accurate use of vocabulary in mathematics and science has brought about improvements in these subjects and has provided good support to pupils for whom English is an additional language. In the Nursery and Reception, teaching and the curriculum are not closely enough matched to all children's learning needs. As a result, progress is no better than satisfactory across all the areas of learning. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Pupils are very mature and sensible

p.5

Grade: 2

young people who form positive relationships. They know a good deal about how to stay fit and healthy and participate well in the opportunities to be physically active. They, and their parents, really appreciate the recent improvements in the school lunches. Pupils also have a good understanding of how to stay safe in school and outside, for example, when using the Internet. Pupils' good personal attributes, together with their academic success, prepare them well for their future lives. They acquire many interests and skills through the enrichment activities in the curriculum, through modern foreign languages, sports and music, for example. Pupils benefit from many visits out, including a residential visit to Cannes in Year 6, and visitors to school who broaden their knowledge and understanding of the world. High quality pastoral care helps pupils to flourish. They make a positive contribution to the school and the wider community.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils are well aware of the needs of those less fortunate than themselves and, for example, do a lot to support charities. Since the last inspection, pupils have become more involved in decision-making. The school council is better established, seeks pupils' views and contributes to school policies. However, pupils are not given enough opportunities to take initiative and to show the independence of which they are capable in lessons and more generally. Care, guidance and support for pupils are good but the quality of academic guidance is not consistent across the school. This is a barrier to raising achievement even further and restricts the extent to which pupils can take responsibility for their learning. There are examples of good practice developing on which the school can build. In Year 5 in English, for example, marking 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, 30 September 2008

p.5

Grade: 2

tells pupils clearly what they are doing well and what they need to do next to improve their performance. However, across the school, too many pupils are unsure of or uninvolved in setting their targets, and marking is not always used effectively to help them to develop their work. The school is successful because it is led and managed well. The headteacher provides very clear educational direction and has won the confidence of staff, governors, parents and pupils. Her evaluation of the school's strengths and weaknesses is accurate and incisive. Over the last year, subject leaders have become more accountable for pupils' standards and for leading initiatives. The governing body is highly committed, with individual governors working well with staff for the benefit of pupils. Governors are steadily developing their role as a 'critical friend' to challenge constructively, as well as support the school. They recognise that there is

p.6

Grade: 2

further to go. The maintenance of high standards since the last inspection and the significant developments now taking place show that the school has a good capacity to improve its effectiveness further.

p.6

Grade: 3

High quality pastoral care and the promotion of pupils' personal welfare begin as soon as children enter the Nursery. There are good arrangements to help children settle in with the result that they quickly become confident in the welcoming environment. As one parent said, 'In the few weeks my child has been at the school he has been really happy.' Children in Nursery and Reception have good relationships with each other and with the adults. They know the class routines and behaviour is very good. Attainment on entry is above the level expected for most children in all areas of learning and it is maintained through satisfactory teaching. There is a reasonable balance between indoor and outdoor activities. There is also an appropriate balance between activities that are adult-led and those that children select from a range provided. However, there is not enough attention paid to children's individual learning needs, either in the level of challenge built into activities,

p.6

Grade: 3

or in the way in which adults interact with children as they explore and play. The school is giving much attention at present to improving provision in Nursery and Reception because it recognises that children's progress is not as good as in later years. It has already started to take effective action to bring about the needed improvements, and to develop the present satisfactory leadership and management.

p.6

What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teaching and the curriculum are closely matched to children's individual learning needs in the Nursery and Reception. ■ Increase opportunities for pupils of all ages to take initiative and show independence in lessons and more generally within the school. ■ Improve the use of targets and marking to give all pupils clear guidance about what they are doing well and how they can improve their performance. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, 30 September 2008 .

p.6

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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, 30 September 2008

p.7

Inspection judgements

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

p.8

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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

p.8

EYFS?

3 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 3 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 3 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

p.8

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/or disabilities make progress

p.8

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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, 30 September 2008

p.8

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 2 The extent to which 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

learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, 30 September 2008

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School,London,SW7 5AQ Thank you for helping us when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking with you and watching your lessons. You told us that you enjoy school a lot because it is a friendly and happy place. Your parents also told us that they are very pleased with how well the school looks after you and helps you to make progress. The inspectors agree with you and your parents that your school is giving you a good education. You get off to a satisfactory start in the Nursery and Reception. You then make good progress because the teaching is good in Years 1 to 6. The curriculum is also stimulating and has many opportunities for you to learn modern foreign languages and to take part in sport and music activities. You have a really interesting range of visits and visitors to school. You are lucky to have a school trip to Cannes in Year 6.

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Your personal development is good. Your behaviour is impeccable and you have very positive attitudes to learning. We saw that you take pride in your work and present it carefully. The relationships in your school are good and you show care for others less fortunate than yourselves. You know a lot about how to stay fit, healthy and safe. The adults care a good deal about each one of you and look after you well. They do much to help you to grow into the sensible and caring young people that you are and this begins when you are in the Nursery and Reception Year. We have asked the adults to do the following things to make the school even better.

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that the teaching and activities in Nursery and Reception are closely matched to your individual learning needs. This will help you to make as good a rate of progress in these early years as you do later on. ■ Increase opportunities for you to take initiative and show responsibility in lessons and more generally within the school. ■ Make better use of targets and marking to help you to know what you are doing well and what you need to improve. Thank you once again for your help. Keep working hard and doing your best. Yours sincerely Alison Grainger Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, 30 September 2008

p.10