St George's Catholic Primary School

Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School Inspection report

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116924 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire Local Authority 326491 Inspection number 25 March 2009 Inspection date Patricia Pothecary 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 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 211 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 Brian McGinley Chair Michael Painter Headteacher 21 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Thorneloe Walk School address Barbourne Worcester WR1 3JY 01905 25841 Telephone number

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4–11 Age group 25 March 2009 Inspection date 326491 Inspection number 01905 27621 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 25 March 2009 Inspection date 326491 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 10 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 25 March 2009

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Introduction

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

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Introduction

■ the rate of progress for different ability groups, particularly in writing

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Introduction

■ how well teaching and guidance support progress, and how well the curriculum supports personal development ■ how well school leaders use data to improve the progress pupils make.

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from analysis of school data, the school's self evaluation, the previous inspection report, pupils' work, parent questionnaires, school policies, monitoring reports, and other documents. Lessons were observed and discussions were held with pupils, senior staff, governors and the school improvement partner. 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, as given in its self- evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

St George's is an averaged-sized primary school. Pupils come from a wide mix of backgrounds. Most are Catholic and of White British origin. A small minority are from other ethnic groups. A broadly average number of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There is one Reception class in the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is also an after-school club run by a private contractor.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 25 March 2009

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Grade: 2

St Georges is a good school. It is a happy, vibrant community where pupils achieve well, make good academic progress and show outstanding personal development. This results from good teaching, good leadership and management and an excellent curriculum. A deep spiritual energy pervades pupils' attitudes to learning and the respect they show to others and the environment. This reflects their very strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. When children enter Reception, their attainment is broadly average. Because they make good progress in all year groups, by the time they leave Year 6, attainment is above average. The more able and those with learning difficulties make consistently good progress but for those of average ability, progress in some subjects is satisfactory rather than good, especially in writing. Although class teachers track pupils' progress towards annual targets, subject leaders

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Grade: 2

and senior staff are aware that they do not monitor this progress regularly enough. This means that it takes longer than necessary to gauge the impact of actions taken to improve progress for different groups, such as those with average ability. It also makes it more difficult to be sure that timely guidance is given to those falling behind. Pupils enjoy school enormously, reflected in their good attendance, excellent behaviour and very good attitudes to learning. They find lessons interesting and take pride in their work. Teachers show considerable skill in making lessons motivating and relating them to pupils' experiences. This means that pupils become confident to contribute their ideas, working well together. In one lesson about zoos, for example, pupils quickly learned how to write and discuss persuasively, following some very clear imaginative activities. Pupils also show great skill in using computers and other technology, bringing an added dimension to their work in subjects

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Grade: 2

as diverse as history, drama and science. Teachers know pupils well and plan carefully to meet their different needs. Nevertheless, individual pupils do not have specific targets to help them to understand what they need to do to improve. The school recognises this and has recently begun to set individual targets in writing. Pupils are now more closely involved in assessing their own written work and this is beginning to increase the progress they make. The school meets all requirements to safeguard pupils and provides good care, guidance and support overall. Links with other agencies to support pupils' well-being are excellent and very strong support is given to pupils and their families should they need it. Parents are very positive about all aspects of the school and praise the 'lovely kind children' who make the school experience such a rewarding one. They particularly appreciate the way pupils are prepared to 'take their place in the world' with an emphasis on 'opening their minds

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Grade: 2

to the wider picture'. This reflects the good work undertaken by the school to make sure that pupils respect and understand the lives of others whose beliefs and cultures are different from their own and so live harmoniously within the wider community. It also reflects the outstanding curriculum which enables their children to contribute an extraordinary amount to the community and be so enthusiastic about taking on responsibility. There are numerous examples of this, from the young person excusing herself at lunch to go and wipe tables, to the large number of pupil responsibilities, including prefects and playground buddies. This active participation of pupils makes so much difference to the running of the school. For example, pupils run the school magazine as well as eco, transport, technology and school councils. They sell produce from the gardening club and are very keen environmentalists. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 25 March 2009

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is also exceptionally rich in providing numerous projects, visits and clubs and is particularly effective in helping pupils to lead safe and healthy lives. One five-year-old explained: 'I don't choose to eat sweets so much any more'. There is a considerable take up of extra sports, and the school attracts many awards for the quality of different initiatives, including an International Schools Award 2008 for their work with a school in Zambia. With their resulting excellent personal skills, their good basic skills and an exceptional ability to get things done and work in teams, pupils are very well prepared for their next school and future lives. The new headteacher has expertly overseen considerable changes recently, from new senior staff and governors through to considerable refurbishment and improved provision. This has all been achieved whilst maintaining good progress and the high quality of pupils' personal

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Grade: 2

development and meeting challenging targets. In addition, good self-evaluation has secured improvements to the quality of teaching, better outcomes in reading and increased progress made by more able pupils and boys. The capacity to continue improving is good.

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Grade: 2

Provision and leadership in Reception are good. Children enter with quite varied skills and, although these are broadly average, they are low in areas of literacy and numeracy. However, through skilled engaging teaching, good progress is made and children leave this stage working securely within expected levels. Children show excellent development in their personal skills with greatly increased confidence and independence in learning. Each day, for example, they select a team leader and comment on leadership style. The exciting stimulating environment encourages children to explore ideas for themselves, with their work flowing naturally between the classroom and outside. In one delightful session, children were busy making models of dinosaurs, discussing their dinosaur art work and planning the dinosaur food they were making. Opportunities to stimulate language development are excellent and include children confidently

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Grade: 2

answering the register in French. There is also direct and effective teacher input in key areas, particularly number and phonic work. The Reception leader shows considerable insight into improving the quality of provision and the teaching assistant contributes substantially to this work. In particular, recently improved and very thorough assessment and monitoring are leading to far more rapid progress in reading and numeracy this term. Children's writing skills develop more slowly and it is recognized that opportunities to write, although increasing, remain underdeveloped. Before children arrive, high quality work is undertaken with the families to help them settle quickly. Outstanding support ensures that children's well-being is secure and that they are very well prepared to make a smooth transition into Year 1.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the rate of progress made by pupils of average ability, particularly in writing.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Involve pupils more closely in knowing what they need to do to improve by setting individual targets in key subjects. ■ Monitor the progress of pupils much more regularly so that the impact of school improvement initiatives can be swiftly evaluated and timely guidance provided where needed. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 25 March 2009 .

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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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 25 March 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? 2 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? 1 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

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

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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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 25 March 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 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 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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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?

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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 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: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 25 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of St George's Catholic Primary School, Worcester WR1 3JY Thank you for being so welcoming when we visited your school. We very much enjoyed meeting you, joining you for lunch and seeing some of your lessons. Yours is a good school with many interesting things going on, just as you described. Senior staff work hard to keep developing the school and, for this reason, the standards you reach and the progress you make are good. Skilled teaching helps you to make good progress in your lessons. As a result, you do well in reading, mathematics and science. We like the way you really enjoy your lessons and always try to do your best. You told us that your teachers make lessons fun and interesting and we can see that they help you to do well. We have, however, asked them to make sure all of you make good progress in writing. In addition, we want them to check on your progress more frequently to be clear about how well you are doing. We would also like you to have individual

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

targets in some subjects, so that you can see very clearly what you need to do next to improve. We are sure that you will discuss this with your teachers and help them by working hard and sharing your ideas. An outstanding curriculum helps you to make excellent progress in your social and personal skills. You were keen to tell us that the school keeps you safe and looks after you very well. It is therefore very pleasing to see that you are helping yourselves by taking plenty of exercise and eating a healthy diet. Your behaviour is excellent; especially in the way you value learning and respect others, including those who have different beliefs and ways of living. The responsibilities that you take on within the school and wider community are impressive, especially the way you contribute your ideas to helping the environment and to improving the school. It is good to know that you feel the school takes your views seriously and that you can

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

make a difference. You clearly enjoy coming to school. We think that this, alongside your good quality basic skills and mature attitudes, helps to prepare you very well for your next school and future lives. Yours faithfully Patricia Pothecary Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcester, St George's Catholic Primary School, 25 March 2009

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