St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Increase the rates of pupils’ progress further still across year groups and subjects by providing pupils, including the most able, with learning opportunities that challenge their thinking to deepen their learning.
• Improve attendance, particularly for those pupils who are eligible for free school meals and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that it is in line with the national average.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The principal works with great determination and passion to ensure that pupils receive a consistently good quality of education during their time at the school. She places pupils’ interests and well-being at the heart of her work. Parents are positive about the principal’s leadership. In the words of one parent, ‘The school is managed by an approachable and dedicated headteacher who has proved to be supportive and extremely caring.’
• Staff morale is high. Teachers appreciate the training to improve their subject knowledge and skills in areas where they feel less confident, such as teaching grammar. Consequently, teachers are effective and proficient at teaching their respective year groups.
• The curriculum is skilfully organised to provide a variety of subjects and activities through well-planned topics. The work in pupils’ books and displays in classrooms and around the school demonstrate that pupils engage in a wide range of exciting learning activities and receive a well-rounded curriculum. For example, as part of their science topic of ‘Earth and Space’, pupils used clay to make models of the different planets of the solar system. Leaders and teachers regularly evaluate and adapt the curriculum to ensure that it enthuses pupils in their learning. As a result, pupils make good progress across all subjects.
• Pupils spoke enthusiastically to inspectors about the wide range of enrichment activities on offer, including the Japanese club. Learning is enriched beyond the classroom through a range of activities such as educational visits and a variety of after-school clubs.
• The physical education (PE) and sport funding is used effectively to offer a range of sporting activities for pupils to enjoy, such as hockey and cricket. Pupils proudly told inspectors about their achievements, for instance in the recent national baton twirling competition. Additionally, the funding is used to improve the quality of teaching and learning in PE. Leaders carefully monitor and target the attendance of disadvantaged pupils to ensure that this group of pupils benefit from sporting clubs and develop an understanding of how to live healthy lifestyles. As a result, the provision and quality of teaching in PE has improved.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding wisely to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Pupils receive additional teaching, interventions and support in reading, mathematics and spelling. In 2016, disadvantaged pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics was better than that of other pupils nationally. Funding is also used effectively to ensure that these pupils participate in enrichment activities, such as school journeys to boost their self-confidence.
• The special educational needs funding is used well to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in their learning. Money is spent on training teaching assistants and buying in specialist support. The special educational needs coordinator knows pupils well. However, during the inspection, a few parents raised concerns about the effectiveness of this provision. The work in these pupils’ books shows that they make good progress in their learning from their individual starting points.

Governance of the school

• Governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively. They are proactive in evaluating their effectiveness, for example by undertaking an external review of their work.
• Members of the governing body know the school well. They hold senior leaders to account on the quality of teaching and pupils’ performance by asking challenging questions. Governors regularly visit the school to check on pupils’ progress by talking to pupils and analysing the assessment information they are given by leaders.
• Governors demonstrate a good understanding of the impact of the pupil premium funding on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Governors ensure that these pupils achieve well.
• Governors are well trained in safeguarding matters, such as the ‘Prevent’ duty. They complete ‘health checks’ on safeguarding matters and meet with the principal regularly, who keeps them informed of referrals made to the designated safeguarding lead about children’s safety and well-being.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders check the single central record regularly to make sure that adults who work with pupils are vetted appropriately and in accordance with the latest legislation on keeping pupils safe in education.
• Leaders have created a strong culture of vigilance. Upon arrival, visitors are given a booklet informing them of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils and whom to contact should they have any concerns relating to pupils’ well-being. Staff spoken to during the inspection know the school’s internal procedures well for raising concerns about pupils’ safety and well-being. They are well trained to notice any changes in pupils’ behaviour that may expose them to danger, including those associated with extremism and radicalisation. Similarly, pupils demonstrate an understanding of how to keep themselves safe and what they could do if needed, for example call ‘ChildLine’.
• Leaders work closely with external agencies and parents to safeguard pupils. Leaders provide helpful information through the website and newsletters on how to keep children safe. Most parents responding to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, agree that pupils are safe and well looked after at school. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority of parents and carers responding to the school’s own internal questionnaire confirm this.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders are rigorous in checking the quality of teaching and learning. They have high expectations and provide teachers with effective feedback to improve teaching. Equally, leaders offer support and resources to ensure that teaching is effective and makes a difference to the progress pupils make in their learning.
• Class teachers have successfully created stimulating learning environments which motivate pupils to learn. Teachers use real examples effectively to bring learning to life. For example, in a mathematics lesson, the teacher questioned pupils about buying pizzas, challenging them to find out how much change they would get from different amounts of money. Pupils enjoy positive relationships with their peers and teachers alike. Pupils commented, ‘I like coming here to learn and being with my friends. Class teachers making learning fun.’
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Pupils get a secure understanding of phonics and practise these skills during reading and writing activities. During visits to phonics groups, inspectors noted pupils making good gains in spelling and reading words using the sounds they have learned. Information provided by leaders from this year’s phonics screening check shows that all pupils in Year 1 have met the expected standard.
• Reading is taught effectively. Pupils are confident readers who enjoy reading. They are fluent and expressive readers who demonstrate good understanding of texts. Younger pupils use their phonics skills well to sound out unfamiliar words. More recently, leaders have changed their approach to the teaching of reading so that pupils in key stage 2 develop good inference and deduction skills. Pupils read regularly, which contributes to the progress they make.
• Pupils are highly motivated to use their writing skills in a range of contexts and styles. Teachers use resources effectively, such as video clips, to give pupils ideas and encourage them to write imaginatively. This helps pupils to produce high-quality written work. Pupils use their knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling well to write in a range of styles, including, for example, diary entries and instructions for recipes. Younger pupils apply their phonics knowledge and skills to spell unfamiliar words in the context of their written work outside of phonics lessons. Work in pupils’ books and displays around the school confirm that pupils make good progress in writing, according to the standards expected for their age.
• Teachers provide good explanations about mathematical concepts, such as partitioning numbers into hundreds, tens and units, so that pupils develop a sound knowledge and understanding of mathematics. They question pupils effectively to ensure that pupils have understood their learning. Pupils are given opportunities to apply their mathematics to problem solving and develop their reasoning skills. As a result, they make good progress.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by teaching assistants and teachers. Consequently, these pupils make good progress in their learning.
• Although teachers provide challenge to extend pupils’ learning and thinking, it is inconsistent across the curriculum for all groups of pupils, including the most able. Occasionally, teachers do not demand more of pupils. This was evident in some pupils’ books in a range of subjects throughout the school.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are proud of their school and achievements. They get great joy and pleasure in celebrating each other’s successes through regular events, such as ‘Star of the Week’ and where they have opportunities to share their best work and achievements.
• Pupils are articulate, confident and motivated learners who display excellent learning habits during lesson time. They remain fully engaged in learning tasks and support each other in their learning. For example, in one class, pupils questioned each other superbly well as they worked out their answers to solving problems with binary numbers. These very positive attitudes contribute to the good progress pupils make.
• Pupils capitalise on opportunities to take on additional roles and responsibilities. For example, older pupils take on roles as ‘playground pals’ to help their peers with a range of matters, including promoting anti-bullying and positive behaviours. This helps them to develop their social skills.
• Pupil say that they feel safe at school and are taught how to keep safe. They are extremely knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe on the internet. Pupils talk confidently about applications and filters that are in place to help them keep safe online. School records confirm that leaders very carefully monitor pupils’ use of the internet.
• Pupils say that bullying is a rare occurrence and that they can talk to adults, who take their concerns seriously. They are knowledgeable about the different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying. Pupils report that if there are arguments between them, they are dealt with immediately by staff. School records confirm that bullying, including racist incidents, are dealt with swiftly and effectively.
• Pupils are considerate of other children who are less fortunate than them. For example, they raise funds for good causes. Pupils also reflect on actions that will make a difference in their local community; these include donating food to charity. This helps pupils to develop a sense of empathy and raises their awareness of social responsibility.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are considerate, friendly, polite and respectful. They listen to each other’s views attentively and are remarkably considerate in giving their peers the chance to participate in group discussions.
• Playtimes and lunchtimes are happy times when pupils demonstrate a high degree of independence from an early age as they develop positive relationships with each other and adults.
• This is a calm, orderly school. Pupils conduct themselves well around the school, both within and outside of lesson times, in accordance with the school’s behaviour management system. In the words of one pupil, ‘We know the rights and wrongs. When bad things happen we know the consequences.’
• Leaders have put in place reward systems, such as ‘Space Race’, to improve attendance for all pupils. They work closely with families and external agencies to improve the attendance of pupils who have high rates of absence. However, the attendance of pupils who are eligible for free school meals and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average. Consequently, pupils miss out on valuable learning time, which impacts on their progress.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils in the school make consistently good progress in reading, writing, mathematics and a range of subjects such as geography and history. This is the result of consistently good teaching and a broad and well-planned curriculum.
• In 2016, all pupils achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. The assessment information shows that this year an overwhelming majority of pupils have met the expected standard. This continues to be a strength of the school.
• In 2016, attainment at the end of key stage 1 was above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils who achieved the greater depth standards was also above the national average. However, there were some differences in girls’ attainment and pupils with low starting points.
• This year, girls and pupils with low starting points in key stage 1 are making good progress in mathematics. Assessment information, inspectors’ visits to lessons and work in pupils’ books support this. Moreover, all pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• In 2016, pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 2 was well above the national average in writing and mathematics. Last year, the school was among the top 10% of all schools in England for the amount of progress pupils made between key stage 1 and key stage 2 in writing. Pupils’ progress in reading was not as strong. Assessment information and work in pupils’ books shows that pupils currently in key stage 2 are making consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Leaders have used the pupil premium funding to good effect to provide resources such as reading materials, additional teaching, interventions and support in class. The work in disadvantaged pupils’ books, at key stages 1 and 2, shows that these pupils are making good progress in a range of subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics.
• In 2016, the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who receive support, at the end of key stage 2, was above average in writing and average in reading and mathematics. Pupils in the school are well supported, and as a result they make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• In the 2016 key stage 2 national tests, the most able pupils with high prior attainment performed better than pupils nationally in attaining the high standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Currently, this group of pupils are making good progress across a range of subjects. However, the work in books shows that sometimes these pupils are not consistently challenged to deepen their learning across all subjects.
• Currently, pupils across the school make consistently good progress in a range of subjects. However, there are some inconsistencies in the levels of challenge offered to pupils to deepen their learning across the curriculum. As a result, some pupils do not reach their full potential.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Although standards in the rest of the school are good overall, the quality of provision in the early years is better than this. The quality of teaching is consistently very strong; children make excellent progress and the standards reached over time are excellent. Early indications of this year’s assessment show that the proportion of children who have achieved a good level of development is above the national average.
• Leaders have used the pupil premium funding very well to support disadvantaged children’s language development. They have successfully diminished the differences for outcomes between disadvantaged children and others nationally. Consequently, all the disadvantaged children currently in Reception class have achieved a good level of development. This group of children are extremely well prepared for their learning in key stage 1.
• Leaders have an accurate picture of the strengths and areas for improvement. They are continually striving to improve the early years provision in order to further raise standards. For example, leaders are working on ensuring that the most able children exceed the early learning goals in writing.
• Staff in the early years work closely with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to meet children’s specific learning needs. Those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make very strong progress from their low starting points, especially in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Adults plan and deliver a wide range of challenging learning activities in a highly stimulating environment. Children are given plenty of opportunities to apply their phonics knowledge and skills to reading and writing and to use their mathematical skills. For example, children take delight as they select items using visual images from a shopping list and use coins of different values to work out the total cost. Such activities promote children’s mathematical development and deepen their thinking and learning.
• Children’s behaviour is exceptional. They remain highly focused on their activities and are not easily distracted by each other. Children’s high levels of engagement in their learning activities demonstrate that they are safe and confident learners.
• Children learn and play happily together. They show high levels of respect for each other and very willingly share resources and cooperate with each other during activities.
• Adults in the early years share extremely positive relationships with parents, who are involved in their children’s learning and development through a range of opportunities, such as ‘drop-in’ sessions to ask questions about their children’s learning. These, as well as a variety of other opportunities, provide strong and effective home-school continuity for their children’s education.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141158 Bromley 10031649 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 217 Appropriate authority Chair Principal Telephone number Website St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary Academy Trust Izabela-Bialas Lecybyl Joanna Seymour 01689 828208 www.saintpeterandsaintpaulcatholicprimary.co.uk Email address jseymour10.305@lgflmail.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary Academy converted to become an academy on 1 August 2014. When its predecessor school, St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be requiring improvement overall. The trust is called St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary Academy Trust.
• The academy is a stand-alone converter academy and works as part of the Bromley Catholic Schools’ Trust.
• The academy is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who receive support and those who have education, health and care plans is above average.
• The academy meets the government’s current floor standards. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.
• The academy runs its own breakfast and after-school clubs.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 16 lessons or parts of lessons, some of which were joint observations with senior leaders, to observe pupils’ learning. Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ books within lessons and independently.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils in a range of contexts, including playtimes and within lessons. Inspectors spoke formally with one group of pupils. Four pupils also accompanied an inspector on a ‘curriculum walk’. This gave pupils the opportunity to discuss and share their views of their learning experiences and life at school.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 2, 4 and 6.
• The lead inspector met with the principal and vice principals, the chair of the governing body and four other governors. Meetings were also held with the school improvement adviser for the school and the director for standards of the Education Commission.
• Inspectors considered 46 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and 30 free-text responses. Inspectors also met with parents informally in the playground at the beginning of the school day.
• The 30 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire were also analysed.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of school documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement, assessment information and records relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

Inspection team

Rajeshree Mehta, lead inspector Chris Ashley-Jones

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector