St Gregory's Catholic Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders, including those responsible for governance, must:
  • be more rigorous in the accuracy of their self-evaluation and use this to focus sharply on areas for improvement
  • monitor and review the impact of their actions robustly to ensure that they secure sustained improvements over time
  • have a clear strategy, which is shared with all staff, on how to improve pupils’ progress and attainment in writing.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and outcomes by:
  • planning activities which are purposeful and meet the needs of pupils
  • ensuring that middle-attaining pupils are challenged sufficiently so that more can achieve the higher standard in English and mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leaders are taking effective action to improve the school. However, many of their initiatives are new and need more time to have a positive impact. The pace of improvement in some areas has been too slow, and leaders have not acted swiftly enough to address these.
• Development plans are not specific enough to secure sustained improvement over time. Leaders do not review the impact of their actions precisely, which means that planning is not sharply focused on key priorities. As a result, leaders and staff do not have a clear understanding of how weaknesses are being addressed.
• The school has undergone a period of some change. Several teachers have left, and leadership and management roles have been restructured. Leaders have new priorities to address before the school can further improve, and are open and honest about what needs to be done.
• The new headteacher has taken decisive action to address the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. She is well respected by the school community and leads with determination. Many parents and staff told governors that the new head is ‘a breath of fresh air’ in the school.
• Leaders have put in place systems to track pupils’ progress accurately. Leaders now analyse pupils’ performance information and have started to use it to identify any underachievement. Pupil progress meetings are increasingly focused, and leaders hold teachers to account rigorously. Leaders and staff are now in a position to refine their use of performance information to ensure that it makes a positive difference to pupils’ learning.
• Senior leaders have invested in their middle leaders, and this has paid off. Middle leaders are increasingly accountable for their areas of responsibility, and work well as a team. They monitor their teams carefully, checking that staff consistently implement school policies, such as the improved system of giving feedback to pupils on their work. Staff, including teachers new to the profession, feel well supported.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively and has a positive impact on disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and personal development. There are still differences in some year groups and subjects, but outcomes are improving for this group of pupils.
• The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength. Leaders and staff consistently promote a deep understanding of and respect for people of all faiths and backgrounds. The Christian values of the school underpin everything that the school does, and are closely linked to British values. Pupils develop a strong moral code, and appreciate the need to help others who are less fortunate. They enjoy organising and taking part in weekly mass, and have plenty of opportunities to reflect on their own and other faiths.
• The curriculum is rich and stimulating. Pupils are increasingly able to develop their knowledge and skills across a breadth of subjects. They have many opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom through well-considered activities and visits, such as geography field trips, trips to the science museum and a French café run by Year 6 pupils.
• Leaders provide pupils with a range of extra-curricular clubs. Music is an important part of the school, and pupils enjoy the opportunities to perform as part of the choir or orchestra, for example.
• The provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is well led. Additional funding is spent effectively, and pupils receive high-quality support. Leaders monitor and review interventions regularly to ensure that pupils’ specific needs are being met.
• Leaders make good use of the primary physical education and sport premium funding. The additional money has improved the quality of sports provision at the school, such as through additional lunchtime activities and increased participation in sports competitions. Leaders have also used the funding to develop staff’s ability to deliver high-quality physical education.

Governance of the school

• Governance has changed significantly since the previous inspection, following an external review. Many new governors are in place and bring a range of experience and valuable skills to the governing body. Committees have been restructured so that governors can focus on specific areas of the school’s work. Governors are fully aware of their roles and take their responsibilities very seriously.
• Governors are highly supportive of school leaders, and have started to ask more challenging questions. They are knowledgeable about the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and take an active part in school life.
• However, governors do not challenge school leaders enough on pupils’ performance information. This means that governors do not hold leaders stringently to account. They are unclear on why outcomes in writing, for example, have not improved. This is because school leaders’ actions have not been reviewed rigorously.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school site is secure. Pupils are aware that school rules are in place to keep them safe, and they follow these rules, such as respecting the boundaries of the playground. They are also taught how to stay safe online and in the local area.
• Pre-recruitment checks on the suitability of staff meet requirements. Leaders ensure that all staff receive up-to-date training, and that they follow school procedures for recording any concerns. Any referrals are made swiftly, and leaders are tenacious in ensuring that pupils and families receive the help and support they need.
• Parents unanimously agree that their children are safe at school. They talk very positively about the care and guidance their children receive at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not good across different year groups and subjects, particularly in key stage 2.
• At times, pupils are not clear about what they are learning or why they are doing certain tasks. This is because lessons are not always well planned to ensure that pupils can build on prior learning and make progress.
• The school’s ‘3 tier challenge’ system is used in all lessons, but not always to good effect. Middle-attaining pupils do not always receive sufficient challenge and are not directed to more stretching tasks that would help them to make better progress.
• Where teaching is stronger, teachers have secure subject knowledge and develop pupils’ understanding through effective questioning. They use assessment information to inform their planning and tailor the work to meet the needs of pupils. This means that pupils do work suitable for their ability and can move forward in their learning.
• Teachers have established clear routines and strategies to ensure that lessons are not disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils rise to the teachers’ high expectations of behaviour, and strong relationships between staff and pupils are evident.
• The inclusive nature of the school ensures that pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are well supported in their learning. Teachers deploy support staff effectively and monitor the impact of additional support.
• Teachers are well trained in supporting pupils who speak English as an additional language. They set appropriate tasks and often ask native speakers to help these pupils with their understanding when they first join the school.
• Effective phonics teaching ensures that pupils can use their knowledge to sound out and read words. Pupils enjoy reading and read with confidence. Additional support is provided for pupils who struggle with reading, and this is proving to be highly effective.
• Mathematics is generally well taught. Teachers model the steps pupils need to take in solving complex problems, for example, and make sure that pupils can apply their prior learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils work well together and show enthusiasm for their learning. They listen to each other’s viewpoints and share ideas. Inspectors were impressed by the levels of maturity shown by some pupils.
• Pupils focus well on tasks, often for sustained periods of time. They generally take pride in their work.
• The school has good systems in place to deal with any friendship issues or concerns that pupils may have. Leaders provide counselling and a ‘drop in’ service for pupils, where they can talk about their worries or problems. Older pupils act as mentors for younger pupils, and pupils demonstrate genuine concern for and empathy towards each other.
• Pupils have a good understanding of British values and how they are tied to the Christian ethos of the school. They talked to inspectors about the benefits of having people from different backgrounds at the school. One pupil said: ‘We welcome different children to our school because Jesus wanted us to do so.’
• Pupils value the culture of celebration within the school. They are motivated to work hard, help each other and care for others through the various rewards on offer, such as ‘St Gregory’s Angels’.
• Pupils have plentiful opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as house captains, cyber mentors and contributing to collective worship. This helps them to become confident and responsible members of the community. The school council is held in high esteem and pupils say that staff listen to their ideas.
• Staff ensure that pupils have a smooth transition to the next stage of their education. For example, the school has good links with a local secondary school, and arranges visits so that pupils can get used to a different environment.
• Bullying is rare. If it does happen, pupils are confident that staff or the pupil mentors deal with any incidents straight away.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and courteous. They are happy at school, and eager to talk about their lessons and experiences.
• There is a calm and orderly atmosphere both in and around the school. Pupils look smart in their uniforms and are proud of their school.
• Attendance is consistently above the national average. No groups of pupils are disadvantaged by poor attendance because of the successful strategies employed by the school.
• The school has clear behaviour systems in place which are followed. In the last academic year, fixed-term exclusions rose sharply. Where there is challenging behaviour due to some pupils’ complex needs, staff have taken advice from external agencies and acted accordingly.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ progress over time is not strong. Leaders and staff are beginning to address any inconsistencies, particularly at key stage 1. However, more work is required to ensure that pupils make securely good progress.
• Leaders have not taken effective steps to halt the decline in writing outcomes across key stage 2. In the past three years, Year 6 pupils made much less progress compared to their peers nationally. Not enough pupils attained the expected standard. While the current picture is improving, this has not happened quickly enough to secure good outcomes in writing.
• Work in pupils’ books accurately reflects teachers’ assessments. This shows that there are differences between pupils’ outcomes in a range of subjects. This is particularly the case in key stage 2.
• In reading and mathematics, pupils make average progress by the end of key stage 2. This includes disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils. Attainment in these subjects is consistently above national averages, including at the higher standard. However, middle-attaining pupils make less progress than other pupils do from the same starting points nationally.
• Standards in key stage 1 have improved since the previous inspection. Attainment is above the national average at the expected standard. Current assessment information and work in pupils’ books show clear improvement for the most able pupils in key stage 1.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress because of the individual support they receive. Staff and teaching assistants know how to best support pupils’ needs.
• Pupils attain well in science across the school. This is a popular subject, and pupils enjoy the investigative nature of their learning.
• Leaders acted promptly to address the dip in outcomes in the 2017 Year 1 phonics screening check. A high proportion of pupils achieved the expected standard.

Early years provision Good

• The early years environment, both indoors and outdoors, is vibrant and stimulating. The space is well organised and encourages children’s development in all areas of learning. Activities are well thought out and cater for children’s interests.
• Children are safe and secure. They are happy to play with each other or on their own, and take turns with toys and resources. Children are generally confident and keen to talk about their learning.
• Teaching is typically strong. Staff work closely with each other so that children get the same quality of activity and learning opportunities in each Reception class. Staff plan imaginative tasks that have a strong focus on developing pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills.
• Staff make sure that parents and carers are involved in their child’s learning. Parents spend time with their children when they first join the early years to ensure that they are settled.
• Children come into the early years typically at age-related expectations. They make consistently strong progress and enter Year 1 ready to learn. This includes the high proportion of children who speak English as an additional language.
• A small number of children who have SEN and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff work with external agencies and parents to ensure that their needs are met effectively.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of provision in the early years. They are quick to identify any weaknesses and take effective action to ensure that children’s good outcomes are maintained. Leaders have a clear plan to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children and boys so that more of them achieve a good level of development by the end of Reception.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 101923 Ealing 10047399 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 Voluntary aided 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 662 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Maura Lyons Margaret Kolanowska Telephone number 0208 997 7550 Website Email address www.st-gregorys.ealing.sch.uk/ mkolanowska@st-gregorys.ealing.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 14–15 June 2016

Information about this school

• St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school. The early years provision comprises a Nursery class and two Reception classes.
• A new headteacher took up post in September 2016.
• The school belongs to the Ealing Catholic Deanery Group. A section 48 inspection of the school was completed in October 2016.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below that of other schools.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited all classes in the school to observe teaching and learning across a range of subjects. All of these observations were done jointly with school leaders.
• Inspectors reviewed pupils’ learning over time through scrutiny of pupils’ books during visits to classrooms, and in a meeting with school leaders. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their experiences at the school, and listened to pupils from Year 3 read.
• Meetings were held with leaders to discuss their evaluation of the school’s effectiveness and the impact of their work. Discussions were held with members of staff, including those at the early stages of their teaching career, and teaching assistants.
• Inspectors discussed aspects of the school’s work with governors and the local authority officer linked to the school.
• The inspection team reviewed a range of school documentation, including external reviews of the school, information about pupils’ progress and attainment, safeguarding records and procedures, behaviour records and attendance information.
• Inspectors spoke to parents informally before school, and took account of the 87 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents. Inspectors also considered the 40 responses to the staff survey.

Inspection team

Jude Wilson, lead inspector Sarah Lack Milan Stevanovic Abdul-Hayee Murshad Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector