St Edmunds Catholic Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• School leaders must ensure that:
  • accurate assessment information is used consistently well so that the strong progress made by pupils in key stage 1 continues into key stage 2
  • teachers build on pupils’ prior learning and abilities from the start of activities so that high-attaining pupils have more challenging work that matches their ability, particularly in writing.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher is ably supported by the experienced deputy headteacher and team of senior leaders. Alongside the governors, leaders have developed a cohesive staff team who share the high expectations for pupils’ achievement and well-being.
• Leaders have maintained the quality of teaching since the last inspection. They have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Senior and middle leaders share responsibilities successfully. Leaders effectively hold teachers to account through the school’s performance management system.
• The school’s curriculum effectively meets the needs of pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils receive high-quality experiences through a range of external visitors and deployment of the school’s specialist teachers. For example, high-quality artwork has been produced about the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico.
• Leaders make sure that teaching is effective. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the school values of ‘love, care and share’. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. The voting process in the election for membership of the school council enables pupils to see democracy in action.
• Leaders have ensured that the pupil premium funding is used well. This ensures that disadvantaged pupils have the same wider opportunities as their peers and make similar progress. For example, pupils have access to additional tutoring and a number of extra-curricular clubs.
• Leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is good and the funding spent well. The school system for identifying emerging needs ensures that referrals for additional support are made quickly. Teaching and support in class meet pupils’ needs. As a result, progress for these pupils is good.
• The sports premium is being used well. It enables the school to release the lead teacher for physical education to support teachers in developing their own skills. The grant is also used so that pupils successfully compete against other schools in a number of different sports. Consequently, pupils have a good awareness of how to stay fit and develop a healthy lifestyle.
• Parents are positive about the school and hold the leadership in high regard. Those who spoke to inspectors appreciate the leaders’ regular presence on the playground which enables them to sort out any issues quickly. Inspectors agree with parents when they say their children are kept safe in school.

Governance of the school

• Governors receive a wide range of useful information about the school’s performance from senior leaders. This ensures that governors have a secure knowledge of the strengths and areas for school improvement. They offer appropriate challenge and support to continue the drive to raise standards further.
• Governors’ training in safeguarding requirements means they have a strong overview of their statutory duties. Through regular visits to the school, the safeguarding governor ensures that the school’s records are fit for purpose and the required staff checks are carried out effectively.
• Governors are knowledgeable about how additional government funding is used to improve the progress of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

• Leaders ensure that safeguarding training has sharpened staff awareness of signs that pupils may be at risk of radicalisation or female genital mutilation. As a result, staff are confident in raising concerns they may have. Leaders regularly review information logged on the school’s system. This ensures that no information regarding pupil welfare is missed.
• The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, in a workshop for Year 6 pupils were given useful information about assessing risks to their personal safety when out in the wider community. This resulted in pupils having a secure understanding of how they can raise concerns with the emergency services. Younger children show a good awareness of road safety. Pupils talk confidently about how to keep safe when using online technology or social media.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Senior leaders’ effective support for new teachers results in good teaching across the school. Experienced teachers are successfully providing beneficial advice to those who are new to the profession. As a result, these teachers are developing secure classroom practices.
• Teachers’ questions deepen pupils’ understanding of their learning. Where this is most successful, pupils’ responses are more detailed. This ensures that pupils stay focused on their learning throughout their lessons.
• Pupils respond well to the high expectations set by their teachers. Pupils know what they need to do to be successful in their learning. This means they quickly use the feedback they receive from their teachers in their lessons to improve their work.
• Mathematics teaching ensures that pupils develop early number skills well. These skills are built on successfully as the pupils move up through the school. Pupils can explain their reasoning and chosen methods of calculation.
• Pupils heard reading during the inspection demonstrated how they gain fluency and confidence in their reading. They enjoy reading challenging texts and develop secure comprehension skills when studying different types of books.
• The quality of pupils’ artwork demonstrates how specialist teachers help them develop painting and drawing skills rapidly. This is evident in the varied range of displays around the school.
• Pupils demonstrate appropriate understanding of the grammatical features of writing and use these when producing longer pieces. They have opportunities to apply these skills when writing in a number of curriculum subjects. However, some tasks limit opportunities for the most able pupils to demonstrate how they have developed more complex writing skills.
• The school’s assessment system to monitor pupils’ progress is used regularly by leaders and teachers. Inspectors identified that this needs to be sharper across the school to support teachers to identify when pupils are not making expected rates of progress, particularly for most-able pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.

• Pupils demonstrate empathy for one another’s emotional needs. Pupils are expected to make positive and active contributions to the school and the wider community. Recently, the gardening club helped in the planting of a nearby area that benefits the local community. Pupils told inspectors about their responsibilities with great pride. Parents recognise and appreciate the contribution the school makes to pupils’ personal development.
• A well-organised curriculum ensures that pupils develop strong skills in recognising risks and how to keep themselves safe. E-safety information is regularly updated for pupils. As a result, they understand the risks associated with using online technology.
• Incidents of bullying or discriminatory behaviour are very rare. Pupils told inspectors that bullies would not last long at St Edmund’s because they did not ‘love, care and share’. This demonstrates how effectively the school has developed pupils’ friendly attitude. Parents have a positive view of pupils’ behaviour in school.
• Pupils are able to tackle challenging issues and complex ideas. They learn the similarities and differences between religions. They have a strong awareness of the community of the commonwealth and their place in it.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.

• Pupils approach their learning with enthusiasm and commitment. This is the case for pupils of all abilities. They say disruption in lessons is very rare. Behaviour logs confirm that this is the case.
• Pupils are polite and friendly. They are confident and enjoy talking about their learning at school.
• Pupils develop skills to socialise and play together during breaks and lunchtime. Older pupils provide positive role models for younger pupils. As a result, play times are happy and harmonious. Pupils make the most of the wide range of activities on offer in the playground.
• Pupils’ commitment to learning is also demonstrated by high rates of attendance. Families who require support receive high-quality assistance from leaders and the school’s parent support adviser. Recent persistent absence from a small number of pupils has been successfully tackled. Attendance is above the national average. This has been the case for a number of years.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils enter the school with skills that are below those typical for their age. Through effective teaching, leaders have ensured that progress is good for Reception children. In 2016, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development was in line with national averages.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check was around the national average in 2016. School information indicates this to be the case for current pupils.
• In the 2016 key stage 1 results, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standards was in line with national averages for reading, writing and mathematics. The number of pupils exceeding these standards was also in line with the national averages. Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, including the most able, outperformed other pupils nationally in writing and mathematics, but not in reading. Leaders have addressed this with effective support in the transition to key stage 2 for these pupils.
• In 2016, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standards in reading and mathematics was in line with the national average by the end of Year 6. In writing, it was above the national average. Current pupils are making good progress. Books show this to be the case.
• Books, progress information and observations during lessons show that most groups of pupils are making good progress across the school and are well prepared for the next stage in their education. However, inspectors identified that greater challenge needs to be given to the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, to ensure a greater proportion reach the higher standards, particularly in writing.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader provides effective support to teachers to ensure that children get a good start to their education.
• The staff ensure that a strong focus on early social skills supports successful transition into the Reception classes from a number of pre-school settings. Teachers plan good-quality activities that are developed from the children’s interests. This is the case in the classroom and in the outdoor provision.
• Children in Reception currently make good progress because they are taught well. They have a wide range of stimulating activities that successfully develop their early reading and writing skills. Teachers ensure that children are challenged through their phonic sessions. For example, children show they can spell simple words accurately and form their letters well.
• The results in 2016 showed that the proportion of children reaching a good level of development was in line with the national averages.
• Positive attitudes to learning are developed quickly. As a result, children learn to cooperate and sustain concentration through challenges set by their teachers.
• The early years additional funding is spent well. In 2016, the proportion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds who reached a good level of development was above national average for all children nationally.
• Parents are an important part of their children’s progress in Reception. They fully support the school’s work to ensure their children are ready for their move to Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 102037 Enfield 10008730 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 431 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Peggy Orumen Margaret Hanley 020 88072664 www.st-edmunds.enfield.sch.uk office@st-edmunds.enfield.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22–23 September 2011

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

• The school is part of the Edmonton Community Partnership, which includes a number of local schools.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than that seen nationally.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than national figures.
• The school meets the government’s floor standard (the minimum expected of pupil attainment and progress).

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors carried out a series of visits to classrooms in each year group. Some of these visits were conducted jointly with senior leaders.
• Discussions took place with senior leaders, governors, middle leaders, pupils, parents and a representative from the local authority.
• Documentation relating to the school’s website and safeguarding, including the single central record of recruitment checks, was scrutinised.
• The schools’ self-evaluation, plans for improvement and analysis of pupils’ attainment and progress were evaluated.
• Pupils’ work in different subjects was scrutinised alongside senior and middle leaders on day 1. Inspectors scrutinised a number of books from each year group on day 2.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons, as well as before school in the breakfast club and during break and lunchtimes, was observed by inspectors.
• Inspectors listened to pupils from Years 1 to 6 read.
• Inspectors took into account 14 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, alongside the school’s own most recent parent questionnaire results. They also considered 13 responses to the pupil survey and 23 responses to the online staff survey.

Inspection team

Sara Morgan, lead inspector Sherlyn Ramsay Lando Du Plooy Sean Flood Milan Stevanovic

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector