St Francis de Sales RC Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further strengthen the teaching of science so that pupils are given more opportunities to use and apply their mathematics skills in scientific investigations.
• Improve the quality of teaching further by ensuring that teachers provide the most able pupils with sufficiently demanding work that deepens their learning.
• Ensure that pupils are given more opportunities, particularly in Year 1, to develop their writing skills so that they make even better progress.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Leadership is outstanding. The executive headteacher, head of school and deputy headteacher are highly ambitious for all pupils. They have created a culture of ‘no excuses’ and high expectations, and these are part and parcel of everyday school life. Staff subscribe to this culture of high expectations and ambition to ensure that pupils make good progress in their learning.
• Leaders and staff all contribute to the school’s systems for self-evaluation. As a result, they have a precise understanding of the school’s performance. The school’s plans for improvement sharply focus on the correct priorities to ensure that standards continually rise.
• Leaders use highly effective systems to check pupils’ progress and attainment. They monitor these very well to ensure that pupils achieve well in English and mathematics. Leaders routinely check the quality of teaching and learning. They provide accurate and insightful feedback to teachers to further improve their teaching.
• Staff told inspectors that they feel well supported by leaders and their colleagues. Leaders and other staff receive training which empowers them to carry out their respective roles and responsibilities effectively.
• Leaders continually adapt the exciting and meaningful curriculum to consider pupils’ interests and learning needs. It is well designed so that pupils gain strong knowledge, understanding and skills in all the subjects of the national curriculum. It makes strong links between subjects through a topic-based approach. For example, in Year 1, as part of their topic on ‘Who am I?’ in art and design, pupils develop good drawing skills when they create self-portraits.
• Pupils told inspectors they enjoy coming to school. They spoke enthusiastically about their experiences, such as educational trips, that make learning exciting. Leaders provide excellent age-appropriate opportunities to raise pupils’ aspirations and broaden their horizons. For example, pupils enjoyed a visit from an engineer who showed them the workings of a computer. All of this contributes very well to pupils’ personal development.
• An overwhelming majority of parents agree that the school is well led and managed. A central message from parents’ comments is that their children are safe and happy. Parents are extremely appreciative of the support they receive to help them with their children’s learning.
• The school’s work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exemplary. These aspects are very cleverly woven into the school’s mission, values and curriculum. Pupils learn about different world religions. They are taught to respect differences. Pupils told inspectors, ‘It is okay to be different and be friends.’ Pupils are very well prepared to take on their roles as caring citizens of modern Britain.

Governance of the school

• Governance has improved since the last inspection. Members of the governing body are highly effective. They receive training that helps them to gain a better understanding of their responsibilities. Consequently, they are able to challenge leaders and hold them to account very well for the quality of teaching, pupils’ progress and attainment.
• Governors play an effective role in the strategic direction of the school. They discuss and contribute to the school’s key documents, such as the self-evaluation and plans for improvement. As a result, they have a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.
• Governors regularly visit the school to check that safeguarding procedures are followed rigorously to ensure pupils’ safety.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Parents agree that their children are safe and well cared for at school. Leaders raise parents’ awareness of safeguarding aspects regularly through newsletters and workshops, for example.
• Staff have a secure understanding of the latest safeguarding legislation. They are well trained to notice any changes in pupils’ behaviour that may indicate that pupils are at risk of harm.
• Leaders work very closely with external agencies, such as social workers, to address the safety and welfare needs of pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable.
• Leaders make sure that adults who work with pupils are vetted in accordance with the latest government requirements.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers and other staff have successfully created a positive environment for pupils to learn. Pupils display strong attitudes to their learning.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge, which they use well to explain new learning. They use questions effectively to check that pupils have understood the subject being taught. Teachers model new vocabulary effectively to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills.
• Reading is taught well throughout the school. Staff training has had a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes in reading. Pupils spoke enthusiastically with inspectors about their love of reading. They were quick to point out how much reading helps them with their learning and concentration.
• Pupils are taught mathematical concepts effectively. They are given sufficient opportunities to apply their mathematics to solve problems and develop their reasoning skills. Over time, pupils make good progress in mathematics.
• Overall, writing is taught well. Teachers provide pupils with useful strategies, such as ‘thinking maps’, to help them organise their thoughts and ideas for writing. However, opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills, particularly in Year 1, are not consistently strong.
• Typically, pupils make good gains in acquiring knowledge, understanding and skills in subjects other than English and mathematics. However, pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to use and apply their mathematics skills in science.
• Occasionally, teachers set activities for the most able pupils that are not sufficiently challenging. Sometimes, teachers miss opportunities to deepen pupils’ learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy learning.
• Leaders and other staff provide excellent opportunities to promote pupils’ personal development. For example, linked to the school’s value of resilience, pupils in Year 1 listened to stories that leaders created and they drew pictures of ‘resilient rhino’ and reflected on statements such as, ‘Like the resilient rhino, you should be flexible and prepared to change.’ Such activities and experiences develop pupils’ confidence superbly well.
• Pupils told inspectors that bullying very rarely happens at their school. The school’s records confirm that this is the case. Pupils are confident that adults will resolve issues swiftly. Pupils compliment the use of ‘worry boxes’, where they can post any concerns they may have. Leaders ensure that pupils have opportunities to talk about their feelings in sessions, such as ‘circle time’.
• Pupils told inspectors they feel safe at school. They know how to keep themselves safe in a range of contexts, such as road safety. They are taught how to keep themselves safe through the school’s personal, social, health and economic education programme.
• Leaders promote pupils’ social and emotional well-being very effectively. The school counsellor and art therapist provide good support to individual pupils. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of the benefits of eating a healthy diet.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary.
• Pupils understand the school’s behaviour management system very well. Their behaviour in classrooms, corridors and at social times is excellent. Learning is rarely disrupted. The school is a calm, purposeful and orderly place to learn.
• Pupils are a credit to their school. They display the highest levels of respect and courtesy to their peers and adults.
• Attendance is broadly average. Leaders have been successful in their efforts to reduce persistent absence since 2017, which is now below the national average. The number of fixed-term exclusions has reduced in the last two years. This is due to leaders’ effective work with parents and other professionals. Pupils arrive on time to make a prompt start to the school day.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Most pupils make strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is the result of consistently good teaching.
• Although the proportion of pupils that achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) screening check in 2018 was below average, it was a vast improvement from 2017.
• Leaders’ actions to improve the teaching of reading have had a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes. Pupils who read to inspectors did so with fluency and accuracy. They used their phonics well to sound out unfamiliar words. Pupils demonstrated a good understanding of texts they read.
• Work in pupils’ mathematics books shows that they make good progress. They make strong gains in mastering mathematical concepts. Pupils apply their calculation strategies well to solve a range of different mathematical problems. They develop good reasoning skills.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in their learning. Leaders check pupils’ progress very effectively and provide additional support to ensure that pupils’ individual needs are met.
• Disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to other pupils in the school in reading, writing, mathematics and a wide range of subjects.
• Sometimes, the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged in their learning. This prevents this group of pupils from reaching their full potential.
• Most pupils make good progress in writing. However, sometimes opportunities to develop pupils’ writing skills are not consistently of the highest quality and this prevents pupils from making even better progress.
• Pupils’ progress in other curriculum subjects is strong. The work in pupils’ books and displays around the school show that they are gaining good knowledge, understanding and skills in a wide range of subjects. Sometimes, pupils are not given sufficiently good opportunities to apply their mathematics skills in science, for example during investigations. Consequently, pupils do not make as much progress as they could.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the early years provision. They know what needs to improve to make it even better.
• In 2018, the proportion of children that achieved a good level of development was broadly average. Children made good progress from their individual starting points. They were well prepared for the next stage of education in Year 1.
• Leaders have used the pupil premium funding very well to support the achievement of children eligible for free school meals. These children attained well in 2018 and the proportion of children that attained a good level of development was broadly average. These children made very strong progress from their low starting points and were well prepared for their learning in Year 1.
• The learning environment is stimulating and supports children’s learning and development. Adults model speaking and listening skills well. Additionally, they use high-quality children’s texts and a range of interesting objects to support children’s language development. For example, in the Nursery adults use toy animals to engage children in their learning.
• Teaching is good. Adults plan and offer a range of exciting learning activities. For example, as children explored the story of ‘Jack and the beanstalk’ they had good fun using number lines and real kidney beans to add two single-digit numbers and write number sentences. Such activities promote children’s mathematical development well.
• Children’s behaviour is exceptional. They remain focused on their activities for sustained periods. Children happily play and learn together in a safe environment. This is the result of very well established classroom routines.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are given plenty of opportunities to be involved in their children’s learning. For example, parents are invited into the Nursery every day to participate in a range of activities in order to support their children’s learning. In addition, staff provide workshops for parents to support children’s learning at home.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 102149 Haringey 10041983 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 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 315 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Geraldine Normoyle James Lane (Executive Headteacher) Natasha Bracken (Head of School) Telephone number 020 88082923 Website Email address www.sfds.haringey.sch.uk admin@sfds.haringey.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 June 2014

Information about this school

• The executive headteacher is also the headteacher of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Barnet.
• St Frances de Sales RC Infant School is federated with the junior school. The same governing body is responsible for both schools. The executive headteacher and leadership team work across the infant and junior schools. Each of the schools are inspected separately.
• The school has a Catholic religious character and the last section 48 inspection took place in January 2018, when it was judged to be good overall.
• This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The breakfast club is managed by a private company. The school runs its own after-school clubs.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited all classes to observe pupils’ learning. Most of these visits were jointly undertaken with senior leaders. Inspectors scrutinised a range of pupils’ work.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils during lessons and social times to find out about their experiences of school life and learning. They met formally with two groups of pupils.
• Inspectors listened to pupils reading in Years 1 and 2.
• Meetings were held with leaders, governors and staff. The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.
• An inspector talked to parents in the playground at the start of the school day. Inspectors analysed the 14 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including the eight free-text responses.
• Inspectors took into consideration the 24 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and at break and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of school documents, including those related to safeguarding, the school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement and information related to pupils’ progress and attainment.

Inspection team

Rajeshree Mehta, lead inspector Jeff Cole Lando Du Plooy Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector