St Mary's CofE (Aided) Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the outcomes for all pupils, particularly the most able, by providing them with more challenging work that will enable them to make at least good progress from their starting points.
• Improve teaching so that it is consistently good or better.
• Have high expectations across the whole curriculum.
• Provide feedback in line with the school’s policy to pupils to help them to improve their work.
• Challenge the most able pupils so they attain the higher standards.
• Use a more extensive range of information when deciding how well pupils are learning.
• Raise achievement in the early years provision by building on the rapid progress already made in language and communication.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leaders now have a more accurate and well-informed understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This is because they have strong support from the local authority and diocesan advisers, which has enabled the school leaders to take action to improve outcomes for pupils.
• The headteacher has put in place a robust action plan to address areas for improvement. She has raised the expectations of staff by creating a positive culture based on the school’s values of respect, honesty, forgiveness, kindness and thankfulness. However, it is too early to assess the impact of the changes.
• Leaders are diligent in the time they commit to monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in the school. The scrutiny of progress by senior leaders is showing some improvement to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment but there is still too much inconsistency. Leaders have not ensured that the strongest teaching practice is routinely and widely shared across the school.
• Leaders’ review of pupils’ work each half term focuses on ongoing progress. However, leaders do not scrutinise assessment information with the work in pupils’ books. Therefore, the assessment of pupil outcomes is not always accurate. This means that in some cases teachers have overestimated pupils’ achievements. This in turn, means that leaders’ judgements of the progress that pupils are making are not accurate.
• Middle leaders do not know the end-of-year expectations for all year groups, therefore many pupils do not achieve in line with national expectations in all subject areas.
• Leaders are not rigorous in tracking the progress of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who receive interventions. Intervention progress is measured but the specific progress from prior starting points is not always considered.
• Staff are positive about the training they receive in the school and from other providers. This training and support is an important part of leaders’ plans to bring about improvements in standards. However, it has not had sufficient time to have a significant impact on pupils’ outcomes.
• Leaders have worked hard to improve the attendance of all groups of pupils. Their actions have had impact and pupils’ attendance levels are now are in line with national averages. However, the rate of persistent absence, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, is showing very slow improvement.
• Leaders’ plans to improve standards in mathematics are leading to some improvements in pupils’ work, especially in Year 5. Pupils are developing their skills in reasoning and explaining using mathematical knowledge and vocabulary.
• The school has benefited from the support of the local authority and diocese, working with advisers to develop practice, for example in mathematics and English, and to develop leadership skills.
• Leaders provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Pupils learn about British values such as democracy. For example, pupils are elected to the school council. They learn about tolerance and respect in assembles and lessons. Displays around the school reinforce these values. Pupils work socially and collaboratively in lessons. They show a good understanding of right and wrong.
• Leaders use physical education (PE) and sports funding effectively to employ a specialist coach to work alongside school staff and support them in their practice. Pupils are enthusiastic about all PE lessons and sporting opportunities.

Governance of the school

• Leaders and governors are ambitious for the school. They now have a more accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are committed to improving standards. Governors recognise the need to ensure that pupils make good progress from their starting points and have an action plan to address areas of underperformance.
• Governors are very supportive of the school. They visit the school regularly to see how well pupils are learning, and to talk to leaders. As a result, governors now have a more accurate view of the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.
• Safeguarding duties are carried out effectively. The link safeguarding governor is well trained and keeps a close check on the records leaders keep with regard to the safe recruitment of staff. All governors undertake appropriate safeguarding training in relation to their role within the school.
• Governors know how the specific funding for disadvantaged pupils and sport is spent. They challenge leaders to ensure that it has a positive impact on the outcomes for pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The leadership team make sure that safeguarding arrangements are effective and records are detailed and of high quality. Any concern about the safety of pupils is followed up quickly and thoroughly. Staff receive training about current safeguarding practice including the ‘Prevent’ duty, and how to recognise warning signs that a pupil may be at risk from female genital mutilation or child sexual exploitation. All staff know what they should do if they have any safeguarding concerns.
• The headteacher’s knowledge of families ensures that pupils are safe and well supported. Leaders with specific safeguarding responsibilities work closely with outside agencies to safeguard pupils’ well-being.
• Pupils report that they feel safe in school. They have a good understanding and knowledge of issues such as e-safety and speak confidently about their lessons and assemblies on keeping safe and recognising any dangers.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching requires improvement because it is inconsistent and leads to variability in the progress that pupils make.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is not strong although training is addressing this now. Consequently, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can and should do are variable and this leads to slow progress.
• The quality of work in pupils’ books is not good enough because teachers do not consistently follow the school’s policy and give feedback to help pupils improve their work. Feedback is variable and at times does not address misconceptions and inaccuracies which slow pupils’ progress.
• The headteacher has put actions in place to improve the teaching of mathematics and there are early signs of the impact of this work. Older pupils are engaging with tasks involving reasoning and problem solving and there are pockets of good progress in mathematics evident across the school. However, most pupils who are assessed by teachers as being the most able mathematicians are working at, not above, the expected standard for their age.
• In some classes, good resources are provided to support learning. For example, the prompts for vocabulary and grammar in Year 2 support pupils in their independent writing. However, at times the resources provided do not help pupils learn. For example, pupils in Year 1 were given too much choice and were unable to choose the most appropriate resources to complete a mathematical task successfully.
• Some pupils take pride in the presentation of their work, but this is inconsistent and the work in most pupils’ books is not of a high standard. Handwriting is variable across the school and there is a lack of precision, especially in key stage 2.
• There is an over-reliance on teaching assistants for the lower-ability pupils and teachers do not always support their learning. Teachers do not regularly check these pupils’ understanding, which limits learning.
• Some lessons are not well planned, they do not draw on prior learning or fit into a planned sequence of teaching, therefore they do not promote learning. The middle leaders are now supporting teachers in their planning and there is a greater focus on knowledge, skills and understanding.
• There is a lack of challenge for higher-ability pupils so they do not make enough progress. This is because teachers are not identifying those pupils with high prior attainment. In most classes across the school, there is too little challenge, particularly for the most able pupils, with all pupils in these classes completing similar tasks.
• Pupils say that they enjoy reading and the pupils in Year 4 and Year 6 are given stimulating texts. They read enthusiastically and fluently, have good comprehension skills and use a range of skills to infer meaning from the text. Reading groups in class enable teachers to assess pupils’ understanding and fluency. However, this is more embedded in some classes than others. In Year 1 and Year 2, books are not as well matched to pupils’ ability and therefore some pupils are not making substantial progress.
• Phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) teaching is improving and staff are trained to deliver phonics effectively. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are confident in applying their phonics skills in writing and reading. Pupils in both classes enjoy writing and attempt to use a range of vocabulary to enhance their sentences. Most pupils in Year 2 use capital letters and full stops correctly to demarcate sentences. However, they are not using a range of punctuation that is expected for their age and the most able pupils are not being sufficiently challenged.
• Teachers ensure that pupils benefit from a wide range of subjects. Trips to support learning are integrated into the curriculum. Pupils use these first-hand experiences to broaden their knowledge and understanding. Pupils in Year 3 particularly enjoyed a recent trip to the British Museum and were able to write a recount of their trip. Physical education is a strength of the school. Pupils enjoy lessons and their skills are progressing. There is a strong emphasis on understanding how to keep healthy.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school provides a nurturing and caring environment for pupils. The headteacher knows the needs of the school community and directs support to pupils and families in need. Teachers take steps to ensure that pupils feel safe and secure in school.
• Pupils are confident in talking to adults and happily talk about their work. They are keen to learn and try hard to complete work even when unsure of expectations. They help each other and collaborate when working. The school reinforces this confidence and self-esteem, providing good opportunities in assemblies and class lessons. For example, pupils said they enjoy Golden Time and know this is a reward for trying hard. Pupils, mainly those in Year 5 and Year 6, are encouraged to talk about their work, especially in mathematics where they reason and explain processes and concepts. In Year 3, pupils worked collaboratively when recalling their recent trip to the British Museum.
• Pupils are provided with opportunities to keep safe. They speak confidently about the safe use of mobile phones and the internet. They have a good understanding of what they should and should not do to keep safe. Class lessons and assemblies reinforce this understanding.
• Good opportunities are provided for developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. For example, pupils learn about different faiths in lessons and have an understanding of different cultures and traditions. They know the school’s values and can talk about how they apply these in the school community.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils display good attitudes to learning. They stay on task, work cooperatively and listen well. They respond promptly to their teachers and teaching assistants. However, pupils’ work is not neat, handwriting is inconsistent and not enough care is taken in the presentation of their work.
• Most pupils are considerate of each other and play together cooperatively. Playtimes are well supervised and pupils get on well together. They have a positive attitude to school and most pupils say that they enjoy coming to school.
• Pupils who have behavioural difficulties are well managed. They are supported well, with interventions planned by the special educational needs leader to help them improve their behaviour. In lessons, teaching assistants support pupils to take part in lessons and complete their work. As a result, they rarely disrupt learning.
• Attendance has improved and is in line with the national average. Leaders have worked with an outside provider to start up a breakfast and after school club and this has had a positive impact on attendance. There is still work to do to reduce the persistent absentees but the school is working with families to ensure that these pupils come to school every day.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The school’s 2018 Year 6 results in reading, writing and mathematics were well below the national average. Inspection evidence, including work in pupils’ books demonstrates that pupils are making improved, but not yet good enough, progress from their individual starting points.
• In 2018, Year 2 results in reading, writing and mathematics were above the national average. However, based on the school’s data for the current Year 2 and work in books, many pupils are not making the progress needed to reach the expected standard by the end of this academic year. The school think this is due to the proportion of pupils with SEND.
• The most able pupils across the school, including those who are disadvantaged, have not been challenged sufficiently to achieve the higher standard in their learning. Books show that the most able pupils across the school are working at, not above, the expected standard for their age. This is because assessment is not sharp enough, and teaching is not challenging enough, to ensure that these pupils achieve the higher standards.
• In Year 1, in 2018, three quarters of the pupils met passed the phonics screening check. This percentage was slightly below the national average. Training for Year 1 staff is resulting in pupils having a better knowledge of phonics, which they can apply when reading and writing.
• Pupils with SEND are not making expected progress from their individual starting points. The school has reorganised the deployment of teaching assistants to support individual learning needs and specific interventions have been implemented. However, it is too early to assess the impact of these interventions.
• Work in pupils’ books demonstrates that progress across year groups is beginning to improve. However, it is not consistent and many pupils are still working below the expectation for their age group. Leaders have revised their assessment system to help teachers provide more challenge for all pupils.

Early years provision Good

• Early years leaders have taken effective action to develop the provision in Nursery and Reception. The quality of teaching is good and pupils are making rapid progress from their starting points. Consequently, children are well prepared for learning in Year 1.
• The number of children who achieved a good level of development in 2018 was above the national average. School information and inspection evidence shows that children are now making rapid progress from their starting points. Children’s language and communication skills are good; they are able to use a varied vocabulary and carry out conversations confidently.
• Transitions into the Nursery class and Reception classes are well organised. The school liaises well with parents and carers and ensures that children are familiar with the school before they attend full time. Stay and play sessions and home visits are carefully planned so children enter the school confidently.
• Children behave in a friendly and cooperative way. They are confident and polite with adults and work well together, taking turns and sharing. For example, children in Reception took turns to use a variety of resources when constructing models. They shared their ideas and talked together about how one child could improve the balance game he was constructing.
• Teachers plan learning and allow children to explore in different ways. Both inside and outside areas are set up to engage children in their learning and provide stimulating challenges. Opportunities for observing nature are well planned in the curriculum. Children were enthusiastic and very excited about the ‘bug hotel’. Their questions and discussions helped extend their knowledge of mini-beasts.
• Interactions and relationships between adults and children are positive. They engage children in discussions, and in the Nursery adults model language well. Children are confident in their use of mathematical vocabulary; they can describe containers as full or empty. Adults share stories with the children but these stories are not always linked to what the children are learning.
• There are missed opportunities to extend children’s learning. Although children in Nursery and Reception classes are mark-making, there are few occasions for them to develop their writing further. Mathematical skills are limited as some tasks do not challenge children’s knowledge and understanding of number.
• Adults receive appropriate safeguarding training and know the school’s procedures for keeping children safe at school. Both indoor and outdoor learning environments are well organised. Staff have established good routines to ensure that children keep the learning spaces clear and safe. Staff have undertaken paediatric first aid training and logs are well kept.

School details

Unique reference number 102593 Local authority Kingston upon Thames Inspection number 10086803 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 254 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mrs Samantha Vieitez Mrs Sarah Hodgson Telephone number 0208 397 9597 Website Email address www.stmaryschessington.co.uk office@stmarys.rbksch.org Date of previous inspection 7–8 October 2014

Information about this school

• St Mary’s CofE Primary School is a smaller than average-sized school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The school has pupils from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.

Information about this inspection

• This section 5 inspection took place on 6 and 7 February.
• Inspectors observed learning across the school and looked at work in pupils’ books. Observations and work scrutiny were conducted jointly with senior leaders.
• The lead inspector met with four governors, including the chair of the governing body, and the local authority advisers and spoke to the diocesan adviser by telephone.
• A meeting was held with pupils to discuss their learning and views on the school.
• Leaders met with inspectors to discuss their roles and the impact of their work.
• Inspectors heard pupils read and talked to pupils in the playground, during lessons and as they moved around the school.
• Parents’ views were gathered at the start of the first day, and 86 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, were considered.
• A range of documents were reviewed, including: the school’s improvement plan and self-evaluation document; the school’s single central record of employment checks on staff; information about pupils’ achievement, attendance, behaviour and safety; governing body reports; local authority reports about the school’s performance; and information on the school’s website.

Inspection team

Frances Hawkes, lead inspector Sarah Jones Paula Farrow Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector