St Peter’s Pupils find Learning Fun  

Unique Reference Number	118758
Local Authority	Kent
Inspection number	291245
Inspection dates	6–7 June 2007
Reporting inspector	Michael Barron

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

 

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Type of school	Primary
School category	Voluntary aided
Age range of pupils	3–11
Gender of pupils	Mixed
Number on roll (school)	211
Appropriate authority	The governing body
Date of previous school inspection	21 May 2001

School address	West Ridge
	Sittingbourne
	ME10 1UJ
Telephone number	01795 423479
Fax number	01795 439968
Chair	Duncan Dewar-Whalley
Head teacher	Caroline Jackson

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

Description of the school

This is an average sized primary school. Pupils come from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. Nearly all are of White British heritage. Very few pupils have a first language other than English and none of these are at the early stages of acquiring English. The number of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is above the national average.

Key for inspection grades

Grade 1	Outstanding
Grade 2	Good
Grade 3	Satisfactory
Grade 4	Inadequate

Overall effectiveness of the school

Grade: 2

This is a good school which provides a good education for its pupils. It is well led by an energetic headteacher who has ensured that governors and staff share her enthusiasm and vision for raising standards through improving achievement. They have worked well together to ensure the school has analysed and evaluated its performance effectively and also identified and implemented improvements where needed. As a result the school has made good progress since the last inspection, especially in raising standards and achievement.

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They are keen and eager to learn and their enjoyment of school is outstanding. They say they feel safe and secure, describe the school as a friendly place and say that teachers 'make learning fun'. Parents appreciate that the school offers pupils a caring atmosphere in which to learn and comment about the good level of support their children receive. Pupils try hard to do well. They respect others, behave well and display responsible attitudes. They make sensible and healthy choices, have a good community spirit and are prepared well for the next stage of their education.

Standards are above average and achievement is good. The quality of teaching and learning, whilst good overall, varies in different year groups and this can affect pupils' progress. Children enter the Foundation Stage with broadly average skills and make satisfactory progress both in this year group and in Years 1 and 2 because of satisfactory teaching. However, teaching is at its best in Years 3 to 6 and pupils make consistently good progress in these year groups. As a result standards are presently above the national average overall in Year 6 and have been for several years. However standards in English are not as high as those in mathematics and science because achievement in writing, especially boys' writing, is weaker.

The curriculum is good and is enhanced by a range of activities that further develop pupils' skills and their enjoyment of learning. Procedures for care, guidance and support are good and contribute well to pupils' sense of well-being. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to ensure that pupils requiring extra help, especially those with learning difficulties or disabilities, are well supported and make good progress as a result. However, the quality of teachers' marking is variable and does not always give pupils a firm idea of how to improve their work. In addition not all pupils are aware of their individual learning targets and this can affect their progress.

Leadership and management are good. The governing body fulfils its duties well and offers a good level of support and challenge to the school. This has helped the school to gain a realistic view of its strengths and weaknesses. The school has clear plans to bring about further improvement and demonstrates a good capacity to achieve them.

What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in writing, especially boys' writing.
• Improve the effectiveness of teachers' marking and the use of target setting in order to consistently provide pupils with effective guidance about how to improve their work.
• Ensure pupils achieve equally well in all year groups.

Achievement and standards

Grade: 2

Attainment on entry to the Foundation Stage fluctuates from year to year but is usually broadly average, although language skills are often less well developed. Standards rise to above average and, taking the school as a whole, pupils' achievement is good. Children make satisfactory progress both in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 because of satisfactory teaching. Pupils make good progress and achieve well throughout the rest of the school because of good teaching so that, by Year 6, the standards they attain have been above the national average overall for the last five years. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities make good progress because they are clearly identified at an early stage and then receive a consistently good level of support. However, although standards have improved since the previous inspection, standards in writing, and especially boys' writing, are not as high as those in mathematics and science in all year groups. The school has correctly identified the need to improve achievement in these subject areas as a key priority issue.

Personal development and well-being

Grade: 2

Pupils are polite, well behaved and appear eager to please. Their enjoyment of school is outstanding and they display good attitudes to learning. This is reflected in their good attendance and good achievement. There is a real sense of community within the school. Pupils respect and value one another and the adults around them. They take their responsibilities seriously and talk enthusiastically about the fact that their elected School Council gives them opportunities to participate in school decision making.

Pupils demonstrate a willingness to help those less fortunate than themselves, for example by raising funds for charities. They feel safe and secure and say that they know there is always someone to turn to if they have a problem. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good although their awareness of the diverseness of life in British multicultural society is less secure. Their good progress in developing numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills, and, to a lesser extent literacy skills, together with their good understanding of individual and collective responsibility, means that they are well prepared for future life.

Pupils enjoy taking part in visits to places of interest and welcoming visitors to the school. They have a good understanding of the importance of making healthy choices, especially about what they eat. Pupils also talk excitedly about how their involvement in the wide range of popular after school sporting activities makes them fitter and healthier.

Quality of provision

Teaching and learning

Grade: 2

Children get off to a satisfactory start in the Foundation Stage because they are provided with a suitable range of activities which often blend teacher directed tasks with independent learning. Whilst teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory, it is at its best in Years 3 to 6 where pupils make good progress because teaching is consistently good and caters for pupils' individual needs effectively. Lessons in these year groups are well structured, well paced and have clear learning intentions. Teachers use a variety of approaches to make learning interesting and to make sure pupils work hard. Teachers and teaching assistants work effectively together to ensure pupils of all abilities are provided with appropriate activities and with the support they need to succeed. As a result, pupils achieve well so that standards are consistently above average overall by the end of Year 6.

Curriculum and other activities

Grade: 2

Pupils really enjoy coming to school because they are provided with a good curriculum which is broad and balanced and meets their needs and interests well. Provision for personal, social and health education is good and ensures that pupils become aware of the importance of fitness, well-being and leading a healthy lifestyle. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the extra-curricular activities the school provides for all age groups whilst interesting visits and visitors to school increase their enjoyment of learning. Themed days and weeks, for example, 'Fair Trade Fortnight', help develop pupils' knowledge and understanding of the wider world. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, and also for gifted and talented pupils, is good and helps them to make good progress. In addition, the school makes best use of the small outside area available for Foundation Stage children to help them develop the skills associated with outdoor play.

Care, guidance and support

Grade: 2

The school's Catholic ethos actively promotes an extended family atmosphere which contributes to pupils' enthusiasm, sense of well-being and their enjoyment of learning. Parents are very positive about how well the school cares for and supports their children and comment that their children say that they feel safe and valued as individuals and that their teachers are 'kind and helpful'. Adults know pupils well and ensure that rare instances of unkind behaviour are dealt with quickly and effectively. Health and safety routines are fully in place and child protection procedures are understood and followed precisely by all staff.

Induction and transfer arrangements are good and help pupils to quickly settle into new routines, especially in the Foundation Stage. Vulnerable pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, are monitored and supported effectively and make good progress as a result.

However, not all pupils are aware of their individual learning targets in English and mathematics. The quality of teachers' marking is also inconsistent in different classes. Some is of high quality but not all marking helps pupils to understand what they have to do to improve their work.

Leadership and management

Grade: 2

The head teacher is a dedicated leader who has ensured that the school has been thorough in regularly checking and analysing its performance and in implementing change where needed. She has been well supported in this by the governing body, which fulfils its statutory duties well. Governors are involved in all major decisions and many individual governors have a firm understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. However both the head teacher and governors have established coherent strategies to tackle inconsistencies in achievement between different year groups.

The school works closely with parents and regularly seeks their views. Links with external agencies are good and support pupils' learning well, particularly those with learning difficulties and disabilities. The school's resources, criticised in the previous inspection report, are now good although the school has not yet developed an outside learning environment for Foundation Stage pupils.

© Crown copyright 2007

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