ARCHDIOCESE OF SOUTHWARKCOMMISSION FOR SCHOOLS & COLLEGES SECTION 48 INSPECTION REPORT Canonical Inspection under Canon 806 on behalf of the Archbishop of Southwark and inspection of Denominational Education under Section 48URN 101460 St John Fisher Catholic Primary SchoolKale RoadErithKentDA18 4BA Chair of Governors Fr. G. GriffithsHeadteacher Mrs M RyanInspectors Mrs M. HughesMrs P. Rickard Inspection date 19 November 2008 ARCHDIOCESE OF SOUTHWARKCOMMISSION FOR SCHOOLS & COLLEGES
St Edward’s House, St Paul’s Wood Hill, Orpington BR5 2SR
Tel 01689 829331 Fax 01689 829255
Director of Education: Dr Dilys Wadman
Introduction
Description of the school
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School is voluntary aided. It is situated in the Greenwich Deanery of the Archdiocese of Southwark. It is maintained by Bexley LA. The principal parishes which the school serves are St John Fisher, Thamesmead, St Peter’s, Woolwich and St Benet’s, Abbey Wood. The proportion of pupils who are baptised Catholics is 60%. The average weekly proportion of curriculum time given to religious education is 10% in Key Stage 1 and 10% in Key Stage 2.
The school takes pupils from 4 to 11 years. The number of pupils currently on roll is 207. The attainment of pupils on entering the school is broadly below average. The proportion of pupils eligible for free schools meals is above average. Around 28% of the pupils receive extra support in class. The majority of pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds; the largest group being Black African or Black British. About a quarter of the pupils are at the early stage of learning English, which is above average. Yoruba is the most common additional language.
Key for inspection grades
Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 3 Satisfactory
Grade 2 Good Grade 4 Inadequate
Overall effectiveness as a Catholic school
St John Fisher’s is a good and improving school with many strong features that identify it as a truly Catholic community. It is clear, by their positive relationships and exemplary behaviour that pupils enjoy working and praying together within this nurturing Catholic ethos. High priority is placed on promoting their self esteem and well being, so pupils of all cultures and those with particular needs feel valued, respected and well supported. The mission of the school, to be inclusive, is lived daily as Gospel values underpin its work. The strong partnership with the parents, parish and community nourishes provision and encourages fellowship. As a result the pupils’ personal development and their spiritual and moral development are outstanding. They benefit from good teaching of religious education and make excellent progress to achieve levels that generally match national expectations and even exceed them by Year 6. The more able pupils, however, are not always challenged sufficiently and some could achieve even higher levels of attainment if offered opportunities for independent work. The headteacher provides highly effective leadership and clear direction for the whole school and, in particular, for religious education. With an enthusiastic, newly appointed leadership team and a unified staff team she has introduced new initiatives and secured improvement. Supportive governors and a proactive chair of governors work with the headteacher to promote the school as a flourishing Catholic community. The ethos of the school inspires a culture of constant reflection and evaluation, so that all have a good understanding of priorities for development. Their assessment has been rigorous and has correctly identified the need to monitor class worship and develop the assessment process. The issues from the last inspection have been addressed. The school’s track record of improving standards and the new management structures demonstrate that it has good capacity to improve further. Inspectors agree with the words of the parish priest, “There is a sense of a new beginning here”.
Grade 2 What steps need to be taken to improve further?
- Monitor class worship and prayer to ensure it meets the needs of all pupils. Ensure that class prayer corners offer opportunities for personal prayer and reflection.
- Further develop assessment and use the information gained to identify under achievement and to plan differentiated work, especially for the more able.
The Catholic life of the school
Leadership and management
Leaders at all levels have a strong sense of the educational mission of the Church and the role of the school in expressing it. They provide clear direction for the Catholic life of the school. The Mission Statement, with the opening words: ” In this inclusive school we embrace the teaching of Christ” reflects the Gospel values driving daily practice. It is kept relevant to the whole community by yearly revision, ensuring pupils clearly understand its implications for their own behaviour. Governors are very supportive. Although not up to full complement, the Governing Body fulfils its role effectively in relation to the school’s Catholic foundation. The Chair of Governors monitors its Catholic ethos through regular, informal visits and discusses priorities for development with the headteacher. Her purposeful leadership unites staff and encourages them to work together as a cohesive team. This is evident in the way they all happily embrace change, making the school a thriving, dynamic community. She is well supported by her two acting assistant headteachers who are vigorously developing their role. Together the three form a strong leadership team. Inclusion, based on the belief that all are created equal in the image of God, guides their work. The outstanding level of care and support which pupils receive is underpinned by the excellent relationships in the school. Staff present as role models of respect, understanding and reconciliation. Management of provision for those with special educational needs and for those with English as an additional language ensures all pupils make a full contribution to the life of the school. Pupils’ personal development is outstanding as is their spiritual, moral and social development. They are encouraged to cultivate self discipline and to understand the impact of their actions on others. They are encouraged to appeal to Gospel values in developing their view of right and wrong. Their behaviour is exemplary. Very good links exist with parents, parish and external agencies to reinforce the high standard of support provided for pupils. Although parents are not always able to accept invitations into school, they are overwhelmingly supportive. They particularly appreciate the school’s “open door” policy and find the staff very approachable. One commented” This is a real community. Everyone cares for each other and supports each other. The school is fantastic.”
Grade 2
Quality of provision for personal and collective worship
Prayer and worship are clearly important features in the life of the school. A carefully planned programme, which reflects the liturgical year and supports the programme for personal health and social education (PHSE) ensures regular and varied opportunities for worship. Pupils are encouraged to participate with spontaneity as their talents are fostered. They respond through song, music, drama and reflection. The assembly observed allowed pupils to consider change in relation to using their talents. They reflected on how they could change for the better and responded thoughtfully. They were focused, engaged throughout and demonstrated their knowledge of the traditional prayers of the Church. Further opportunities for prayer are provided throughout the day. Pupils make use of the quiet prayer corner in the corridor and most religious lessons include a time for reflection. The Year 6 pupils were encouraged to consider the emotions depicted in a series of pictures. They responded respectfully. Year 1 pupils displayed a more joyful response using “rap” as a form of prayer. When pupils are invited to pray and reflect spontaneously, their lessons have more meaning for them personally. Most classes have a focal point for prayer. However, their quality is inconsistent as they do not always support the RE topic or the Church’s calendar. Their relevance in fostering spirituality is limited. Monitoring and evaluation of class prayer at present is not sufficiently focused to ensure progression, but it has been identified as an area for development. The parish priest is fully involved in the liturgical life of the school. Masses and liturgies are celebrated regularly and pupils are encouraged to be actively involved in their preparation. Because Masses are often class based, they do this with confidence and enthusiasm from an early age. Opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation are provided during Lent and Advent and the school accommodates the parish catechists as they prepare pupils for reception of the first Sacraments. The parish priest and the parish sister are frequent and welcome visitors to the school. They make a significant impact on the pastoral and spiritual life of the community.
Grade 2 Community Cohesion
Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and all are welcomed into this inclusive school. The mission to, ”welcome all people into the school community, regardless of race, culture or religion” is embedded in practice. Respect features strongly in all relationships in the school. Pupils for whom English is an additional language are very well integrated into all aspects of school life and their presence enriches the community. Difference of all kinds is celebrated, with the predominant group of Black Africans being invited to sing and pray in their own language. Pupils explore different cultural traditions by holding international themed days, celebrating Black History Month and refugee events. Parents are invited to share experiences, traditional foods and costumes with the pupils, thereby reinforcing the importance of family customs. Colourful displays, depicting harvests around the world add a global dimension to the school’s work. All staff are committed to developing harmony, tolerance and justice for all. The result is a happy, cohesive community, in which pupils learn how to care for each other. They happily take on responsibilities through the Playground Squad and Dining Room Squad, supporting those pupils who feel lonely or anxious. All are quick to show concern for the well being of others and are particularly supportive of the more vulnerable in their community. They recognise their responsibilities towards those less fortunate than themselves and support various local and national charities, such as the local hospice and CAFOD. The school holds a strong position within the neighbouring community, embracing opportunities to work with Gallions wardens from the local housing association. Excellent liaison has been established with the local Catholic secondary school and students are welcomed into the classrooms. School is also central to parish life, being used as a Mass centre every Sunday and offering a weekly school/parish Mass. Such strong links with the neighbourhood and the parish nourish provision and encourage pupils to see themselves as part of a diverse community. This dynamic relationship between school, parish and neighbourhood is outstanding.
Grade 1
Religious education
Achievement and standards
Pupils enter school with below average language and communication skills and low levels of personal development. In this context, they generally make satisfactory progress during the Foundation Stage, in developing their social skills and in establishing a basis for learning about the faith. Good progress is evident in Key Stage 1 and by Year 2 attainment is at expected levels. Very good progress continues throughout Key Stage 2 with some of the older pupils exceeding national expectations. Pupils with learning difficulties and those with English as an additional language achieve well and make good progress, with sensitive and targeted support from teaching assistants. Those who are more able, however, are not commonly offered the scope to reach higher standards. Considering their starting points, pupils make excellent progress in their speaking and listening skills. This is evident in their lively contribution to group discussions. They are generally articulate and use religious language appropriately. Many pupils demonstrate a sound knowledge of religious concepts and are beginning to think ethically and theologically. They are reflective and show empathy with others, as evidenced when Year 4 pupils discussed how people might feel about birthdays. Pupils show considerable ability to apply their learning to their own lives. They know how to use the Bible to determine their behaviour and can interpret the stories in a modern context. They were seen discussing the words of Isaiah in relation to their own experiences. Pupils are enthusiastic about religious education and said they enjoyed their lessons because teachers “made them fun”.
Grade 2 Teaching and learning in Religious Education
Teaching is generally good because teachers establish friendly, supportive relationships with their class and manage their pupils well. They interact sensitively with them during discussions and employ good questioning techniques that challenge even the most reticent pupils to explain their ideas. By positively affirming all answers they encourage confidence, so pupils are encouraged to take risks. Well planned lessons have clear learning objectives, which are shared with pupils so that they know what is expected of them. Teachers offer a range of tasks to engage pupils. Lively activities, such as puppet making, mind mapping and the construction of a birthday cylinder were seen. These lessons stimulated interest and involved most pupils in purposeful learning. Although activities match the interests of pupils, they do not always match their abilities and are not generally differentiated.
While some pupils need to consolidate their knowledge, others, particularly the more able, would benefit from more challenge. When activities are not matched precisely to ability, the pace of learning slows. Excellent support is provided by the teaching assistants, who encourage those with learning difficulties to make a full contribution to lessons. Assessment is developing well and teachers are using the new levels of attainment appropriately. They plan to use the information to track progress and identify under achievement, so that the process makes more impact on attainment. Pupils are engaged in self assessment and teachers give individual feedback on their progress. Marking is also used in some cases to give pupils an indication of what they must do to improve further. This good practice should be extended.
Grade 2
The religious education curriculum
In line with the Bishops’ recommendations, 10% of curriculum time is dedicated to religious education and it is firmly at the heart of school life. R.E. is woven into the school day and permeates all areas of learning. A stimulating curriculum, based on the “Here I Am” programme and supported by a good range of resources, builds on the experiences of home. It ensures relevance for the pupils by relating to the local community and by taking account of cultural diversity. While strongly Catholic in essence, it allows pupils to study other world faiths. The lovely display on Judaism is testimony to the range of study. Effective cross curricular links, especially with art, drama and ICT, provide scope for creativity. Good use of ICT, and particularly of the interactive whiteboard, was seen in many classrooms. The parish priest makes an important contribution to the curriculum by his “lesson visits”. He aims to support pupils in deepening their understanding by giving a personal interpretation of the topics. The curriculum is further supplemented by a number of other visitors, especially those of other world faiths. The personal health and social education programme encourages pupils’ understanding of their own feelings and the feelings of others in the community. It prepares them well to meet the challenges of modern society. With the RE curriculum, it contributes significantly to the spiritual and moral development of pupils, who are encouraged to experience wonder and delight in their everyday lives.
Grade 2
Leadership and management
The teaching of religious education is recognised by headteacher and governors as pivotal to the expression and delivery of the school’s ethos. Clear direction is provided through appropriate polices and through the School Development Plan, which reflects the school’s priorities for its development as a Catholic community. The headteacher, as co-ordinator, is committed to raising standards in R.E. and has worked hard to secure consistent provision during the recent changes in staff. At the moment, one of the leadership team is supporting her with a view to sharing responsibility in the future. Together they promise to provide strong leadership and management of religious education. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school and has identified priorities for future development. Provision has been accurately monitored through book scrutinies and lesson observations. Teachers have been empowered by constructive feedback which encourages them to improve their practice. They also learn from each other as they share good practice and plan their work together. Staff development is good. Resources are effectively managed and deployed so that teachers and pupils have access to books and artefacts that support the curriculum. All staff work hard to create a lively, stimulating environment which reflects the school’s Catholic distinctiveness. Such colourful displays as those in the hall and corridors demonstrate the school’s mission to celebrate achievement of all kinds.
Grade 2
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