St Mary Magdalene Church of England Primary School

Transcription

1 St Mary Magdalene Church of England Primary School Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools Inspection Report School address Rowington Close Paddington London W2 5TF Headteacher Ms Tonnie Simpson Type of School Primary Status Voluntary Aided Unique Reference Number Diocese London Local Authority City of Westminster Date of last inspection March 2010 Inspection date 5 th February 2013 National Society Inspector Miss Gladys Vendy (NS 299) The Education Act 2005 (Section 48) requires the governing body or foundation governors of Church of England Schools to appoint a person to undertake the inspection of denominational education and collective worship in schools with a religious character.

2 Context St Mary Magdalene is a one form entry school with a nursery class. It is situated in the middle of a socio-economically deprived local authority housing estate where most pupils live. 85% of pupils are from ethnic minority or black backgrounds. An above average number of pupils are eligible for free school meals or speak English as an additional language. 10% of children are from practising Christian families. Most of the other main world faiths are represented. The distinctiveness and effectiveness of St Mary Magdalene as a Church of England school is outstanding The close links between the school and local church effectively and distinctively secure the Christian ethos of inclusiveness. Pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is enhanced by the strong Christian vision. Established strengths Strong leadership and management, together with the close supportive links of the clergy and governors, nurture the aims of the school and encourage the excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils. The Christian foundation of the school is very well supported by the bright and stimulating environment which is alive with high quality displays of religious education, artefacts and symbols and areas for reflection. Prayer and reflection have a strong focus in the daily life of the school which supports the whole school community. Focus for development Through careful and specific planning in Religious Education strengthen the teaching of the attainment target learning from religion. The school through its distinctive Christian character is outstanding at meeting the needs of all its learners. The school motto, embedded within the statement of intent, Believe, achieve and succeed, is strikingly manifested throughout the school environment. The Christian nature of the school is visually obvious through high quality displays of RE work, artefacts and symbols. Reflection areas in each classroom, the hall and the playground are effectively used and enhance the spiritual development of the children. The diversity of pupils backgrounds is celebrated in a supportive atmosphere underpinned by Christian values, one of which is explored more fully each half term. As a result, relationships with and between adults and children are secure and positive. Children understand the charter of the Rights Respecting School which has been adopted and were able to explain that rights are balanced by promises and responsibility. This has had a positive impact upon behaviour which is very good. The school values every child. Children enter the school with skill levels well below those expected for their age. They make good progress so that by the end of Key Stage 2 achievement is in line with the national average. Through a strong academic tracking system very good provision is made for the vulnerable. Opportunities are provided for the gifted and talented pupils. The creative curriculum encourages children s self-development particularly through the philosophy for children programme. The Inclusion Manager and the Family Support Officer ensure that strategies to support social, moral, behavioural and emotional issues are secure. Breakfast club and a wide range of after school clubs offer opportunities for all learners. The school council and eco warriors are influential in representing the pupil voice by organising fundraising events and recycling. Children sometimes choose the charities they would like to support. Pupils learn to take responsibility through buddying, monitoring duties and in many other ways. Parents are valued, given good support, welcomed in school and are very positive. One parent said we function as a whole not as small groups. The school has strong links with local businesses, volunteers who support children s learning and other schools. Children are involved in community projects including planting pocket gardens and singing to the elderly. Children s global awareness is strong. As well as established links with schools in London and England, links with schools overseas are being developed.

3 The impact of collective worship on the school community is outstanding. Collective worship is embedded in the life of the school and benefits from the close involvement of the church. It is carefully planned by the RE subject leader with the clergy and shared with the Leadership and Management Team. As well as following the Church calendar year it also focuses on Christian values and when appropriate it includes aspects of the RE scheme of work. There is a clear pattern of daily and weekly worship. The nursery class enjoy their weekly visit to church for a short service Prayers for Bears which is age appropriate. The weekly whole school worship in church was observed. Children came in silently to piano music. They listened attentively, led the prayers and sang confidently and sensitively. There were several opportunities for guided reflection. Each Key Stage 2 class in turn attends a weekly celebration of the Eucharist following careful preparation by the Vicar. This adds to children s understanding of Anglican traditions and liturgy. A number of children are admitted to Holy Communion. A growing number of parents and parishioners also attend. Members of staff lead worship during the week so that children experience different styles of worship. The school sometimes holds joint services with a neighbouring church school. Prayer and reflection have a strong focus in the daily life of the school. The attractive prayer corner in the hall provides a focus for daily worship and is accessible and used all day. Each class composes its own prayer which is displayed in a designated reflection area within the classroom. Prayers are said at lunchtime and at the end of the day. Children are encouraged to hang their prayers on a tree in the hall. Children say they look forward to worship the school has helped me to meditate and taught me how to clear my mind and it s good to have time to say thank you. The school uses a proforma to monitor worship. Worship is formally monitored, evaluated and reported upon to the Governing Body. The effectiveness of Religious Education is good Religious Education is given a high profile. RE is very well led. The school follows the Diocesan scheme of work. Work is regularly scrutinised, lessons observed and feedback given to staff. The link governor visits regularly and reports to the Governing Body making commendations and recommendations. The primary focus to improve the quality of worship and RE is clearly identified in a well annotated action plan. Standards of attainment are good and in line with those of other core subjects. This is clearly seen in pupils writing books which are also used for longer pieces of written RE work to focus on the school target to improve pupils writing. The constantly evolving creative curriculum means that a range of teaching approaches is used. Non-written work using annotated photographs is recorded in a class RE profile book, which are of a uniformly high quality. Older classes have also made their own prayer books. A programme to visit other faiths places of worship enhances children s knowledge and understanding, as in the visit to the Buddhist temple. Very good use is made of resources to develop children s conceptual understanding. For example, in the nursery, role play between two adults about a beautiful many coloured coat helped children to recognise what it meant to be jealous, encouraging a lively response from children. Pupils showed very good prior knowledge about religion but a better balance of learning from religion would strengthen their understanding. ICT is used effectively as a visual stimulus showing video clips, paintings and photographs. Children are familiar with the use of religious terms. An example of this was when older children were able to explain that confession, contrition and absolution are steps to reconciliation. In all lessons there were very good opportunities for reflection and often a candle was lit as a focus. A learning walk through the school showed clear progress and continuity. The quality of learning and teaching observed was sometimes outstanding. RE assessment is very good. In addition to peer and self-assessment, national levels are recorded when units of work are completed and again at the end of the year. Tracking sheets are passed on to the next teacher. Children confidently expressed their enjoyment of RE lessons we do a lot of art, dance and drama and it s fun. The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school as a church school are outstanding Through her inspirational leadership the Head Teacher s strong Christian vision for the school is confidently articulated and shared with the community at every level. Her clear expectations are realised through her distributive leadership style which gives members of staff opportunities to take responsibility. She is ably supported by the Governing Body and The Leadership and Management Team so that everyone is committed to promoting the Christian values of the school and raising standards. The high expectations for collective worship and the teaching of RE are realised through very good induction procedures. These have helped the three newly qualified teachers this year to

4 settle in and perform well. The chair of governors and the clergy are in school regularly, offer support and challenge and lead by example. The Chair of Governors reports annually on the school s progress to the PCC and described the school as a wanting to do school. A well written induction pack together with a governor buddy helps new governors to understand their role quickly. Governors are linked with classes as well as subjects and build very good relationships with staff and pupils so that morale is high. The school has excellent links with the local church. Pupils and parents views are taken into account through regular surveys and acted upon appropriately. Communication with parents is very good and the Parent Teacher Association offers good support. The school s strong network links with a group of like-minded church schools provides excellent support for all staff. The school is well supported by the diocese and fully uses their facilities for training and development of teachers and governors. The issues from the previous denominational inspection have been addressed with improved standards in RE, Christian values expressed explicitly and the distinctiveness of the school as a church school in the community promoted well. The school has excellent capacity for even further improvement. SIAS report, St Mary Magdalene, W2 5TF. February 2013

5 Judgement Recording Form (NSJRF) Name of School: St Mary Magdalene Church of England Primary School Rowington Close, Paddington, London, W2 5TF Date of inspection: 5 th February 2013 Type of Church school: Voluntary Aided Phase of education: Primary Number of pupils: 230 URN Number: NS Inspector s Number: 299 Rating 1-4* How distinctive and effective is the school as a Church school? 1 How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meet the needs of all learners? 1 What is the impact of collective worship on the school community? 1 How effective is the religious education? 2 How effective are the leadership and management of the school, as a church school? 1 The school meets the statutory requirement for collective acts of worship Yes The school meets the statutory requirement for religious education * Yes * Ratings: 1 Outstanding; 2 Good; 3 Satisfactory; 4 Inadequate