St Joseph’s RC Primary School
Dundee City Council

16 October 2007

Contents

1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. What are the views of parents, pupils and staff?
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?
6. How good is the environment for learning?
7. Leading and improving the school
Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
How can you contact us?

1. Background

St Joseph's RC Primary School, Dundee was inspected in June 2007 as part of a national sample of primary education. The inspection covered key aspects of the work of the school at all stages. It evaluated pupils' achievements, the effectiveness of the school, the environment for learning, the school's processes for self-evaluation and innovation, and its capacity for improvement. There was a particular focus on attainment in English language and mathematics.

HM Inspectors examined pupils' work and interviewed groups of pupils, including the pupil council, and staff. Members of the inspection team also met the chairperson of the School Board, representatives of the Parent Staff Association (PSA) and a group of parents¹.

The school is a denominational school serving an area of Dundee. At the time of the inspection the roll was 276, including 12 pupils in a resourced location for pupils with additional support needs. The proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was above the national average. Pupils' attendance was above the national average.

2. Key strengths

3. What are the views of parents, pupils and staff?

HM Inspectors analysed responses to questionnaires issued to a sample of parents, P4 to P7 pupils, and to all staff. Information about the responses to the questionnaires appears in Appendix 2.

Parents, pupils and staff were very positive about all aspects of the school. Parents appreciated the school’s good reputation and felt that their children were being well cared for and well educated. They were pleased at the quality of communication they received and were confident that the school would respond effectively to any concerns they raised. Pupils liked going to school and were happy with their teachers. They felt safe, well looked after and fully involved in the life of the school. Staff felt that they were well led. They thought that communication in the school was effective and that relationships with the school’s senior management were very good.

4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?

Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements

The quality of the curriculum was adequate overall. It was broad and balanced at most stages. Additional time was allocated to the reinforcement of pupils’ language and mathematics skills, including the recent introduction of the education authority’s literacy hour initiative. However, there was insufficient coherence in approaches to developing pupils’ reading, listening and writing skills and over emphasis for higher-attaining pupils on reading comprehension exercises. There were insufficient opportunities for active learning through play at the early stages. There was an appropriate programme for the development of pupils’ information and communications technology (ICT) skills. The school was working steadily towards the introduction of two hours per week of physical education for all pupils. The emphasis on pupils’ personal and social development included a residential experience for P7 pupils. The quality of teaching was good overall. Lessons were well prepared and thorough. There was an appropriate range of teaching approaches across the school, including direct class teaching, paired, group and individual approaches. Teachers shared learning intentions consistently with pupils and reviewed learning on a regular basis. More pace and impact in some lessons was required, with better questioning to probe pupils’ understanding of important ideas and to stimulate their imagination. There was an appropriate planned approach to homework.

Pupils were well behaved and motivated and keen to learn. In most classes they responded well to the opportunities for collaborative learning, including the emphasis on paired work and evaluation of each other’s work. Most pupils worked diligently throughout lessons, although in a few classes more stimulating learning was required. Pupils at all stages were capable of productive, independent working without sustained supervision. They responded well overall to the opportunities for class discussion, particularly in science lessons at P2 and P5. They also appreciated the attractive displays created by teachers, for example in the history theme at P4/P5. The pace of pupils’ learning was uneven, however, and needed to be increased at several stages. Pupils would benefit from more opportunities for active learning, particularly at the early stages. Increased levels of challenge and responsibility were required to stimulate higher-attaining pupils in English language and mathematics at the middle and upper stages. The use of ICT as a medium of teaching and learning needed to be extended.

The school took very good steps to develop pupils’ wider achievements, through an exceptional range of activities for pupils, within the school and the wider community. Pupils’ confidence and teamworking skills had benefited from being provided with many areas of responsibility for aspects of school life. The pupil council and the new Eco-group played useful roles in leading the school’s charity activities and improving the environment. In addition, a P7 pupil management team was developing pupils’ leadership and management skills in a wide range of contexts. The team was successfully coordinating the efforts of older pupils in helping others in the school and playground and in offering their talents to lead sporting, musical and other activities. Senior pupils responded well to the opportunities to share their skills with others, for example in the dance and cheerleading classes. P2, P3 and P7 pupils displayed very effective teamwork in keeping the playground tidy. Pupils in the resourced location were accompanied by their fellow pupils when participating in local disability festivals and sports. Many pupils participated with significant success in a very wide range of sporting, musical and drama activities within the school and in Dundee.

English language

Attainment in English language was good overall. It had remained steady over the last three years. Most pupils were achieving appropriate national levels of attainment in reading and writing. At P2, P6 and P7 a significant number were attaining these levels earlier than might be expected. Most pupils at the early stages were developing appropriate early literacy skills. Pupils with additional support needs were making steady progress from their prior levels of attainment, but higher-attaining pupils were capable of achieving more, particularly in writing. Pupils were articulate and confident in talking for a range of purposes. They expressed their views well in class and group discussions. Most were able to listen to instructions and for information. At all stages, pupils read accurately and with good comprehension. They were interested in books and authors, but were less familiar with the ways different writers achieve their effects. Pupils at all stages were capable of writing for a range of purposes. Their potential achievement was reduced, however, by the limited range and variety of writing tasks at some stages. The quality of personal and imaginative writing was too variable.

Mathematics

Attainment in mathematics was good. It had improved steadily over the last three years. Most pupils were achieving appropriate levels of attainment in key aspects of mathematics. All pupils at P2, and some by P6 and P7, were now achieving these levels earlier than might be expected. Pupils with additional support needs made good progress from their previous levels of attainment, but higher-attaining pupils were capable of achieving more. At all stages, pupils could create and interpret a range of graphs. Those at the upper stages had had experience of using databases to collate and handle information. Throughout the school, pupils were developing sound skills in mental and written calculation. However, they had had limited opportunity to practise skills in a variety of practical and cross-curricular contexts. By P7, pupils had a good understanding of the relationship between fractions and decimals. Most could tell the time and use units of measurement accurately. In shape, position and movement, they could identify accurately two- and three-dimensional shapes and discuss their properties. Across the school, pupils required more experience of solving mathematical problems and of discussing the strategies they could use.

Personal and social education

The quality of pupils’ learning and personal and social development in the resourced location was good overall. Pupils were building on their personal and social skills through a range of planned opportunities. They were successfully adapting to routines and using skills in a social context, during snack time, through shared activities in class and through using ICT skills. All pupils joined their peers in the school for playtimes, lunchtimes, assemblies and other whole-school activities which supported their improving self-esteem and confidence. Pupils from P7 joined those in the resourced location for "golden time" activities. In technology activities, pupils made choices and took responsibility for design and materials.

5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?

The school’s approaches to meeting pupils’ learning needs were good. Overall, teachers matched tasks and resources appropriately to pupils’ abilities and aptitudes. However, across the school, higher-attaining pupils required a faster pace of work and a wider range of challenging activities. Effective procedures were in place to identify pupils who required additional support. Learning support staff provided useful advice to staff and valuable support for pupils with additional learning needs. In consultation with class teachers, they had prepared appropriate individualised educational programmes (IEPs) and shared these with parents. Most pupils with IEPs were making good progress towards meeting their learning targets. Throughout the early stages, cooperative teaching between learning support and class teachers was leading to more effective early identification and intervention to support pupils’ learning. The involvement of learning support staff in teaching targeted sets at P5 was having a positive impact on the whole-school approach to raising attainment in mathematics. Class teachers, support assistants and visiting specialists provided good support for pupils with additional support needs, including those for whom English was an additional language.

The quality of the curriculum in the resourced location was good. Pupils’ IEPs set out clear targets with criteria for success. These plans were shared with parents. An appropriate range of learning opportunities was in place for the range of pupil needs. For example, the learning environment for pupils had been improved through installing individual learning stations, good use of visual timetables and social stories. A structured approach to listening and talking was effective in developing pupils’ communication and language skills. Regular use of newspapers was building on functional literacy skills. Pupils enjoyed developing their mathematical skills in handling money and recognising size, colour and shape in the everyday context of a supermarket. Successful opportunities to join mainstream classes were carefully planned for individual pupils.

6. How good is the environment for learning?

7. Leading and improving the school

Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.

St Joseph’s RC Primary School served its pupils and community well. The ethos of the school was very positive. The commitment of pupils and staff to equality and fairness was a particular strength. Pupils’ attainment in English language and mathematics was good overall, but there was scope for increased challenge to allow high-attaining pupils to fulfil their learning potential. The opportunities for personal and social development were encouraging a very good range of broader achievements on the part of pupils. The quality of teaching was good overall, as were the strategies to meet the needs of the wide range of pupils. Pupils with additional support needs, including those in the resourced location, were particularly well supported.

The school was well led. The headteacher had worked hard to establish and maintain its high reputation with parents and the wider community. She had succeeded in improving levels of attainment in English language and mathematics over a number of years. She had gained the confidence of her staff, through her personal support and her commitment to building up the positive ethos of the school. She had been strongly supported by her depute headteacher, who had worked well in her short period in post to establish effective teamwork with staff and lead staff in the education authority’s Learning Together in Dundee initiative. The headteacher and depute headteacher met members of staff on a regular basis, to discuss teachers’ plans and to monitor the progress of pupils. The school had appropriate systems for monitoring and tracking the progress of pupils in relation to national attainment levels. The senior management team observed the quality of teaching and provided feedback to staff. The processes were not applied with sufficient rigour, however, to have had a clear impact on improving the quality of teaching. More systematic monitoring of pupils’ learning across the school in relation to designated priorities, such as writing, was also needed. Staff had been involved in the development of the comprehensive school improvement plan, but more manageable targets were needed to allow effective prioritisation of future developments.

What happens next?

The school and the education authority have been asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report, and to share that plan with parents. Within two years of the publication of this report parents will be informed about the progress made by the school.

L MacCallum
HM Inspector

16 October 2007

Appendix 1 Indicators of quality

The sections in the table below follow the order in this report. You can find the main comments made about each of the quality indicators in those sections. However, aspects of some quality indicators are relevant to other sections of the report and may also be mentioned in those other sections.

This report uses the following word scale to make clear judgements made by inspectors:

Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses

Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires are listed below.

How can you contact us?

If you would like an additional copy of this report

Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher and school staff, the Director of Education, local councillors and appropriate Members of the Scottish Parliament. Subject to availability, further copies may be obtained free of charge from HM Inspectorate of Education, 1^st Floor, Endeavour House, 1 Greenmarket, Dundee, DD1 4QB or by telephoning 01382 576700. Copies are also available on our website www.hmie.gov.uk.

HMIE Feedback and Complaints Procedure

Should you wish to comment on any aspect of primary inspections, you should write in the first instance to Chris McIlroy, HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.

If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to our Complaints Manager, HMIE Business Management Unit, Second Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston, EH54 6GA. You can also e-mail HMIEComplaints@hmie.gsi.gov.uk. A copy of our complaints procedure is available from this office, by telephoning 01506 600200 or from our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.

If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). The SPSO is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should write to the SPSO, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also telephone 0800 377 7330 (fax 0800 377 7331) or e-mail: ask@spso.org.uk. More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.spso.org.uk.

Crown Copyright 2007
HM Inspectorate of Education

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated.

Footnote

1. Throughout this report, the term ‘parents’ should be taken to include foster carers, residential care staff and carers who are relatives or friends.