Published today, the latest Ofsted inspection report for Ventnor’s St Francis Primary School concludes that it ‘Requires improvement’.
Carried out between 24–25 September 2013, all four categories that Ofsted use – Achievement of pupils; Quality of teaching; Behaviour and safety of pupils; Leadership and management – were scored as three out of a possible four.
In the previous Ofsted reporting scheme, the level 3 was known as ‘Satisfactory’, the rating Ofsted gave the school in its previous report, around a year and a half ago.
Strong prise for school governors
The school’s governors come in for particularly strong praise, “Highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced governors have worked closely with senior leaders to merge the school on to one site, retaining the full confidence of parents and carers and the communities it serves.”
The full report, embedded below, picks out items that need improvement as well as showing where the inspectors feel the school has strengths.
The Positives
Praise is given to the Governors and senior leaders, who “have shown exceptional determination in bringing together different communities. They are ambitious for pupils to do well in a high quality learning environment and know what they must do to achieve this. Action taken to tackle weak teaching is proving successful.”
The ‘atmosphere’ of the school is noted, saying “Pupils benefit considerably from growing up in a community that stresses respect, tolerance and moral values”. The effects of this are positive, with the inspectors reporting, “Pupils are polite, well mannered and safe.”
The family support worker and the breakfast / after-school clubs are picked out for particular praise saying that they, “play a key role in helping pupils to be safe and attend regularly.”
“The most able pupils” are also specifically recognised as having “reached levels that are much higher than those expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.”
Criticisms
Ten points are raised by the report showing areas that require improvements. The first three of those are:-
- Teaching is not consistently good. Outstanding practice observed in some lessons is not shared effectively.
- Over use of undemanding worksheets means not all teachers provide pupils with challenging activities that capture their interest and motivate them to do well. They do not always give pupils the practical resources they need to support new learning or help them to use their initiative.
- Questioning is not used consistently to promote pupils’ ability to think critically and solve problems.
Full report
Contact details
St Francis Catholic and Church of England (Aided) School
Newport Road,
Ventnor,
Isle of Wight,
PO38 1BQ
(01983) 857 449
