St. Edmund's Catholic Primary School

About Our School

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

A Statement by the Headteacher:
The Governors, staff, pupils and parents take great pride in the fact that we are perceived as a successful, caring community where our commitment to achievement drives all that we do, both in the formal curriculum based areas of study and in the many extra-curricular opportunities we provide in order to extend pupils' learning.

The school's motto 'Consideration, Care and Courtesy' permeates all that we do. The children and families of our school community are known and valued as individuals and staff are able to relate personally to each of their needs and circumstances.

We have high expectations of all, - staff, pupils, governors and parents and each one's skills and talents are developed in a purposeful, supportive working atmosphere. Pupils develop confidence and belief in themselves and as a result make good progress.

The school serves a particularly deprived socio-economic locality, but the powerful message we transmit to our community is this … 'If we do our best, then there will be few schools in the country who can achieve more.'

This is an assertion which can be supported with evidence from a range of sources. (SATs/PIPs; Sporting Competitions; West Lancashire Quiz; Art/Poetry/Design competitions).

We believe that by working collaboratively and by incorporating examples of best practice into our own routines then standards in all aspects of school life will improve. There can never be a sense of "standing still" but always a search for what can be done better.

In consultation with the Local Education Authority, ambitious targets for achievement for all our pupils have been set. Through a combination of good management, organisation, teaching, monitoring, evaluating and support the school enjoys continuing success. We believe in every persons right to be given the opportunity whilst at school to achieve something meaningful, fulfilling and rewarding.

We are a Catholic/Christian school and believe firmly that every member of our community - child, adult, paid staff or volunteer - must be valued as a son or daughter of a loving God, who has been made know to us through Jesus His Son. The Catholic/Christian vision is one of acceptance and love for all, of forgiveness and of belief in even the most troubled child or family. We endeavour to support and encourage all on their journey of life within an orderly, respectful, structured environment.

In September 1998 St. Edmund's Nursery was opened and children are admitted (subject to availability) as soon as they are three years old. Nursery staff (teacher and nursery nurse) work through the nursery baseline assessment in order to ascertain the basic skills on entry of each child. Parents are always involved in this assessment. When children join us from other schools, records are always requested and used to ascertain levels of attainment on entry. Targets are set and the child is incorporated into the assessment, reporting and recording routines of the school.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION PROCESS
As was stated earlier, all of the educational experiences provided at St.Edmund's are monitored and evaluated routinely. Regular discussion takes place between staff at weekly staff meetings which are minuted and which have pre-published agendas. Self-evaluation forms an important part of this process but is underpinned by regular monitoring and evaluation by the Governors responsible for Literacy, Numeracy and Special Educational Needs. In addition the Local Education Authority's School Adviser make regular visits (each half-term) to monitor teaching and learning standards. In recent months Numeracy, Literacy, History and Geography have been a focus for such observations. In 1999/2000 more formal procedures were introduced - partly in response to the Performance Management initiative but also in response to the Headteacher's involvement in the Leadership Programme for Serving Headteachers and his attendance at DfEE school management course "Using Ofsted's model for Schools' Self-Evaluation". As an experienced, committed and professional Headteacher, I am constantly monitoring and evaluating the development of the school in all its aspects - Academic, social, cultural, spiritual, physical and emotional. I interface with pupils and parents on a daily basis, at assemblies, on the playground, at extra-curricular clubs and social functions. I am able to form a view regarding the effectiveness of what we do. My assessments lead me to conclude that high standards are achieved and that this is as a result of the complex combination of factors referred to above.

In summary, through effective teaching which is monitored and evaluated regularly we are able to assess progress of our pupils and plan for further improvement in order to achieve challenging targets.

THE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SCHOOL
During the years since our last inspection we have developed a culture of 'analysis'. We analyse data and use our analyses to inform decisions regarding future attainment. This is a process which includes the Local Education Authority, Governors and Staff.

Important documents such as the School Development Plan and the Annual Report of Governors to Parents report the school's academic achievement and this is used to identify strengths and areas for development. Governors meet annually to discuss the most recent Performance Data and are particularly proud of the school's standing when compared to schools in similar contexts. Whilst results do vary the overall trend of improvement is in line with the national trend. 'Value Added' PIPs Assessment Data confirms the effectiveness of the school and indicates regularly that the school "adds" value to pupils' attainment. Baseline Assessment Data consistently and clearly shows that the school is highly effective in overcoming considerable disadvantage to secure a rate of progress in Reading and in Mathematics which is significantly better than the National and Local rates.

In order to maintain these standards and to ensure that we continue to provide an education which is broad and balanced, adequate time within the curriculum is apportioned to the spiritual and pastoral needs of our children. In this way we hope to ensure that all aspects of the lives of our children are developed. It is my belief that we continue to be enormously effective and the feedback from many sources (local community, parishioners, visitors to school, etc.) confirms this belief.

Information from many sources is used in order to guide and plan the future development of our school. (Local Education Authority's Annual Report to Governors; Appraisal/Performance Management Process; Co-ordinators' Development Plans; RAISEonline data). With this information it is possible to formulate annually a School Development Plan which is focussed on the raising of standards in several aspects of school life. In recent years this close scrutiny of data and monitoring and evaluating of practice has lead to a trend of improving attainment from our pupils.

PRIORITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT
The school's most significant educational priorities can be seen in the current Development Plan which is available at the school.
Reference is made within the school's Mission Statement and Aims to the development of our pupils' attitudes and values. In our most recent inspection (2006) the school's provision for pupil's personal development and the pastoral care they receive were judged to be outstanding.
Through the liberal use of incentives (certificates, house points, stickers) we encourage positive behaviour and attitudes. Through extension activities and extra-curricular clubs we provide pupils will opportunities to exhibit initiative and to take responsibility for their own endeavours. Through their involvement in other initiatives pupils can be encouraged to look beyond their own needs and to begin to consider the needs of the wider community. (Children's Missionary Society; CAFOD, Good Shepherd Appeal, Children in Need etc). Parents and representatives of the local community frequently visit school to attend assemblies and to be part of such development work.

TEACHING AND LEARNING
As an experienced, committed and determined Headteacher I am mindful of the need to deploy a range of leadership styles in order to obtain the maximum effort and commitment from all members of the school community. It is my function to enable all others to work with confidence in a secure and well-resourced environment. I believe that through the use of a wide range of leadership styles it has been possible for me to inspire a vision which empowers all participants and offers a corporate goal giving each an awareness and ownership of the successes of the school. With many others, I take great pride in noting the successes - academic, physical, extra-curricular, social and spiritual of all our pupils and staff - and parents too!

Teaching and Learning are improved through review and analysis, evaluation, consultation, appraisal and training. The areas for further development are identified by the Senior Management of the School through analysis of data, scrutiny of pupils' work, and by interviewing groups of children and parents. These are then formally discussed with staff (at a series of meetings) and with various committees of the Governing Body before being agreed and confirmed as the school's Development Plan. The areas to be developed in the current year are detailed in the School Development Plan.

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