Ofsted Report (2009)

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

"St Cecilia's is a good school. It has some outstanding features. The new headteacher has quickly gained the confidence of staff, governors and parents, and has encouraged the involvement and development of leadership and management at all levels. A very strong partnership has been forged with parents. One parent commented, 'A very approachable head who takes time to listen to your point of view'. Parents are very keen to be involved in their children's education, evidenced when Year 1 pupils demonstrated their computer skills to them, accessing a learning programme that they could use at home. These very strong links with parents contribute to the excellent level of care provided for pupils, their outstanding personal development and the high standards they achieve.

Pupils greatly enjoy school. They particularly appreciate the opportunities provided to take on responsibilities and that the school trusts them to carry these out. The Squabble Busters are effective in ensuring that any minor disagreements are resolved. Pupils enjoy the many opportunities they have for sport, especially when competing against other schools. They have an excellent understanding of the importance of physical activity and keeping to a healthy diet, as recognised in the national awards. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary and they have very positive attitudes to school and learning, which contribute to the good progress made by them in lessons.

Pupils achieve well. Assessments at the end of Year 2 show that standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average. National testing at the end of Year 6 shows standards in English, mathematics and science to be well above average. The school has identified that writing is the weaker element within English and is taking action to bring about improvements. This is fairly recent and yet to be fully monitored and evaluated for its impact on achievement and standards. Pupils' progress is tracked thoroughly throughout the school, showing some inconsistency both between classes and year groups, not only in the progress made in writing but also in other subjects. Where pupils are not making the expected progress towards the challenging targets set for them, a well-focused support programme is put in place that accelerates their learning and helps them to catch up. This is reviewed termly to ensure that this sharp focus is maintained.

Teachers are accurate in their assessments of pupils' learning and progress. They recognise the different levels at which pupils are working, including the more able and those with learning difficulties. As a result, they are becoming more skilled at identifying what pupils need to learn next, to ensure that good progress is maintained. Often teachers ask searching questions to extend pupils' thinking skills, and give pupils opportunities to discuss their views and opinions with each other. In one outstanding mathematics lesson, Year 6 pupils were confidently explaining their strategies and reasoning for problem-solving activities. However, the school has identified that this practice needs to be developed further in order to enhance and challenge pupils' learning and understanding.

Other areas of school improvement, based on careful self-evaluation, have also been identified. Action to support and enhance learning through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) has already met with some success. This shows that the school has a good capacity for further improvement."