Parent Voice Survey Results

March 2022

Thank you to those who attended our first Parent Voice Events in February 2022 in school and online.

26 parents attended and discussed: school life; activities within school; what works well and what could be improved.

Here are some of the things that parents feel we do well:

• Staff and teachers are friendly and welcoming
• Communication is generally good
• The school website is fantastic, ‘Teachers2Parent’ app is great
• Playground and garden are lovely spaces
• Issues around learning are quickly identified and children are supported

Here are some of the comments parents made and actions that the school is going to be taking. 

Please also see the parents’ notice board for feedback.

Parent Comment	School Action
There is no parent notice board	The parent notice board has been moved to make it more accessible. It is now at the front of the school and will provide termly displays and useful information for families. We have also purchased display boards for all the gates to keep parents up to date with school activity
We are not informed if our children are eating at lunchtime	Individual parents are informed if there are any issues around eating at lunchtimes. If you have any specific concerns about your child’s eating habits, we would advise that, as a first step, you speak with your child’s class teacher at the end of the school day.
The staff list is not up to date	The staff list is currently being updated. We apologise for this. If you feel there are any inconsistencies remaining, feel free to email the school office:  office@olsj.co.uk
We do not know who the safeguarding leads are.	The school’s Headteacher, Mr Devereux, is the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Safeguarding leads photos are located in the school’s reception The names of safeguarding officers are on the school website. On the ‘Our team’ page, the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Assistant Headteacher are also listed as Safeguarding Leads. We will also add details to the new parent notice board.
We would like more workshops to help parents understand the curriculum so they can support children at home	There will be a series of workshops and courses for parents during the second have of the Spring Term and the Summer Term. Information will be posted on our website; also keep checking the parents notice board for information.
We want to know more about SATS and what is expected of children	There will be a workshop for parents in the summer term. If you have any immediate concerns, please email the class teachers. Year2@olsj.co.uk Year6@olsj.co.uk
Playtimes need more supervision and activities for children	We have employed a number of sports coaches from an organisation called FitForSport. These coaches will support in organising structured games and activities with children at lunchtimes.  Hopefully, over the second have of the Spring Term and the Summer Term, we will see huge improvements in playground enjoyment for our children.
Parents are concerned about abusive language and behaviour outside the school gates during drop off and pick up	At OLSJ, we want all our children to feel safe and welcome at all times. We try our utmost to support positive parent behaviours outside of the school gates. Sadly, this is not always possible. However, we would ask you to work with us, and the police, in ensuring poor behaviours are eliminated. If you feel there is any form of abusive, threatening or intimidating behaviour, we would ask that you dial 101 and report the behaviour immediately.  If you feel that you or your child is at immediate risk of harm, dial 999. It is only through working together and ‘calling out’ this behaviour for what it is, will we stamp it out. We also endeavour to have at at least one member of the Senior Leadership Team is at the school gates in the morning and evening.
Increase parents evening, one a year is not enough and offer evening slots for working parents	We have two parent evenings each year. One in the Autumn and one in the Spring term. We then have a Summer Term report.  This is in line with the vast majority of schools. Sadly, over the last couple of years (due to COVID), parent’s evenings have been virtual and I don’t think these meetings are as impactful as our face-to-face offering. Thankfully, we can announce that from this point forward, we will be returning to face-to-face parents evening in our school hall. Our first ones will be on the 23rd & 24th March 2022.
Would be nice to have summer /Christmas fetes	Our new Family Support Worker, Rashina, will be recruiting parents to join ‘Friends of OLSJ’ to plan fairs, fetes and fundraising events throughout the year. Please let her know if you are interested. Rashina will be in school every Monday and Wednesday.

Thank you to the parents who took the time to complete our quick questionnaire

63 parents completed the short questionnaire	Yes	No	Not sure
The school is welcoming	51	5	3
I am aware of the opportunities for families to get involved in school life	35	14	9
Parents are supported to help children learn	43	10	6
Communication between school and home is good	42	9	8
I know who to contact if I need additional support for my family	4	12	7

October 2017

Thank you to all 221 parents who responded to the Parents Satisfaction Questionnaire on Parent/Teacher Consultation evening,

The response was overwhelmingly positive. We will continue to try our utmost to provide a good Catholic education to all our children.

We are happy to note that the majority of issues raised in the Autumn Questionnaire have not been raised as issues in this questionnaire. This shows we are proactive in dealing with concerns raised,

Positive

• I am very grateful my child comes attends this school
• The nursery staff are great and settled her in.
• The teachers are lovely.
• I have a Catholic school near by my house but bring the children here.
• Outstanding school
• Fantastic School 
• Wonderful Teachers Brilliant School 
• OLSJ is an extremely good school with lovely friendly staff.
• I am happy with my child's progress.
• The school is amazing as are all of the staff.
• All concerns raised are met and followed through to high expectations.  
• Brilliant job many thanks.
• The school is good and I would like more of our friend’s children to come.
• My child has made good progress and now is in the Reception. Mrs McGhie is an excellent early years leader.
• This school is amazing and so are the staff.
• I am very happy with my sons progress.
• My daughter is happy to come to school every morning.
• Great School
• I am very happy with the performance of the school.
• The school keeps me well informed.
• The school makes learning fun and go on sufficient trips. I tell other parents about the school and suggest them to come.
• I want to thank you for everything. God Bless.

In order to improve, we will address some of the issues that were brought to our attention:

• The playground could do with more equipment

We replenish the school’s playtime equipment on a half-termly basis. We will continue to do this and ask the children about other items which they would like. We are introducing a Playpal Scheme in the second half of the Autumn Term to develop a ‘Pupil Voice’ on the playground.

• More extra curriculum activities like dance gymnastics, music

We offer a whole range of after school extra-curricular activities however due to a very low take up, at times, these clubs have to be cancelled. Last academic year, all our clubs were free of change so there was a high take up and therefore offered more. This year however with the instruction of the £2 charge per session, many of not signed up. Unfortunately, our school can no longer operate on a model which provides free after school clubs.

• I am not entirely clear on school times the beginning or end

Gates Open	8.45am
Gates Close	8.55am
Morning Break KS1	10.30am – 10: 45am
Morning Break KS2	10.45am – 11:00am
EYFS Lunch	11:30am – 12:30am
KS1 Lunch	12.00pm – 1:00pm
KS2 Lunch	12.30pm – 1:30pm
KS1 Afternoon Break	2:15pm – 2:30pm
School Ends	3.30pm

We take the school register at 9:05am. Closing the gate at 8:55am gives the children plenty of time to get from the school gate to the classroom, this will ensure they are on time for the register.

If your child arrives at the school gate for 9pm, they may walk slowly to class and not be in time for the 9:05am register and therefore be marked late.

• The link between school and parish is not strong mostly because families are not practising Catholics

We can only encourage families to practice their faith and develop their links with the parish.

It is up to each family attending our school to be proactive in developing their relationship with the parish.

If any family would like some support or guidance we are always here to provide this.

You can speak with:

• Mr Devereux, Headteacher,
• Miss Lynch, the school’s RE co-ordinator
• Fr. Keith Stoakes, Parish Priest and Link Governor for Catholic Life of the School and Classroom Religious Education.
• Sr. Christine Frost, Link Governor for Catholic Life of the School and Classroom Religious Education.

The links between the school and parents are very strong.

The links between the school and the parish are very strong.

We will continue to work in partnership with parent and parish to strengthen the 3 way relationship.

• Environment in the school very good, but groups of teenagers standing and smoking on the corners. Be good if the situation could be addressed

Unfortunately, outside of the school boundary is a public space. We do not have the power to move people on.

If you believe anything untoward is taking place by groups of teenagers/adults who are congregating, we would be grateful if you let us know and we would also encourage you to report these concerns directly to the police.

• Extra support needed for my child, this might be funding

All classrooms have at least one Learning Support Assistant assigned to them. Teachers also spend a lot of time differentiating their lessons to ensure that children have work targeted towards their needs. We also have an Inclusion Leader, a SENCo and a Learning Mentor to support children with more specific needs. We also offer Speech and Language Therapy, Play Therapy and liaise with other outreach teams.  Like all schools, we are impacted by cuts in government funding but we always ensure each child receives their full educational entitlement.

• We are not Catholic what does the school provide for non-Catholics pupils in R.E.

Throughout their educational journey at Our Lady & St Joseph our children will gain an understanding of major faiths e.g Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

Throughout the year we do various trips to places of worship to consolidate this learning.

In November, we also celebrate inter-faith week.

On Thursday 16^th November 2017 from 5:30 to 6:30, we will be hosting another interfaith get together. We would really like to see as many people as possible attend.

• I would like the fundraising to be healthier

We take this on-board and aim to have a greater focus on healthy foods and exercise when fundraising.

• I got told at the end of the year that my child wasn’t making sufficient progress, I would prefer it to be earlier to address the problem

We have Parent Consultations in the Autumn Term and the Spring Term to try to address such issues. We also encourage teachers to make contact with parents/carers at all times if there is a change in a child’s level of work. We try our utmost to make sure this does not happen.

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	N/A
Teaching and Learning:
My child is taught well	65%	34%	1%
My child enjoys learning	62%	37%	1%
My child receives appropriate homework for their age	50%	35%	3%	1%	11%
My child is encouraged to achieve his/her best	58%	38%			4%
Quality of the teaching environment:
Classrooms are kept clean, bright and in good order	61%	33%	1%		5%
The outdoor area meets the needs of the children	54%	38%	3%		5%
Classrooms are a stimulating environment	56%	36%			8%
Attainment and Progress:
My child makes good progress	57%	38%	1%	1%	3%
I receive valuable information about my child’s progress	55%	36%	3%	2%	4%
I understand how my child is doing at school	54%	38%	5%		3%
My child is ready for the next stage in their learning	50%	40%	3%		7%
Behaviour and safety:
The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved	56%	40%	1%		3%
My child feels safe	59%	37%	4%
My child feels happy	57%	40%	1%		2%
My child is well looked after	60%	37%	1%		2%
The school deals effectively with bullying	46%	35%	3%	2%	14%
Leadership and management of the whole school:
The school is well lead and managed	60%	33%	2%	1%	4%
The school responds well to concerns I raise	50%	38%	3%		9%
I understand the role of the governors	41%	47%	6%	1%	5%
Endorsement
I would recommend this school to another parent	63%	29%	2%		6%

March 2017

Thank you to all 247 parents who responded to the Parents Satisfaction Questionnaire on Parent/Teacher Consultation evening,

The response was overwhelmingly positive. We will continue to try our utmost to provide an outstanding Catholic education to all our children.

We are happy to note that the majority of issues raised in the Autumn Questionnaire have not been raised as issues in this questionnaire. This shows we are proactive in dealing with concerns raised,

Some positive comments included:

• My children are very happy at school and I am so pleased with the level of education they are receiving.
• I am very happy with the school as a whole and the staff are wonderful.
• The school is outstanding, my children are always learning new things and achieving goals.
• My child enjoys coming to school and being taught.
• Many thanks for all your support. God bless you.
• Thank you for all you hard work.
• Very pleased with the education my son is receiving. He loves learning through play and always able to explain what he has learnt at home. 
• The school is fantastic and really cares about supporting my child's learning.
• Children are taught well and they are well behaved.
• This is a good school. I am proud that my children go to this school.
• I am happy with my child's progress and happy with booster classes.
• Very happy with the standard of education my children are getting. Issues are always resolved promptly and I am always informed.

In order to improve, we will address some of the issues that were brought to our attention:

Some parents expressed:

• I would like to see a paragraph weekly of the highlights in our child's activities and opportunity for development.

We produce a weekly school newsletter which highlights important events which occur within the school community. A paper copy of the newsletter is given to children, so that you can read it with them at home, and an electronic version is uploaded to our school website on Fridays.

Each year group also has an online blog which can be accessed via the school website. This provides further information on learning and activities which are specific to children’s year groups.

• How the school deals with children that bully could be looked at.

We are always looking at ‘bullying’ and ways to ensure it is not an issue at OLSJ. In fact, we have just updated our Anti-Bullying Policy to ensure that it is still meeting the needs of our community. Some of the things we do to ensure bullying is not an issue include:

• Participation in Anti-bullying week
• Encourage our children to live their lives according to Gospel Values and British Values
• Weekly PSHE sessions
• RE lessons which focus on children living their lives in line with the Catholic teachings
• Weekly whole school assembly and phase liturgies which encourage positive behaviours
• We have a Learning Mentor and a ‘Pupil and Family Liaison Mentor’ who support children and families with any issues.
• A member of the school’s SLT is always available on the playground at the beginning and end of each day to support with any issues.

Also, we also need to remember the definition of bullying, as outlined in our school policy:

Bullying is behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, which intentionally hurts another person either physically or emotionally. It can often involve the misuse of power by an individual or group towards one or more people…. It is important to make the distinction between bullying and friends ‘falling out’ with each other. Falling out is an inevitable part of a child’s life that they need to learn to cope with. A single incident involving conflict – aggression, intimidation or nastiness – is also not bullying.

However, with this is mind, we will deal with all issues with the utmost of seriousness.

I would advise all parents and carers to read our anti-bullying policy which is available on our school website. You can receive a paper copy if you ask at the school’s main office.

• Can we have more reports on child progress.

We have a minimum of three written reports a year. You will receive a written report at the Autumn and Spring parent consultations, along with the opportunity to speak with your child’s class teacher. You will also receive a detailed written report in the Summer term, outlining you child’s attainment and progress across all subjects studied, as well as a personal comment from the class teacher.

If your child has a special educational need, you will receive additional written reports throughout the year based on their needs and how they are progressing towards personalised targets set.

If you require additional reports, these can be verbal. You can arrange a time to speak with your child’s class teacher and they can address any concerns raised. These appointments can be arranged through the school office. 

• The children feel that sometimes the SEN children get away with a lot.

There are no children in our school who ‘get away’ with things. We have many children in our school who have a Special Educational Need (SEN). We must remember that special educational needs can be social, emotional or mental health related. As a Catholic school we are kind, caring and loving. We always try to do our best for our children – as a parent we ask you to trust us and support us in how we deal with, what at times, can be challenging behaviours. To support us, you may want to explain to your child the importance of tolerance and understanding, especially for those who may appear to be struggling.

• I would like parents evening in the classroom, so after school club can take place. 

We have thought about this suggestion. Maybe in the future, we could look at the practicalities of running After School Club in the classrooms and then we can keep parents consultations in the hall. This gives us the best of both worlds – After School Care and parents consultations running concurrently with no disruption to childcare plans.

• Can we more information boards around the school.

We do have an information board outside the main entrance. It is good to have a central point for all the information, having many boards may only lead to miscommunication. We are aware though that this board is starting to become a bit worn because of the weather. We are in the process of replacing it.

We also send out text message with various bits and pieces of news, just make sure the school office has your latest mobile phone number.

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Left Blank
Teaching and Learning
My child is taught well	71%	28%			1%
My child enjoys learning	70%	28%	1%	1%
My child receives appropriate homework for their age	63%	31%	3%	1%	2%
My child is encouraged to achieve his/her best	71%	27%	1%		1%
Quality of the teaching environment:
Classrooms are kept clean, bright and in good order	56%	38%			6%
Classrooms are a stimulating environment	58%	35%			7%
Children’s work is valued through display around the school	62%	33%			5%
Attainment and Progress
My child makes good progress	64%	30%	1%		5%
I receive valuable information about my child’s progress	63%	30%	4%		3%
I understand how my child is doing at school	60%	32%	5%		3%
My child is ready for the next stage in their learning	55%	38%	3%		4%
Behaviour and safety
The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved	68%	31%	1%
My child feels safe	69%	30%	1%
My child feels happy	69%	30%	1%
My child is well looked after	67%	30%		1%	2%
The school deals effectively with bullying	54%	38%	3%		5%
Leadership and management of the school:
The school is well lead and managed	68%	29%	1%		2%
The school responds well to concerns I raise	58%	35%	2%	1%	4%
I understand the role of the governors	50%	44%	3%	1%	2%
Endorsement
I would recommend this school to another parent	71%	27%	1%	1%

October 2016

Thank you to all 219 parents who responded to the Parents Satisfaction Questionnaire on Parent/Teacher consultation evening,

The response was overwhelmingly positive. We will continue to try our utmost to provide an outstanding Catholic education to all our children.

Some positive comments included:

• My son loves this school and I feel proud to see his development. Many thanks to everyone who has helped this happen.
• I am more than happy with the school's policies, staff and the well-being of my children. I feel confident to approach all staff with any concerns I may have. I am confident they will address them.
• I feel that the school is a very good school it deals with issues appropriately. I feel that the children are taught well and disciplined appropriately, as well as the teachers being very good.  
• Very pleased about the progress my children have made this term. Thanks to the brilliant, cheerful and inspiring staff.
• Thank you very much for all the support. God Bless all of you.

In order to improve, we will address some of the issues that were brought to our attention:

Some parents expressed:

• They couldn’t comment on the quality of the teaching environment.

We did have an open evening last half term where parents were given access to classrooms and a tour of the school. We are aware that many could not make this evening so have not seen the inside of the classrooms. If you would like to arrange a tour of the school, please contact the school office and we will be more than happy to show you around. Mr Bond will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school to support this initiative. The maximum size of each group tour will be five. If Tuesdays and Thursdays after school still don't suit, we can arrange another time which may suit better.

• Parents are smoking at the south gate.

We will monitor this and advise parents that we are a ‘No Smoking School’.

• Member of staff not standing at all gates at the end of the day.

There will be a member of staff standing at each gate. Also, as always has been the case, we do not allow children to leave their teacher at the end of the day unless they are collected by a known adult.

• Teachers in KS1 and KS2 are not readily accessible.

In the morning, it is because we operate a soft start. The gates open early, at 8:45am, and children walk to classes where they are met by their class teacher. If we change this routine, it would mean that children would have to line up on the playground each morning, this is not good for the children in cold or wet weather. At the end of the day however, all teachers come down to the playground with the children so you can have a quick chat with them at this time about any minor issues/updates. You can also contact the school office at any time and arrangement to make an appointment with your child’s class teacher.

• Anxieties over supply teachers.

As with all schools, our class teachers must go on training so that they can update themselves with the latest developments in teaching and education. This is part of our teacher’s CPD (Continuous Profession Development) program. If we do need a supply teacher, we are very particular about the agencies we use and usually have supply teachers who have worked with us before – supply teachers really enjoy coming back to our school! Because of this, the children more often then not, know the supply teacher that is taking their lessons.

There were one or two individual concerns raised on the evening which we have dealt with on a 1:1 basis.

Early Years Foundation Stage Responses

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Left Blank
Teaching and Learning
My child is taught well	75%	25%
My child enjoys learning	78%	21%			1%
My child receives appropriate homework for their age	62%	20%	3%		15%
My child is encouraged to achieve his/her best	78%	18%			4%
Quality of the teaching environment
Classrooms are kept clean, bright and in good order	78%	18%			4%
The outdoor area meets the needs of the children	71%	26%			3%
Classrooms are a stimulating environment	78%	15%			7%
Attainment and Progress
My child makes good progress	75%	255
I receive valuable information about my child’s progress	70%	20%	6%		4%
I understand how my child is doing at school	70%	25%	5%
My child is ready for the next stage in their learning	67%	32%	1%
Behaviour and safety
The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved	72%	28%
My child feels safe	74%	26%
My child feels happy	72%	28%
My child is well looked after	72%	28%
The school deals effectively with bullying	60%	34%			6%
Leadership and management of the whole school
The school is well lead and managed	70%	30%
The school responds well to concerns I raise	67%	32%	1%
I understand the role of the governors	52%	40%	5%		3%
Endorsement
I would recommend this school to another parent	78%	22%

KS1/2 Responses

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Left Blank
Teaching and Learning
My child is taught well	64%	34%
My child enjoys learning	66%	33%	1%
My child receives appropriate homework for their age	56%	36%	5%		3%
My child is encouraged to achieve his/her best	65%	32%	1%		2%
Quality of the teaching environment
Classrooms are kept clean, bright and in good order	60%	27%	1%		12%
Classrooms are a stimulating environment	57%	34%			9%
Children’s work is valued through display around the school	61%	31%			8%
Attainment and Progress
My child makes good progress	63%	36%			1%
I receive valuable information about my child’s progress	58%	36%	3%	1%	2%
I understand how my child is doing at school	60%	36%	4%
My child is ready for the next stage in their learning	59%	37%	2%	1%	1%
Behaviour and safety
The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved	65%	32%	3%
My child feels safe	68%	30%	1%	1%
My child feels happy	66%	33%	1%
My child is well looked after	66%	32%	2%
The school deals effectively with bullying	52%	41%	4%	1%	2%
Leadership and management of the school:
The school is well lead and managed	59%	38%	1%	1%	1%
The school responds well to concerns I raise	57%	38%	1%	1%	3%
I understand the role of the governors	48%	45%	5%	1%	1%
Endorsement
I would recommend this school to another parent	68%	29%		1%	2%