Macaulay Church of England Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 29 th February – 1 st March 2000

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Victoria Rise Clapham London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev. David Isherwood

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21 st – 24 th May 1996 Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 4

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Team members

Greg Sorrell Registered inspector Richard Gee Lay inspector Anne Heakin Team inspector

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Team members

“Bradley” 15 Upper Avenue Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 3XR

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very high. The overall quality of teaching is good, especially in Key Stage 2 and the nursery. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The school provides well-organised and focused provision for pupils with special educational needs. The school is held in high regard by the majority of parents who are pleased that their children enjoy coming to school. They value their children's education and support the work of the school in many ways.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

The staff and governors’ awareness of standards achieved by all pupils needs to be improved, especially regarding the differences between boys, girls and key stages. The use of information and communications technology should be used more widely throughout the school. The communications between staff and governors could be clearer than at present to ensure that everyone’s best efforts are used to best effect.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 18

Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Macaulay Voluntary Aided Primary School is maintained by Lambeth education authority, it provides religious education according to the teaching of the Church of England, under the direction of school’s governors. At the time of the inspection, the number of full-time pupils, 204, plus 50 children who attend part-time in the nursery. The school is about the same size as other primary schools nationally. Its admissions policy states that 21 places are allocated to regular worshippers in a Christian Church and the remaining 9 places are open to the public. It is always over-subscribed.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals at 17% is broadly in line with the national average. Six per cent of the pupils have English as an additional language, which is high compared to all schools nationally. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs, 25, is broadly in line with the national average. The pupils’ attainment on entry is about average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

At the time of the inspection, the headteacher had recently left to take up another post and the school was led by the deputy headteacher serving as acting headteacher.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Macaulay School is a good school that enables the pupils to achieve high standards by the time they leave the school. The overall quality of teaching is good, especially in Key Stage 2 and in the nursery. The school is effective in meeting its stated aims and provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very high. • The overall quality of teaching is good, especially in Key Stage 2 and the nursery. • The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. • The school provides well-organised and focused provision for pupils with special educational needs. • The school is held in high regard by the majority of parents who are pleased that their children enjoy coming to school. They value their children's education and support the work of the school in many ways.

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What could be improved

• The test results achieved by pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 and governors’ awareness of these standards, especially the differences between boys, girls and key stages. • The standards achieved by pupils in information and communications technology could be higher and the subject should be taught more widely throughout the school and in greater depth. • The communications between staff and governors could be clearer than at present to ensure that everyone’s best efforts are used to best effect. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Macaulay was last inspected in May 1996. The overall improvement since then has been satisfactory, although there is still a good deal of work to be done in information and communications technology which was unsatisfactory during the last inspection. Whilst there has been some improvement in this area, it is insufficient. The quality of curriculum leadership and management is much improved and the co-ordination of English, mathematics and science is now good. The role of curriculum-co-ordination is much Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 7 improved. Subject leaders have begun to develop appropriate action plans for the development of the curriculum. Whole school assessment and recording has improved and the communication with parents about progress has also improved. Schemes of work have received attention, notably through national literacy and numeracy initiatives. In light of national guidance all school designed schemes would benefit from review, especially

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

information and communications technology, which should be a priority.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English A A A* A* well above average above average A B mathematics A A A A* average below average C D science C B A A well below average E

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Key

Last year, at the end of Key Stage 2, the pupils achieved high standards in English, mathematics and science. Evidence during the inspection supports these results. Indeed, over the past four years, the trend in these subjects has been well above the national average. The grade A* in the table above shows that the pupils results are in the top 5% nationally. Over time, in tests, the boys do slightly better than girls in mathematics and science. They perform equally well in English.

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Key

Last year, at the end of Key Stage 1, the pupils achieved standards close to the national average in reading and mathematics, although writing was above average. Evidence during the inspection supports these results. Over the past four years, the trend in these subjects has been above the national average. During this time, the trend indicates that the girls do better than boys.

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Key

Last year, the challenging academic targets set for the school were exceeded by Key Stage 2 pupils and met by Key Stage 1 pupils with the exception of reading. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school The pupils have very good attitudes to school. They are keen to talk about their work and are proud of their achievements, many of which adorn the walls of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The pupils behave well in lessons and during break times. They are polite to adults and show respect for their friends, the property of others and the school itself.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships The pupils enjoy good relationships with staff and also with each other during lessons and break-times. Relationships between pupils of different ethnic origins are strong and contribute much to the community atmosphere of school life.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance The pupils’ attendance is very good and has a positive effect upon their achievement.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Good Satisfactory Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

There were no unsatisfactory lessons observed and 71% of all lessons were good or better and 12% were very good. The strongest teaching was observed in the nursery and Key Stage 2. The teaching was consistently good in the nursery and also in Key Stage 2 where it was occasionally very good. The strengths in the quality of teaching include very good planning, suitably high expectations, good subject knowledge, very good use of questioning pupils’ understanding and effective use of learning support assistants. The best lessons, such as those with the oldest pupils, maximised their desire to do well and show how much they knew. The pupils are worked very hard and given many opportunities to develop good mental arithmetic skills as well as developing a wide vocabulary in response to literature. Indeed, throughout the school, literacy and numeracy are taught well and a few teachers use information and communications technology well to support these aspects. In Key

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Stage 1, the relationships with pupils are good and lessons are well planned. At times the pupils’ focus is allowed to drift which reduces their ability to meet the objectives set by the teacher. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Increasingly, teachers are using specific objectives that are included in short term lesson planning. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is good. It is broad and relevant and shows improvement since the last inspection. The nursery and special educational needs provision are strong features. Information and communications technology is an area for further development.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The pupils’ needs are well identified and addressed by good teaching from learning support staff.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils’ individual needs are met within specific programmes that are well supported by the good attention given to English throughout the school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development This is a strength of the school. The pupils’ development is very closely related to its status as a church school in a multi-cultural environment. All pupils are encouraged to value each other as individuals and respect the views and cultures of others.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school has effective systems to ensure the pupils’ welfare, health and safety. Child protection procedures are also effective and all staff have had relevant training. There are close links with support agencies. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The acting headteacher, effectively uses her vast experience of the school to provide good leadership and management. She has a high regard for good classroom practice and leads by example. Good attention is given to the quality of teaching by direct observation. Key stage management is effective, particularly in Key Stage 2 where the adverse effects of staffing difficulties have been minimised. Management of the curriculum is much improved since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors work hard for the school and have suitable committees that have a good grasp of finance, staffing and premises. School development planning has previously been effective, but this process has stalled since the earliest drafts drawn up since months before the inspection, while awaiting the appointment of a permanent headteacher. The governors’ overview of the curriculum and attention to standards are areas for development. Occasionally, communications between governors and between the governing body and the school community could be more effective.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The teaching staff receive regular feedback about their teaching and related duties. Closer monitoring of pupils’ performance is in the early stages of development. The role of the governing body in monitoring and evaluating standards achieved by all pupils is in need of development.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Some governors have a very detailed knowledge of the school’s finances and use this to good effect. The systems for financial administration have caused difficulties for the school due to insufficient training for management and administrative staff. They have worked hard to ensure that the necessary information is available to ensure that the school obtains best value when purchasing supplies.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The good quality of the teaching • They feel comfortable about approaching teachers with concerns • Their children like being at the school • They believe the school has high expectations of work and behaviour • A small minority of parents have concerns about: - the quality and quantity of homework - the range of activities outside lessons - teachers’ expectations are not always high enough - the amount of information received about progress Inspectors support the positive views held by parents. The school values parental comments, and conducts its own opinion surveys from time to time. The amount and content of homework has been reviewed by the school in response to parental views and there is less emphasis on project work and more on spelling and tables. The homework policy is now appropriate. Reports about progress are in a new format which contain suitable information. The teachers’ expectations of the pupils are high, especially in Key

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Stage 2. A range of activities outside lessons are available, such as cricket and football. Occasionally, parents offer to run clubs, such as French, which are useful additions. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 11

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

1. Last year, at the end of Key Stage 2, the pupils achieved high standards in English, mathematics and science. Evidence during the inspection supports these results. Indeed, over the past four years, the trend in these subjects has been well above the national average. The grade A* in the table above shows that the pupils results are in the top 5% nationally. Over time, in tests, the boys do slightly better than girls in mathematics and science and perform equally well in English.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

2. Last year, at the end of Key Stage 1, the pupils achieved standards that were broadly in line with the national average in reading and mathematics, although writing was above average. Evidence during the inspection supports these results. Over the past four years, the trend in these subjects has been above the national average, but less so than at the end of Key Stage 2. During this time, the trend indicates that the girls do better than boys. (AA)

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

3. In English, the oldest pupils make good progress in speaking and listening, for example, they explain the essentials of fantasy stories, and give plausible explanations for the names of daily newspapers. They organise their ideas well and write imaginatively. They describe thoughts and feelings, use dialogue, argue for and against such issues as school uniform, and are able to use the poetic forms of Cinquain and Kenning effectively. Pupils use speech marks, exclamation and question marks correctly. The most able can justify their ideas and have a mature style of handwriting. The standard of reading is high, with pupils showing a sustained interest and love of reading. They read with fluency and expression from a wide range of books and maintain their own reading diaries that show the extent of their reading. Pupils talk about their preferences in books and discuss the merits of particular books, naming their preferred authors and genre. Pupils know how to

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

use a library to find reference material.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

4. Overall, the pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1 English is satisfactory. The more able pupils are developing a clear cursive style of writing. The majority of pupils use capital letters and full stops with increasing accuracy and form simple sentences. Pupils spell some words phonetically and are making satisfactory progress in improving the accuracy of their spelling. Pupils enjoy reading and are keen to improve their reading skills. They read at home though one very able pupil confided that she reads whenever she has free time but when friends are there she is too busy.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

5. In mathematics, the oldest pupils also make good progress. They are increasingly adept at mental arithmetic and can apply tests of divisibility, such as, knowing which 4 digit numbers can be divided by 9. They also use formulae to establish the square areas of plain and complex shapes by using multiplication and subtraction. They solve problems using percentages, fractions and understand their decimal equivalence.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

6. The overall progress made by Key Stage 1 pupils in mathematics is satisfactory. The pupils add and subtract numbers up to and beyond 20, count in two’s, fives and tens and understand place value to 100. The majority of pupils know the difference between odd and even numbers and recognise patterns in a series of numbers. They have a sound knowledge of two and some three dimensional geometric shapes, they use the correct Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 12 vocabulary to describe them and recognise them by their properties. Pupils measure using standard measures such as centimetres and also non-standard measures when measuring capacity in different shaped containers, such as cups and bottles.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

The overall quality of teaching is good, especially in Key Stage 2 and the nursery.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

7. The overall quality of teaching is good, and is an improvement since the last inspection.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

8. 71% of all lessons were good or better and 12% were very good. The strongest teaching was observed in the nursery and Key Stage 2. The teaching was consistently good in the nursery and also in Key Stage 2, where it was occasionally very good. No unsatisfactory lessons were observed, although there are some weaknesses in the teachers’ subject knowledge of information and communications technology. (BB)

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

9. Teaching in the nursery is good. Children are given a wide variety of learning experiences and the play activities are balanced with focused tasks that support the development of literacy, numeracy, investigative and social skills. A good example of this is when children use mirrors to examine, then draw their eyes and classify them by colour. They develop their co-ordination skills using glue sticks to stick their drawing onto a bar chart so that the whole class could see the range of eye colours. A further example of good teaching is when the children dig and look for worms and examine their find with magnifying glasses. Children are curious to find out if the worm will climb up the side of the tray or turn back. The staff take the opportunity to encourage the children to be aware of the world around them, such as when examining and talking about the ‘ice drops’ when hail prevented outside play for a short time. At all times children are encouraged to share toys

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

10. In Key Stage 1, teachers use the national strategies for literacy and numeracy effectively. In Year 1 pupils read the Big Book with their teacher and hug each other in excitement when they follow ‘We Are Going On A Bear Hunt’. The teachers make good use of home made resources to encourage the pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy, such as a collection of fabrics from home showing a range of patterns that the pupils may copy using beads and shapes. In the Reception class, pupils are managed well as they make a transition to more formal work. Adults use opportunities to talk with, and encourage, pupils to develop imaginative, linguistic, co-operative and creative skills. The pupils would benefit from talking about their number work more frequently, explaining how they arrive at their solutions. A few pupils allow their concentration to drift when not regularly monitored by teachers’ probing questions.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

11. In Key Stage 2, the teachers make a very determined effort to actively engage the pupils in their learning. For example, the lively and challenging pace of teaching in Year 6 ensures that pupils listen carefully to the teacher and focus well on the discussion about syntax. In a Year 5 geography lesson, the teacher makes good use of photographs and recording sheets, so pupils are able to develop their language skills as they work in small groups to discuss, think about, and report on climatic changes and the effects on a community.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

12. The overall strengths in the quality of teaching include very good planning, suitably high expectations, good subject knowledge, including the understanding of early years’ children. There is a wealth of very good questioning of pupils’ understanding and effective use of learning support assistants. Teachers manage the pupils well, often with balanced praise and humour using an age-appropriate approach that gives the pupils suitable respect. The best lessons, such as those with the oldest pupils, maximised their desire to Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 13 do well and show how much they knew. The pupils are worked very hard and given many opportunities to develop good mental arithmetic skills as well as developing a wide vocabulary in response to literature. Indeed, throughout the school, literacy and numeracy are taught well and a few teachers use information and communications technology well to

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

support these aspects. In Key Stage 1, the relationships with pupils are good and lessons are well planned. At times the pupils’ focus is allowed to drift which reduces their ability to meet the objectives set by the teacher.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

13. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Increasingly teachers are using specific objectives that are included in short term lesson planning. Classroom assistants are suitably briefed, they provide good support and play a significant part in the provision for all pupils, but especially those with special educational needs.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

14. Cross-curricular development of skills is a strong feature of the teaching. In the development of literacy and numeracy, teachers have adopted national guidance with confidence and take many opportunities to develop pupils’ skills in other subjects. For example, many teachers pay good attention to encouraging the pupils to share texts and read aloud. Mathematics is promoted strongly within science and increasingly within information and communications technology where spreadsheets and databases are used.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

15. Teachers begin lessons with a clear explanation of the work in hand, often securing a link with previous lessons. Regular monitoring also ensures that pupils are not left to drift and miss important points.

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The test results achieved by the pupils at the end of their time at this school are very

16. The quality of teachers’ planning is very good and has a positive effect upon pupils’ progress. Activities match the pupils’ abilities and teachers make good use of assessment to inform their future planning, particularly in English, mathematics and science. At its best, the written marking of work is very useful to older pupils and reflects the high quality of relationships between teacher and pupils.

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The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is

17. Provision throughout the school for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is

18. Assemblies, including acts of collective worship, are good and provide opportunities for hymns, Bible stories and prayers. There is a clear Christian focus, and visitors include local clergy. An appropriate atmosphere is set up for assemblies where opportunities are given for prayer and consideration of their own lives and relationships.

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The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is

19. Pupils’ spiritual development is promoted well within the curriculum by an appreciation of art, music and the natural world. For example, they are encouraged to study work of established artists and then paint in similar styles. In “circle time”, pupils are taught to try and share their feelings with others in the group. Displays in the classrooms include a religious education corner where the topics include the study of Judaism. Pupils also visit local places of worship, all of which assists in the development of respect for others who may have different beliefs and values. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 14 20. The school promotes moral development very well. Teachers set high expectations of behaviour and offer good role models themselves, showing respect for their pupils. Pupils are taught right from wrong, and they understand the underpinning idea of forgiveness for those who are sorry, and want to try again. The rules and expectations for

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The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is

good behaviour are displayed in all rooms and promote respect for other people and the school. There is a clear emphasis on good manners and invariably doors are held open for adults and peers. Within the curriculum, pupils learn about the moral duty of humans to care for the environment, evident in their displays relating to the work of “Greenpeace.”

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The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is

21. The provision for social development is very good. In lessons, pupils, including those with special educational needs, work together in small groups, and share equipment well. They are encouraged to work in teams and small groups in physical education and science. There are also opportunities for pupils to take part in after school activities, such as football. The pupils are also encouraged to take an interest in helping younger pupils to settle into school routines. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibilities as they grow older, although there are few formal roles to adopt, such as, a school forum, for example.

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The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is

22. The school provides good opportunities for cultural development. Pupils develop an awareness of their own and other people’s cultures. They visit local libraries and places of interest such as museums and theatres. The school recognises some of the festivals of other faiths such as Divali or Yom Kippur. Lessons such as art, music, dance, pottery, drama and texts in the “literacy hour”, include the study of significant historical figures from black history. These experiences combine well to promote a rich cultural awareness that prepares the pupils well for life within and beyond school.

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The school provides well-organised and focused provision for pupils with special

23. The provision made by the school to meet the special educational needs of pupils is good. The special educational needs co-ordinator works closely with class teachers and learning support assistants so pupils’ needs are met effectively. If teachers have any concerns about pupils they alert the co-ordinator who is able to assess the difficulties and can advise the teacher on strategies to help the pupil. There is a well organised timetable with most support provided in the classrooms by the assistants and the special educational needs co-ordinator, but some specific individual or group work is done out of the classroom. All work is well planned and relates to the individual targets for each pupil. The individual educational plans are prepared jointly by the teacher, co-ordinator and where appropriate with the assistants. The learning support assistants keep records of pupils’ progress and these are valuable in informing teachers of the specific educational needs of

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The school provides well-organised and focused provision for pupils with special

the pupils. The pupils benefit from the regular half-termly reviews of their progress. Parents are involved at all stages and if they are unable to come into school to discuss their child’s progress, they are able to contribute by means of a questionnaire. The targets set for pupils are sent home so parents are aware of the focus in school and can support this at home. The co-ordinator takes ‘booster classes’ after school twice a week to help pupils in Year 6 who may have some difficulties in literacy or numeracy. Learning support assistants provide valuable additional support for pupils and are good role models both in the classroom and around the school, for example, at lunchtime.

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The school provides well-organised and focused provision for pupils with special

24. The provision for pupils with English as an additional language benefits well from the close teamwork from designated teachers and support staff. The additional teaching and support is well planned and is monitored by senior management. The support pupils receive, both in class and within small withdrawal groups effectively meets their needs. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 15

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children enjoy coming to school. They value their children's education and support

25. In discussion with parents and following analysis of the questionnaires, it is clear that parents appreciate the role that the school plays in the children’s development. They find the teachers approachable and feel comfortable when asking for assistance. In turn, teachers value the work done by parents in school, and beyond, to support their children’s studies by encouraging regular school attendance, homework or additional study. On transfer to secondary school, they recognise the work done by the school to secure an appropriate placement. Within the school, teachers make new parents feel welcome on entry to the nursery or a new key stage. The special educational needs support is regarded as being very good. Occasionally, some concern is noted where parents do not always feel informed once a programme has started, however, in most cases, parents are fully briefed about progress and revised targets.

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The staff and governors’ awareness of standards achieved by all pupils needs to be

improved, especially regarding the differences between boys, girls and key stages.

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The staff and governors’ awareness of standards achieved by all pupils needs to be

26. The acting headteacher provides good leadership to a dedicated staff. With regard to classroom practice she leads by example and assists the hard-working staff to fulfil their responsibilities, which include curriculum and management duties. The school has a warm and positive ethos.

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The staff and governors’ awareness of standards achieved by all pupils needs to be

27. The acting headteacher is aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, has a very good knowledge of classroom practice and also provides a model of good practice within a significant teaching commitment. Regular discussions, both informal and within staff meetings assist the monitoring of the curriculum and teaching. Targets are set for individual staff that are specifically designed to improve practice. Good use is made of the professional development programme, which also includes observation of classroom practice.

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The staff and governors’ awareness of standards achieved by all pupils needs to be

28. The school’s management has recently begun to target particular year groups for extra attention. This extra intervention is in addition to the good work already being undertaken with special educational needs support and “booster classes.” Although caution is required when looking at small numbers of pupils, study of the pupils’ attainment in tests reveals that there are differences in attainment between key stages and there are also potentially significant variations between boys and girls. The reading attainment of Key Stage 1 pupils in tests is lower than would be expected nationally. Closer attention to these results shows large differences in attainment, with girls being much more successful.

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The staff and governors’ awareness of standards achieved by all pupils needs to be

29. Currently the governors have little knowledge of these differences in standards and these issues do not feature in their discussions. Consequently, the governing body’s role as a critical, yet supportive friend is in need of development. The governing body does, however, give good support in other areas. It has an appropriate committee structure and a good knowledge of school business, particularly in staffing, premises and finance. The good work done by governors in these committees needs to be extended to include the specific issue of raising standards for all pupils. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 16 30. The normally rigorous developmental planning that has been a feature of the school’s progress has stalled somewhat since the earliest drafts drawn up six months before the inspection. The most recent school development plan remains very much in draft form and responsibility for its completion is not clearly defined. The planning identifies

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The staff and governors’ awareness of standards achieved by all pupils needs to be

appropriate priorities, such as pupils’ progress, aspects of the curriculum and premises. Whilst some curriculum areas are well defined and complete, such as literacy, numeracy and science, it is unclear what strategic role governors have in evaluating the impact of the school’s work upon the standards achieved by pupils.

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The use of information and communications technology should be used more widely

31. Some aspects of the subject are taught well, such as the use of robots that carry out a series of commands given by pupils. Pupils use information and communications technology to communicate using word processors and good attention has recently been given to spreadsheets and database work in Key Stage 2. The work is strongest where the class teacher has sufficient subject knowledge and confidence to offer the subject to the pupils. Staff expertise and subject knowledge is in need of development across the school so that the best practitioners can extend their skills and ensure that all staff address the subject across the curriculum.

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The use of information and communications technology should be used more widely

32. By comparison to the attention given to literacy and numeracy, information and communications technology has been underdeveloped. Despite recent attention to the subject with the appointment of specialist staff, there remains work to do in relation to the curriculum, its assessment, staff training and resources. A newly appointed co-ordinator has a good subject knowledge, but has not yet been in the position long enough to effect sufficient change.

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ensure that everyone’s best efforts are used to best effect. (CC)

33. The school community works hard for the pupils. The governors’ committees meet on a regular basis to support the school and some governors work very closely with the school to ensure that finances are readily accessible. Occasionally, the outcomes and minutes of governors’ meetings are not as effectively shared, as they might be, with other governors or the wider school community. For example, minutes from meetings from the previous term are not readily available in the designated area within the school entrance.

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ensure that everyone’s best efforts are used to best effect. (CC)

34. The staff meet regularly within departments and as a whole staff. Senior management meetings also assist in the co-ordination of school development. Until very recently, few minutes were taken of meetings which meant that valuable discussions were not always recorded to assist review of decisions and points for action. Consequently, there are difficulties in keeping the governors informed about school developments, such as the recent attention to the progress of specific pupils and the outcome of administrative review. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

35. In order to improve standards of education and rectify weaknesses identified in the inspection, the acting headteacher, school staff and governing body must:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the awareness of standards achieved by specific groups of pupils, such as boys and girls in different key stages by: • making better use of available data related to all pupils’ achievements. • ensuring that this information is properly shared with all teachers to inform their planning • ensuring that these developments are shared with the governors in order that they may properly fulfil their role in assisting the school in maintaining and improving the standards achieved by all pupils. (Paragraphs: 26-30)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the pupils’ standards of attainment in information and communication technology by ensuring that: • all teachers receive appropriate in-service training to address all the requirements of the National Curriculum. • resources are adequate to fully meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. • the use of information and communications technology is extended across the curriculum • curriculum documents and schemes of work take account of recent national guidance. (Paragraphs: 31, 32)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the quality of communications between staff and governors so that their work can be most effective for more of the time to ensure that the school can successfully build on its many strengths. (Paragraphs: 33, 34) Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 12 59 29 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR. – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FE for part-time pupils) 25 204

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 32 FE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR. – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 42

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 16 14 30

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 11 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 80(89) 87 (79) 90 (89) at NCH level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 14 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 83 (89) 90 (89) 90 (93) at NCH level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 12 16 28

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 10 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 15 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (76) 96 (76) 96 (79) at NCH level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 9 9 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 15 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 86 (76) 86 (72) 93 (83) at NCH level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 20

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 37 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 23 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: YR. – Y6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.3 Financial year 1998/1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR. – Y6 Total expenditure 488 214

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 2 303

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 117 Balance brought forward from previous year 2 450

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 22 549

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 50

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 27

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 25 FE means full-time equivalent. Macaulay Church Of England Primary School - 21

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 41 4 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 34 60 5 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 38 11 3 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 41 38 15 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 60 36 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 37 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 44 41 11 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 42 49 2 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 39 4 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 16 53 15 1 8

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