St Thomas' CofE Primary School

St Thomas’ CE Primary School

Dates of inspection: 4 th – 7 th October 1999

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St Thomas’ CE Primary School

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996

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St Thomas’ CE School - 2

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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 2

Under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 and the Education Act 1993, 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.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior (with nursery)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Appleford Road, London W10 5EF

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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: Ms Desi Dillingham

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

John Bartholomew, Registered Inspector Science; geography; art; physical education. Attainment and progress; Quality of teaching; Leadership and management. Liz Cooke, Lay Inspector Attitudes, behaviour and personal development; Attendance; Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare; Partnership with parents and the community; Accommodation; Efficiency of the school. Raminder Arora Mathematics; Design technology; Information and communications technology; Special educational needs; Equal opportunities; Areas of learning for children under five. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; Resources for learning.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Christine Thomas English; History; Music; English as an additional language. Curriculum and assessment; Staffing.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Capital Inspections Chaucer Building Canterbury Road Morden, Surrey SM4 6PX

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE

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MAIN FINDINGS

What the school does well Where the school has weaknesses How the school has improved since the last inspection Standards in subjects Quality of teaching Other aspects of the school The parents' views of the school

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INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of the school 1-9 Key indicators 10

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 11-16 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 17-23 Attendance 24-27

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Quality of education provided

Teaching 28-32 The curriculum and assessment 33-43 Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 44-48 Support, guidance and pupils' welfare 49-56 Partnership with parents and the community 57-60

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The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 61-65 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 66-69 The efficiency of the school 70-74

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 75-91 English, Mathematics, Science, Information and communications technology 92-125 Other subjects or courses 126-166

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St Thomas’ CE School - 6

Summary of inspection evidence 167 Data and indicators 168

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What the school does well

• .Very strong leadership, supported by an enthusiastic and hardworking staff, is taking the school forward. A strong effective commitment to equality of opportunity, including for pupils with English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties. • .The children are courteous, well behaved about the school, and welcoming. • .Very good procedures for monitoring attendance and behaviour, including an effective anti-bullying strategy. • .The pupils are given effective responsibility, for example through an active school council. • .The school offers a good range of extra curricular activities. • .There are very good arrangements for the professional development of staff. • . The life of the school is enriched by very good links to the local community. • . There are good opportunities for all pupils to be involved in music making of high quality.

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What the school does well

I.Despite an overall improvement in standards, attainment in writing and science in the infants’ classes are unsatisfactory. Although the school has good procedures, punctuality continues to be a problem. II.Pupils’ concentration tends to lapse when working independently, especially in junior classes. III.The school’s guideline for opportunities for spiritual development is not being fully implemented. IV. The necessary emphasis on literacy and numeracy has created a curriculum imbalance which has affected learning in history, geography, design technology and physical education.

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the governors’

action plan which will be sent to all parents or guardians of pupils at the school.

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the governors’

· How the school has improved since the last inspection

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the governors’

At the 1996 inspection, the inspectors reported a need to maintain development to further raise standards, to put sex education in place, to extend pupils’ spiritual development so that it covered the whole curriculum, and to develop a whole school approach to improving punctuality. Standards at the age of eleven have improved steadily, in spite of doing poorly in 1998 due to a variety of circumstances. There is still a need for more consistent standards, especially in the infants’ classes. The monitoring procedures in place over the last year, and the escalating effect of the literacy and numeracy strategies are expected to contribute to this. The focus is now shifting to Key Stage 1, where there is further room for improvement. An effective sex education policy and scheme of work is now in place and being implemented. Guidance has been issued to staff on spiritual development, but there is little evidence of

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the governors’

awareness of this by many of the current staff. The school has developed a rigorous whole school approach to punctuality, but this continues to be undermined by a number of families. The headteacher has set clear priorities for the school, which has a very good capacity for further improvement.

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Standards in subjects

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1998 based on the National Curriculum tests:

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Key

well above average A above average B average C below average D well below average E English E C Mathematics D C Science E D

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Key

The disappointing results shown above for 1998 do not reflect the achievement of eleven-year-old pupils in 1999 which showed considerable improvement. The tables which compare the 1999 performance with that of similar schools has not yet been issued. Observations during the inspection confirmed this improvement, and the children make good progress by the time they reach the age of eleven. The figures remain likely to fluctuate annually, as the number of children taking the test each year is less than thirty and no group is similar.

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 11 years

English Satisfactory Good Good Mathematics Satisfactory Good Good Science Satisfactory Very good Information and communications technology Satisfactory Satisfactory Other subjects Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 11 years

Teaching in English and mathematics is mainly good. Overall, the teaching in the school is satisfactory. However, A quarter of the lessons seen were considered good, and a further quarter were very good. No unsatisfactory lessons were seen during the inspection.

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. 'Satisfactory' means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Good relationships exist in the school and behaviour is generally good. Not all the children show an aptitude for personal study and collaborative working. Attendance Attendance is satisfactory, although punctuality is unsatisfactory. The school has very good procedures for monitoring punctuality, and makes its expectations clear to parents; nevertheless, a significant number of persistent latecomers has meant that the problem of punctuality has still not been solved. Ethos* The school has a strong sense of community and a good nurturing ethos. The head and staff are committed to raising standards of achievement, and the children have a developing understanding of the expectations for their learning. Leadership and management The leadership in the school is very good, and has established a very clear educational direction for the school. The quality of education is effectively monitored. The governing body is hardworking, and has worked with the

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Aspect Comment

head to develop procedures that make its work more focused. Curriculum The school provides breadth through full subject coverage, although minimal time allocation in certain subjects affects curriculum balance. Assessment systems are satisfactory in the main subjects, but there is no systematic assessment in the foundation subjects. Pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and well managed. Teachers and support staff provide very good learning support. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development There are strengths in moral and social education, but there is continuing room for improvement in helping pupils’ spiritual development. Art, music and poetry contribute to the breadth of cultural awareness. Staffing, resources and accommodation The teaching staff has a good balance of expertise and experience. They are well supported by skilled specialist and ancillary staff in music, English

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Aspect Comment

as an additional language and special educational needs. The school is properly resourced, although learning resources are not always matched to the current curriculum. The accommodation is pleasant and adequate in most respects. Value for money The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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Aspect Comment

* Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

V. It is friendly and welcoming. VI. Staff have time to listen. VII. The school promotes good behaviour and attitudes. VIII. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. IX. Good information is provided to parents. X. More able pupils are given the opportunity to progress well. XI. The school pays attention to environmental issues. XII. Standards in Key Stage 1, especially in

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

XIII. Inadequate preparation for the level of

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

XIV. There is no parent-teacher association.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

Our findings broadly bear out parents’ views. The year six pupils have one and a half hours of homework each week, which is appropriate for their age.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

XV. Focus strongly on writing and science in the infants’ classes, setting targets for a significant improvement in standards. ( See paragraphs 13, 92, 93, 122 )

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

XVI. Train the pupils in improving independent and collaborative learning and involve them in the school’s increased expectations in this respect. ( See paragraphs 17,21,32,65,107,123,150 )

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

XVII. Review the balance of the curriculum to ensure that within a reduced timescale for some subjects, skills and understanding are taught effectively and progressively. ( See paragraphs 33,142, 145, 153 )

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

XVIII. Raise staff awareness of the need to create and exploit opportunities across the whole curriculum for pupils to reflect on their feelings and experiences, gain insight into values and beliefs, and develop their self- knowledge. ( See paragraphs 33,45 )

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

XIX. While maintaining the present good procedures for monitoring punctuality, work with persistently late families to overcome a culture of lateness. ( See paragraphs 24,27 )

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Characteristics of the school

1. St Thomas’ CE school is a voluntary aided school with close links to the parish of St Thomas in the north area of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The school serves a congested urban neighbourhood in the North Kensington area, consisting largely of local authority housing. It is an area with little available green space and heavy through traffic. However the school itself is in a quiet enclave bounded by a railway. Some environmental improvement including the creation of suitable open spaces for children, have taken place in the area.

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Characteristics of the school

2. There are 177 children on roll, plus 27 in the nursery. The school’s admission policy gives priority to church families and those living in the locality who wish to send their children to a church school. Nevertheless, the roll includes some 15% pupils from a Muslim background. The socio-economic profile of the ward and nearest neighbouring ward is far below the national average, with a very high percentage of children living in households described as overcrowded. The school’s intake appears to reflect the social profile of the locality. High levels of pupils (25%) have English as an additional language. This is also true of 19% of the nursery pupils. Arabic, Tigrinya, Twi, Kurdish and Kosovan Albanian are the most frequently occurring languages.

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Characteristics of the school

3. The school has 61% of pupils from various ethnic minorities. This is above the LEA average – although fairly typical of schools in the north part of the borough and well above the national average.

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Characteristics of the school

4. 3 pupils have statements of SEN, and there is a total of 66 on the SEN register. This is above the national average, but slightly below the LEA average

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Characteristics of the school

5. 87 pupils (49.2%) are eligible for free school meals. This is well above the national average and is in line with the LEA (north area) average. The figure is less than 1% below the 50% threshold that would place the school in the group where it is compared nationally with schools with the lowest socio-economic circumstances.

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Characteristics of the school

6. Pupil are admitted to the nursery on a full time basis twice yearly in the September and February after they reach the age of 3. After up to five terms in the nursery, they transfer to the reception class at the start of the term in which they will reach their fifth birthday. A baseline assessment system is used to measure how much pupils can do in terms of their English and mathematical skills when they start school. It is still in the early stages of operation, and although the school came out rather higher than the borough average during the first two years, the administration of the testing was unmoderated, and subsequent monitoring of pupil performance has indicated that levels were set too high. The indication from the current intake and other inspection evidence is that pupils are below the national expectation for attainment on entry to school.

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Characteristics of the school

7. With the appointment of a new headteacher in the last year, the school has set quite ambitious targets for developing the attainment of the pupils beyond present levels. Current priorities are to develop shared working by governors, including their monitoring activities, and to improve standards in literacy, numeracy and ICT. The school’s targets for 1999-2000 are for 76% of pupils to achieve level 4 or above in English and mathematics at the age of eleven in English and mathematics. The targets have been based on analysis of school data.

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Characteristics of the school

8. The school has a staff that includes a good number of fairly experienced teachers, although one class is currently covered by a temporary appointment. There is one newly qualified teacher.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 13

9. The school underwent a previous OFSTED inspection in 1996. At that time, the inspectors reported good value for money, sound standards, but with a significant proportion of 11 year olds not yet attaining appropriate standards, and a consistent quality of teaching which was always sound and sometimes good or very good. The inspection team noted orderly behaviour and good assessment procedures. There was a need to maintain development to further raise standards, to put sex education in place, to extend pupils’ spiritual development so that it covered the whole curriculum, and to develop a whole school approach to improving punctuality. Since that inspection, the staff and governors have worked to respond to the recommendations.

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Attainment at Key Stage 1 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1998 12 9 21

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 7 6 8 at NC Level 2 or Girls 7 7 7 Above Total 14 13 15 Percentage at NC School 67(85) 62(77 ) 71(96) Level 2 or above National 80 (80) 81 (80) 84(84)

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Results

Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 6 8 8 at NC Level 2 or Girls 7 6 6 above Total 13 14 14 Percentage at NC School 62(85) 67(96) 67(85) Level 2 or above National 81(81) 85(84) 86(85)

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Results

Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1998 10 11 21

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

National Curriculum Test Results English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 5 4 3 at NC Level 4 or Girls 7 5 5 above Total 12 9 8 Percentage at NC School 57(77 ) 43(73 ) 38(85) Level 4 or above National 65(63 ) 59(62) 69(69 )

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 3 2 2 at NC Level 4 or Girls 5 5 4 above Total 8 7 6 Percentage at NC School 38(62) 33(73) 29(81) Level 4 or above National 65(63) 65(64) 72(69)

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year

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Attendance

Percentage of half days (sessions) % missed through absence for the Authorised School 7.9 latest complete reporting year Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.3 Absence National comparative data 0.8

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Exclusions

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during the previous year: Number

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Exclusions

Percentage of teaching observed which is : % Very good or better 25 Satisfactory or better 100 Less than satisfactory 0

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Attainment and progress

1. By the time pupils leave St Thomas’ at the age of 11, the attainment of the majority of pupils is in line with the national expectation in the core subjects. Lower attaining pupils demonstrate good achievement to approach this level. A relatively small number of higher attaining pupils achieve a good standard, reaching SAT level 5. Overall, the performance at level 4 - the expected level - in all core subjects was at or above the national average in 1999, although the previous year’s results given in the table at the head of this report were very much poorer. In 1998 the school scored below the national average but was average compared with similar schools in English. In mathematics, the school fell well below the national average, but achievement was in line with that from similar schools. In science the school also fell well below the national average, and was below the average for similar schools. Boys did less well than girls in each of the subjects. These results

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Attainment and progress

mark the point at which the present headteacher took over the school, and immediately instituted a drive for higher standards in the core subjects. The results for 1999, although comparisons with similar schools are not available, show a considerable improvement which partly reflects the priority the school has given to literacy and numeracy. In science there was a very marked improvement.

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Attainment and progress

2. Our observations of pupils’ work and work in progress in the current junior classes shows that the pupils’ attainment continues to be in line with what is expected for their age and ability. For example, year six pupils, who mostly understand the process of editing, are able to rewrite a story in a different format (as a letter) and from a different point of view. In mathematics, pupils in years 5 and 6 can interpret written problems and choose an appropriate method to solve them, while those in the lower set have a clear understanding and knowledge of doubling and halving. In science there is some above average attainment by the older children, some of whom learned a great deal about scientific process through a not entirely successful investigation comparing the viscosity of liquids. A younger junior class were able to make simple predictions, recognise whether a test was fair, and record their observations on a Carroll diagram.

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Attainment and progress

3. At Key Stage 1 – the infants’ classes - the reported results have been unsatisfactory. In 1998, the latest year for which a full range of comparisons is available, test results placed the school well below the national average in both reading, writing and mathematics, and standards also fell below the average for similar schools. In the most recent 1999 tests, only 61% achieved the expected level 2 or better in reading, and 57% in writing. This indicates a decline over the last three years which does not reflect national trends. However, a creditable 82% achieved expected levels in mathematics. The inspection took place at the very beginning of the school year, at which time standards observed in Key Stage 1 in English, following a year’s input from the National Literacy Strategy indicate a level of attainment this year which is broadly in line with expectations, except in writing. The majority of Y2 pupils could read from unknown text using initial sounds and clues

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Attainment and progress

from the context to help them identify unfamiliar words. However, examples from their written work indicated that although they were starting to write in a range of genres, much of the free writing was disjointed, and was not sufficiently extended to enable pupils to attain according to expectations for their age. The school has specifically targeted English in the infants’ classes as an area for additional support managed by the deputy head. Work in mathematics matches expectations for the pupils’ age. Work in science in the infants’ school has been sketchy; in this subject standards remain below average.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 17

4. In other subjects, the pupils attain above average standards in music, standards in line with expectations for their age in art, ICT, history and PE at Key Stage 1, and below average standards in geography and PE in Key Stage 2. There is insufficient evidence to make a definitive judgement about standards in DT, or in geography at Key Stage 1.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 17

5. The pupils aged under five, who enter the nursery at a very low level of attainment, attain below average standards in literacy, numeracy, and knowledge and understanding of the world. In the other areas of learning satisfactory standards are being achieved. For example, they enjoy singing, and can remember and join in with choruses of some songs. With encouragement, they are learning to take turns, they produce art work in a variety of media, and are able to talk about the colours they have used.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 17

6. Progress, which is satisfactory overall, is good in the junior classes. Baseline testing has not been moderated and in the first two years of implementation, it gives an unreliable view of attainment on entry to the reception class. The evidence of the inspection is that levels of ability on entry are poor in English and mathematics, and yet pupils mostly attain satisfactory results after seven years in the school. Progress in most lessons was satisfactory or good, but where it was unsatisfactory this was sometimes due to pupils’ inability to sustain concentration on independent work.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

1. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are satisfactory. Pupils spend the school day purposefully, showing interest in their lessons and tackling tasks with enthusiasm. There is a weakness in the way children approach independent and group learning when they are not directly supervised. This is a problem across the school and hinders children’s learning because some cannot get on with work and are unable to concentrate for sustained periods. These children do a great deal better in situations where the groups they are working in benefit from direct adult support. They concentrate for whole class sessions for example in registration and circle time. Pupils welcome the opportunity to share their work with visitors to the school. Those with special educational needs are well supported and integrated and take a full part in the life of the school. Attitudes were reported as good in the last inspection.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

2. Pupils’ behaviour in class and around the school is generally good. They are courteous and trustworthy and show respect for the books and resources they use. They respect their environment and make a good effort to avoid litter. The school has a well understood system of rewards and sanctions, children respond well to the grey and yellow slips given to mark unwanted and wanted behaviours. Parents remarked about the orderly atmosphere in the school and are pleased with standards of behaviour. The school has maintained the standards previously reported.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

3. The school has well understood policies and procedures for dealing with incidents of bullying or racist behaviour, when incidents occur they are dealt with promptly and effectively. The school is careful to bring any problems out in the open , in circle times or assemblies, to ensure pupils understand how to respond.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

4. Relationships across the whole school community are good, with all adults in school providing good role models. The atmosphere in school is harmonious and purposeful and children are usually kind to each other. Pupils enjoy playtimes and are provided with a range of equipment and a rota to ensure purposeful play and fair shares playing football in the enclosed area. They take turns well in discussions and usually listen well to each other’s contributions. The school has successfully built upon the standards noted in the previous report.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 18

5. Pupils personal development is satisfactory overall. The weakness in this area relates to their inability to concentrate and get on with work alone. However pupils are keen to take responsibility by running errands for staff, setting up the hall for assemblies and notably in the school council which is active and effective. The school council meets fortnightly, has members from classes 2 to 6 and makes a difference to the life of the school. Pupils instigate and organise fund raising such as cake sales, make suggestions on improving school life and write letters to put their views over to adults. The deputy headteacher offers them support in minute taking and preparing agendas, they are to undertake a days training this month to develop their skills as school councillors. These activities make a strong contribution to the life of the school as all children can see the effects of the school council’s work.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 18

6. Children take pride in the contribution they make to community events, for example in the Notting Hill Carnival when their float won a prize. Pupils show consideration and respect for the beliefs of others and all treat their good assemblies with respect.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 18

7. Pupils show good overall attainment in this aspect of school life which makes a positive contribution to their learning.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 18

8. Attendance at the school is satisfactory overall but an unsatisfactory aspect is the significant minority of children who arrive late each day. Attendance rates are satisfactory at 91.8% but the issue of late arrival noted in the last inspection has not been successfully addressed. The last report also noted inconsistent monitoring of attendance and punctuality. This issue has been overcome by the introduction of rigorous monitoring procedures. The school receives regular visits and good support from the Education Welfare Officer who monitors registers and attendance in meetings with the Headteacher; she also visits families when requested by the school. Most children do attend regularly and promptly but around 10% arrive late every day, and this minority has resisted the school’s consistent efforts to improve punctuality.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 18

9. A majority of parents do understand the need for regular, prompt attendance and have welcomed the school’s approach to this. They appreciate the schools policy of making `first day’ `phone calls to families when children are absent and like the added safety this gives for children coming to school unaccompanied.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 18

10. Pupils are generally happy to come to school, they settle down quickly and sessions start on time. Registers are taken promptly and efficiently, the recently introduced computerised system aids monitoring of attendance. Registers comply with requirements, but are not always returned to the central office immediately after completion in the afternoons. Attendance is reported to parents correctly, in compliance with requirements.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 18

11. The improved monitoring of attendance and improved attendance rates have a beneficial effect on attainment. The unsatisfactory punctuality continues to affect a minority of pupils’ learning.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

28. While the quality of teaching in the school was sound overall, half the lessons were good or better, and a quarter were judged to be very good. None were less than satisfactory. This represents some improvement since the last inspection.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

29. The teaching of pupils under five was satisfactory. On the whole, activities were well planned, although there were instances in the nursery where independent activities were not fully exploited as learning situations. In these cases, for example outdoor play with the sand, the learning intentions had not been made sufficiently explicit to guide spontaneous interactions. In both the nursery and reception classes, the teachers and other adults working there demonstrated a good knowledge of how young children learn, and how to build effectively on their responses.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

12. In the infants classes teachers enjoyed a good rapport with their classes, which provided the foundation for very good control of some potentially challenging behaviour. These teachers check on pupils’ skills, build on prior learning and expect pupils to improve. Their teaching was often marked by effective questioning, leading to extended pupil responses. On occasion enthusiastic teaching led to higher noise levels. Not all the work was differentiated sufficiently to extend the more able, and some of the independent work was too controlled to obtain an original response. Most lessons were sound, but good and very good lessons were also seen in each class.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

13. Much of the teaching in the junior classes was good and very good, and the good progress by junior pupils reflects the quality of much of what is being done. In each class, lessons are well structured with clear introductions and effective reviews of learning at the end.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

14. Teachers have good subject knowledge in English, mathematics and science, but a significant number of lessons in other subjects indicated gaps in knowledge. For example, in an otherwise successful music lesson where the children were demonstrating the ability to go further, the teacher did not have the knowledge to help them to do so. In a history lesson, the Great Fire was allocated to the Tudor period. Pupils were not able to make the best use of the available evidence. Planning is generally good, with many lessons skilfully sequenced to ensure the progressive addition of skills and understanding. Appropriate methods were generally chosen, and there was a suitable balance of whole class teaching, often very effective questioning to extend pupils’ thinking, demonstration and explanation, and pupils investigation and activity. Class teachers often work successfully in partnership with visiting staff or other adults. In a number of lessons, the opportunity

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

for independent work was poorly used by pupils, and teachers’ expectations in this respect were inadequate. Pupils have not been sufficiently trained in independent learning skills, and deteriorating behaviour in these situations was not always properly challenged. In all other respects, the management of pupils was very good. Time and resources were well used. Most lessons were conducted at a good pace, which sometimes slipped in the middle, the part where pupils engaged in independent activity. Assessment in the best lessons was ongoing, with good questioning to assess understanding. Some good evaluation was seen, for example where a teacher demonstrated flexibility in varying her original plan to accommodate the need to consolidate pupils’ understanding and skill. Nevertheless evaluations of pupil progress were not always effectively or consistently used in planning. Marking, although always encouraging, was not always sufficiently

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

constructive to prompt improvement. Homework is used effectively, but does not always take account of the different ability of pupils.

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The curriculum and assessment

15. The school offers an appropriately broad and relevant curriculum that includes all areas of the National Curriculum and religious education and successfully reflects the aims of the school. However, curriculum balance is less satisfactory. In their drive to raise standards, the school has placed English and mathematics as the top priorities of the curriculum. As a result, it has allocated too little time to some other subjects. This is particularly the case with design technology, history, and geography. This affects the standards pupils are able to achieve in these subjects. The curriculum satisfactorily promotes the intellectual, physical, personal and social development of pupils. There is a policy with clear aims and objectives and a scheme of work delivered through circle time, assemblies and religious education. However, it promotes their spiritual development less well. Although the school has issued guidance this has yet to be fully implemented and in

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The curriculum and assessment

this respect it has not made sufficient progress since the last inspection. The curriculum prepares pupils adequately for the next stage of education. It meets statutory requirements. Religious education is appropriately based on the local Agreed Syllabus. There is now good provision for sex education, which is taught in an integrated approach within science and personal, social, and health education. There is also particularly good provision for drugs education with the use of the Life Education Bus and the Portobello Trust. This is an improvement from the previous inspection.

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The curriculum and assessment

16. For the pupils under the age of five, the school satisfactorily covers all areas of learning defined by the Desirable Outcomes for pupils of their age. In the nursery there is a good emphasis on pupils’ personal, social and moral development and there is an appropriate balance between direct teaching and learning through structured play. However, although the curriculum provides for outdoor play, limited resources and the lack of planned adult/child interaction affects its quality.

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The curriculum and assessment

17. The curriculum is planned effectively to take account of pupils’ ages, gender, special educational needs and cultural backgrounds. For example the school has gained funding for a project celebrating Afro Caribbean literature and pupils are introduced to other cultures and societies through music and topical events like One World Week. Higher attaining pupils are provide with an appropriate level of challenge, particularly in English with challenging texts such as ‘The Lady of Shallot’ and mathematics with a flexible system of setting in the upper juniors. There is good equality of access and opportunity for all pupils, with very effective provision for supporting pupils with English as an additional language. This support is very well targeted towards those pupils with the most need and the practice of pre teaching these pupils before a lesson takes place ensures they are able to take part and make good progress.

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The curriculum and assessment

18. There is good support and provision for pupils with special educational needs, which meet the requirements of the Code of Practice. Pupils have full access to the curriculum. Classroom assistants provide very good support particularly in numeracy and literacy lessons. The individual education plans indicate effective identification of a range of specific needs. They contain up to date information and targets, which are well designed, achievable and relevant. The coordinator and staff regularly review the progress of pupils. Procedures for assessing the progress of pupils with special educational needs are good and the information is used in planning lessons. The high quality of the provision contributes to the good progress made by pupils with special educational needs.

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

19. The length of the school day in both key stages is longer than that recommended by the Department of Education and Employment. This is because the school felt it was necessary in order to maintain a sufficiently broad curriculum as well as devote enough time to English and mathematics in order to raise standards.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 21

20. Planning at all levels is good. There is a new curriculum framework, which gives a good overview of the topic to be studied across both key stages. Schemes of work are in place for the majority of subjects, detailing what the pupils should know, understand and be able to do. There are agreed formats for medium and short term planning ensuring that teaching methods and organisational strategies are addressed consistently. Medium and short term planning is effective, clearly identifying the expected learning outcomes of each lesson. All staff in both the infant and junior departments, including visiting specialist staff, are involved in planning cooperatively. The head and deputy carefully monitor planning. The subject coordinators for Mathematics, English and Science monitor the plans for those subjects efficiently.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 21

21. The curriculum is extended by a good range of extra curricular activities, which include steel band, French, a reading club for boys and various sports. These are well attended, and the French club is so popular that there are now two sessions, including one for the infants and pupils under five. The school takes part in local community events; for example it has just won a prize in the Notting Hill Carnival. The curriculum is further enhanced by a range of educational visits for example to local places of worship or the Ecology Centre and a residential experience for years five and six.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 21

22. Procedures for assessment in English, mathematics, science and Information and communications technology are satisfactory throughout the school. The school uses a variety of tests, for example the optional standardised assessment tests for the junior department and reading tests throughout the school. These procedures are manageable and consistently implemented. The reading records are good and identify the development of skills as well as books read. Each teacher has an assessment file, which includes records of attainment and progress and targets to be achieved by each pupil. However there are no consistent assessment procedures for other subjects. This has not improved since the last inspection.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 21

23. Assessment procedures for pupils under five are good. Information from Baseline assessment is used to plan learning tasks and to set pupil targets but it has not been moderated, and inspection evidence indicates that expectations have been set too high.

p.21

St Thomas’ CE School - 21

24. Satisfactory systems are in place to ensure consistency in assessment, for example, the infant staff evaluate samples of pupils’ work in writing termly and this is shortly to be extended to the junior department. Samples of pupils’ work throughout the school are evaluated by the head and deputy regularly. However there is no up to date school portfolio with examples of pupils’ work to show attainment levels. The head and deputy effectively monitor test results throughout the school and they are used appropriately to set targets.

p.21

St Thomas’ CE School - 21

25. Arrangements for day to day assessment are satisfactory. Questioning is used effectively to assess pupils’ understanding. In the best practice, teachers amend their planning to take account of this assessment information, although this is not yet sufficiently consistent across the school. Marking often includes positive comments, but is frequently not evaluative enough to enable pupils to improve their learning. This has not improved since the previous inspection. Pupils are encouraged to assess the quality of their own work through selecting samples to include in their best work folder and individual pupil targets are included on the annual report to parents which give a detailed picture of attainment and progress. However target setting is a relatively new initiative and not all pupils know what their targets are. 43.

p.21

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

26. The school has a caring and positive approach. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory and makes a significant contribution to learning by establishing supportive ethos within the school.

p.22

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

27. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development within the school is unsatisfactory. The daily assemblies are used well to promote a sense of community and shared values. They provide a setting in which pupils are receptive to the idea of understanding of themselves and others although they do not always offer well-planned opportunities for reflection and spiritual growth. Pupils react well to moods in music and effects of reading poetry, but the spiritual dimension of religious education and other curriculum areas such as art, drama, PE and science is insufficiently explored in lessons.

p.22

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

28. Pupils’ moral development is good. The ethos of the school is based on respect and care for others. Teachers show care and value all pupils. The school effectively teaches the values that distinguish right from wrong. Due attention is given to the reinforcement of codes of behaviour and sharing of positive values. The pupils respond positively, enjoy their work and show care for the school. Moral values are taught well through stories, songs and discussions. Both teaching and non-teaching staff provide good role models and encourage children to relate well to each other and behave courteously.

p.22

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

29. Very good provision is made for the pupils’ social development through daily life, the PHSE programme, after school clubs and local educational visits. The school has a secure environment in which pupils feel cared for. Pupils are encouraged to relate well to each other and be polite. When provided with appropriate opportunities, pupils carry out responsibilities with confidence. The monitors selected to perform various duties, such as getting equipment and the hall ready for assembly show commitment and regard for school. The quality of relationship between adults and pupils are good. Pupils are generally well disciplined and understand what facilitates an orderly school.

p.22

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

30. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is good and supported through the celebrations of Christian festivals and assemblies to highlight festivals of other religions of the world. The school promotes respect for cultural diversity reflected in the society. Some displays around the school reflect the multicultural diversity of wider society. There are sufficient opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding of the central beliefs and practices of different faiths, and to appreciate the art, dance, music and the way of life of people from other cultures. As a result, pupils’ appreciation of the richness and diversity of culture in the wider world is well developed.

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Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

48. Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

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Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

31. The overall provision for pupils’ support, guidance and welfare is good. It has a positive effect on children’ learning and parents are confident that their children are happy and well cared for in school. The school has successfully built upon the standards previously reported and has resolved the key issue raised by implementing a Sex Education Policy.

p.22

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

32. The school monitors pupils’ academic and personal development satisfactorily. All adults in the school know the pupils well. Relationships are good throughout, and this, combined with good, consistent teamwork from staff offers a secure and caring environment for all. Parents appreciate the value of the school’s work in this area. Targets are set for children in annual reports on progress to parents. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support throughout. Their progress is similar to that of the other pupils in the school. Individual education plans are written by class teachers and are consistently well used. Parents play a full part in planning for and reviewing the progress of children with Special Educational needs. Children with English as a second language are carefully assessed and integrated. Children in the Nursery are content and well supported.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 23

33. The school enjoys the support of a good range of outside professionals including the police, sports tutors, drugs information staff and the Educational welfare officer.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 23

34. Procedures for monitoring and recording attendance are very good. The school has introduced a computerised system of registration and has rigorous procedures in place to monitor and follow up attendance and punctuality worries. This is greatly improved since the last inspection. Despite this and good support from the education welfare officer the school still has unacceptable numbers of pupils arriving late each day.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 23

35. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and discipline are very good. The school has a positive, reward based approach to behaviour management and the behaviour policy is implemented consistently by all teachers. Any incidents of bullying or oppressive behaviour are identified quickly and dealt with appropriately. Parents are informed promptly of any concerns. They expressed clear approval for the overall quality of the school’s approach to behaviour management.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 23

36. Procedures for child protection and for promoting pupils’ well being, health and safety are satisfactory. There is a clear policy for child protection issues, with the headteacher as the named person responsible. The school has suitable procedures and resources for dealing with accidents or illness. There is only one first aider in school at present but there are plans to train another in place.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 23

37. Fire safety procedures are up to date, equipment is checked regularly and fire exits are marked. The school’s comprehensive Health and Safety policy is overseen by the governing body and the site is well kept on a daily basis by the resident caretaker. The school is clean and safe although the pupils’ toilets are unacceptably smelly. Some outside areas in the nursery, where remedial work is planned, are not in use because they are unsafe at present.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 23

38. Arrangements for playtimes and lunchtimes are good. Pupils have a range of equipment and games to keep them busy, hot lunches served are of good quality and supervision is friendly and positive.

p.23

Partnership with parents and the community

39. The school has forged good, overall, relationships with parents and the local community. This is improved provision from that noted in the previous report and has a positive effect on pupils’ learning.

p.23

Partnership with parents and the community

40. The school provides families with a wealth of good information on the life of the school, including plans of work children will do, expectations on attendance and newsletters. This gives parents a good picture of work done by pupils and plans for the school and community events. The school prospectus and the governing body’s annual report to parents are informative and comply with requirements. The reports to parents on pupils’ progress are good. They include targets and information on what children know and can do, and they comply with requirements. Parents are pleased with this aspect of the school’s work and feel well informed and able to approach the school for any information they need.

p.23

Partnership with parents and the community

41. The level of parent’s involvement in school learning is satisfactory. Parents are comfortable in school and come in to help in classes and to accompany classes on trips and visits. Parents are involved in children’s work at home and are generally happy with the amount of homework children receive although they are not all aware of the school’s homework policy.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 24

42. The arrangements for formal consultations with carers are satisfactory, those for children with special educational needs are especially effective. Families of children with English as a second language are given good access to information, usually informally although the local education authority does provide help if necessary. The school is very well involved with the local community through the Church, organisation such as the Carnival and Portobello Trust. They welcome parents to share Easter, Harvest and Christmas celebrations. The school welcomes teacher trainees, speakers from the police and drugs information groups. Children have many opportunities to meet local artists and performers, to share activities with other school children and to experience life away from home on the school adventure journey. There is no PTA but children themselves arrange cake sales and sponsored events with parents and staff to raise funds for chosen

p.24

Leadership and management

43. The headteacher provides very strong leadership and enjoys the respect of the whole school community. He has been in post for just over one year. He and the deputy work closely and present well as a team, with a well-balanced division of responsibilities. They are both visible about the school, and provide a lot of in-class support. Prior to the appointment of the present head, the school went through a period of difficulties which have now been fully resolved, largely through this successful professional partnership.

p.24

Leadership and management

44. At the last inspection governors were described as 'supportive and doing effective work.’ The new head has encouraged the governors to re-organise and they have put a number of measures into place to increase their efficiency. This has resulted in an improvement in their management of the school. The measures include an increase in the number of meetings, a review of the terms of reference for each committee, and a system whereby committees meet in advance of the main body. The committees keep appropriate minutes ensuring that key items are considered by all governors. Key governors have been appointed for a number of curriculum areas, literacy, numeracy, ICT and SEN, and there is an LEA link governor scheme ensuring liaison between the school and local authority. They look at school profile data provided nationally and by the LEA and are well aware of how the school is performing compared with similar schools. Governors

p.24

Leadership and management

make regular visits to the school which are governed by a code of conduct. Although overt monitoring is not the intention of these visits, they ensure that governors are in a good position to make informed decisions about the management of the school. Virtually every governor visited a class last year. The chair meets with the LEA inspector twice a year to review issues and set the head's targets. As a result of these activities, the governors are well placed to hold the school to account for its performance. For example, a recent parents' meeting which raised the issue of achievement and progress at Key Stage 1 led to target setting for the deputy head directly related to improvement in this area. The role of critical friend, as exemplified by one governor who pays a supportive but critical role by being closely involved as literacy governor, can be further developed from this work.

p.24

Leadership and management

45. The school has a coherent management structure. All permanent staff (except NQTs) have subject responsibilities and report back on their monitoring activities to the head and deputy, who themselves undertake extensive monitoring activities including scrutiny of children's work and planning and classroom visits - two per week, with often challenging oral and written feedback. The deputy sets and monitors targets for all co-ordinators including subject areas where the head is the co-ordinator. These targets contribute to the fulfilment of the school improvement plan. The strategy for co-ordinators’ monitoring activities is not fully developed – there is no unified approach to this activity at present. There is some evidence of inconsistent communication between senior management and subject co-ordinators, for example, the whole school approach to the teaching of speaking and listening is not consistent with management expectations.

p.24

St Thomas’ CE School - 25

46. The leadership team has already had a significant impact on many areas of the school’s work. An effective focus and some specific targets have led to marked improvements in standards in the core subjects. Good leadership provided to younger staff by the deputy has led to improvement in the quality of education, a strong and insistent lead is given on equality of opportunity, and a path is clearly mapped for policy development where gaps exist. Statutory requirements are met with regard to collective worship, SEN resources, annual reports and health and safety.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 25

47. The management of the school contributes to the ethos of strong and valued ties to the church and parish, and nurture for pupils who show problems. An important part of its mission ensures that the school tries extremely hard never to exclude a pupil. The ethos for learning is defined by the focus on standards as a school development priority. It is already strong, but the weakness in pupils’ independent working is yet to be fully addressed.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 25

65. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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St Thomas’ CE School - 25

48. The school has a pupil teacher ratio which is well above the national average. The teachers are well qualified and have a high level of commitment to the school. There is a good range of experience and expertise. This favourable level of staffing has a positive impact on pupil attainment and progress. The use of staff who do not have a full-time class teaching commitment is well targeted to meet pupils’ needs. The practice of partnership teaching, particularly, has a positive effect on the quality of education provided at the school. The school uses its well-qualified and experienced visiting specialist staff very effectively to support pupils with English as an Additional Language and Special Educational Needs. This ensures these pupils make good progress. The deployment of specialist music teachers has a positive effect on the standards achieved. The number of nursery nurses and support staff is very good. They are very well trained for their work and are

p.25

St Thomas’ CE School - 25

deployed effectively and efficiently throughout the school. This has a good effect on the standards of behaviour and attainment pupils achieve.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 25

49. Arrangements for the professional development of staff are very good. All staff, including support staff, have good opportunities for further development and professional training. They have a regular interview with the deputy head to discuss their professional development. The majority of planned training is clearly linked to the priorities of the School improvement plan but there are opportunities for individual staff training needs to be identified and met. This ensures that the staff have the confidence and competence to adopt new initiatives such as the literacy and numeracy hours effectively. The school has very good arrangements for the induction of new staff. There is a clear handbook which sets out routines and procedures and a policy digest ensuring that new staff are aware of key aspects of the school’s approach to teaching the curriculum immediately. Newly qualified staff are very well supported with an effective programme of training and assessment in line

p.25

St Thomas’ CE School - 25

with statutory requirements. Arrangements for teacher appraisal meet statutory requirements. All staff have termly targets and personal action plans.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 25

50. The accommodation at the school is satisfactory and permits the national curriculum to be delivered adequately. However, the libraries are not dedicated spaces and do not lend themselves to the learning of library and research skills. The buildings and grounds are maintained appropriately. Building works over the recent holidays have made the site fully accessible to disabled people. The school is enhanced by effective displays of children’s work and provides a stimulating learning environment. The nursery is separate from the main school with its own play area. Works planned to replace old climbing equipment and surfaces outside will greatly improve the current provision. The rear fence should be replaced as a matter or urgency. The accommodation provided make a sound contribution to pupils’ learning. However, the toilets in the main school are unacceptably smelly despite the efforts of the caretaker and the suggestions made by the school

p.25

St Thomas’ CE School - 26

51. The provision of resources is satisfactory overall, both in range, quality and appropriateness. The resources for science, Information and communications technology and music are generally good. The indoor resources for the under fives are sufficient, but the outdoor resources are weak. Neither the Key Stage 1 nor the Key Stage 2 libraries are generously stocked. Most class libraries are in need of good quality texts. The school libraries are not being used sufficiently to enhance pupils’ information and study skills, and promote their independent learning. The school’s priority has been to provide texts for guided group reading in the literacy strategy, and this has been achieved. Resources in mathematics, design and technology, art and PE are sufficient. In other areas, resources are variable in quality and range. In history there is a shortage of artefacts, and in geography the resources do not match the national schemes of work adopted by the school. In

p.26

St Thomas’ CE School - 26

general, the resources are organised well, in the classrooms and centrally, and used effectively. Commercially produced and teacher-made text resources are generally of sound quality and appropriately used. Resources to support teaching children with special educational needs are sufficient. The school has recently bought a number of good quality published materials for mathematics and Information and communications technology, which are of good quality and effectively used. The available classroom resources are well-organised, presented and accessible in order to give a good support to children’ interests and learning. The resources for Information and communications technology are accessible in every classroom with a suitable range of software, but the planned use of these to support learning across the curriculum is under-developed. The school’s good provision of extra curricular activities and the effective use of events, facilities, residential visits

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St Thomas’ CE School - 26

and other educational outings enrich pupils’ experiences.

p.26

The efficiency of the school

52. The management and planning of the school’s finances is very good and has improved since the last inspection. The finance sub-committee maintains a keen and detailed interest in the financial health of the school. In particular governors make effective use of financial information provided monthly by the Local Education authority and use their regular meetings to discuss issues in detail to present to the full governing body. Spending is closely tied to the aims specified in the School development plan. The school is making appropriate use of funding allocated for children with special educational needs.

p.26

The efficiency of the school

53. Good use is made of both teaching and support staff, successfully maintaining previous standards. The decision to have a Deputy Headteacher without class responsibilities has provided the school with opportunities for effective team teaching, monitoring and development. This provides good in-class support for the teaching staff. Support staff are effective and well deployed providing unobtrusive, `hands-on’ support for many children.

p.26

The efficiency of the school

54. The school makes sound use of learning resources and accommodation. There are shortfalls in provision of some resources for example, big books for literacy hours and artefacts for History. The school has a good range of outdoors learning opportunities on site. There is a strong emphasis on environmental areas. The infant and junior libraries are poorly appointed; they are used for a variety of purposes, and do not contribute to a culture of reading.

p.26

The efficiency of the school

55. The day to day administration of the school is very efficient, an improvement since the last report. Procedures are well established and are effectively carried out by the experienced administration staff. The last financial audit identified some minor issues, which were promptly addressed by the school.

p.26

The efficiency of the school

56. Taking into account the children’s poor attainment on entry, the socio-economic circumstances of the school’s population, teaching, educational standards and progress and the high unit cost, the school gives sound value for money.

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

74. AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

p.27

PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

1. The school has a 30 place full-time nursery for 3-4 year-olds. Children are admitted to the reception class at the start of autumn and spring terms each year, as rising fives. At the time of inspection, all except one of the 6 children in the reception class were under five and following a range of learning experiences within the nationally recommended areas of learning, broadly incorporated into the national curriculum programme of study.

p.27

PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

2. Children’s levels of attainment on entry to the nursery are well below average. The evidence gathered through observations during inspection indicates that majority of children have limited skills in the areas of language, the mathematical area of learning and knowledge and understanding of the world. They enjoy first-hand experiences and purposeful play. The overall attainment of the under fives, is less than is found nationally by the time they are five. However, attainment is in line with expectations in the areas of physical, creative, personal and social development. Most children show satisfactory progress in all areas of learning over their time in nursery and reception classes. Children with special educational needs receive good support to enhance their progress.

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

3. The quality of teaching in both nursery and reception classes is satisfactory. The staff work effectively as a team and members support one another.

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

4. Children soon feel confident and secure in the Nursery unit. All under fives make satisfactory progress as they learn to co-operate, share and take turns. They work both as part of a group and independently, and use their initiative in solving problems. Most children develop confidence, knowledge and independence through a variety of learning situations. They are attentive and eager to learn. Children behave well at all times and show consideration and respect for property and each other. They form positive and respectful relationships. Children are both happy and secure at school. Most children participate enthusiastically in teacher-led and self-initiated activities. A few children in the reception class are inclined to be noisy at work and during class discussions.

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

5. The staff share appropriate expectations of work and behaviour. The learning areas are always well prepared and organised with a good range of interesting activities. They manage children very skilfully and keep them purposefully occupied. Children’s play and responses are supported and extended sensitively. 79.

p.27

Language and literacy

6. Progress shown by children in the development of language and literacy skills is satisfactory. By the time they are five, children listen attentively and respond well to stories and songs, but many under-perform in speaking. Pupils are given planned opportunities, for example, daily discussion times to talk about their experiences and develop growing vocabulary. They enjoy imaginative play in the nursery and are beginning to take part in conversations speaking with greater confidence and clarity. Many older children are gaining satisfactory hand control in writing. A few write their own names unaided. They can draw and paint with increasing control and some produce strings of letter type shapes. Children in the reception class regularly participate in a range of opportunities structured to develop and practice mark making and early developmental writing skills. Good progress is made when adults work with small groups or on a one-to-one basis to provide opportunities for

p.27

Language and literacy

direct eye contact and individual attention. Children handle books carefully and know how these are organised. They regularly listen to stories and behave like readers, but with the exception of a very few older children in reception, most do not yet associate sounds with words and letters.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 28

7. The teachers effectively familiarise children with written vocabulary through stimulating activities to focus on key words especially in the reception class. The literacy lesson effectively promotes the development of early reading, writing and spelling skills. Children show knowledge of the sequence of events in the story and use the key words confidently. They are encouraged to undertake a range of activities related to literacy, such as, dramatising and listening to taped stories. The assessment procedures and the recording of children’s day to day progress is satisfactory, teachers consistently build on what has already been achieved.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 28

8. Children’s progress in the mathematical area of learning is satisfactory overall. Most children can match, sort and count using every day objects. A few children are able to count to ten, and have a satisfactory grasp of ‘one to one’ when counting. Opportunities to include practical activities to understand and recognise numbers are well planned. Many under five can recognise basic shapes and gain some knowledge of capacity and weight from practical experiences with sand and water. A few older children can describe objects by position, shape, size, colour and quantity. They are beginning to use mathematical terms of comparison such as, bigger, smaller and middle size. This is evident in their use of large and small construction equipment and working with jigsaws. The majority of children are unable to recognise number symbols by the time they are five. There are sufficient opportunities especially for the oldest in the reception group, to make

p.28

St Thomas’ CE School - 28

representations and write the number symbols correctly. Most children demonstrate limited knowledge and understanding to solve simple problems involving addition and subtraction, and vocabulary such as, add one more or take one more away, how many altogether and how many left.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 28

9. There is effective adult involvement in children’s activities and useful timely assessments made of the individual children’s progress. However, in the nursery children are not always challenged and helped to move forward through talk. Teachers plan suitable activities to consolidate the correct use of language involved. They also use number rhymes and songs to enhance learning.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 28

10. For most pupils under five, standards expected for their age in gaining knowledge and understanding of the world are below average. A few older children talk interestingly about their pets when questioned. The outside provision in the nursery is not effectively used to promote children’s knowledge through activities such as, digging or planting flowers in order to support their understanding of the idea of growth. Under fives in the nursery freely explore with sand, water and play-dough, but cannot yet explain clearly what they are doing. Such opportunities are not regularly provided to children in reception class. There are limited opportunities for children to explore with everyday objects of interest; as well as select from a variety of reclaimed materials to make imaginative models and develop skills, such as cutting, joining, folding and building. No cooking sessions were seen during the inspection. However, pupils in the nursery were given useful opportunities to

p.28

St Thomas’ CE School - 28

apply their senses, to carefully look at some animals and pets and talk about their food and habitat. Children in the reception class successfully learnt to name main parts of body and explain their functions. Most under- fives demonstrate satisfactory development of computer skills expected for their age.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 28

11. There is effective adult involvement in children’s activities and encouragement to explore new ideas. The science element of this area is suitably emphasised. Children are effectively supported in their understanding walks in the local environment. However, the stimulating nature displays to enhance children’s learning are lacking in both nursery and reception. Staff respond positively to pupils’ responses and provide appropriate explanations to the questions children ask.

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Physical development

12. The overall progress in the physical development of all the under-fives is generally satisfactory. Children are confident and well co-ordinated in the use of large play equipment such as bikes. In the nursery the spacious outside provision and the available outdoor resources are not used sufficiently well to promote the development of fine and gross motor skills through effectively planned activities, to progressively provide experience with skills such as running, riding, throwing and catching, balancing, climbing and jumping. The reception under-fives move imaginatively, demonstrating satisfactory body control and awareness of space. They can use construction toys and malleable materials with appropriate tools, and demonstrate reasonable hand and eye co-ordination. Children are beginning to follow simple diagrams to make models out of constructional equipment for example, mobilo. They are developing confidence in the use of different joining

p.29

Physical development

materials and tools such as scissors, glue and tape, for developing hand control and manipulative skills. Older children have a regular opportunity for singing games, PE and movement with music in the main school hall.

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Physical development

13. For a PE lesson in the hall, the teacher planned effectively to match tasks to her own expectations and children’s level of functioning and skill. They provide calm and sensitive support and show a good understanding of how young children learn. However, the outdoor provision to enhance children’s gross motor skills in the use of a range of large and small community toys and riding equipment such as bikes and climbing equipment is not planned in the same systematic way.

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Physical development

14. Most children show sound progress in all areas of creative learning. They experiment with paint and use their observations and imagination to create pleasing results. They are given opportunities to explore colour, texture, shape and form, through working with a wide range of materials to create collage and use construction toys to make models. Children sing and clap rhythms and express enjoyment. There are opportunities for children to explore sound and depict ideas and feelings through using percussion instruments, especially in the nursery.

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Physical development

15. The planning for under-fives’ curriculum is currently based on the nationally recommended areas of learning, incorporating the Desirable Outcomes by the age of five. The programme of work in place is effectively based on the advancement of children’s skills, knowledge and understanding related to the key areas of learning and future National Curriculum work. The teachers’ planning on long, medium and short-term basis is systematically linked to the required programme for the under fives children.

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Physical development

16. Resources for the under-fives are sufficient and accessible. These are well organised and used effectively for all areas of learning. The nursery classroom is spacious but not organised sufficiently into logically defined and visually attractive areas with stimulating and interactive displays to enhance children’s learning. Under fives in the reception class have direct access to an outside play area.

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Physical development

17. The overall provision for all under-fives is satisfactory.

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English

18. In the 1998 national tests for seven-year-olds the proportion of pupils achieving the national average in reading, writing and speaking and listening was well below national expectations. It is close to expectations in reading when compared to the performance of similar schools but below expectations in writing. The proportion of pupils achieving above national expectations in reading is close to the national average and well above in comparison to similar schools. In writing the proportion of pupils exceeding national expectations was below that achieved nationally but in line with similar schools. There is a significant difference in the performance of boys and girls. Girls achieved close to national expectations in reading and above the national average in writing. Boys achieved well below national expectations in both reading and writing. At the time of the inspection national comparisons for the 1999 tests for seven-year-olds were unavailable. However, the

p.30

English

figures for the school indicate that the proportion of pupils achieving national expectations in reading and writing had not improved.

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English

19. Despite this, evidence from the inspection shows that standards in reading and speaking and listening at the start of the current academic year are in line with national expectations overall. This is due to the effective teaching of the literacy hour and the well-targeted support provided in a planned programme addressing under- achievement. However standards still continue to be unsatisfactory in writing. Therefore, apart from writing, the school has maintained standards in English since the last inspection.

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English

20. In speaking and listening by the age of seven, the majority of pupils speak clearly and confidently. They listen attentively and can explain their reasoning, for example when justifying why they thought the recipe they were reading was to make gingerbread men. The majority of pupils make relevant response to teachers' questions, for example in circle time when discussing what made them special.

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English

21. By the age of seven the majority of pupils can read simple texts from the school reading scheme with a reasonable degree of confidence and fluency. They use a developing range of strategies to help them with unfamiliar words for example when reading saucepan for the first time they were able to break it down into its component parts. They are beginning to be able to talk about characters and their favourite parts of the story for example when reading ‘Sofia's Super Mother’. They are able to use these strategies when reading non fiction texts in other subjects, for example when studying Florence Nightingale in history and higher attainers are beginning to understand how to locate a book in the library and how to use an index and glossary. More experienced readers offer opinions about books and make comparisons with other books they have read. They read books such as ‘Third Time Lucky’ fluently with expression.

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English

22. By the age of seven the majority of pupils are able to write simple stories with a beginning middle and end. They write for a range of purposes, for example writing a letter to Georgie Grubb, a character in a story they are reading, to suggest ways he could keep clean. They write suggestions in science about how they will keep healthy and book reviews in response to stories they read. They are able to use capital letters and full stops with increasing accuracy. Spelling of simple words is sometimes correct. However their work often lacks imagination and ideas are rarely developed into a sequence of sentences. Much of their writing consists of one or two sentences only. The school is aware that there is a need for pupils to have opportunities to write at length and these are now planned into the timetable. However it is too soon for this to have had an effect on standards

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English

23. The majority of pupils make satisfactory progress in all aspects of English at Key Stage 1. In Year 1 pupils listen attentively and are beginning to make appropriate responses, for example when talking about how they have changed since babyhood. In Year 2 pupils are able to use their developing vocabulary to discuss the life of Florence Nightingale and how it was different from their own. They are able to act out scenes from her life confidently.

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24. In reading pupils make steady progress through the school reading scheme supplemented by big books to share in class and books form the infant library. The school's literacy strategy is providing good opportunities for pupils to read and discuss more challenging texts such as ‘Farmer Duck’ than they would have on their own. Pupils in Year 1 are developing the ability to respond to punctuation such as exclamation marks in their reading. They are beginning to be able to identify final consonants, distinguishing successfully between words that end in ‘p’ or ‘d’. Pupils in Year 2 are developing the ability to identify vowels and consonants accurately. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress throughout the key stage because of the very good support they receive and because tasks are well matched to their needs.

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25. Progress in writing across the key stage is satisfactory. The younger pupils are consolidating their handwriting skills and developing their ability to spell monosyllabic words using initial sounds, for example in geography when writing about their favourite leisure activity. Older pupils are using their writing skills in real situations, for example writing the minutes of the school council meeting. However, there are still too few opportunities for younger pupils to write freely and at length or for older pupils to plan and draft their work This has not improved sufficiently since the last inspection.

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26. In the 1998 national tests for eleven-year-olds, the proportion of pupils achieving the national expectation was below that achieved nationally but about average when compared to the performance of similar schools. The proportion of pupils achieving above national expectations was below average. There was no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. At the time of the inspection national comparisons for the 1999 tests were unavailable, but the school’s results show a significant improvement on the 1998 results with over two thirds of the pupils achieving the expected levels. Therefore the school has maintained standards in English at Key Stage 2 since the last inspection.

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27. This improvement is borne out by the evidence from the inspection, which shows that by the age of eleven standards of attainment are in line with national expectations. The structured approach of the school’s literacy strategy has led to the explicit teaching of reading and writing. This linked to the use of challenging texts such as ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and a specific programme to develop the ability to write at length has led to the improvement in pupils’ attainment.

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28. In speaking and listening the majority of pupils by the age of eleven are aware of the characteristics of standard English and when to use it both in their own speech and in their writing. They understand there are a variety of different dialects in English and know when it is appropriate to both speak and write in dialect forms. They are able to express their opinions clearly, for example when discussing the use of personification in the poem, ‘The Lady of Shallot’. They are beginning to adapt their speech to a range of different situations, such as presenting in assembly or putting a point of view in school council, but this aspect of speaking and listening is underdeveloped.

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29. The majority of pupils are able to read a range of texts, both fiction and non-fiction using a wide range of strategies with accuracy and developing fluency and expression. They are able to summarise the main points of a story such as ‘The Northern Lights’ by Philip Pullman, predict what will happen next with reference to the what has gone before and discuss characters and suggest reasons for their actions. When reading a poem such as ‘The Listeners’ they are able to describe how the poet creates a particular effect with words and can use terms such as alliteration accurately. They know how to use reference books and dictionaries, for example looking up both the original and new meaning of words such as “wicked” and “cool”. They know the classification system used in the library and can use an index and glossary effectively to find information.

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30. Pupils are able to write for an increasing number of purposes such as stories letters and play scripts, for example, converting a chapter from ‘George’s Marvelous Medicine’ into a scene for a play. They are able to retell part of the story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in both the format of a personal diary and in a letter from one of the characters to Rome. The majority of pupils are able use their writing skills in different subjects, for example recording results from a scientific experiment in chart form and making notes and jottings for the design of their murals in design technology. Higher attainers are beginning to adapt their writing for different readers. Most pupils write with a fluent joined script and use a range of punctuation accurately. Spelling is usually correct, although the range of vocabulary is not always imaginative.

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31. The majority of pupils make satisfactory progress in all aspects of English. Pupils have opportunities to improve their writing through editing and redrafting for example working on a first draft of their letter from Father Lawrence to Romeo they were encouraged to think of more imaginative vocabulary as well as to improve punctuation and spelling. Occasionally pupils make very good progress in lessons. This is directly linked to very good teaching. This presents challenging activities such as writing a shared fairy story entitled ‘George and the Dragons’ developing the use of direct speech. Progress when the whole class is working together is usually good because pupils are attentive and well motivated to learn. Teachers effectively use open-ended questions which lead pupils to give detailed explanations and extend their thinking. Progress when pupils are working independently is not always satisfactory.

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32. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make good progress because of the effective support they receive. The practice of introducing pupils in the early stages of learning English to the content of a lesson before the rest of the class is particularly successful in ensuring they are able to participate fully in lessons and make good progress.

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33. Pupils’ attitudes to learning English in both key stages are good overall and in some cases, very good. They are never less than satisfactory. Pupils in both key stages listen attentively and respond enthusiastically and thoughtfully to questions for example when selecting interesting and imaginative vocabulary in preparation for writing their own poetry. Where attitudes are very good pupils are confident to ask questions, work well independently and cooperate effectively for example when working in a group to think of different words for “said”. Many pupils in Key Stage 2 respond less well when required to work independently finding it difficult to settle to the task and work with sustained concentration. This means they frequently do not complete the task set.

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34. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is good overall and there is no unsatisfactory teaching. There is some very good teaching. Good features in teaching include the effective use of questioning which is targeted to include all pupils, for example when asking pupils which letters are vowels and which are consonants. It is used well to check pupils’ understanding and to encourage them to explain their thinking. There are well planned independent activities which effectively grow from the work done by the whole class together for example putting the recipe for gingerbread men in the right order. Classroom assistants are used very successfully, not only to support pupils when they are working independently, but also to help them follow the text and answer questions when the whole class is working together. The very good teaching is characterised by very effective preparation of pupils to read a new book, The Barbecue, by themselves.

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35. In Key Stage 2 the quality of teaching is good overall and there is no unsatisfactory teaching. In some of the lessons seen it was very good. In the best teaching there is detailed planning with very clear learning intentions. Pupils know what they are to learn and why. There are clear explanations and teachers give very effective demonstrations, for example of how to write in the style of a fairy tale. Lessons move at a brisk pace and are well structured. Questioning is very good. For example it was used very effectively in a lesson on the poem ‘Talking Turkeys’ by Benjamin Zephaniah. Pupils were encouraged to give their opinions, and to make reference to the poem and other poems they knew to substantiate their views. There is very clear feedback given to pupils to enable them to improve. For example in a group reading session about the poem, The Listeners pupils learnt how to improve the quality of their reading aloud as well as how to infer the meaning of

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parts of a poem which are not made explicit. Work is planned so that pupils of all abilities can achieve well. Classroom assistants are used effectively in the whole class sessions to support pupils with special educational needs who therefore make good progress.

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36. The school’s literacy strategy is having a significant impact on standards in both key stages . It has been well coordinated and well supported by the school’s senior management. The coordinator has ensured that there are sufficient challenging good quality texts for group reading in both key stages. She has organised effectively into a whole school scheme for reading. This has supported the drive to raise standards very well. However, there are too few big books for whole class work in the infant department and both libraries have too few interesting books to support the development of a culture of reading for enjoyment throughout the school. Few pupils in Key Stage 2 borrow books from the library and hardly any take books home to read.

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37. Since the time of the previous inspection, standards in mathematics have improved. More attention is now given to work on investigative and problem solving activities and to ensuring a better match of work to the needs of higher attaining pupils.

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38. The results of the 1998 National Curriculum assessments by the end of Key Stage 1 are well below the national average and below the average in comparison to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The percentage of pupils attaining level 3, the higher level, is below the national average and broadly in line with average for similar schools.

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39. In Key Stage 2 national assessments for the 1998 cohort, the results are well below the national average for the percentage of pupils reaching level 4, and broadly average when compared to similar schools. But for level 5, it is below average when compared to all schools nationally and above average in comparison to similar schools. The overall attainment of the majority of pupils in the previous reporting Year 1997 was close to national average at both stages. It is important to note that the cohorts in both key stages in 1998 were too small to make reliable comparisons with previous years. The unreported results of 1999 show a significantly higher percentage of pupils attaining or exceeding the expected levels in both key stages. There is an overall improvement of 11% in Key Stage 1 and 26% in Key Stage 2. However, the national comparisons for the 1999 assessments are not available yet. An analysis of results over recent years shows that there is a

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significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. Girls perform better than boys especially at Key Stage 1.

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40. At the time of inspection the school was in its fifth week of working with the National Numeracy Strategy for the first time. The inspection findings are that pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages is close to the national average. There are definite signs of improvement and most of Year 2 and Year 6 pupils are on track to reach national averages, particularly in number and algebra. Pupils’ skills in numeracy make a positive contribution to pupils’ attainment and progress in other subjects.

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41. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils count sets of objects accurately and solve simple problems. They confidently recall addition and subtraction facts to 10, while some pupils continue up to 20 and show a developing awareness of place value. Most pupils have recognise simple relationships and patterns and identify halves and quarters in numbers and shapes. They have begun to recognise and use coins and apply knowledge of numbers in practical situations such as, shopping. Most pupils are secure, confident and speedy in their mental calculations. They display satisfactory problem solving skills when working with everyday real life situations. Pupils have adequate knowledge of two and three-dimensional shapes. Overall, pupils measuring skills are less well developed and many lack confident at explaining their work. There is little evidence of computers being used to extend learning, but simple computer programs are used to consolidate

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42. Pupils in Key Stage 2, have understanding of place value in numbers up to 1000. They multiply and divide whole numbers by 10 and use written computation with four operations. They add and subtract decimals to two places. Most pupils use mental recall of 2, 5 and 10 times tables in whole number problems involving multiplication and division including those with remainders. Pupils confidently use four operations to solve money and measure problems and employ a range of strategies to use the four operations effectively. Most pupils are able to identify and recognise the properties of common two-dimensional shapes and draw them variously orientated, on grids, but their ability to solve problems and to use units of length, capacity and time in practical contexts is limited. Pupils understand how to use and interpret simple data in bar graphs. However, skills in data handling are not well developed. Many pupils are not sure when to use different types

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of graphs. Pupils make insufficient use of IT for data handling.

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43. Pupils are making good progress over their time in school. Pupils experience a range of mathematical activities and emphasis is placed on application of knowledge and rapid acquisition of numeracy skills. Pupils with Special Educational Needs and those with English as an additional language, make equally good progress. Their progress accelerates where tasks are closely matched to individual stages of development and learning can proceed in progressive, manageable steps. Pupils in reception class are learning to match and sort objects, explore numbers and count groups of objects accurately. Year 1 pupils practice rapid recall of numbers ‘bigger’ and ‘smaller’, and Year 2 show how to apply their knowledge of coins in adding the cost of two items. With the exception of a few, most can accurately record their answers. Year 3 pupils are gaining an understanding of multiples of 5 and 10 to a 100 square. Most are beginning to measure with an acceptable

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degree of accuracy in centimetres. Year4 pupils are developing the accurate use of millimetres in measurement. The organisation of teaching in ability sets for Years 5 and 6 successfully contributes to good progress in lessons. Pupils in these groups show increased competence in the use of different strategies to analyse and solve problems. They demonstrate developing confidence to explain their work and record with improved understanding.

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44. Pupils’ attitudes in mathematics are mostly good. They persevere and approach the tasks with good interest and enjoyment, when provided with challenging opportunities, with ‘hands on’ component and appropriate real life situations. Most adopt good work habits and collaborate well in pairs and groups. Presentation of work is generally good. Most pupils apply themselves well to their task and are willing to ask questions and communicate what they have learnt. Relationships are good and promote effective learning.

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45. The quality of teaching in mathematics is mainly good in both key stages. Teachers have good knowledge of the subject and appropriate expectations of work and behaviour. They use suitable teaching methods and effective organisational strategies. Where teaching is best, teachers provide brisk pace, clear purposes and tasks are well matched to provide pupils with challenges. Their teaching approaches include effective exposition, good quality discussion and opportunities for consolidation and practical work. Teachers’ day-to- day assessment of pupils’ work is purposeful and marking of pupils’ work is generally positive and completed regularly, but this is not always diagnostic. Teachers use assessment to inform future planning of pupils’ work, but do not effectively relate to the levels in the National Curriculum, in order to benefit pupils’ standards of attainment. A suitable amount of homework is set to extend what is learnt in school and this

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helps to consolidate pupils’ understanding.

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46. Throughout the school mathematics is taught as one activity. The school has a recently developed policy and adopted the nationally recommended schemes of work to provide an overview of expectations in all aspects of mathematics. Teachers also use published schemes to guide them. There is sometimes an over-reliance on pre-prepared photocopied work sheets, which to some extent limits the breadth and the range of ‘hands on experience’ opportunities most necessary for mathematical learning.

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47. The school is aware of the need to raise standards, and the successful implementation of the numeracy strategy is a move to the right direction. The teachers are broadly following its structure. The co-ordinator is hard working and enthusiastic. Mathematics has been a focus for development. Results of school’s own assessments are analysed and used to set individual targets. There are sound systems for monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress as they move through the school. However, insufficient attention is given to the systematic assessment of pupils’ work against National Curriculum levels and its analysis, in order to provide correct match of task to pupils’ abilities. The end of year reports show what pupils have achieved and generally identify what they need to do next. There are sufficient resources effectively organised for ease of access. Each classroom is equipped with a range of basic practical equipment.

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48. Pupil’s attainment in science at the age of eleven is satisfactory. The latest (unreported) SATs scores indicate a major improvement over the last year, although achievement in the 1998 tests was well below the national average, and was below the average for similar schools. Junior children are able to make appropriate predictions and relate their knowledge to their conclusions. A group testing the effect of exercise on their pulse rate demonstrated an understanding of the underlying physiology, a knowledge of what was needed to carry out a controlled scientific investigation, and good recording skills. A younger group, with limited background knowledge, was able to respond to suggestions, make simple predictions, and record their observations with simple Carroll diagrams. Attainment by the age of seven is currently unsatisfactory. Examples were seen of good scientific work by infants’ pupils, for example a good investigation by an able

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year two pupil on static electricity. On the whole, however, pupils’ work in science in the last school year was sparse and over-dependent on closed worksheets. It did not systematically address the scheme of work. In particular, this work failed to demonstrate any development in understanding of scientific methodology. Lessons seen in infants’ classes during the inspection provided insufficient evidence of current attainment, although at this early stage in the school year children were already applying some recording skills which contributed to their numeracy, and will help them to approach their future work in a scientific way.

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49. Progress, while it has been unsatisfactory in the infants, is good through the junior classes. Most pupils approach their work with enthusiasm and commitment, although in one class, progress was adversely affected through the failure of some children to settle productively to their independent investigation. Pupils were mostly extended by the tasks in the lessons seen, and in one class, differing interpretations of their findings were the basis of a useful discussion leading them towards full understanding.

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50. The teaching of science is now satisfactory in the infants’ school. It shows sufficient imagination and enthusiasm to reverse the unsatisfactory attainment. Teaching is good overall in the junior classes, where there is a strong emphasis on the development of scientific thinking. In one class where practical difficulties arose during an experiment to test the comparative viscosity of certain liquids, a very good review of the work at the end of the lesson drew effective evaluative lessons. The teacher helped the pupils to reflect on how they had designed their investigations in a way that offered further insights to the children, which would improve their future work. Explanations were clear but demanded a good level of understanding. A very good interaction with a less able group drew out though patient open questioning their understanding of how sugar affects dental health. Lessons were well sequenced.

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51. The school has recently changed from its own scheme of work to that provided by QCA. This ensures coverage of the national curriculum requirements, although monitoring of coverage at Key Stage one last year was inadequate. Resources for science are good, although the labelled sets have not yet been re-matched to the QCA curriculum. Assessment is based on differentiated expectations for each QCA work unit, and this together with the use of end of year QCA tests, has made prediction and target setting easier and more accurate. The science co-ordinator is new to the post this term, but is already bringing a high level of enthusiastic subject knowledge to her task, and has established realistic personal targets for achieving the immediate priorities. Since the previous inspection standards overall have been maintained, although standards at Key Stage 1 have declined.

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Information and communications technology

52. By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment is inline with the national expectations. The school has maintained the satisfactory standards achieved at the time of the last report. Moreover, some good quality equipment has been bought to improve provision and teaching discrete information communication technology (ICT) skills. Pupils in both key stages demonstrate general technological awareness and confidence in the use of control technologies. They are also familiar with the use of video recorders and video cameras.

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Information and communications technology

53. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have satisfactory knowledge of control devices and that information can be recorded in ways other than written. They can create simple sentences and recognise some of the features of word processed text. However, their skills to programme control devices and use computers to classify information and create simple graphs are not sufficiently developed.

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Information and communications technology

54. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are beginning to use word-processing and drawing skills. This work is effective in developing language and literacy skills. Most pupils understand the basic format of the computers and load appropriate programs with confidence. They use keyboard and mouse competently to control the machine and to input data saving and printing the results as necessary. Many however, lack appropriate skills to use the controls of the programs to amend and add to their data. A few higher attaining pupils show good levels of understanding of the computers and confidence to successfully explore new programs. However, opportunities to provide extension work to help develop a more versatile range of skills linked to a range of National Curriculum subjects are limited.

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55. The current rates of progress are satisfactory across both key stages, including that made by pupils with special educational needs. Although many pupils have computers at home, there are those who start school with very little experience. The youngest pupils learn the names for the component parts of a computer. Pupils in Year 1 use mouse accurately and by the time they reach Year 2, they build on their familiarity with computers, communicate through painting and drawing, and learn the routines associated with printing and saving their work. Pupils in Key Stage 1, develop their familiarity and use with ‘icons’. Year 3 and 4 pupils learn the routine concerned with the use of mouse or ‘shift’ key to highlight text and change size and style when editing. Years 5 and 6 alter text by moving blocks from one place to another when using a word processing package. They investigate parallels with use of Information and communications technology in the

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wider world and consider the effects of graphics in advertising. They learn how to upgrade the school logo by using the scanner. In both key stages, pupils’ skills of accessing data and the ability to navigate a CD-ROM using appropriate search techniques are not sufficiently developed.

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56. Pupils’ attitudes towards Information and communications technology are good. They enjoy using the computer and work independently with suitable software, taking increased responsibility for their learning. Most pupils successfully share the control of the program when working in pairs.

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57. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, mainly reflecting the teachers’ subject knowledge and expertise. Teachers generally make effective use of computers in their rooms for structured teaching of IT. Pupils are given suitable opportunities to use computers, but the use of database program and its application to help manage and sort through information across the curriculum, is inconsistent.

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58. The confidence and expertise of teachers is boosted through appropriate training and support by the co- ordinator in teaching and developing the subject across the curriculum. The school is attempting to improve standards through a clear focus on planning and implementation of skills framework. The new scheme of work is being effectively implemented to ensure a good range of Information and communications technology opportunities for all pupils. Pupils are currently presented with a balanced Information and communications technology with full coverage of the National Curriculum Programme of Study. Lessons in IT concentrate on the basic skills and this is beginning to be effective. However, the school has not yet developed strategies to assess and record pupils’ progress with reference to the National Curriculum requirements. The monitoring role of the co-ordinator is not yet fully developed.

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59. Good use is made of the audio visual aids available in school. Access to computers by the pupils is good and well organised. The school has plans to further enlarge its Information and communications technology resources with more machines and Internet facility. The provision of a consistent system of computers through the school has the potential to deliver smoother and more rapid progress for pupils.

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60. Pupils attain in line with their age and ability in art throughout the school. They use a range of media, including paint, various drawing media, collage, clay, fabric and print. Children are taught to use a range of techniques, and older children are able to sustain their concentration over a long lesson. Artists from western and other cultures are used as a demonstration resource, and children respond to them observantly and sensitively. The youngest children produce work independently. Collages of plates of food by reception pupils provided a good example of children choosing interesting and original ways to represent their favourites. Children in this class also painted lively and distinctive family groups. Another group of children learning to mix colours were able confidently to discuss what they are doing. Older children produced sophisticated pencil drawn details from historical portraits by artists such as Holbein, and were able to

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accurately reproduce tonal values using pencils of different grades. Another older class studied work by William Morris before producing their own decorative art starting with accurate lie drawings of plants, and progressing from there to colourful pastel interpretations. Pupils’ sketchbooks showed some acceptable work,

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but they are not being used as productively as they might and do not offer the opportunity to assess progress.

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61. The teaching of art is good overall, with particular strengths in the junior classes. Expectations are made clear to the pupils, and lessons end with evaluative reviews of children’s work in which the children themselves participate thoughtfully.

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62. There is a very detailed scheme of work for the subject, which, if followed in full, would offer comprehensive coverage of the subject. The recently appointed co-ordinator is to monitor the extent of coverage and monitor the work in sketchbooks. However, there is no assessment of art at present. The school is appropriately resourced and a sink in every classroom ensures that the subject may be conveniently taught as a class lesson. The subject, with its overt reference to a range of cultures, contributes significantly to the cultural development of the children. There have been no recent visits to galleries, but some are planned for this term, and reproductions are used in the school. The school is participating in two large scale art projects; the older children are producing a playground mosaic with community support, and the younger classes are contributing to a millennium banner project organised by the diocesan board for education.

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Design technology

63. During the course of the inspection only one lesson in design and technology was timetabled, and limited DT work was available for scrutiny. Hence, due to insufficient evidence, no judgement has been made on pupils’ standards of work and progress across the school in design and technology.

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Design technology

64. The interaction with a few pupils in Year 6 indicates that there is appropriate emphasis on the design aspect of the subject and on pupils’ ability to assess and improve the quality of their completed products. Younger pupils work with a range of constructional equipment such as, lego, mobilo etc to develop early making skills. Some use is made of food technology for the youngest in Key Stage 1. There are no examples of using computers in the design process.

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Design technology

65. Year 3 were observed working on disassembling a number of different sandwiches, recording their descriptive appearance, smell, taste and texture and making decisions on the variety of fillings and type of bread used, in preparation for making the sandwich of their own choice.

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Design technology

66. Based on the above lesson, the attitude and response of pupils towards learning is good. They enjoy design and technology and work collaboratively in pairs and small groups. They bring their own ideas and skills well to the tasks. They work hard and take pride in their work.

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Design technology

67. The quality of teaching in the lesson observed was very good. The class teacher carefully organised the lessons and took sufficient time to teach correct techniques and appropriate vocabulary. Pupils were guided effectively in their choice of materials and techniques; as a result, they made good progress in acquiring appropriate skills. The teacher carefully focused on the development of safe and controlled skills. The ongoing assessment procedures were well used to inform the planning of work.

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Design technology

68. Insofar as design and technology has a relatively low profile with in the school curriculum, and the time allocated to the subject is low, there has been a decline in DT provision since the last inspection. However, the school now has a policy recently formulated, and has adopted the nationally recommended schemes of work to systematically plan for coverage and progression across the school. The co-ordinator uses her expertise to good effect in supporting and guiding colleagues. She is enthusiastic and has clear direction for the subject. The monitoring role of the co-ordinator is not fully developed. Resources in the subject are satisfactory in range and quality to meet the demands of the curriculum. The available resources are centralised and also made available in the classrooms.

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Geography

69. Geography is taught on a blocked basis, alternating with history. During the inspection, it was not being taught in most classes. As with the previous inspection, there is limited evidence on which to base judgements about standards. Only one lesson was seen, in an infant class. This was a very well taught lesson, in which pupils focused on local leisure activities as part of a neighbourhood study. The pupils made good progress in this lesson due to clearly planned objectives and well targeted support.

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Geography

70. No lessons were seen involving junior pupils. An inspector discussed aspects of the previous year’s scheme of work with a small group of year six pupils. They displayed limited knowledge of the Caribbean village they had studied, being unable to describe the landscape or draw relevant comparisons with their own area. They were aware that the economy was based on agriculture. They showed little understanding of the issues raised in a survey of traffic in the local high street, and had not been on a field visit. Two out of the three children interviewed were unable to identify Europe on a map of the world. They were not able to apply geographical skills to the interpretation of aerial photographs of geographical features. A scrutiny of pupils’ work in geography showed insufficient work to enable a confident judgement about standards in Key Stage 1.

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Geography

71. Resources are poorly organised, and do not relate directly to the recently adopted QCA scheme of work. Geography is only allocated 2% of curriculum time, and this would account for low levels of learning in the subject. The school is rightly focusing on literacy and numeracy. Nevertheless, on the basis of the limited evidence available during the inspection, it is clear that there is scope for improvement in geography.

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History

72. During the inspection most evidence was gathered from the junior classes. It was possible to observe history only in one class at Key Stage 1. Evidence from the work seen, teachers’ planning and samples of pupils’ work show that the standards pupils attain throughout the Key Stage are just in line with expectations for their age. Pupils are beginning to find out about the past from different sources, have a good knowledge about some important people and events in history like the Gunpowder Plot and Grace Darling. They are developing an awareness of dates and the passing of time. For example in a study of the life and times of Florence Nightingale they found out about her life from a video and from reading about her form a book. They were able to say how long ago she lived and were clear that there were differences between then and now. However there is no evidence that pupils use sources of information such as contemporary pictures to learn about the

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History

past. This is similar to the findings from the previous inspection.

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History

73. There was insufficient evidence on which to base a secure judgement about pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1. The pupils observed made good progress in extending their understanding about of life in the past through a well planned drama activity. They enjoyed their history lesson, listening attentively and joining in with the reading of the text. They were keen to demonstrate what they knew.

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History

74. Throughout Key Stage 2 the standards pupils attain are also just in line with that expected for their age. They are able to compare and contrast life in the past with life in the present for example when studying Victorian homes they are able to identify differences between a Victorian home and a modern home and present the information in chart from. However pupils are less able to organise their findings into a structured piece of writing or to explain the reasons for different interpretations of past events. They are able to use a range of sources of evidence such as contemporary newspapers and pictures as well as reference books to find information about the past, for example when studying the second world war or the Egyptians. However they have little understanding of the difference between a primary or secondary source of evidence. They have a sound awareness of dates and the passing of time. They are able to place a sequence of dates accurately on a

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History

timeline of the Victorian era, use appropriate vocabulary such as century when describing the passing of time and know what abbreviations such as AD and BC stand for.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 40

75. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make generally make satisfactory progress in developing appropriate skills, understanding and knowledge in lessons. Pupils with Special Educational Needs make good progress because of the effective support they receive from teaching assistants enabling them to answer question and complete tasks set. However progress over time is unsatisfactory because there have been no planned opportunities for pupils to find reasons for the way events happen or to structure an historical argument and substantiate it with evidence from a range of sources. The school has now adopted a scheme of work which will address these issues but there has been too little time for it to have been effective.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 40

76. Pupils in both key stages are interested in history. They listen carefully to explanations and are keen to offer suggestions. They cooperate well, for example when discussing the role of women in Ancient Egypt or in preparing questions for a reporter at the time the Great Fire of London. However, many pupils in the junior department find it difficult to settle with sustained concentration to independent tasks. This results in too little work being completed and affects their rate of progress.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 40

77. There is insufficient evidence to make a firm judgement about the quality of teaching in Key Stage 1. However, from the lesson observed, subject knowledge is good and there is a clear emphasis on the development of appropriate skills as well as knowledge

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St Thomas’ CE School - 40

78. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 is satisfactory. Planning is effective and clearly identifies what the pupils are to learn. Questions are used well for example to encourage the pupils to state the source of their information about Ancient Egypt in order to extend their understanding of ways of finding out about the past. There is however no planned assessment, although teachers check pupils’ understanding appropriately in lessons. Activities are interesting and use skills learnt in the literacy hour when appropriate. There is an appropriate balance between developing knowledge and historical skills. However, occasionally, teachers’ subject knowledge is insecure and the activities planned do not reinforce or develop these skills effectively.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 40

79. At present there is no coordinator for history and this adversely effects the quality of the provision. Too little time is allocated to the subject, which makes it difficult to cover the topics in the new scheme of work in appropriate depth, especially at Key Stage 2. The school has no historical artefacts and other resources are barely adequate to support the planned curriculum. However, the school makes good use of resources borrowed from the local professional development centre.

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Music

80. During the inspection it was only possible to observe music taking place in one class in Key Stage 1. However, evidence form this lesson, from assemblies, from teachers’ planning and from listening to pupils’ compositions on tape shows that the standards pupils attain is above expectations for their age. They sing such songs as Coconut Woman and Tantie Mary well in tune pronouncing the words clearly. They are able to clap the rhythm of a word pattern accurately and create a simple group composition using percussion instruments with contrasting fast and slow sections.

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Music

81. All pupils make good progress because activities are challenging and well planned to build on previous learning. For example from a simple beginning based on clapping the words red and yellow, pupils were able to perform an extended rhythmic pattern using instruments and incorporating accurately observed silences. To do this they were able to read from a very simple form of notation. They are given opportunities to improve their performing skills.

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Music

82. Pupils throughout Key Stage 2 achieve standards above expectations for their age. Their singing is in tune, well phrased and expressive. For example, when singing, ‘Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God’ in assembly they were able to sing confidently and accurately in two parts. They are able to use their understanding of musical structure in their compositions, for example creating extended pieces with several contrasting sections

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St Thomas’ CE School - 41

in celebration of Chinese New Year. They have a good understanding of rhythm using complex rhythmic patterns in their accompaniments to their own songs. Standards have improved since the last inspection.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 41

83. Pupils make good progress through the key stage. They show a developing understanding of musical styles from different ages and cultures which is reflected in the performances of their own gamelan and calypso music and they show increasing competence in performance techniques. This good progress is because of the high expectations that are set.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 41

84. Pupils throughout the school enjoy music. They sing with evident enthusiasm, often spontaneously out of lessons and perform with sustained concentration and control. Both boys and girls take a full part in singing and listen attentively when music from a variety of cultures is played in assembly. When using instruments or composing whether in a class or in a group they are self disciplined. They are keen to voice their ideas and listen to those of others with respect. For example many vocal sounds were suggested when developing a class composition base on the song ‘Pepper Jo's Trillenium Layer Cake’. Pupils, especially those in the steel band, show a very good willingness to persevere even when the task is challenging.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 41

85. There is insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement about teaching at either key stage. However, a scrutiny of teachers’ planning shows a very good level of subject expertise. Planning clearly identifies what pupils across both key stages should learn. It demonstrates that pupils achieve good opportunities to compose in a variety of styles ranging from the renaissance to samba. There are challenging activities which build well on previous learning, for instance Year 4 working in pairs compose riffs on tuned percussion and use a call and response structure to invent their own syncopated rhythms based on the song Water come a me eye. There are opportunities for pupils to listen to music from a variety of different cultures and to develop their understanding of pitch, rhythm and the quality and texture of sound. Opportunities for teachers and pupils to assess the quality and attainment of their work are built in to the planning. In the lessons observed in both key

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St Thomas’ CE School - 41

stages teachers demonstrated good subject knowledge.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 41

86. Although there is no scheme of work as such, the detailed planning is effective in ensuring future experiences are built on previous learning. The amount of time allocated to music is appropriate given that there are opportunities for listening and singing in assembly. However, although the music in assembly is from a variety of cultures this is not made explicit to the pupils who are not aware even of the title or composer. This music is used to create a period of quiet reflection but pupils are not given the opportunity to consider how music contributes to spiritual growth. Therefore in assembly music does not contribute sufficiently to pupils’ spiritual or cultural development. In this respect there has not been enough improvement since the previous inspection.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 41

87. The provision for music is considerably enhanced by the opportunity for pupils in Key Stage 2 to learn to play in the steel band. The high quality of the tuition has a very positive impact on the good standards achieved.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 41

88. Physical education has not had a high priority in the school, and this is reflected in below average attainment. Although satisfactory progress was made in most lessons observed, there is no evidence of significant progress over time. This is evident, for example, in the heavy-footed movement and poorly developed gymnastic skills, such as landing and sustained control, observed during a lesson with older pupils, in which even some natural gymnasts lacked refinement in their technique. However, the pupils display a good attitude to learning PE, and are beginning to make evaluative judgements about their own work and those of classmates. In this respect, there has been some improvement since the last inspection, although standards achieved appear to have fallen. In some lessons, noise levels presented a problem.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 42

89. The PE curriculum is based on a scheme of work which is thorough in its coverage of gymnastics, athletics and games. In the absence of a PE co-ordinator, the scheme of work is not fully monitored. The scheme of work does not include any reference to outdoor and adventurous activity, although the older pupils who went on school journey received some very good experiences in this respect. There is no reference to dance either, although the most successful lessons seen during the inspection were both based on dance. An older group collaborated well in a representation of kites and their controllers. Infants’ class made good use of a broadcast lesson, enhanced by the teacher’s input, which kept the lesson focussed on its objectives.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 42

90. The teaching of PE was generally good, and this ensured that pupils made progress during the lessons seen, although from a low baseline. Lessons all included an appropriate warm-up and ‘cool-down’ period. Teachers’ commentary was generally helpful, and lessons were mostly well sequenced to increase skills levels. Teachers display adequate subject knowledge, and this is being enhanced through in-service training through the ‘TOPS sports’ scheme.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 42

91. Pupils from Years 3 and 4 are taken for a weekly swimming lesson at a local public pool, and most learn to swim during that time, with 60% obtaining certificates for swimming 25 metres or further. Children from the school achieved seventh place in the borough swimming gala, and also take part in borough organised cricket, football and athletics competitions, all with mixed teams.

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St Thomas’ CE School - 42

92. Although the site imposes some restrictions, resources and accommodation are adequate for the teaching of the subject.

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

93. In all 59 observations, occupying 36.5 hours, were made by the team of four inspectors. These were mainly visits to lessons, but also included work with individuals or groups. A number of children were heard read, and these pupils also discussed their reading with the inspectors. In some cases they were asked to demonstrate their skills of accessing information from books. Checks were also made of pupils’ numeracy and IT skills. The inspection team maintained a continual informal dialogue with pupils, both in classrooms and in other situations such as mealtimes. Substantial formal interviews with staff provided information about subject management, and co-ordination of other aspects of the school's work. The headteacher was interviewed on a number of occasions. He provided information on a diverse range of topics. Twenty-one sets of individual pupil’s were scrutinised to establish progression, standards of written work, and the quality

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

of marking. This sample represented the full range of ability. Some pupils now in year seven kindly brought back their year six books to enable us to complete the picture. In addition, inspectors spoke to a range of school governors, and non-teaching staff. The school provided a large range of supporting documentation, including the development plan, the action plan following the previous inspection, minutes of governors' meetings, curriculum policies and planning documents, and statistical information about the school. Thirty- three response forms were received from parents, and the parents' meeting before the inspection was attended by 16 parents

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Pupil data

Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school's register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals YR – Y6 177 3 66 (16 levels 3-5) 87 Nursery Unit/School 27 0 2 12

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Qualified teachers (YR – Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 10.3 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.2

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Total number of education support staff 11 Total aggregate hours worked each week 195.5

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Qualified teachers (Nursery school, classes or unit)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27

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Education support staff (Nursery school, classes or unit)

Total number of education support staff 2 Total aggregate hours worked each week 55

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Financial data

£ Total Income 545640 Total Expenditure 553907 Expenditure per pupil 2809 Balance brought forward from previous year 13090 Balance carried forward to next year 4823

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Number of questionnaires sent out: 209 Number of questionnaires returned: 33

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Responses (percentage of answers in each category) :

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 36 52 6 3 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 48 48 0 3 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school handles complaints from parents well 18 67 9 3 0 The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 39 48 12 0 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)'s progress 24 61 15 0 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 36 55 3 0 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 27 39 27 6 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 36 48 6 3 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school's values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 33 64 0 0 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 27 58 12 0 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

My child(ren) like(s) school 48 48 3 0 0

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