Great Crosby Catholic Primary School

Dates of inspection: 25 th to 27 th January 2000

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

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 1 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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Type of school: Primary with Nursery Class

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School address: The Northern Road Crosby Liverpool Postcode: L23 2RQ

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Appropriate authority: The governing body

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Name of chair of governors: Monsignor J Furnival

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Date of previous inspection: 20 th to 24 th May 1996 Great Crosby RC Primary School - 2 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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Team members K Cassidy Registered inspector W Twiss Lay inspector D Cliff Team inspector M Hamby Team inspector

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Primary Contract Services Limited 14 Inkerman Drive High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP15 7JJ

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

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The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Great Crosby RC Primary School - 3 REPORT CONTENTS Page

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

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PART B: COMMENTARY

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 16

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PART B: COMMENTARY

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17 - 20 Great Crosby RC Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Great Crosby Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, is situated in Crosby, near Liverpool. It serves the parishes of Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Helen. It is very large for a primary school and has 21 classes in addition to the nursery class. There are 648 pupils on roll in the primary school, with a further 30 in the nursery class, with few pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds. There are 126 pupils on the special educational needs register and of these 9 have a statement of special educational needs. Overall attainment on entry ranges from broadly average, to above average. Only a tiny proportion of the pupils have English as a second language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The standards achieved by the pupils throughout the school are very impressive. For example, in the national tests for 7 year olds in 1999, the pupils’ results in reading were very high, and in mathematics and writing, were well above the national average. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher level 3 in reading and mathematics, was well above the national average, both in comparison with all schools, and with schools with a similar intake. The picture for the eleven year olds, shows that the results in the national tests in English, mathematics and science, were well above average when compared with all schools nationally. When compared to schools with a similar intake, the results in mathematics were well above average, and above average in English and science. In English and science, the percentage of pupils achieving the higher level 5 was above the average for similar schools, and in mathematics, it was broadly in line with the average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Overall, the teaching in the school is good. The teachers have a good command of the subjects they teach, and understand the benefits of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The leadership and management are very good, with able leadership from the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior staff. They are strongly supported by the governing body, and in essence the leadership and management in the school, is a function of strong teamwork.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Taking into account the high standards achieved, the good quality of education provided, together with the particular care taken to make the very best use of the available funding, and other resources, the school provides very good value for money.

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• From their entry into school all pupils have full access to a broad and challenging curriculum

which encourages them to learn more about the world in which they live.

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• There are very good systems in place to identify the standards that pupils have reached in

English and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient monitoring, and evaluation strategies are in place. • The school has an excellent climate for learning.

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• The high quality of the personal and social development of the pupils, together with their very

positive work attitudes, contribute significantly to the learning. • The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are instrumental in raising standards further. • There are very strong relationships with parents. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 5 What could be improved

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• The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance

in the marking policy. • The involvement of the pupils in the setting of their own targets for improvement. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

When the school was last inspected in May 1996, it was found to be a very good school which set high expectations for pupils’ achievements. The school has sustained its high standards in pupil achievement since the last inspection and all the key issues identified have been addressed. There has been particular improvement in assessment practice, and in the monitoring of pupils’ progress. There have also been improvements in the premises and site, particularly at Key Stage 1, which now has indoor toilets. The school has successfully built on the previous involvement of the parents, as partners in the educational, social and emotional development of their children.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The pupils are achieving high standards throughout the school. At Key Stage 1, performance in writing, though still above national expectations, is not as good as the scores in reading and mathematics. The school has done well to identify this as an area for development throughout the school. Although standards are already high, trends over the past three years indicate a slight improvement in mathematics, and over the past two years some improvement in writing. There is a particular improvement in reading over the last two years, where standards are now very high.

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STANDARDS

For the 11-year-old pupils, trends over the last three years show a slight improvement over the high standards already achieved, in English, mathematics and science. Realistic targets are set for improvement in the school’s standards.

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STANDARDS

There is an appropriate emphasis on the subjects of English, mathematics and science, and the quality of the pupils’ work seen during the inspection, confirms the high standards indicated by the national test results. In addition, the pupils enjoy a broad range of curricular activities which meet statutory requirements at both key stages. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 6

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very positive attitudes indeed. The pupils are happy, very interested in their work and extremely keen to learn

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good in classes, around the school and in the playground. A tiny amount of mischievous behaviour was observed.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. The pupils show respect for each other, and are tolerant of the values of others.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. The attendance rate is above the national average.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

There is no doubt that the teaching in the school is very effective. This is because in 80% of the lessons seen, the teaching was judged to be either good, or better, with none being unsatisfactory. Nor was there any significant difference between year groups. The teaching of the under fives in the nursery was very good. At Key Stage 1, more than a third of the lessons were very good, and a quarter of the lessons good. There was also a pleasing picture at Key Stage 2, where almost a third of the lessons were very good, and over a half good.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The best teaching captures the interest of the pupils in a way that is relevant to the subject being taught, and to the age of the pupils. The teachers make it clear to the pupils what they have to do, and when they are expected to finish. No time is wasted in the lessons, and the pupils are continually encouraged to try that little bit harder, and to put in extra effort to see the task through. The delight on their faces when they surpass their own expectations is visible to all, and they are justly praised for their efforts by the teachers, and by their classmates too.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

English and mathematics are taught well, and very good use is made of the national guidance for the teaching of literacy and numeracy. In some classrooms, there is a real buzz of excitement as the pupils learn new ideas, and have to think quickly, for example in their mental mathematics sessions. In others, the atmosphere is calm and studious, and the pupils are encouraged to become reflective thinkers, for example in poetry lessons. The teachers have worked hard to establish very effective routines and expectations, so that in some classes behaviour management seems effortless, and the pupils are controlled by a raised eyebrow, rather than a raised voice.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

In the lessons that were judged to be perfectly satisfactory, the teachers showed that they had good grasp of the subject they were teaching, but they did not expect quite enough from the pupils. In consequence, the pupils did not learn as much in the lessons as they might have done. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 7

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school has worked hard to maintain a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, where all subjects of the National Curriculum are included. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been introduced well. There is a wide range of extra curricular provision, which is planned to be extended further.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very effective. Early identification through the school’s own programme is a strong feature, enabling focused individual work, leading to good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There is only a tiny proportion of pupils in this category and their needs are met well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Overall these aspects contribute substantially to the full development of each pupil.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well indeed. The pupils are treated as individuals, and are known very well by the teaching and non-teaching staff. The parents express approval of this aspect of the school's work.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is very ably led by the headteacher. In essence the leadership and management in the school, is a function of a very effective team. Included in this team are a strong deputy headteacher, committed senior staff, and an involved and interested governing body.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body takes its mission very seriously, and fulfils its responsibilities well. With the school it is dedicated to caring for the pupils and the staff, and to creating an effective environment for learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance This is impressive. The headteacher and senior staff lead, and take a whole school approach to evaluation of performance. Thus all staff feel involved in this centrally important aspect of school life.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Although the school is not well funded, when compared nationally, it is very effective in applying the best value principles, to make the most efficient use of its available resources. This is enhanced particularly through the good quality of the school development plan, which is appropriately costed and monitored. The school acknowledges, with especial gratitude, the considerable financial support of the parents and the PTA, which enables valuable extra resources to be provided. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 8

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The standards achieved by the school. • The very good behaviour and attitudes of the pupils. • They feel welcome in the school, and positively involved through the PTA, and as a result of the home, school agreement.. • The happy, caring atmosphere and that their children are happy at school. • Consistency throughout the school in homework provision and its marking.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• To be afforded more opportunity to attend assemblies and celebrations in school.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive comments. There is a good homework policy, and the staff are aware that homework should be consistent, and are making positive efforts to do this. The school already offers some opportunities for parents to attend assemblies and celebrations, but is considering extending this area of involvement. It is in the nature of schools that not every parent is happy about all aspects of the school, but the overwhelming majority of the parents agree that they do have opportunities to be heard, and feel that any concerns will be dealt with. Some individual parents raised issues at the parents meeting which might be resolved by them approaching the headteacher. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 9

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Attainment in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science is very high throughout the

1 The school's results speak for themselves. It was clearly demonstrated by the outcome of last year's national tests for 7 year olds, that the pupils’ attainment in reading was very high, and in mathematics the results were well above the national average. Performance in writing, though still above national expectations, is not as good as the scores in reading and mathematics. The school has done well to identify this as an area for development throughout the school. Additionally, the percentage of pupils achieving the higher level 3 in reading and mathematics, was well above the national average, both in comparison with all schools, and with schools with a similar intake.

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Attainment in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science is very high throughout the

2 The picture for the eleven year olds, shows that the results in the national tests in English, mathematics and science, were well above average, when compared with all schools nationally. When compared to schools with a similar intake, the results in mathematics were well above average, and above average in English and science. In English and science, the percentage of pupils achieving the higher level 5 was above the average for similar schools, and in mathematics, it was broadly in line with the average

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Attainment in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science is very high throughout the

3 The headteacher justly feels that this level of attainment is a reflection of the fine quality, and high expectations of a committed staff, and the support of the parents, for example, with homework. The pupils are diligent, switched on to the expectations of school and home, and respond very positively.

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Attainment in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science is very high throughout the

4 The whole culture of the school is one of hard work and high expectations. Painstaking evaluation and interpretation of the previous year's test results support the learning, with planning based upon the findings. For example, it was found that last year the boys did not achieve as well at the higher level 5 as the girls in English, but trends over time show this outcome to be unusual. However, careful evaluation has helped the school to focus on this area.

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Attainment in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science is very high throughout the

5 Assessment was found to be in need of development at the time of the last inspection. Since then, considerable effort has been put in to assessing the pupils’ work, and this has been largely successful.

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Attainment in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science is very high throughout the

6 The school has particularly thorough systems in place to identify and support pupils with special educational needs. There are more classroom assistants and voluntary helpers than is generally found, and this extra help is very well utilised to support individuals and small groups with the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills. Additionally, when these pupils are withdrawn from lessons, care is taken to ensure that the work undertaken is relevant to what is being done in the classroom. These systems support the pupils well, and pay dividends in terms of whole school results.

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The teaching is very effective, and helps the pupils learn all they can from their first few days in

7 The teachers do their jobs very well indeed, and their skills will have lasting impact on the children in their care. They are good all-rounders, who are confident in all the subjects they teach. This confidence shines through in their lessons, so that the pupils are inspired to try their hardest, knowing that their teacher will be able to help them out if they need it. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 10 8 The teachers help the pupils to have a "can do" attitude to their work. They are good at setting the pupils just the right amount of challenge. In consequence, the pupils have to think hard, and apply themselves thoroughly to the task in hand. Many of the teachers have excellent questioning skills, which help maintain a brisk pace in whole class discussions. Even when the pupils come up with really good answers, some of the teachers expect even more. For example, when a boy was asked to suggest a sentence to introduce a story about being lost, he replied; " Tom's hands were frozen;

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The teaching is very effective, and helps the pupils learn all they can from their first few days in

the usual landmarks were obliterated as a thick blanket of snow began to fall ." Not content with this, the teacher asked him to think deeper, and then used the sentence to question the rest of the class about aspects of its grammar. This high level of expectation is very beneficial, because it keeps the pupils on their toes and discourages complacency.

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The teaching is very effective, and helps the pupils learn all they can from their first few days in

9 There are well-established routines within their classes, which help make the day run smoothly with minimal disturbance for changing lessons. Even the very youngest children in the nursery know that after working, they are expected to tidy up quickly before they have their story and snack. In the reception classes, most of the children are used to the conventions of school, like putting up their hands before speaking, and sitting quietly at register time. This is the beginning of those kind of work habits, which strongly support learning. Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, the teachers are good at moving the lessons along quickly, so that the pupils' interest is captured and tasks are completed on time.

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From their entry into school all pupils have full access to a broad and challenging curriculum

which encourages them to learn more about the world in which they live.

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From their entry into school all pupils have full access to a broad and challenging curriculum

10 The pupils enjoy a broad range of curricular activities that meet statutory requirements at both key stages. While appropriate emphasis is placed upon literacy and numeracy, the pupils are also given opportunities to explore, and develop their learning across the full curriculum. Discussions with pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 show that they have knowledge and understanding of a range of subjects, and have developed the skills to become independent learners.

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From their entry into school all pupils have full access to a broad and challenging curriculum

11 Particular and successful attention has been given to improving the provision of resources to widen the curriculum in information technology. This includes the facility to enter into video conferencing with other schools and agencies. A very impressive example of this was seen when pupils using this live-link, questioned a representative of the parks and leisure services about his job, exploring with him the facilities available. The pupils enjoyed this, and they showed great enthusiasm when using the new technology.

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From their entry into school all pupils have full access to a broad and challenging curriculum

12 The early identification and intervention with pupils who have special educational needs means that they make good progress through the school. At Key Stage 1, the Accelerated Learning Programme (ALPS), makes a significant contribution to the high standards of literacy. At Key Stage 2, the effective use of Additional Literacy Strategy funding, contributes well to the progress. The expertise of staff, organisation of support, and use of outside agencies combine to make special educational needs provision a strength of the school.

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From their entry into school all pupils have full access to a broad and challenging curriculum

13 The school’s overall provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and is a strong feature of the school. It is a place where the gospel values, traditions and beliefs of the Catholic Church are evident each day. The pupils are encouraged to reflect on important issues that influence their lives, and those of others, in lessons, assemblies, and through displays around the school. The extracurricular provision in the school is very good and also makes a significant contribution to the pupils' personal development. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 11 14 The beliefs and values of other faiths and cultures are explored and respected. Their rich traditions are pursued through literature, art, and music, together with festivals and celebrations of the world’s major faiths and cultures such as Diwali and the Chinese New Year.

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From their entry into school all pupils have full access to a broad and challenging curriculum

15 The strong social development of the pupils is apparent in the encouragement they are given to take responsibility for themselves, their school, and for the wider community. The qualities of responsibility and initiative are well demonstrated, for example in their support of a range of local and national charities, and when the Children’s Parliament explored the issues of safer play in the local area. Year 6 pupils show particular maturity when helping in the nursery and taking responsibilities for the younger pupils at playtimes and lunchtimes.

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From their entry into school all pupils have full access to a broad and challenging curriculum

16 There are very positive relationships throughout the school, and the pupils show a well-developed moral sense of right and wrong, which is deeply embedded in the school’s ethos. The pupils feel secure in the extremely supportive environment of the school.

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and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient

monitoring and evaluation strategies are in place.

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and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient

17 The headteacher is well organised, and has amassed an impressive collection of data about the performance of each pupil in English and mathematics. For example, he has information about each pupil's present reading level, spelling age, writing level and the level they are currently attaining in mathematics. For some pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, the information is even more detailed. The younger children too, have their abilities assessed shortly after they start school, and the reception class teachers put this information to good use.

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and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient

18 The staff in consultation with the management team, use the data to draw up targets for each pupil. This information is then used by the headteacher to give the governors a clear idea about the likely performance of the school in years to come. For example, what might happen, if all the pupils who only just reached level two in writing in the Key Stage 1 tests, did not receive extra help during their time in the junior department. The governors are then in a strong position to make informed decisions. For example, whether or not they can dedicate an element of the school's budget to appoint extra staff to help those pupils who need a little additional support. This system, although time consuming, is both simple and effective, and it is a strong feature that such care is taken to monitor and evaluate school standards.

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and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient

19 Other effective forms of monitoring go on in the school. For instance, the headteacher and deputy headteacher look at the teachers' weekly planning to promote consistency in approach. Their written comments are beginning to have beneficial results, in helping teachers to identify assessment opportunities, and to use these to help plan the next steps for their pupils. The subject coordinators also monitor, and this helps them to have a grasp of how well their subject is taught, and the standards achieved. The special educational needs coordinator has time out of her class to monitor the progress of the pupils who have some difficulty in learning, and to advise her colleagues of alternative approaches. Regular opportunities are sought by the senior management team to look at the pupils' work to monitor standards, and to identify how well the school's policies are being implemented. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 12

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and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient

The school has an excellent climate for learning.

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and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient

20 There is an exceptionally strong spirit in the school, reflective of its Christian ethos, which helps to create an excellent, almost tangible climate for learning. For example, a visitor remarked , “You could cut the ethos with a knife.”

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and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient

21 The very positive Mission Statement and aims of the school are not mere words, but are actively reflected in its every day life, impacting positively on the high standards achieved. The school, community of parents, governors, staff and pupils stand together as one, proud to be part of Great Crosby school.

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and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient

22 The pupils understand that good behaviour and hard work are expected of them, and they respond accordingly. It was clear in a good work assembly, that the pupils knew that their contributions were welcome and valued by the whole community. The dignity of this occasion was remarkable, and its effective affirmation of the pupils as achieving individuals, contributed particularly to the raising of their self-esteem. A similar excellent example of the respect and value they have of the work of others, was demonstrated by the spontaneous and sincere applause given, when a Year 6 pupil read out a poem he had written.

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and mathematics, and to target help where it is likely to be most effective. Particularly efficient

23 It is very true that, as the headteacher claims, “The school takes a pride first and foremost in its children - their achievements attitudes and values. It is proud of the relationship between staff and parents which contributes to and supports the Catholic ethos of the school.” These words are the very essence of what has helped to create such an excellent climate for learning. The positive impact of this is demonstrated in the manner in which the pupils’ learning is strongly supported, through a solidarity of purpose, resulting in standards which are consistently high in all that pupils undertake.

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The high quality of the personal and social development of the pupils, together with their very

positive work attitudes contribute significantly to their learning.

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The high quality of the personal and social development of the pupils, together with their very

24 The behaviour of the vast majority of the pupils in the classrooms and around the school is very good indeed. They display maturity, civility, tolerance and restraint. Teachers and fellow pupils are treated with appropriate respect, and visitors are received with courtesy and good humour. Children, however, can never be expected to be perfect, and very occasionally in class, pupils misbehave. But such is the self-discipline and high standard of behaviour of the other pupils, that the very few who stray away from their work, stand out like a sore thumb. They are then dealt with extremely positively, and effectively by the staff.

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The high quality of the personal and social development of the pupils, together with their very

25 The teachers and support staff have high expectations of the pupils, and provide good role models for them. They value the pupils’ work and contributions to school life, and show the same courtesy to the pupils as they expect to receive in turn.

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The high quality of the personal and social development of the pupils, together with their very

26 The pupils are well motivated and work hard responding to the challenges set. They listen well, contribute to class discussions and apply themselves conscientiously through the duration of lessons. They frequently show that they do not require the direct supervision of the staff, to show interest and application. Work is presented with care and pupils show considerable pride in their achievements. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 13 27 The quality of relationships, of all within the school community, is very good. The atmosphere is one of relaxed industry, where a sense of trust and responsibility contributes significantly towards the excellent ethos of the school. It is unsurprising that attendance figures are above national expectations, and that there have been no exclusions.

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

instrumental in raising standards further.

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

28 The headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior staff and the governing body inspire clear educational direction through very effective teamwork. The headteacher acts as the custodian of a very clear vision of what sort of school he wants this to continue to be. He leads sensitively, and motivates a highly performing management team. His determination to continue to move forward with his team is evident in his promise that, “The school will continue to deliver a curriculum of the highest quality which meets the expectations and aspirations of parents, children, governors, and staff." Consequently, the whole staff conscientiously work towards the school’s goals of maintaining and improving high standards of academic and personal achievement.

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

29 The teachers organise non-teaching staff and helpers well, with effective delegation of tasks. This enables the teachers to get on with other jobs, for example, with monitoring and planning for the individual needs of the pupils. These features of teamwork have made a major contribution to improving the quality of teaching and learning since the last inspection, and in maintaining and raising standards in the national tests.

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

30 The school is keen to promote the self-worth of all its pupils, and the team approach to taking the school forward successfully ensures that staff have a good working knowledge of the needs of each individual pupil. They provide particularly well for their welfare. The leadership of the school ensures that the detailed programme of personal and social development, helps the pupils to leave the school, well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

31 The governors are knowledgeable about the school’s targets for improvement, and about their own individual roles. They are well organised, and have properly constituted and effective committees. The designated governors for monitoring the school’s work in literacy and numeracy, keep a close watching brief on what is happening in the school. The governing body questions and challenges the school’s plans, ensuring that they are realistic enough to bring about continuous improvement. The headteacher refers to them as “ critical friends .” It is good to see how governors are always very welcome when they come to help in the classrooms.

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

32 The governors clearly work in harmony with the headteacher, the management team, and staff. They identify cost effective ways of supporting the priorities in the school’s plans, and are successful in ensuring that the best value for the money available is achieved. The governors also see themselves as being accountable to the parents and the whole school community for the school’s performance. In discharging their responsibility, they visit the school and offer comment and feedback on what they have seen. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 14 There are very strong relationships with parents.

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

33 The school has worked hard to improve the key issue from the last inspection , “to continue to involve parents as partners in their children’s learning development.” The success of this effort is very evident, as relationships with the parents are a strong feature of the school, impacting positively on the standards achieved by the pupils. A good and specific example of the interest that parents take in the school, was found at Key Stage 1, where mothers came in for an afternoon, to cook and share a sumptuous Chinese meal with the pupils. Both pupils and adults found this to be an enjoyable and informative session. Extreme concentration and amusement were shown on the faces of the children, as they valiantly battled to use their chopsticks, with a varying amount of success. In fact one pupil burst out laughing, saying “Miss, I can’t eat my noodles with my stickchops.” This was so indicative of the happy outcome of a really worthwhile learning

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

34 The headteacher, however, is determined to keep moving forward. He holds the view of, “parents as partners in their children’s education,” and he is still , “working to develop this area further.” For example, “Parents as Educator” courses, are held in literacy and numeracy, especially to enable parents to be more fully informed, and therefore more meaningfully involved, with their children’s work at home.

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

35 It is very clear, that just as the Mission Statement proclaims, “ the children are heart of the school,” that this also true of the parents. The choice of the quotation from Saint John, depicted on much of the documentation of the school, “that they may have life and have it to the full, ” is apt. It is implicit in these words that the role of the parents is absolutely central, if indeed their children are to have a full life.

p.16

The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

36 The parents are pleased with the information given to them about school life. For example, the regular letters sent home and the monthly newsletter are welcomed. Further solid support for learning is provided by the parents being informed each September of the major topics the children will be taught.

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The teamwork and positive culture of a dedicated staff, working with the governing body, are

37 The large number of parents attending the meeting with the inspection team before the inspection, together with the many questionnaires returned, clearly demonstrate their considerable interest, and the recognition that they should work with their children and the school. There is a high quality of work undertaken by the very enthusiastic PTA, which raises substantial sums of money to help school developments, for example in literacy, numeracy and information technology. Additionally, the valuable help of parents in the classrooms, and around the school, is strongly supportive of the pupils’ learning. The home and school agreement which was drawn up in partnership with the parents, is a very positive feature of the school, and drew praise from the parents at their meeting.

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The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance in

38 The guidance the school has produced for marking pupils' work is clear, appropriate, and simple to understand. There should be no doubt in any teacher's mind as to what is expected of them in the ways that they respond to their pupils' work. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 15 39 The guidelines require teachers to tell the children before they begin, " particular aspects of the work which will be assessed and the criteria which will be applied". Some teachers do this. For example, in an English lesson, the teacher said that she would be looking to see the use of metaphors and similes in the pupils' writing. In the nursery, the teacher made her expectations clear to the children at circle time, by telling them to put up their hand if they wanted to act out a part, and then reinforced this by choosing someone who had obeyed her request. In some other classes however, the pupils are not given such good guidance. An example of this occurred when

p.16

The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance in

a class had to write about the characters in a traditional tale and some of them were not sure whether to re-tell the story, make notes about the characters, or draw a picture.

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The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance in

40 Some of the teachers are good at helping the pupils understand more about the essence of different subjects by the way that they mark the work. Many good examples could be found in English books. For example, one teacher wrote, " You start well, but you are not developing the plot in your story. Add detail. Remember the middle should be more than two paragraphs." However, other subjects do not generally have such pertinent comments. For example, in a piece of historical diary writing, a pupil received the sparse comment, " very neat ". This told the pupil nothing about the way she had tried hard to record faithfully the historical elements of a day in the life of a household servant. The teacher's comment, " very neat " praised the pupil for her handwriting, but did not help her to extend her knowledge about history, or improve her empathetic writing skills.

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The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance in

41 The school guidelines request that teachers should, " use marking as a springboard for children to improve their work, not just a proof-reading exercise ". In some books this is plain to see. Comments like, " You could improve your poem by adding more adjectives;" "Look at the diagram and check where the equator is"; "Check "their" and "there" in a dictionary"; leave pupils in no doubt about what they could do to improve their work. However, books and homework which contain little other than ticks give insufficient feedback on what the teacher thought about the standard of the work or how it might be improved.

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The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance in

42 Some books contain work that is not marked at all, or negative comments, for example, " this is not how I told you to set it out ". This demoralises rather than informs, and does not adhere to the school's guidance to " use appreciative and supportive written comments to build self-esteem."

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The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance in

The involvement of the pupils in the setting of their own targets for improvement.

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The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance in

43 The school has recognised the need for clear individual targets for improvement, and the teachers have made a start on helping the pupils to understand what these are all about. However, as yet the pupils are not fully involved in setting their own targets to help them to progress.

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The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance in

44 The teachers usually have a very clear view of what the pupils need to do next to achieve higher standards. There are examples of this good practice evident in the school, as in Year 6, where the pupils talked enthusiastically when discussing their targets with the teachers, and recording them in their books. However, such positive practice is not yet uniform throughout the school. The headteacher recognises the value of enabling the pupils to influence their own targets. He sees major benefits in encouraging the pupils to “ own ” their targets in order for them to take responsibility for elements of their own learning.

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The senior management of the school should ensure that all teachers implement the guidance in

45 The last inspection required more consistency in reporting to parents. The annual reports are now consistent throughout the school, are useful documents, but sometimes lack detail on specific aims for the pupils’ to enable them to move on in their learning. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that all teachers implement the clear guidance given in the marking policy.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Enable all the pupils to be more fully involved in setting their own targets for improvement. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 17 P ART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 30 648

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 39

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR -Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 126

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 26

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 46 50 96

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 46 46 45 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 50 50 50

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 [ 98] 100 [96] 99 [99] at NC level 2 or above National 82 [80] 83 [81] 87 [84]

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 46 46 46 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 50 50 50

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 [ 99] 100 [100] 100 [100] at NC level 2 or above National 82 [80] 86 [85] 87 [86]

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 45 49 94

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 38 43 41 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 47 48 47

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 90 [85] 97 [77] 94 [88] at NC level 4 or above National 70 [65] 69 [59] 78 [69]

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 31 36 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 46 45 45

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 81 [86] 86 [84] 83 (88] at NC level 4 or above National 68 [65] 69 [65] 75 [71]

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 2 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y 6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 25.7 Financial year 98/99

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y 6 Total expenditure 928671

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 14 Expenditure per pupil 1384

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 335 Balance brought forward from previous year 8375

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 49764

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 44.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Great Crosby RC Primary School - 20

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 48 45½ 4½ 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 47½ 2½ ½ 1½

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 48 13½ 2 5½

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39½ 47 11 1½ 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 29 4½ 2 ½

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 36 ½ 0 1½

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 42 49½ 6½ 1½ ½

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 53 37½ 2½ 1 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 48 47 2½ ½ 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 27 36 17 4 16

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