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La Salette Catholic Primary School
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Strengths
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- Higher attainers are challenged effectively and enjoy fulfilling their teachers’ expectations, taking a delight in producing high quality work. p.10
- Pupils respond very well to this and the school is a calm, orderly, happy community where pupils are polite and courteous. p.11
- This is a very effective school in which standards are high, teaching is consistently good, and leadership and management are very good. p.6
- Particular strengths are in the teaching of literacy and numeracy, and teachers’ very high expectations of both standards and behaviour, to which pupils respond very positively. p.7
- Teachers know their pupils very well and ensure that work set meets the needs of all of them, challenging the higher attainers and supporting pupils with special needs, so that all make good progress in their learning. p.7
Concerns
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- Procedures for the assessment of pupils’ work were previously reported as a weakness. p.12
- Results of national assessments are scrutinised carefully and any weaknesses are identified and analysed to see if any improvement can be made. p.13
- For example, the school has identified a weakness in maths, in answering questions requiring the reading of scales, and has plans to provide extra input on this aspect of work. p.13
Next steps
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- More systematic methods could be used to give a clearer view of standards and learning in different classes, particularly in subjects other than English, maths and science. p.5
- More use could be made of information and communications technology to support work in subjects across the curriculum. p.5
- The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. p.6
- The improvement since the last inspection has been good. p.6
- Standards have risen, and the high standards of pastoral care have been maintained. p.6
- Most weaknesses in the curriculum have been put right. p.6
- The key issues from the last report have been largely addressed successfully. p.6
- Good assessment procedures are now in place. p.6
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- 21
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- 5,609
- longer than usual (typical 1049)
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- Fairly hard
- Flesch 50, typical 45
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- 18 words
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- typical 5
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Full report text
LA SALETTE CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Dates of inspection: 17 - 18 January 2000
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LA SALETTE CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.
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LA SALETTE CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. La Salette Catholic Primary - 3
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
School address: Dunedin Road Rainham Essex
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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: Father Luke Krzanowski
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Date of previous inspection: 24/06/96 – 26/06/96 La Salette Catholic Primary - 4
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Team members
Steve Hill Registered inspector Brian Rance Lay inspector Kay Andrews Team inspector
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Team members
Evenlode Associates Limited 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW
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Team members
Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:
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Team members
The Registrar Inspection Quality Division
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Team members
Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE La Salette Catholic Primary - 5
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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 006 - 008
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
p.5
WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 009 - 013
Standards of attainment are high particularly in literacy and numeracy. Teaching and learning are consistently good across the school. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school, behave very well, and their personal development is very good. The quality of the curriculum is good. The school has a very good partnership with parents. The school cares very well for its pupils. Management and leadership are very good.
p.5
WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 013 - 014
More systematic methods could be used to give a clearer view of standards and learning in different classes, particularly in subjects other than English, maths and science.
p.5
WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 013 - 014
More use could be made of information and communications technology to support work in subjects across the curriculum.
p.5
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
La Salette is a Catholic Primary School in Rainham, an urban area 13 miles east of Central London. It caters for 225 pupils aged from 4 to 11 years, principally from the Parish of Our Lady of La Salette. The majority of pupils are white, but about 6% come from other ethnic backgrounds, mainly black African. All pupils speak English as a home language. There are 40 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs, which is broadly average, and 6 of these have statements of special educational need, which is above average. The social circumstances of pupils and their attainment on entry to the school are broadly average.
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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
This is a very effective school in which standards are high, teaching is consistently good, and leadership and management are very good. It provides very good value for money.
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What the school does well
• Standards of attainment are high particularly in literacy and numeracy. • Teaching and learning are consistently good across the school. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to school, behave very well, and their personal development is very good. • The quality of the curriculum is good. • The school has a very good partnership with parents. • The school cares very well for its pupils. • Management and leadership are very good.
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What could be improved
• More systematic methods could be used to give a clearer view of standards and learning in different classes, particularly in subjects other than English, maths and science. • More use could be made of information and communications technology to support work in subjects across the curriculum. 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
The improvement since the last inspection has been good. Standards have risen, and the high standards of pastoral care have been maintained. Attendance has improved. Most weaknesses in the curriculum have been put right. The key issues from the last report have been largely addressed successfully. Good assessment procedures are now in place. Suitable schemes of work are in place in all subjects. Good progress has been made in developing the role of the subject co-ordinators, although there is still a need to make the monitoring of standards more systematic. The partnership with parents has been strengthened, especially the use of homework. The school has successfully identified areas that still need developing, and is well placed to continue to improve.
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STANDARDS
The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.
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schools
1997 1998 1999 1999 English C A A A well above average above average A B Mathematics A A B A average below average C D Science B A A A well below average E Results have improved since the last inspection and have remained well above average over La Salette Catholic Primary - 7 the last three years. Inspection evidence confirms that standards are high. Children under five make good progress and most attain the desirable learning outcomes in all areas by the time they are five. At both key stages, pupils attain high standards overall, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Standards in all other national curriculum subjects are at least sound, and are often good. The school sets appropriate targets and works well to meet them. Pupils achieve very high standards by the time they leave the school, in comparison with their attainment on entry.
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Aspect Comment
Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy school and work hard. They show positive attitudes to all their work, working very well both collaboratively and independently. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils are very well behaved. Both in class and around the school they act responsibly, making the school a pleasant, orderly community. Personal development and relationships Very good. The very good relationships which pupils establish with each other and with adults in the school strongly support their learning and the high standards they attain, as well as contributing very effectively to the very positive ethos of the school community. Attendance Satisfactory. It has improved since the previous report.
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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years
Lessons seen overall Good Good Very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses .
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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years
Teaching was at least satisfactory in all lessons seen, was at least good in 91% of lessons, and very good or better in 32%. Particular strengths are in the teaching of literacy and numeracy, and teachers’ very high expectations of both standards and behaviour, to which pupils respond very positively. Teachers know their pupils very well and ensure that work set meets the needs of all of them, challenging the higher attainers and supporting pupils with special needs, so that all make good progress in their learning. Pupils are managed very well. Teachers maintain a good pace in lessons and prepare interesting activities, so that pupils work very hard and enjoy their learning. They take an interest in the whole curriculum and take pride in their achievements.
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Aspect Comment
The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school teaches the national curriculum effectively, and provides for a wide range of visits and visitors to enhance this. The curriculum for literacy and numeracy is a strength, and makes effective use of the national strategies for these areas. Provision of extra curricular activities is satisfactory. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Individual education plans are of good quality, and effective teaching and good support from skilled classroom assistants all enable pupils to make good progress in their learning. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for personal development is very good overall. Cultural development is sound. Spiritual, social and moral development are all very good. La Salette Catholic Primary - 8 How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Procedures for supporting the development of
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Aspect Comment
individual pupils both academically and personally are very good and contribute positively to the standards attained. All staff know pupils well, and they have developed a safe, supportive and caring environment for them.
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Aspect Comment
Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very clear educational guidance to the school and leads a very effective team which is committed to the care of the pupils and improving the standards of attainment. Subject co-ordinators provide good support to their colleagues and this has helped raise or maintain standards. However, the monitoring of standards is not sufficiently systematic, except in maths, science and English. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its responsibilities well, and has a clear grasp of the needs and priorities of the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is very thorough in evaluating its performance. It is also very effective, focusing on raising standards. The strategic use of resources The school applies the principles of “best value” well, enabling resources to be used very well to ensure that the
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Aspect Comment
main aims and priorities of the school are met. The school has been very successful in involving parents in their children’s education.
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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved
• The school expects children to work hard and do their best. • The school is well led and managed. • The teaching is good. • Behaviour in school is good. • Some parents feel that the range of extra- curricular activities is too limited. • Some parents feel that the homework given is not appropriate.
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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved
The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views. Although the range of extra-curricular activities is somewhat limited, it is satisfactory overall, and the variety of the curriculum in school time to a large extent compensates for the limitations. The provision of homework is a strength of the school. It is in line with government guidelines, and strongly supports pupils’ learning. La Salette Catholic Primary - 9
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Standards of attainment are high, particularly in literacy and numeracy
1. Overall standards are high and pupils make good progress in their learning. This is reflected in the results in national assessments, which are well above average at the end of the school, both in comparison with national results, and those of similar schools. At the end of Key Stage One, standards in English, science and maths are above national expectations, and are well above expectations at the end of Key Stage Two. Standards in information technology are sound overall at both key stages. Pupils make good progress at each key stage in geography, history and music, and satisfactory progress in other subjects.
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Standards of attainment are high, particularly in literacy and numeracy
2. The school has worked very hard since the last inspection to maintain and improve its already good standards in English. Much time and effort has been invested in ensuring that the literacy strategy was successfully introduced. Evidence from national tests and from work seen during inspection shows that the school has been successful in its efforts and standards are consistently high across all year groups. Standards are above the national average at the end of Year 2 and are well above the national average by the end of Year 6. Pupils make a good start to learning in reception and at the end of the year, standards are already above average, making a good contribution to standards overall.
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Standards of attainment are high, particularly in literacy and numeracy
3. Standards in reading at both key stages are very good. Parents make an excellent contribution to this by responding enthusiastically to the school’s request to read with their children every day. At the end of Key Stage One, able pupils are fluent expressive readers. All pupils make very good progress and enjoy reading and discussing the main themes and characters in their books. By the end of Key Stage Two, the majority of pupils can use their reading very effectively to identify key features of text, selecting the essential points appropriately. A very good example of this was observed when pupils in year 6, after studying Haiku and Tanka poems, successfully created their own poems in the same style and structure. They presented them to their classmates, who reflected thoughtfully on the impact of the word pictures described. They listened attentively and articulated their feelings very well, showing maturity of opinion in their responses.
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Standards of attainment are high, particularly in literacy and numeracy
4. Writing is developed well throughout the school. By the end of Key Stage One, pupils are beginning to plan their own stories well with some very good examples of extended writing. The spelling of able pupils is generally accurate and that of other pupils is sound. Handwriting is often very good but occasionally letter formation is overlarge and unclear. Pupils in Year 6 have a very good understanding of a wide variety of genres. A good example of this is when they write amusing and interesting reviews of a Shakespeare play, using Elizabethan language. Spelling and handwriting are accurate, clear and fluent. Standards in speaking and listening are very good.
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Standards of attainment are high, particularly in literacy and numeracy
5. In mathematics, pupils at Key Stage One gain a good, basic understanding of numeracy. By Year 2, almost all pupils cope well with handling numbers to 100, showing a secure understanding of place value. Almost all pupils can count in 5s to 100 and are very secure with the “two-times table”, and with simple fractions in such problems as “a quarter of 12”. They can count in 100s to 1000, and are starting to understand and be able to explain the best strategies for tackling particular number problems. The highest attaining third of the class show facility in solving addition and subtraction problems with numbers up to 100, drawing on their understanding of simple addition and subtraction facts. They can add 3 small numbers quickly in their heads. All pupils make good progress in their learning in lessons because of their teachers’ high expectations and well-structured teaching based on the national numeracy strategy.
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Standards of attainment are high, particularly in literacy and numeracy
Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because of skilled support from extra adults in the class. La Salette Catholic Primary - 10 6. At Key Stage Two, pupils build successfully on their good start to attain very good numeracy skills by Year 6. They also attain high standards in using and applying mathematics, and show the ability to apply their numerical understanding very effectively when tackling practical problems. This was seen in an excellent lesson when pupils in Year 6 tackled a variety of problems around the class with imagination and skill. They collaborated very effectively in small teams, reached accurate solutions to problems, and showed a very good understanding of how and when to use calculators. Some pupils displayed a thorough understanding of averages, and used this understanding to simplify and make manageable the problem they had been set.
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Teaching and learning are consistently good across the school
7. The quality of teaching is good for children under five and for pupils at Key Stage One, and is very good for pupils at Key Stage Two. Teaching was at least satisfactory in all lessons seen.
p.10
Teaching and learning are consistently good across the school
8. Teachers have a good understanding of the subjects they teach, particularly English and mathematics. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is a particular strength and this is the major factor in the high standards attained in these areas.
p.10
Teaching and learning are consistently good across the school
9. Teachers maintain a brisk pace in lessons so that no time is wasted and pupils cover a lot of ground. Good relationships with pupils support high standards of relaxed discipline, so that good quality learning is possible. Teachers give clear explanations so that pupils understand what is required and gain new knowledge efficiently. For example, a clear outline of the principle of an electric circuit by the teacher enabled pupils in Year 2 to quickly grasp the concept, despite not having encountered the idea previously.
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Teaching and learning are consistently good across the school
10. Teachers have high expectations, both of pupils’ behaviour and work. Pupils respond positively to this, work hard and take a great pride in their achievements. Pupils show the ability to work very well both independently and collaboratively as required. This all supports the good quality of learning across the school. For example, in a very good science lesson with Year 4, clear expectations ensured that pupils remained on task and made very good progress in their understanding of thermometers and the significance of the data which was gathered.
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Teaching and learning are consistently good across the school
11. Teachers know their pupils very well and ensure that work is well matched to their needs. Higher attainers are challenged effectively and enjoy fulfilling their teachers’ expectations, taking a delight in producing high quality work. Pupils who struggle with their work are supported very well by their teachers, and by the other skilled adults who work with them very effectively. The good deployment of extra adults is a major factor in the good progress in the learning of pupils with special educational needs.
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Teaching and learning are consistently good across the school
12. The use of homework is very effective and strongly supports standards in a variety of subjects. Pupils enjoy their homework and several pupils in Year 6 chose pieces of homework as the work they were most proud of during the year.
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development is very good
13. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good and are often excellent. They are very enthusiastic about their schoolwork and are proud when they succeed. They settle to their work quickly and conscientiously and join in all discussion confidently. They want to contribute to all aspects of school life and readily help and support one another. They listen very well to instructions. They engage readily in good quality collaborative La Salette Catholic Primary - 11 work, sharing ideas, information and points of view successfully. An excellent example of this was observed when pupils at the end of Key Stage Two brainstormed to share the knowledge they had about mountains, before moving on to new learning about mountain ranges. Pupils with special educational needs have very positive attitudes to learning. They are generally patient and hardworking, and with the good support they are given, persevere well until their tasks are completed.
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development is very good
14. Behaviour is very good at all times, and sometimes excellent, both in lessons and around the school. All adults in the school provide very good role models and set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond very well to this and the school is a calm, orderly, happy community where pupils are polite and courteous.
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development is very good
15. The headteacher has a warm friendly manner and this sets the tone for the whole school. Relationships are very good throughout the school. All pupils, including those with special educational need, are fully integrated into the life and work of the school and everyone’s contribution is valued. Pupils play and work very well together, supporting each other effectively in their daily tasks. Success is celebrated in many lessons. Pupils enjoy taking advantage of the good opportunities which the school provides for them to be independent and develop initiative, especially when taking responsibility for their own learning in the classroom. Older pupils are particularly proud of their duties in caring for younger pupils, such as when they read or play games with them during wet playtimes.
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development is very good
16. Pupils’ enthusiasm for school helps ensure that punctuality is very good, so that lessons start promptly at the beginning of each session and no time is wasted.
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The quality of the curriculum is good
17. A broad and balanced curriculum is now in place with a very good emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The school has agreed that the skills acquired in these subjects are so fundamental to all learning that they should receive particular attention. Although this has led to less emphasis on subjects such as physical education, the curriculum provided still meets current statutory expectations. The curriculum for children under five, while planned in terms of national curriculum subjects, meets the requirements of the desirable learning outcomes in the areas of learning, and enables children to make good progress.
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The quality of the curriculum is good
18. Great care is taken to ensure that all pupils have equal access to all aspects of the curriculum. To this end, provision for pupils with special educational needs has been further improved. Individual education plans are now compiled in suitably detailed, small achievable steps, so that the curriculum needs of these pupils are met well. Challenging work ensures that higher attaining pupils make very good progress.
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The quality of the curriculum is good
19. The curriculum is well planned to excite and sustain pupils’ interest and motivation. Year 6 pupils, for example, in discussing their work, said they enjoyed all subjects because the work was “fun”. Very good systems are now in place to track pupils’ progress through the school in English, maths and science, and to ensure that targets for improvement are set year on year.
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The quality of the curriculum is good
20. A wide range of visits and visitors is used effectively to support and enrich the curriculum. A good example of this was seen in Year 2, when pupils enthusiastically described their visit to the Essex show, in support of their study of animals. Their lively descriptions of the baby animals they encountered demonstrated how well their imagination was captured. A visit currently planned to the Millennium Dome is already exciting interest.
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The quality of the curriculum is good
21. Homework makes an excellent contribution to the curriculum and to pupils’ learning. La Salette Catholic Primary - 12 Pupils and staff are enthusiastic about homework tasks, which are also favourably received and well supported by the majority of parents. A good example of this was the extensive work done at home to support pupils’ design and technology skills in Year 6. There is satisfactory provision for extra-curricular sporting and musical activities, which are well supported by pupils in Key Stage Two, although nothing similar is available to younger pupils.
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The quality of the curriculum is good
22. There is very good provision overall for pupils’ personal development. The school has a very good ethos. It is a friendly and welcoming community where Christian values are very successfully developed. Provision for pupils’ moral and social development is also very good. The good partnership between the school and the Parish supports the school’s high expectations in these areas. Cultural development is sound, and spans a variety of faiths and cultures. Good opportunities are provided across the curriculum for pupils to reflect and consider issues in the world around them. The provision for their spiritual development is very good, and collective worship makes a very positive contribution to this. For example, excellent opportunities are provided to reflect on care for those in the school, care for the environment, and care for the wider community. Achievement is regularly celebrated and pupils are given very good opportunities to
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The quality of the curriculum is good
share their learning with others. A good example of this was when older pupils described their feelings about the work of famous people such as Marie Curie, Mother Theresa and Ghandi. Pupils’ own music making enhances assemblies very well.
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The school cares very well for its pupils
23. In the last inspection the support, guidance and welfare of pupils were reported as strengths of the school. They continue to be so and parents are very positive in their support for the school’s success in this area. Procedures for the assessment of pupils’ work were previously reported as a weakness. This issue has been addressed and procedures are now good. Systems for supporting the development of individual pupils, both academically and personally, are very good and contribute positively to the standards attained. Particularly helpful is the dialogue that takes place at open evenings between the teachers and parents about how individual children might make even better progress in their learning. It is also helpful that the older pupils carry a copy of their targets with them in their homework books.
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The school cares very well for its pupils
24. All the teachers and support staff know the pupils well, and they have together developed a safe, supportive and caring environment for the pupils. As a result pupils enjoy coming to school and enjoy learning. The procedures for monitoring attendance and punctuality are good, so that pupils’ attendance has improved overall and is now satisfactory, being in line with national averages.
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The school has a very good partnership with parents
25. Parents are enthusiastically supportive of the school. They feel well informed about school activities and, in particular, about the progress that their own children are making. They find the annual reports, supported by consultation evenings, are very helpful in understanding how well their children are doing and what more they need to do. Parents also report that teachers are very willing to meet with them informally to discuss their children’s needs. The majority of families have signed home-school contracts with the school. The introduction of a homework policy has clarified how parents can help their children at home as they progress through the school, in addition to the well-established support that they give to younger children with their reading.
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Management and leadership are very good
La Salette Catholic Primary - 13 26. The headteacher provides very clear educational direction to the school, and leads a committed and effective staff team who work together very well to provide a good education for all the pupils. All staff are committed to doing their best for the pupils and to continually improving standards. This is a major contributory factor in the high standards and good teaching and learning throughout the school. The school’s commitment to good relationships and equal opportunities is clearly reflected in all its work.
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Management and leadership are very good
27. The governing body is effectively involved in the management of the school and ensures that statutory requirements are met. They give good support to the headteacher and other staff in working towards high standards.
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Management and leadership are very good
28. The school is very effective at monitoring its own performance. Results of national assessments are scrutinised carefully and any weaknesses are identified and analysed to see if any improvement can be made. For example, the school has identified a weakness in maths, in answering questions requiring the reading of scales, and has plans to provide extra input on this aspect of work.
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Management and leadership are very good
29. The delegation of responsibilities for subjects to co-ordinators has been very effective. All co-ordinators give good support to colleagues and ensure that the curriculum is broad and balanced. The work of the co-ordinators for information technology and for music, in particular, has led to significant improvements in these subjects since the last inspection. The monitoring of subject areas by co-ordinators has also improved since the last inspection. All co-ordinators monitor planning in the different classes, although systems to record the results of this are not in place. The co-ordinators for maths, English and science monitor samples of work in their subjects to check coverage and to gain a clear view of standards. The outcomes of this monitoring are fed back to the staff as a whole, as well as to the individual teachers involved. In other subjects, however, co-ordinators lack a way of gaining a systematic view of standards and
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Management and leadership are very good
30. The school applies the principles of “best value” very effectively, so that it makes very good use of its resources. The school development plan is of good quality, gives costings and identifies clear priorities, which are based on the school’s most important needs. The budget is planned to support the priorities in the development plan, and does so effectively. Much of the relatively large contingency fund from last year has been spent to improve provision in information technology, and the current contingency fund is average. Spending is monitored carefully by the headteacher, and by the finance committee of the governing body. The school gives very good value for money.
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More systematic methods could be used to give a clear view of standards and progress
in different classes, particularly in subjects other than English, maths and science .
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More systematic methods could be used to give a clear view of standards and progress
31. The headteacher and colleagues gain a clear view of standards at the end of each key stage in English, maths and science, through careful analysis of the results of statutory assessments. However, there are no systems to give a view of standards in other subjects.
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More systematic methods could be used to give a clear view of standards and progress
32. Although co-ordinators monitor planning in different classes, systems to record the results of this are not in place. In addition, the planning that is monitored is often taken straight from the latest national guidelines. This is not sufficiently detailed to give co- ordinators a clear picture of how lessons are to be taught, or how work is to be modified to match the needs of pupils who learn at different rates. In subjects other than maths science and English, co-ordinators lack a systematic way of gaining a clear view of standards and learning in the different age groups. This means that they are not always La Salette Catholic Primary - 14 in a position to direct their support where it is most needed, or to support colleagues by identifying and sharing the best practice.
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in other subjects
33. Since the last inspection standards in information technology (IT) have improved. The co-ordinator has led colleagues very effectively in this, and is aware of the further developments that are needed. At the end of each key stage, standards meet national expectations. The curriculum now covers the full range of aspects of IT. Teachers ensure that the recently introduced scheme is taught so that, during their time in school, pupils are introduced to all the appropriate strands of the subject. A start has been made on using IT to support work in other subjects; for example word processing is used in some classes when pupils need to write, and the development of word processing skills is generally consistent as pupils get older. However, the opportunities to use IT across the full range of subjects are not always taken. This not only means that chances to further develop the subjects are missed, but pupils also lose
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in other subjects
opportunities to practise and consolidate their understanding and skills in IT. As a result, for example, although pupils in Year 6 know in principle what a program can do, they often lack facility in using it if they have not learned about it recently.
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in other subjects
34. The school is aware that there is a need for further developments in the subject, and it is a major priority in the school development plan. Both hardware and software provision have been improved. The school recently connected to the internet with a single computer in the library, and a start has been made on using this facility. For example, pupils in Year 3 have found and printed out maps of the area around their homes, using their postcodes. The school has plans to extend the use of the internet to all classes when funds permit.
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in other subjects
35. As yet there is insufficient specific guidance to teachers about exactly how they could use IT to back up pupils’ learning across the full range of subjects, and teachers are not all secure in how this can be done. As a result, at any one time only about half the computers in the school are in use, and sometimes fewer than this.
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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
In order to build on the very good work it currently does the school should
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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
1. Devise more systematic ways to gain a clear view of standards and progress in different classes by working out a programme for:
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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
a. Regularly scrutinising samples of pupils’ work in all subjects in each class. b. Keeping systematic records of the results of this, so that issues may be followed up both in the long and short term. c. Monitoring samples of teachers’ detailed planning, and keeping systematic records of this.
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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
2. Make more use of IT to support work in other subjects by:
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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
a. Devising specific written guidance to help teachers in planning this in different subjects. b. Providing further training for staff where needed. c. Reviewing, and if appropriate upgrading, the software available to support work in La Salette Catholic Primary - 15 each subject. d. Implementing the current plans to provide internet access in each classroom, as funds permit. La Salette Catholic Primary - 16
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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection
Number of lessons observed 22 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 16
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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 5 27 59 9 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.
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Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils on the school’s roll YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 225 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 25 FTE means full-time equivalent.
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Information about the school’s pupils
Special educational needs YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 6 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 40
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Information about the school’s pupils
English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0
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Information about the school’s pupils
Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 5 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 13
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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence
% % School data 5.9 School data 0.38 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. La Salette Catholic Primary - 17
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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 99(98) 17 16 33
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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics
Numbers of pupils at Boys 16 16 17 NC level 2 and above Girls 14 14 14 Total 30 30 31 Percentage of pupils School 91(88) 91(97) 94(85) at NC level 2 or above National 82(80) 83(81) 87(84)
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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science
Numbers of pupils at Boys 16 17 16 NC level 2 and above Girls 14 14 14 Total 30 31 30 Percentage of pupils School 91 94 91 at NC level 2 or above National 82(81) 86(85) 87(86) 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 99(98) 9 20 29
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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science
Numbers of pupils at Boys 7 5 7 NC level 4 and above Girls 19 18 20 Total 26 23 27 Percentage of pupils School 90(88) 79(76) 93(91) at NC level 4 or above National 70(64) 69(58) 78(69)
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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science
Numbers of pupils at Boys 7 5 7 NC level 4 and above Girls 19 18 20 Total 26 23 27 Percentage of pupils School 90(85) 79(71) 93(88) at NC level 4 or above National 68(65) 69(59) 75(69) La Salette Catholic Primary - 18 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. La Salette Catholic Primary - 19
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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 9 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 1 Black – other 0 0 Indian 1 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 182 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0
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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.
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Qualified teachers and classes: YR –Y6
Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.8 Financial year 1998-9
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Qualified teachers and classes: YR –Y6
Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.57
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Qualified teachers and classes: YR –Y6
Average class size 32.14 £ Total income 45133
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Qualified teachers and classes: YR –Y6
Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 44368
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Qualified teachers and classes: YR –Y6
Total number of education support staff 8 Expenditure per pupil 1955
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Qualified teachers and classes: YR –Y6
Total aggregate hours worked per week 150 Balance brought forward from previous year Balance carried forward to next year
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nursery
Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) n/a
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nursery
Number of pupils per qualified teacher n/a
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nursery
Total number of education support staff n/a
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nursery
Total aggregate hours worked per week n/a La Salette Catholic Primary - 20 Number of pupils per FTE adult n/a FTE means full-time equivalent. La Salette Catholic Primary - 21
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Percentage of responses in each category
Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
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Percentage of responses in each category
My child is making good progress in school. 65 32 3 0 0
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Percentage of responses in each category
Behaviour in the school is good. 53 44 1 0 2
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Percentage of responses in each category
My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 42 11 0 2
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Percentage of responses in each category
I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 44 5 0 2
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Percentage of responses in each category
I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 35 2 0 0
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Percentage of responses in each category
The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 77 23 0 0 0
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Percentage of responses in each category
The school works closely with parents. 61 36 2 0 2
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Percentage of responses in each category
The school is well led and managed. 73 27 0 0 0
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Percentage of responses in each category
The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 62 34 2 0 2
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Percentage of responses in each category
The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 39 22 3 11
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