Burnley St Stephen's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

INSPECTION REPORT

Dates of inspection: 26 th February – 1 st March 2001

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INSPECTION REPORT

Full 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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INSPECTION REPORT

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. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Woodgrove Road Burnley Lancashire

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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: Reverend J. B. Swallow

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 11 th November 1996 St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

J E Platt Registered inspector English Music Art and design English as an additional language What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? P Dannheisser Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? G Bancroft Team inspector Science History Geography Foundation Stage K Saltfleet Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Physical education Special educational needs Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd. 5, Lakeside Werrington Peterborough PE4 6QZ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 29

St Stephen’s C of E Primary School PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St. Stephen’s Church of England School is a voluntary aided school situated in Burnley. It is an average size school having 213 boys and girls on roll. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (15 per cent) is in line with the national average. Currently, 21 per cent of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs and this is a similar level to most schools. Five pupils have formal statements of need including a range of physical and learning difficulties and this is higher than normally seen. The number of pupils coming from homes where the first language is other than English is very low. Pupils come from a wide spread of backgrounds, but overall the area served by the school is economically and socially similar to the overall picture nationally. Attainment on entry to the school is broadly average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel secure and valued. Teaching is good for pupils under five, satisfactory in the infant classes and consistently good in the junior classes. As a result, pupils’ achievement grows as they move through the school. By the time they leave, pupils reach high standards in mathematics, history and art and design. Standards in all other subjects are satisfactory except in writing in the infants and science in the juniors that are below average. A good management team supported by a well organised governing body leads the school. The school provides sound value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards at 11 are good in mathematics, history and art and design. • The lively teaching in the reception class and in Years 3 to 6 leads to good learning in these years. • The leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher is effective at bringing about improvement. • The behaviour of the pupils is good and they are enthusiastic learners. • Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. • Pupils enjoy school and attendance is very good.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in writing at the end of Year 2. • Standards in science at the end of Year 6. • The achievement of the higher attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2. • The use of assessment information to monitor pupils’ progress and to guide teachers’ planning. • Teachers’ lesson plans to make it clearer what pupils are to learn in lessons. 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 school has made satisfactory improvement since its previous inspection in November 1996. Standards have improved in mathematics, information and communication technology, design and technology and art and design. However, standards in science at the end of Year 6 and writing at the end of Year 2 have declined. A significant improvement is the provision for pupils with special educational needs. Procedures to support these pupils have been reorganised and are now good. Teaching has improved and more very good or better teaching was seen during this inspection. The school’s development plan is a much clearer document. It identifies specific priorities for the school and includes methods to achieve them. Two improvements still to be made are the use of assessment information and the strengthening of the role of subject co-ordinators. The school is tackling these issues and it is well placed to continue to get better in the future.

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

These are very good results in mathematics and show that by the time pupils leave school they have achieved more than the level expected. Standards are in line with the national average in English and this represents satisfactory achievement. Compared with schools of similar background, results were well above average in mathematics and average in English. Results in science are not as good with pupils not doing as well as they should compared to all schools and schools with similar backgrounds. Currently, work seen in mathematics confirms that high standards have been maintained, although fewer pupils are working at levels above the national average. Standards seen in English are wholly satisfactory and pupils are confident readers. Science does not receive sufficient time and, as a result, pupils do not study scientific topics in sufficient depth and standards remain below average. In 1999, standards dropped in all

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STANDARDS

subjects and this was caused by the attainment of that particular group of pupils. Since then pupils’ achievements have picked up in English and mathematics in response to stable and effective teaching. More pupils now achieve high standards in English and mathematics and this is a significant achievement. However, science has not received enough attention and this has led to insufficient progress being made. The school has set challenging targets in English and mathematics and is well placed to achieve them.

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STANDARDS

In 2000, test results for seven-year-olds were below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Compared with similar schools results were well below average in reading and mathematics and below average in writing. Results have varied since 1997, but overall have remained below average. Although more pupils are reaching the nationally expected level for their age, few, if any, exceed this level. This is holding down overall standards. In the present Year 2, standards in reading and mathematics have improved. This is due to a more structured approach to teaching these subjects following the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies. However, writing remains below average and pupils lack sufficient skills to produce an extended piece of writing. From an average level of attainment as pupils start in Year 1 achievement is satisfactory in mathematics and reading, but pupils are underachieving in writing. In all

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STANDARDS

subjects, higher attaining pupils are not always provided with sufficiently challenging work and could achieve more. Consequently, the number of pupils exceeding the average level remains low. The results of teachers’ assessment in science at the end of Year 2 in 2000 were below average. There are signs of improvement and standards seen during the inspection were satisfactory.

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STANDARDS

Standards in information and communication technology have improved and are satisfactory and skills are used effectively to support learning in other subjects. In history and in art and design much is achieved in Years 3 to 6 and standards are good. In all other subjects, standards are satisfactory.

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STANDARDS

Children in the reception class have a good start to their education and make good progress in all aspects of their learning. They exceed the nationally recommended level in their personal, social and emotional development and reach this standard in other areas of learning. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils are very enthusiastic about school and proud of their achievements. Pupils have good attitudes to work.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in lessons is generally good. A small number of boys find it more difficult to maintain good behaviour for longer periods of time.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relationships are good and pupils show a genuine concern to support each other. Pupils are particularly good at working together in groups.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Above average and is better than that seen in most schools.

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is good. In the lessons seen, teaching was good or better in 57 per cent of lessons and in 23 per cent it was very good or better. Teaching in one history lesson seen was excellent. In two lessons seen, teaching was unsatisfactory. All of the very good and better teaching seen was in Years 3 to 6 and as a result pupils learn at a faster rate as they move through the school. In Years 1 and 2, although teaching is satisfactory, it is not as effective at challenging all pupils to the highest levels at all times and pupils don’t always learn as fast as they should. Teaching is good in the reception class and pupils learn at a good rate.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is good in English and mathematics. Basic literacy and numeracy skills are taught thoroughly. Pupils learn to read quickly as they are taught the sounds and letters and use this knowledge to tackle new words. However, in Years 1 and 2 teachers do not provide enough opportunities for independent writing and this hampers pupils’ progress. In numeracy sessions, teachers are good at drawing out from pupils different ways to solve a problem. As a result, pupils learn from each other and extend their skills. There are examples of good teaching in most subjects. The teaching of information and communication technology has improved and teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to practise these skills in other subjects. Teaching and learning is good for pupils with special educational needs and they are fully involved in all activities in the school.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Particular strengths in lessons include the good relationships between the staff and pupils. This leads to good management in most lessons so that behaviour is good. Teachers plan a range of interesting activities to make learning more interesting for pupils. A positive feature in Years 3 to 6 is the challenging work set for pupils and much is demanded of them. As a result, pupils work hard and achieve much new learning. A weakness in teaching is brief lesson plans that do not clearly identify what pupils are to learn in the lesson. Consequently, pupils are not always clear about the focus of the lesson. Teachers do not make effective use of assessment information and this leads to tasks being set that do not closely match pupils’ abilities and this hampers pupils’ progress. The weakness in science is caused by topics not being taught in enough depth so pupils have insufficient knowledge to reach the required standard.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is satisfactory and includes all the required subjects with good attention being given to numeracy and literacy skills. It provides a wide range of learning opportunities including information and communication technology. The school enriches the curriculum with a good range of extra- curricular activities, visits and visitors.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils with special needs is good. Work is specially planned for them and they receive effective support in lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Overall, provision is good. Spiritual development is evident in the school’s daily act of worship. The school teaches pupils about their own culture but insufficient attention is given to teaching pupils about life in a multi-cultural society.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good procedures exist to ensure pupils’ welfare, health and safety. Insufficient attention is given to tracking pupils’ academic progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has effective links with parents and information about what is happening in school is satisfactory.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The quality of leadership provided by the headteacher, deputy and staff is good. They work as a team to raise standards. They also maintain a happy, caring community in line with the school’s aims. Management of most subjects is effective, although co-ordinators do not have sufficient opportunity to check on what is happening in classrooms.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities. The headteacher and chairman of governors work closely together and have a shared philosophy about the future of the school. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and all decisions are based on this knowledge.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school satisfactorily evaluates its performance, but as yet does not make full use of the available assessment data to remedy areas of weakness.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The budget and specific grants are put to good use. Resources are used efficiently to the benefit of all pupils.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Overall, leadership and management are good. Financial control is effective and decisions about spending are linked closely to school’s identified priorities. The school and governors ensure that the best value is obtained from spending decisions.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There are enough staff, although the number of support staff is low. Accommodation is good except for the under fives who do not have a secure outdoor play area. Learning resources are sufficient, although the number of information books in the library is inadequate. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Twelve parents attended a meeting held before the inspection and 88 parents responded to the questionnaires asking for their opinions about the school.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school. • Good progress is made in the school. • The teaching is good and teachers know their children well. • Teachers have high expectations of their children and expect them to work hard. • The range of activities outside lessons. • The information they receive about their children’s progress. • More work being set for their children to do at home. • A few parents thought the school could work more closely with parents.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views. Sufficient homework is set, although this varies between classes. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities. Parents could receive more information about what is happening in school and what their children are learning. The school works hard to establish close links with parents. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School PART B: COMMENTARY

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When children enter the school standards are broadly average, although the school’s assessment carried out as children start school show early reading and writing skills to be slightly below those seen in most schools. In response to a rich curriculum and good teaching, pupils make good progress in the reception class and reach the early learning goals 1 in their communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. This is a good achievement for the children who are less confident in these skills when they start school. The school gives great attention to developing children’s personal, social and emotional skills and with good support most pupils reach standards above the required level for their age. Children achieve well enough in their knowledge and understanding of the world, creative and physical development and reach the early learning goals in these areas by the end of the reception class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. At the end of Year 2, the most recent test results (2000) show standards are below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Compared to similar schools, results were below average in writing, but well below average in reading and mathematics. Results have fluctuated since 1997, but overall have remained below average. A close examination of the results reveals that the number of pupils reaching the nationally expected level for their age (Level 2) is close to the national figure and in mathematics was in fact slightly higher. However, few, if any, pupils exceed the national average and this is holding down overall results.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The work of the present Year 2 shows an improvement on the national test results and by the end of Year 2 standards are average in reading and mathematics. Improvement has been brought about by a more structured approach to teaching mathematics with teachers following closely the guidelines in the National Numeracy Hour. Standards in reading have always been closer to the national average because teachers are confident in teaching reading and parents give ample support at home. Taking into consideration pupils’ attainment as they enter Year 1 achievement of most pupils is satisfactory. Writing remains a weakness and insufficient progress is being made. No pupils are identified as exceeding the expected level for this age group. Teachers do not always build effectively on what has gone before in the Foundation Stage 2 . Insufficient attention is given to pupils’ progress and tasks are set that are not sufficiently challenging for the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

higher attaining pupils. They are underachieving in Years 1 and 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The results of Year 6 in the national tests (2000) were in line with the national average in English, well above average in mathematics and well below average in science. Compared to similar schools, a very positive picture emerges in mathematics with results being well above average. Results in English were average and in science well below average. Trends show that in 1999 test results in all subjects dipped significantly. This was related to this particular cohort whose attainment and behaviour was not typical of the school. Standards in English and mathematics promptly returned to a more acceptable level in 2000, but in science standards have remained very low. The dip in 1999 adversely affected overall trends over the last five years, which were below the national trend. A significant improvement in Year 6 results in English and mathematics is the proportion of pupils who exceed the national target level (Level 5). In English, this

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

was above the national average and even higher in mathematics, being well above the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Early learning goals are the nationally recommended levels for children at the end of the reception class. Foundation Stage is the provision for children from entry to school to the end of the reception class. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School national average. This is not the case in science and the percentage of pupils reaching level 5 was well below the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Current standards in Year 6 are above average in mathematics. Standards are not quite as high as the national test results in 2000 because slightly fewer pupils are on target to exceed the level expected for their age. Taking into consideration pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2, these standards reflect good achievement for most pupils. In English, standards are in line with the national average and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in reading and speaking and listening. In writing, standards are satisfactory and pupils make consistently good progress. Considering pupils’ low writing standards at the end of Year 2, this reflects good achievement. In Years 5 and 6, pupils achieve a great deal as they are set tasks that challenge them and this leads more pupils on to exceed the national average. This is a significant achievement for most pupils. Standards in science are below average. These low standards are partly explained by the limited amount of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

time allocated to the subject. Pupils do not study topics to the required depth and they could achieve more.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The targets set for pupils in English and mathematics in 2000 were achieved and more challenging targets have been set for 2001. Currently, the teacher for Year 6 is absent and progress in Year 6 has slowed down slightly. The targets reflect what pupils might be expected to achieve if they work hard.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. One factor that has raised standards in mathematics and writing has been the improved support for pupils with special educational needs. The previous report was very critical of the provision for these pupils and their progress was unsatisfactory. Procedures to support these pupils have greatly improved. All pupils identified as having special educational needs have individual education plans. Targets for improvement are clear and pupils are now making satisfactory progress to achieve them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Test results indicate girls are not performing as well as boys. This is against the national picture. The school has a long history of having more boys than girls and is aware of this imbalance in attainment. Analysis of results shows girls are well represented in the higher attaining group and in lessons seen there was no evidence of inequality. The school intends to check more closely that resources and activities are ‘girl friendly’ and to monitor that girls are not overlooked in lessons. The school has no pupils in the early stages of learning English as an additional language and no pupils were identified as highly talented or gifted.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In work seen in English during the inspection standards are average in speaking and listening and reading at the end of Years 2 and 6. Standards in writing are below average at the end of Year 2 and in line with the level expected for this age by the end of Year 6. Satisfactory progress is made in Years 1 and 2 and good progress in Years 3 to 6. Pupils speak clearly and appreciate the need to take turn in conversations. In Years 1 and 2 a few pupils still call out in class discussions, but this improves significantly as pupils get older. Pupils listen enthralled to stories and in assemblies. By the end of Year 6, pupils listen carefully to the points being made by their classmates in debates and argue their points confidently. Reading is satisfactory throughout the school and effectively supports learning in other subjects. For example, pupils use CD-ROM to research information for history and scan a screen of text to find relevant information. Standards in writing have

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

not been sustained at the high levels identified in the previous inspection. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 write unaided, but many have not reached a level that allows them to write an extended piece of independent writing. This improves greatly in Years 3 to 6 as pupils experience more opportunities to write in other subjects. They write short stories using paragraphs to plan their work and use imaginative vocabulary when writing poetry. Pupils use these skills confidently in other subjects. For example, in Year 3 pupils write St Stephen’s C of E Primary School instructions for making frames in design and technology and they use bullet points correctly to identify the steps to follow and lists for materials required.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The previous inspection identified average standards in mathematics throughout the school. These have been maintained at the end of Year 2 and improved at the end of Year 6. Progress is satisfactory for the younger pupils and good for the older pupils in Years 3 to 6. Numeracy skills are good throughout the school and pupils use these to support learning in other subjects. In Year 2, pupils use these skills to collect information and record their data on simple graphs. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are confident using their multiplication tables when carrying out mental calculations. Pupils in Year 6 have extended their data handling skills and record results using a wide range of graphs and grids.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Science has not received the same attention as English and mathematics. Standards identified in the previous inspection have been maintained at the end of Year 2, but standards have fallen to below average by the end of Year 6. Sufficient attention is given to investigation and pupils understand how to test and record results. They know how bulbs light up a simple electrical circuit. Investigative skills are satisfactory at the end of Year 6. However, pupils have insufficient depth of several aspects of the curriculum including knowledge about plant growth and classification, human growth and reproduction. Progress is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, but there is underachievement in Years 3 to 6. This is to some extent caused by the organisation of the curriculum that means insufficient time is allocated to the subject. This hampers the progress of the higher attaining pupils who have insufficient opportunity to study topics to the required

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

depth to achieve beyond the nationally expected level for this age group.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) have improved considerably since the previous inspection and are now satisfactory at the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils have grasped the basic skills of word processing and older pupils can add picture to their work to make it more interesting. These skills are used effectively to support learning in other subjects. Pupils plan their stories and are skilful using the spell checker and save their work in readiness for the next lesson.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Standards by the end of Year 6 have improved since the last inspection in design and technology and geography and are now satisfactory. Standards are now good in art and design. Work on display shows impressive artistic skills as well as enhancing the school environment. The high standards in history have been sustained. In all other subjects, standards are wholly satisfactory.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ attitudes to school are good, as is their behaviour. Their attendance and punctuality is very good. Most of the parents who answered the pre-inspection questionnaire agreed that the behaviour at school is good and said that their children like school. All of the many pupils who spoke to inspectors said they like coming to school and feel very well looked after. The oldest pupils are very enthusiastic about their school and say that they will be sad to leave. Pupils reported that when they have had personal problems their teachers have been friendly, helpful and supportive. All pupils understand that if there are problems at school they should discuss them with an adult and they are confident that they will be helped.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils show good attitudes towards their work. Throughout the school pupils are keen to learn. Pupils are eager to talk about their work and it is usually neat. They apply themselves with enthusiasm to their work and the vast majority try hard in lessons. Older pupils in the school show high levels of concentration, enthusiasm and positive attitudes St Stephen’s C of E Primary School to their class work. They enjoy being careful and thorough, for example, in a mathematics lesson when they were engrossed measuring angles. The young children in the reception class quickly settle to lessons and try hard to produce their best work. For example, in a mathematics lesson, the children eagerly and confidently applied themselves to the task of counting to 20 in a well-managed and enjoyable lesson. In music their enthusiasm and ability to follow instructions and take part in complex action songs was notable. In assemblies, pupils of all ages are very attentive. They listen

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

carefully and take part in the singing. This contributes to a calm and secure start to the day.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Relationships in the school are good. Pupils rapidly learn how to relate well to each other. In the playgrounds, pupils show considerable ability to co-operate in games. Pupils are friendly, considerate, open and helpful to visitors. They respect one another. Pupils with special educational needs are usually well supported by classmates in the classroom. There is a marked absence of oppressive behaviour, including bullying racism and sexism. There have been no recent exclusions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. In classes, behaviour is mostly good and sometimes very good. During the inspection, behaviour was very good during lunch times, even when pupils’ patience was tested in bad weather that prevented them from playing outdoors. Pupils move from task to task quickly and quietly. Behaviour in class was rarely unsatisfactory. Misbehaviour seen in one lesson was related to an undemanding activity and under other circumstances the pupils’ behaviour was acceptable. Outside the classroom pupils show their ability to accept responsibility for their own behaviour whilst thoroughly enjoying and benefiting from the experience. For example, a group of 9-year-olds remained fully engrossed during an afternoon visit to a local historic house. They were well prepared, knew relevant historical facts and asked good questions as they expanded their knowledge.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other to their teachers and helpers. They generally cope well with potentially difficult situations and give due attention to the ideas and opinions of others. For example, pupils in Year 6 discussed how neighbours can cause problems for each other. A very effective debate ensued and resulted in attentive listening and good learning. Pupils eagerly accept responsibility for a range of tasks in the school. They enjoy helping younger pupils, clearing the hall after lunch or assemblies and delivering dinner registers. They act as monitors in the corridors and ensure pupils move safely on the stairs. Older pupils are occasionally given the opportunity of working with younger ones in breaks and are given a variety of monitoring tasks. Although the pupils are encouraged to make individual suggestions to staff, there are few structures in place to prepare them for life in a democracy.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Attendance figures are very good and have improved since the last inspection. Pupils are punctual even during inclement weather.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching is good overall and has improved since the previous inspection. In 57 per cent of lessons seen, teaching was good or better. It was very good or better in 22 per cent of lessons and in one lesson seen teaching was excellent. In two lessons seen teaching was unsatisfactory. At the time of the inspection the teacher for Year 6 was absent. A review of pupils’ work in this class shows good teaching and the overall statistics do not truly reflect the high quality learning in Year 6. Teaching was good for children in the Foundation Stage and for pupils in Years 3 to 6 and learning is good in these years. Although teaching is always at least satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, tasks are not sufficiently challenging and do not always match pupils’ abilities. This leads to pupils marking time and particularly the higher attaining pupils could achieve more. Teaching in St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

science in Years 3 to 6 has weaknesses linked to insufficient time being allocated to the subject. This leads to teaching not challenging the higher attaining pupils or providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to reach the standard of which they are capable.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. The teacher has a secure knowledge of the needs of the children and plans a range of interesting activities that captures their interest. Every opportunity is taken to develop independent and social skills. Children are encouraged to accept responsibility for their actions with the result that they leave the reception class with good social skills and are ready to learn more. Early assessment information is used well to match tasks to children’s abilities and this is very effective in raising standards in early reading and mathematics. A practical approach to teaching numbers and letter sounds leads to children quickly learning this new information and they are beginning to use it to support their learning in other lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Throughout the rest of the school teachers have a secure knowledge of the topics they teach and good teaching was seen in most subjects. It is better in Years 3 to 6 in history when teachers inspire the pupils by sharing their enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge. This leads to high standards and a genuine interest in the past. The excellent teaching seen was in history in Year 3 and led to pupils bringing in resources and journals to share their new knowledge with teachers and fellow pupils. Teachers have a secure knowledge of teaching basic information and communication technology (ICT) skills and are able to offer good advice to pupils working on computers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Overall, the teaching of literacy skills is good. In Years 1 and 2 it is more effective in teaching reading than writing. Teachers have a good knowledge of teaching reading and in Years 1 and 2 lessons include good activities that consolidate pupils’ knowledge of letter sounds and their early reading skills. Teachers also encourage pupils to use this knowledge in their spelling, but do not always provide enough opportunities for independent writing. This improves in Years 3 to 6 with teachers providing a wide range of writing tasks. Teaching of numeracy is good and is based on a secure understanding of mathematical concepts. It is particularly effective in Years 3 to 6 when effective questioning has improved pupils’ skills of mental calculation.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers’ lesson plans for English and mathematics are satisfactory as the school follows the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. A good feature in lesson plans for mathematics is the clarity of learning outcomes. Teachers share these with their pupils. As a result, at the end of lessons pupils have a clear understanding of what they have learnt and how to further improve their knowledge. This good practice is not seen in English and other subjects when lesson plans are often brief and do not always identify specifically the learning outcome for the lesson. The school lacks a whole school format for lesson plans and the amount of detail varies between teachers. This means there is no system to evaluate lessons or to record pupils’ learning in lessons.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. A very positive feature of teaching in Years 3 to 6 is the challenging work set for pupils. Most of the very good teaching seen was in these years and was characterised by high expectations with the result that more pupils are now leaving school with standards higher than the national average. This is not as successful in Years 1 and 2 when teachers’ expectations are insufficiently high and this leads to pupils marking time and more could be achieved. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, the writing activity set for pupils included too much copying for the pupils and failed to extend the learning of the higher attaining pupils. This was a problem identified in the previous inspection that has not been fully addressed. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School 26. Most lessons include a range of activities that make learning fun and maintain pupils’ enthusiasm. This has had a significant impact on standards in mathematics as teachers

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

use every opportunity to demonstrate skills using counting apparatus and number lines. Pupils are encouraged to work with a partner and this was very successful in a Year 6 English lesson when pupils had to share their ideas with a partner in preparation for a whole class discussion. In art lessons there are ample examples of group collaboration on large-scale work with some impressive results displayed in classrooms.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. The management of pupils is another strength in teaching. Teachers, including the student teachers in Years 1 and 2, have established good relationships with their pupils and management is firm and positive. Teachers use humour effectively to create a friendly atmosphere, but this is used sensibly so that pupils have a very clear understanding of what is acceptable behaviour. When teaching was unsatisfactory, management was less effective as the teacher had less knowledge of the pupils. Their behaviour was unsatisfactory and disturbed the learning in the lesson. This is not typical of teaching or behaviour in the school.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. Support staff are used effectively in lessons. This is very beneficial for pupils who have special educational needs as they receive additional help in a small group. Staff record how pupils cope with the set tasks and then support is adjusted accordingly. Teaching for these pupils is good overall and teachers keep a watchful eye to see they are fully included in lessons. Material is adapted if required to enable pupils to follow the same programmes of work as their classmates. Resources throughout the school are generally used well and often add that extra dimension to capture pupils’ interest. For example, in history a strength in teaching is the use of artefacts and books so that pupils can research and find out for themselves what it is like to be a historian. Another improvement is the use of information and communication technology to support learning in other lessons. Computers were reported to be underused and this is no longer the case. Computers are

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

now used for research in history and story writing in English as well as in other subjects. Time is not always used efficiently and in Years 1 and 2 introductions are too long and pupils start to lose interest as concentration wanes. In the unsatisfactory lesson in Year 3 too much time was allocated to teaching handwriting and pupils spent a long time repeating previous work and consequently little new learning took place. However, in the very good and excellent lessons teachers move learning on at a brisk pace.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. The use of assessment to help pupils improve in lessons is unsatisfactory. The lack of detailed lesson plans aggravates the situation as there is no formal system to record how pupils perform in lessons. This leads to lessons being planned without always taking into consideration previous learning. This is more apparent in Years 1 and 2 and Year 4 where two teachers share the teaching. Some tasks are set that are either too easy or too difficult and this hampers pupils’ progress. Marking of pupils’ work varies considerably throughout the school. A few teachers include comments that clearly tell pupils what they need to do to improve. However, this is not a consistent feature and some marking is not up to date and untidy work is not always brought to the attention of pupils.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. Parents were concerned about the small amount of homework pupils are given to do at home. Inspection evidence finds that a satisfactory amount of work is set, but this is not always on a regular basis. Parents support their children’s reading at home and this has a positive impact on standards in reading. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

31. The school has responded positively to the recent changes in the curriculum. In the Foundation Stage, the curriculum is based on the early learning goals with full coverage of the areas of learning ensuring a seamless transition to the National Curriculum programmes of study. However, the lack of a suitable outdoor area and large play equipment, hampers children’s physical development. The quality and range of learning opportunities at both key stages now fully meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. The school places a strong focus on developing pupils’ attainment in literacy and numeracy based on the appropriate national strategies and teachers use these effectively to plan their lessons. Pupils' literacy and numeracy skills are being increasingly applied in other subjects. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has improved and its use in other subjects is making an increasing

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

impact on pupils’ learning. The overall breadth of the curriculum is satisfactory. The weakness is in the amount of time allocated to science. In this subject, insufficient time is given to cover the required range of topics in the depth needed for pupils to make satisfactory progress. This is most notable in Years 3 to 6 with the result that high attainers in particular do not attain the standards expected.

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

32. Although personal, health and social education including drugs awareness is taught, for example, through religious education and science, it currently lacks focus. In sex education, issues are dealt with sensitively and appropriately as they arise. The school lacks detailed guidelines to help teachers in their planning and to ensure that pupils effectively build on their earlier experiences as they move through the school.

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

33. New subject guidelines are in place with the result that the development of pupils’ learning as they move through the school is now much clearer. Schemes of work are supported by informative medium term plans that identify what topics are to be taught. Work is then planned to the differing needs of all pupils in teachers’ lesson plans. At the last inspection teachers’ lesson plans varied in detail and lacked uniformity. This is still the case in all subjects except English and mathematics. This leads to a lack of clarity in lessons about the learning outcome and, as a result, pupils are not always clear about the overall focus of the lesson.

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

34. The school places considerable emphasis on providing a curriculum that is relevant for all pupils. Equality of access is taken seriously and is an important part in meeting the school’s mission statement. This philosophy can be seen in practice in the provision for pupils with special educational needs. The weaknesses identified at the previous inspection have been resolved and support for these pupils is now good. This has been achieved mainly through the good leadership and management of the special educational needs co-ordinator, appointed since the last inspection. The Code of Practice 3 has been fully implemented and the policy is clear and informative, although some missing detail has been recognised. At the last inspection, individual education plans lacked focus and the match between pupils’ need and the work set was poor. These plans have been strengthened and now have realistic targets closely linked to pupils’ identified needs.

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

Pupils needing extra help in literacy and numeracy are identified and given additional support so that they are fully included in lessons and learn at a similar rate as their classmates

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

35. The school provides a good range of extra curricular activities. Pupils have access to sports such as football, netball, rounders and cross-country running. The resources of

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

Code of Practice – this gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils with special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School the town and surrounding countryside are used to provide relevant first hand experiences, especially in history, geography and religious education. A good example was seen during the inspection when pupils visited Towneley Hall as part of their work on the Tudors. All pupils took part recently in a book week; older pupils have the opportunity take part in a residential visit to Winmarleigh Hall, which focuses on outdoor pursuits and ICT.

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

36. The school sees itself as an important part in the community and as part of this philosophy has developed good links to enable it to contribute to pupils' learning. Good examples are the theatre workshops held in school by Burnley Mechanics Institute, the Education Business Partnership providing a grant to develop the wild life area in the school grounds and the ‘Electricity Roadshow’ presented by Nelson and Colne College. The Friends of the School make a substantial contribution to the school in terms of financial support through fund raising and social events. The school has equally good relationships with other schools. It plays an active part in the local group of schools when they meet together for training. Good examples are the close liaison between feeder nurseries and pupils on work experience from local secondary schools. Initial teacher training students and nursery nurses from St Martin’s and Burnley Colleges respectively,

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

regularly complete their placements in school. Links with secondary schools are effective so that pupils transfer to their new school as smoothly as possible.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

37. The school is enriched by good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social education. Provision for their cultural education is satisfactory.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

38. There are frequent opportunities for pupils to experience moments of spirituality in assemblies and this reflects the well-established Christian status of the school. Staff create a quiet reflective atmosphere through appropriate music and behaviour. Singing in assemblies is good. The good choice of hymns leads to pupils enjoying these occasions, but also creates a spiritual atmosphere with the gentle tone and expression used in the hymns preparing for Easter. These opportunities are often extended in other subjects. For example, pupils appreciate the beauty of the pictures of famous artists and this is evident in the many good examples of pupils’ artwork displayed around the school. Pupils in the reception class are encouraged to appreciate the wonder of nature as they plant seeds and watch them grow.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

39. Provision for moral development is good. Staff effectively promote the principles that allow pupils to distinguish right from wrong, providing good role models for them to follow. When pupils misbehave time is taken to explain to them how this affects others. This leads to pupils developing an understanding of acceptable behaviour. Moral questions arise in class discussions and this resulted in a mature discussion in Year 6 about how a neighbour’s actions can affect the lives of others. In class discussions called Circle Time pupils have opportunities to reflect on the moral and social issues that have implications for the way they live their lives.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

40. Pupils respond well to the opportunities provided for their social development. Pupils understand the need for rewards and sanctions. They know of the headteacher’s ‘bad behaviour book’ and that parents are informed of persistent problems. They recognise that this helps them develop a good understanding of the impact of their behaviour on others. They also look forward to the occasional recognition for good work or behaviour, although rewards other than sweets better fit the school’s own health messages. Pupils work well together in class and teachers provide many opportunities for partner and group collaboration. The impressive large picture in the style of Paul Klee displayed in Year 5 is evidence of the success of group work. The school provides opportunities for pupils to help others. The older pupils often help the younger pupils around the school. Pupils willingly support charitable collections and at the time of the inspection were planning

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

St Stephen’s C of E Primary School ways to raise money for Red Nose Day. The school organises a residential visit for older pupils so that they can learn the necessary social skills of independence and tolerance of others. Pupils are encouraged to support each other in lessons and this works very well for pupils with special educational needs who often have a ‘buddy’ to help them. This leads to a happy sense of community in the school.

p.19

OR STUDENTS?

41. Pupils’ awareness of their own cultural traditions is good. Much is done to increase their knowledge and understanding of the community they live in. For example, their knowledge of local history is extended effectively by visits the nearby Towneley Hall. Pupils are introduced to a range of artists and music. They have studied a range of classical texts including being involved in a dramatic performance of ‘Macbeth’. There are too few opportunities to raise pupils’ awareness of the traditions and beliefs of people from other cultures and this is a weakness. Older pupils study other religions and visit the Jewish museum in Manchester, but there are not enough opportunities of this type for pupils in other year groups. The school library has very few books about other faiths and cultures.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has good procedure for the care of the pupils. Staff and the governing body contribute to a caring school in which the personal needs of the pupils are met well. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early and are given effective support to help them make satisfactory progress.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. There is a very positive atmosphere in the school and all staff know have a good knowledge of their pupils. Pupils say that all the staff are kind and supportive. They describe the school as having a good atmosphere, warm and caring. Pupils feel secure and know they can rely on their teachers. ‘All the teachers are my friends’, said a happy five-year-old. Pupils with special physical needs are sensitively cared for and staff provide for these pupils’ needs without drawing attention to them. They are totally included in all the school’s activities.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Child protection procedures are good. Staff have been trained and the school works closely with the relevant authorities when there are any concerns. Visitors such as police and safety experts help to inform pupils about looking after themselves. At playtime and lunchtime, pupils are carefully supervised. The midday meal supervisors know the pupils well and are well aware of their responsibilities regarding health and safety and child protection. A member of staff is trained in first aid and there are records of all incidents. Some of these records are kept by older pupils designated ‘medical monitors’. They are given valuable experience and responsibility, but their records are understandably not of the highest standards. As the medical monitors deal with very minor incidents, the school feels that they need not always be supervised. This policy needs to be reviewed.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. There are regular checks on the safety of portable electrical appliances, fire extinguishers and physical education equipment. The school does not record formal risk analyses or health and safety audits. However, the headteacher, caretaker and asset management committee of the governing body undertake regular health and safety inspections. In addition, the governors have considered reports from the local education authority. The school is addressing a number of minor issues that came to light during this inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Procedures to monitor pupils’ personal, social and emotional development are satisfactory. Staff know pupils well and personal and social records are kept so that staff can provide support for those with particular problems. Individual targets are provided for pupils who have an identified difficulty with behaviour. Class and school rules in classrooms remind pupils to be aware of the impact of their actions and ways in which St Stephen’s C of E Primary School they can change. Formal records are maintained of any serious incidents including racist incidents. The headteacher keeps a close check on any major incidents.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. Class certificates for good attendance are given to pupils at special assemblies with an explanation of why they were deserved. The school monitors attendance and works closely with the educational welfare officer when necessary. Registers conform to legal requirements. Pupils and their families are fully aware of the importance punctuality and the school is usually informed about the reasons for absences. However, there is no ‘late book’. Registers are kept in classrooms and only reviewed weekly. This leaves the task of registering latecomers or following up any unexplained absences to the class teacher. With temporary teachers and classes reorganised from time to time there is a possibility of confusion. This would be avoided by registering latecomers and following up absentees centrally.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Since the last inspection the school has implemented new procedures to assess pupils’ academic performance. Procedures are now satisfactory overall. The school has introduced a system to assess children as they start school and the curriculum is adjusted to match their identified needs. This enables pupils to make good progress in the Foundation Stage. Good procedures are in place to assess pupils’ progress in English and mathematics and these are having an impact on standards as pupils leave school. Teachers now have a clearer understanding of the progress their pupils are making and are better able to predict the standards pupils will reach at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The school now has a mass of useful data collected from tests in English and mathematics. However, this information is not yet fully used to produce a picture of pupils’ individual strengths. Individual targets are not set and so pupils are not aware of

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

what they need to do to improve their work, nor are they involved in self-reviews of their attainment. The school has limited systems for assessing pupils’ progress in subjects other than in English and mathematics and physical education. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan to meet the needs of specific groups of pupils in classes and this affects pupils’ attainment in these subjects.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school lacks a whole school approach to lesson planning. This has implications for assessing pupils’ on-going progress as there are no clear systems to record any strengths or difficulties identified in lessons. Most teachers have implemented informal recording systems and this is working effectively in Years 3 to 6. However, in Years 1 and 2 teachers do not always make effective use of on-going assessment information with the result that tasks are set that do not always match pupils’ ability. For example, in English higher attaining pupils were set work that was too easy and they could have learnt more.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school analyses the results of statutory tests and assessments to set realistic school targets in English, mathematics and science in Year 6. This has raised teachers’ awareness of pupils’ progress and booster classes in English and mathematics have been effective in improving test results. The school has analysed results according to gender. Staff are aware results show girls are not doing as well as boys in tests and have checked to see that girls are represented in the number of pupils who exceed the expected level for their age. Insufficient attention has been given to adjusting the curriculum based on weaknesses identified in test results. For example, it is unsatisfactory that an analysis of science test results has not been undertaken to discover the reasons for the declining standards. Consequently, the time allocated to science has not been re-aligned to meet the needs of the curriculum. This has resulted in

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

standards in science declining as topics are not given sufficient attention. Similarly, the school is aware that national test results in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 showed few pupils reaching levels above average. However, this information is St Stephen’s C of E Primary School not being used effectively and in practice these pupils are not being sufficiently challenged to enable them to reach the higher level.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. A positive feature in assessment is the procedures to review the progress of those pupils with special educational needs. This has improved significantly since the last inspection. Assessment systems are now good and these pupils have specific targets. Teachers and support staff monitor progress closely. When targets are reached, pupils are moved on to the next level and this has a positive impact on the satisfactory progress these pupils make.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The analysis of the parents’ questionnaires and the comments made at the parents’ meeting held before the inspection shows that parents are predominantly supportive. Parents have positive views of the school as at the time of the last inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Parents report that the school works closely with them and keeps them fully informed, but a significant minority disagree. Some parents say they would welcome regular newsletters with information about what their children will be learning. Ninety-two per cent of parents feel comfortable about approaching the school with problems. All parents spoken to during the inspection said that they felt that staff were always very willing to listen to their concerns. A few parents say that they do not feel that the amount of homework is right for their children. It is not easy to fully interpret this result. Some parents feel that there is too much homework and others too little. The quantity and type of homework set is inconsistent and the homework policy did not give parents sufficient information about what is to be expected. A significant percentage of parents who completed the questionnaires disagreed that the school provided an interesting range of

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

activities outside lesson. However, the inspection found the school provides a good range of opportunities outside class, including visits, visitors and residential experiences.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Communication with parents is satisfactory. The prospectus is informative and easy to read and includes pupils’ illustrations. The school makes efforts to involve parents, but the information in letters sent to them is limited to formal notification of events, dates and concerns. Newsletters are not sent out on a regular basis. Limited information is provided about topics that are to be taught or suggestions as to how parents may share in their children’s education. At the end of the year, parents discuss reports on their children’s academic progress. These reports are detailed and helpful and some include targets for the future. Parents also receive a shorter report half way through the year that provides a useful overview of pupils’ progress.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Parental involvement with the school is satisfactory. It starts before their children come to the reception class, when parents visit the school to find out how to help their children settle in school. Parents support their children’s efforts by attending special events such as annual performances. Attendance at meetings with teachers to discuss children’s progress is very good. Very few parents are in a position regularly to come into school to help. There is a strong Parent Teacher and Friends’ Association, which is well supported by staff and parents. It raises useful funds and contributes significantly to the school community, for example planning developments for the school grounds.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. Parents support their children well by ensuring their attendance and punctuality. They are given opportunities to help their children’s learning at home with homework. This help is particularly good in hearing children read at home and this has a positive impact in pupils’ confidence in reading. Parents record the amount of reading done at home, but insufficient information is provided about the amount of work pupils have to do at home. Only one class has a homework book that goes home with pupils for parents to share. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School Parents of children with special educational needs are fully informed about their progress. They are invited to the regular reviews of the work set for these pupils in their individual education plans.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The leadership and management of the school are good. As at the time of the previous inspection, the headteacher provides effective leadership based on care and consideration for all. He has earned the respect of parents who are happy with the management of the school and regularly ‘pop in’ to share a concern with the headteacher. He is ably supported by the deputy headteacher. She has done much to raise standards in English, although she is currently carrying a heavy load of extra responsibilities. The senior management team meets regularly and has started to move the school forward on its use of assessment data. The governing body plays an important part in leading the school and with the headteacher and all staff have a clear vision of the school’s educational direction. As a team the issues for attention identified in the last inspection have been tackled. Success is evident in improved standards in information and

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

communication technology (ICT) and design and technology and in the improved provision for pupils with special educational needs.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The roles of subject co-ordinators and key staff are clearly defined with the result that curriculum planning has improved. All staff are involved in strategic planning through the school’s development plan. This plan lacked clear targets and systems to achieve them at the time of the last inspection. The format of this document has improved and identifies clear targets and methods to achieve these, including resources and the appropriate budget for any incurred costs. At the time of the last inspection it was identified that subject co-ordinators needed more opportunity to monitor teachers’ curriculum plans. Procedures to do this are now in place and there is now scope to extend this role to checking that the plans are working in practice in the classroom. Management of English and mathematics is good. Co-ordinators have had opportunities to check that teachers are confident teaching the National Literacy and Numeracy

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Strategies and this has led to improved teaching notably in Years 3 to 6. Co-ordination in other subjects is at least satisfactory except for in science. Insufficient attention has been given to analysing pupils’ test results in science with the purpose of identifying the reasons for declining standards. Consequently, standards remain low. Management of special educational needs has significantly improved and is now good. Effective systems are in place to identify the needs of these pupils and to provide additional support in class to enable them to make satisfactory progress related to their prior attainment.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The governing body carries out its duties diligently and fulfils its statutory responsibilities. The headteacher and chairman of governors work closely together and have sensitively steered the school through some difficult times. The chairman of the governing body is a regular visitor to the school and is well known by staff and pupils. His long-standing support for the school means his many contributions are based on a thorough knowledge of the school’s history. Governors are linked with subject co-ordinators with the result that they are fully informed about the school’s strengths and areas for development. This means that all major decisions are based on a good understanding of what is happening in school. The governing body has set challenging targets for the headteacher based on an analysis of national test results. The school has made a good start on self-evaluation and has reviewed test results to agree school targets for 2001.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Procedures to monitor the school’s performance are in place and the school collects a lot of useful assessment data. However, the recent absence of the deputy headteacher has delayed the senior management team developing the use of this data. Currently, the school does not make the best use of assessment information, for example, in finding out St Stephen’s C of E Primary School why the school’s test results in science were low. The headteacher has carried out detailed monitoring of teaching. Advice has been provided to improve teaching; for example, in the organisation of groups in English lessons and this now runs smoothly in most lessons. Governors also monitor teaching and discuss their observation with the headteacher if they identify any concerns. Appraisal is now linked to performance management and staff training is linked to these identified needs as well as the school’s priorities. The school provides good support for students on initial teacher training and

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

this was very apparent during the inspection. The student teachers in Years 1 and 2 received effective support and in most lessons seen the teaching was good.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Financial management by the headteacher and governors is good. The budget is set based on the philosophy that all available funds should be used for the pupils currently in the school. Currently, the school budget does not balance, but governors have a thorough knowledge of the school’s financial resources and know sufficient funding is available to balance the budget. Optimum use is made of all funding including specific grants. Monies are spent prudently with thought for priorities in the development plan. The school and governors ensure that the best value is obtained from spending decisions. The most recent audit made a number of recommendations and the school has addressed these.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school administration is effective and administrative staff provide a warm welcome to visitors.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Effective management ensures the staffing of the school is adequate, although one class remains too large and the number of adult support staff is low. Teachers are all trained and experienced to teach this age group. Although the school has the disadvantage of narrow staircases, overall accommodation is good with extra space for small groups to be taught and also for science lessons. The library has been refurbished and is in a good central position in the school. At present, it does not have any tables or chairs to allow pupils to sit to research and record information. The school lacks a suitable secure outdoor play space for the children in the reception class. Similarly, these children do not have a range of wheeled toys or climbing apparatus to meet the needs of this age group. At the time of the last inspection, resources were inadequate in mathematics, geography, music, history and for pupils with special educational needs. The school has effectively

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

filled these gaps except for in geography where more resources are needed. The school has kept up-to-date with ICT resources and these are now used regularly to support learning in other subjects. However, a weakness in resources is a lack of information books in the library. The quality of books is good, but the number is low and there are very few multi-cultural books.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Management has successfully balanced a commitment to raising standards with a determination to provide an education that reflects the school’s mission statement to nurture and care for pupils in a loving, Christian community. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

65. To further improve the work of the school the headteacher, staff and governing body should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise standards in writing by the end of Year 2 by providing more opportunities for pupils to practise their skills in extended pieces of writing; (paragraphs 3, 9, 23, 75 and 81)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) raise standards in science by the end of Year 6 by allocating more time to the subject so that topics can be taught in sufficient depth to enable pupils to reach the expected standards; (paragraphs 5, 11, 20, 50, 58, 95-96 and 98-99)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) raise the standards of the higher attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2 by providing tasks which interest the pupils and more consistently challenge them to work hard; (paragraphs 3, 25, 29, 49-50, 75, 83 and 92-93)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) further improve assessment procedures and make better use of assessment information by: • implementing procedures in all subjects (except mathematics, English and physical education) to enable progress to be more closely monitored; • making use of assessment information to adjust the curriculum when a weakness is identified; • tracking the progress of the pupils as they move through the school and set pupils’ individual targets for improvement; • including more comments when marking pupils’ books so that they know what they have to do to improve; (paragraphs 24, 29, 48-49, 60, 83-84, 92-93, 99-100 and 132)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) further improve teaching by developing a whole school system to lesson planning that clearly identifies what is to be learnt in lessons and sharing this with pupils (this is done successfully in mathematics). (paragraphs 24, 29, 33, 49, 83, 99, 104, 115 and 131)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above the following less important aspects should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- look for ways to reduce the number of management responsibilities allocated to the deputy headteacher; (57 and 105) - provide more opportunities for pupils to learn about life in a multi-cultural society; (41 and 132) - provide more opportunities for subject co-ordinators (except English and mathematics) to check that the new planning guidelines are being effectively implemented; (58, 100, 105, 116, 121, 126 and 132) - provide suitable outdoor play area and resources for children in the Foundation Stage; (31, 63 and 73) - provide clearer guidelines for the teaching of personal and social skills; (32) - improve the use of the library for independent research; (63 and 84) - extend the number of information books in the library. (41, 63 and 84) St Stephen’s C of E Primary School PART 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 42

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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

2 20 34 39 5 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

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 213

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 32 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 58

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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 7

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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 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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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 2000 23 13 36

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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 17 18 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 83 (90) 86 (87) 94 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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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 17 20 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 11 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 83 (90) 86 (90) 89 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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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 2000 24 13 37

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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 17 17 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 13 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 78 (67) 81 (58) 78 (72) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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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 17 17 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 10 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 78 (64) 75 (64) 72 (56) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.25 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 373,519

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1,624

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 112.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 35,563

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 35,991 St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 33 61 5 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 45 39 11 1 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 45 14 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39 40 18 2 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. 75 17 6 2 0

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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. 67 31 1 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 38 44 14 2 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 48 40 7 2 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 43 51 5 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 22 27 23 17 11 St Stephen’s C of E Primary School PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Children start school in the August proceeding the year of their fifth birthday and are taught in a reception class. The curriculum is stimulating, teaching is consistently good and children achieve much in their first year in school. As at the time of the previous inspection, they are prepared well for their next stage of education.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. Attainment as children start school is broadly average, although the school’s assessments undertaken shortly after children arrive indicate a significant number of them have early reading and mathematics skills slightly below those normally seen. During the Foundation Stage, 4 children make good progress in their mathematics and language, communication and literacy skills. By the end of the reception class they have achieved the early learning goals 5 and several pupils exceed this level. In response to the focus on developing children’s independent skills they make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development and many achieve above the required level. Satisfactory progress is made in the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world and their creative and physical development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. As at the time of the previous inspection teaching is good. In the lessons seen, teaching was good in 67 per cent of lessons and satisfactory in the rest. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the foundation curriculum and early learning goals is good and this leads to a rich curriculum that meets the needs of this age group. Teachers have a good understanding of how young children learn and plan opportunities for unsupervised learning as well as tasks supervised by an adult. An active approach to teaching letters and their sounds and numbers leads to children enjoying lessons and quickly increasing their early literacy and numeracy skills. Children’s progress is assessed thoroughly and teachers make good use of the information they gain to ensure activities are matched suitably to the abilities of the children. A nursery nurse ably assists the class teacher and this is beneficial for children with special educational needs, who are fully included in all

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

activities and make good progress relative to their previous learning.

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Personal, social and emotional development

69. Teaching is good and many children will reach standards above those recommended in the early learning goals. Teachers encourage children to be independent and accept responsibility for their actions. For example, when children get changed for physical activities they do so confidently and quickly. Teachers have high expectations of children’s capabilities and the children respond well to these. Discipline is positive and children learn what is acceptable behaviour and how their actions affect the learning of other children. They sustain their effort for substantial periods of time and persevere at the tasks they are involved in. Children share resources and when building with bricks they help each other and are very proud of the models that they make. During group activities they co-operate and play together well, with the majority showing maturity beyond their age. In the role-play corner, staff interact with children so they learn how to

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Personal, social and emotional development

play together and this leads to children becoming confident and enthusiastic learners. Each pupil keeps a record book in which they retain samples of their work. This charts their progress through this stage of their education and helps them to understand how well they are doing, raising their self-esteem and confidence.

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Personal, social and emotional development

Foundation Stage is the provision for children from entry to school to the end of the reception class. Early learning goals are the nationally recommended levels for children at the end of the reception class. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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Communication, language and literacy

70. Teaching is good and promotes good levels of achievement for many children. Most achieve the early learning goals for this aspect of their development by the time they leave the reception class and a few exceed the level expected in reading and writing. Most children speak and listen well for their age. They are eager to talk about what they are doing and speak confidently when answering questions from adults. Teachers expect children to use appropriate terminology, for example, in English and mathematics and children do this successfully. Children’s reading abilities are developing well and they enjoy reading and talk with enthusiasm about the stories they have read and books they like. The highest attaining children read confidently from simple storybooks and are already beginning to include expression when reading aloud. Teaching of letters and sounds is good and children make good use of this knowledge in their reading. The

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Communication, language and literacy

teacher follows the National Literacy Hour and has effectively taught children the importance of pictures so that the children refer to them to help with new words. Children’s writing skills are satisfactory. They understand the purpose of writing and attempt to write short sentences unaided. The higher attaining children use full stops and spell simple words correctly and this writing is higher than the standard expected for their age. They present their work neatly and many form letters correctly. The teacher provides many opportunities for children to practise these skills so that confidence increases and many are happily writing independently.

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Mathematical development

71. Teaching is good and children are excited by the challenges set by their teacher and always ready to answer questions. The teacher has a good knowledge of mathematics and takes great care to encourage the children to use the correct mathematical terminology. As a result, children apply such terms as ‘add’ and ‘equals’ correctly. They also recognise shapes such as semicircles and triangles and name them correctly. Lessons follow a good structure including opportunities for oral work and the majority of children count up to and back from 10. Many count up to 20 quickly and accurately. They continue number sequences correctly by counting on when their teacher stops counting and asks them to continue. They also recognise numbers of items correctly by counting in their heads and without using their fingers or other aids for calculating. Many can do additions of numbers to five by completing the calculations in their heads, but are

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Mathematical development

less secure when taking away. Most children write numbers correctly. The higher attaining children record numbers and write simple calculations correctly and this exceeds the expectation for their age and is a significant achievement for these children.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. The teacher plans a range of interesting activities and in response to good teaching children reach the early learning goal in their knowledge and understanding of the world. The children’s understanding of the natural environment and their observational skills are satisfactory. They know that plants need sunshine and moisture to ensure growth. Teachers provide frequent opportunities for children to carry out investigations and so they know they use the senses of touch, smell and sight when they examine plants and flowers. However, they do not always ensure that children can see what is happening or are fully involved when they are learning about these processes and this leads to some children losing interest in the activity. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is built into the curriculum so children use computers appropriately for their age. For example, they use a mouse during their mathematics lessons to move

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

objects into position on the computer screen. They use painting programs successfully to colour the pictures they create and to develop three-dimensional drawings. They also print data in the form of graphs showing the frequency of hair and eye colours in their class. When they do this they receive support from their teachers and classroom helpers. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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Physical development

73. Teaching is good and children achieve the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception class. In physical education lessons, children move with good control and in time to the music. Most of the children are well co-ordinated, changing direction and starting and stopping with good control in response to signals from their teacher. They listen carefully to music and understand movement can be light and heavy and enjoy creeping like a cat and then leaping through the air. A few find it more difficult to balance and have not yet reached the stage of inventing their own movements. Teaching in these lessons is lively and enthusiastic and children respond with equal enthusiasm. In the classroom, at playtime and as they move about the school they do so safely, with appropriate care and attention and awareness of each other. In other lessons, children use a range of tools with care and control. When playing with construction kits they place

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Physical development

the parts precisely, taking great care not to dislodge the items they have used or to disrupt the work of others. The lack of large toys for the children to play with in a suitable outdoor play area means they do not experience the full range of activities essential to aspects of their physical development.

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Creative development

74. Children benefit greatly from good teaching and many achieve the early learning goals by the end of the reception class. Teachers give clear demonstrations to improve their creative skills. For example, teachers show children how much paint to load on their brushes and the order in which to construct their painting. This leads to children drawing and painting skilfully and carefully. Much of their work clearly reflects the outcomes intended by the children and their paintings of daffodils show a very close resemblance to the flowers. An additional classroom is used well for role-play and is a popular choice of activity. Staff are always involved and this interaction effectively extends children’s conversational skills. They talk about the food they are handling and how it might be cooked. When playing in their ‘playhouse’ they are keen to provide hospitality for visitors, giving them drinks and explaining about the activities they are undertaking with

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Creative development

enthusiasm. In music, children listen carefully and sing tunefully, responding appropriately to the good example provided by their teacher. Singing is used effectively in a range of circumstances; for example, in assemblies, in action songs enabling children to identify different parts of their body and in mathematics to sing number sequences correctly.

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ENGLISH

75. Standards at the end of Year 2 are average in reading and speaking and listening and below average in writing. The national test results in 2000 were below the national average in reading and writing. In comparison to similar schools, test results were well below average in reading and below in writing. Work seen during the inspection indicates reading has improved, but in writing few pupils exceed the national average and this is holding down the overall standards. Since the previous inspection, standards have been broadly maintained in speaking and listening and reading. Standards in writing are not as high at the end of Year 2 as pupils have insufficient opportunity to write an extended piece of work. Taking into consideration the broadly average attainment on entry to school overall achievement is satisfactory in reading and speaking and listening, but pupils could achieve more in writing. Higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently

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ENGLISH

76. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ overall standards in English are average. The current Year 6 are likely to match the results of the national tests in 2000, which were in line with the national average. When compared with schools of similar background, results were also average. More pupils are now working at a level that exceeds those expected of 11-year- olds and in 2000 this figure was higher than the national average. Standards identified in St Stephen’s C of E Primary School the previous inspection have been sustained. These standards represent a sound level of achievement of the majority of pupils and many pupils in Years 5 and 6 are achieving more in response to consistently good teaching. More pupils are now reaching high standards and for many this represents a significant achievement. The school has set challenging targets for 2001 and should achieve them.

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ENGLISH

77. Pupils with special educational needs receive additional support in class and in withdrawal groups and this is effective in ensuring they make satisfactory progress. Targets set in individual education plans are closely monitored. Support staff inform teachers about what these pupils have learnt in lessons and targets are adjusted to build on their previous successes.

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ENGLISH

78. The school has a history of having more boys than girls and against the national trend boys have performed better than girls. This is not apparent in the higher attaining pupils, which include a good representation of girls. The school is aware of the imbalance and checks that resources and activities are appropriate to boys and girls. In lessons seen during the inspection there was no evidence of inequality and girls were learning at the same rate as boys.

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ENGLISH

79. Speaking and listening skills are average by the ages of 7 and 11 years. Pupils in Year 2 communicate effectively with each other and most take turn in conversations, although some call out in class discussions. A few pupils find it difficult to respond in sentences and teachers encourage pupils to think about their responses and to answer clearly. Pupils apply themselves well when listening in small and large groups and this is very apparent in whole school assemblies. Pupils listen attentively to stories and this is obvious in their eagerness to answer questions. Confidence increases in Years 3 to 6 and teachers encourage discussions. Regular features of many lessons are the planned opportunities to share ideas with a partner. This worked extremely well in a Year 6 lesson observed. Pupils looked at a range of pamphlets and discussed the suitability of the layout for the task. Discussions were lively and pupils listened carefully to teachers

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ENGLISH

and classmates and respected their opinions. Discussions with pupils in Year 6 showed the higher attaining pupils had a good understanding of how the spoken language changes in different circumstances. Most pupils are developing the skill of using the correct terminology to explain their activities in other lessons, such as science and history.

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ENGLISH

80. By the end of Years 2 and 6, standards in reading are satisfactory. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are taught letter sounds very carefully and use this knowledge effectively to tackle new words. They appreciate pictures give them clues in reading simpler books. Pupils do not read widely and are less confident reading books other than those in the school’s reading scheme. Higher attaining pupils are confident using an information text to locate facts. Reading diaries are extensively used to encourage reading at home, though they could be improved by teachers adding more comments about particular skills pupils need to practise. In response to the use of a varied range of texts in the literacy hour, pupils in Year 6 are more enthusiastic readers. Many read for pleasure as well as for information. Higher attaining pupils have clear preferences for authors and explain what makes a good story for them. One higher attaining pupil compared J K Rowling to Enid Blyton,

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ENGLISH

recognising that the story structures had similarities, but the vocabulary and characters used by J K Rowling were far more interesting. The vast majority of pupils in Year 6 now read with understanding. However, all have not yet reached the stage of reading between the lines of stories to help them understand the characters’ feelings or predict what might happen next.

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ENGLISH

81. By the end of Year 2, standards in writing are below the target level for this age group and few pupils have sufficient skills to express their ideas in a fluent style. There is St Stephen’s C of E Primary School limited evidence of extended writing in English or other subjects. Pupils are given plenty of practice in early punctuation skills, but do not have enough opportunity to transfer these skills to their independent writing. Consequently, when attempting to write a short story pupils do not use correct grammar and punctuation. Pupils write for different purposes such as labelling a diagram or writing a simple letter to Father Christmas, but overall this aspect of writing is underdeveloped. Pupils are starting to use their knowledge of sounds when spelling new words. However, too many pupils lack confidence to do this and this leads to waiting for adults to provide the words in their

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ENGLISH

spelling books. Handwriting is legible print. Good progress is made in Years 3 to 6 and pupils grow in confidence to express their ideas in writing. In Year 6, the vast majority of pupils use punctuation correctly and higher attaining pupils use a range of more advanced punctuation. Pupils are taught how to plan and draft their work and this leads to stories following an organised structure. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used in the drafting process and pupils are confident checking their work and then saving it for the next lesson. Most pupils use paragraphs correctly and check their spelling for accuracy. Pupils experience a wider range of writing. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils were confident writing a formal letter of complaint. All pupils recognised how to structure letters and most use suitably formal vocabulary. In the conclusion to the lesson some pupils suggested words that were not appropriate. These were quickly spotted by

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ENGLISH

other pupils and described as ‘too cheeky’ for the situation. Although most pupils in Year 6 are joining up their handwriting, they do not transfer the standard of work shown in exercises to their daily work.

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ENGLISH

82. Literacy skills support learning in other subjects and teachers promote this more effectively in Years 3 to 6. Pupils use their reading skills to research information using the Internet in history as well as finding facts in books. In science, pupils write up their investigations and in design and technology they list materials and label diagrams when making models.

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ENGLISH

83. The overall quality of teaching is good. It is satisfactory in the infants and good in the juniors and the rate of learning reflects this being better in Years 3 to 6. Unfortunately at the time of the inspection the class teacher for Year 6 was absent because of ill health. A review of pupils’ work before her absence reflects teaching of a higher quality than that seen during the inspection. Since the previous inspection, teaching has improved in Years 3 to 6. Weakness in management of pupils and in setting work that matches the ability of the pupil has improved in these classes. All teachers are competent teaching the literacy hour and choose good texts that capture pupils’ interest. Although teachers follow the National Literacy Strategy framework, their lesson plans do not always include sufficient detail of what it is pupils are to learn in the lesson. This leads to teachers often

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ENGLISH

explaining the tasks that are to be done rather than emphasising what pupils are to learn with the result that pupils are not clear about the focus of the lesson. Teachers have a good knowledge of teaching reading. Lessons in Year 1 and 2 always include a new letter sound so that pupils quickly start to use the sounds of letters to build words in their reading and spelling. One factor that separates the quality of teaching in the infants and the juniors is the enthusiasm with which teachers in Years 3 to 6 deliver their lessons. They engage the pupils’ interest with challenging tasks and expect them to try hard. For example, in Year 5 the teacher had very good resources including a video that clearly explained how the meaning of words can be represented in sounds. Pupils quickly grasped this idea and their poems were very good using phrases such as ‘beep, beep of the alarm clock’ and ‘plod, plod to the bathroom’. Pupils make maximum effort with their

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ENGLISH

work and lessons move at a fast pace allowing much learning to take place. In Years 5 and 6, teachers give higher achievers suitably challenging work with the result that more pupils reach high standards at the end of Year 6. This is a weakness in Years 1 and 2 when teachers give less attention to assessment in lessons so tasks are set that do not always extend learning. This leads to higher attaining pupils underachieving. The St Stephen’s C of E Primary School unsatisfactory teaching seen was in Key Stage 2. In the lesson the pace of teaching was too slow and there was insufficient material to maintain pupils’ interest and limited new learning took place. Throughout the school the marking of pupils’ work is up to date with most teachers writing encouraging comments, but limited advice, on how to improve the work. Management of pupils is good and learning is rarely disturbed by any misbehaviour. Parents expressed a concern about the amount of work given for pupils to

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ENGLISH

do at home. This is satisfactory in the infants and parents’ support with reading has a positive impact on standards in reading. In Years 3 to 6, work is set, but this varies between class and in Year 6 is not always sufficient to prepare pupils for the next stage of their education.

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ENGLISH

84. Management of the subject is good. Since the previous inspection, formal monitoring of lessons has taken place and support given to improve teaching. This has had a positive impact on the organisation of group work and this has led to lessons running smoothly. The school now has a lot of useful assessment data that is used effectively to identify pupils who will benefit from additional support. As yet, this information is not used to set individual targets or to monitor closely pupils’ progress. The library has been reorganised so that books are all of a good quality, although limited in number. Non-fiction books are very sparse and there are limited multi-cultural texts. Pupils regularly select a fiction book to read at home, but the library is underused as a resource to develop independent study skills.

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MATHEMATICS

85. By the end of Year 2, standards in mathematics are satisfactory, whilst at Year 6 they are good. Standards in numeracy are good throughout the school. This shows an improvement since the previous inspection when standards were judged to be satisfactory overall.

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MATHEMATICS

86. National test results for seven-year-olds in 2000 show that standards are below when compared to those nationally and well below those of similar schools. In fact, standards have remained below the national average over the past four years. A closer analysis of these statistics shows that 94 per cent of pupils attained the nationally expected level (Level 2). Whilst this is average when compared both nationally and with similar schools, the percentage of pupils attaining above this level was below that nationally and well below similar schools. Overall achievement is satisfactory. However, higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged in lessons and these pupils underachieve.

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MATHEMATICS

87. Results of national tests for 11-year-olds in 2000 reveal a more positive picture with standards being well above average when compared nationally and to schools with similar backgrounds. Trends over time show a similar consistent picture of above and well above average attainment, with a dip below in 1999. This dip was linked to a particular cohort of lower attaining pupils. Taking into consideration pupils’ standards at the end of Year 2, achievement is good. A strength at Year 6 is the high percentage of pupils reaching higher than the nationally expected level. In 2000, this figure was well above the national average.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Current standards at the end of Year 2 are satisfactory and show an improvement on the 2000 test results. More pupils are on line to achieve the level expected of their age in the end of Year 2 tests and tasks, although only a few will exceed it. Pupils in Year 2 use and apply mathematics confidently and by the end of the key stage they can collect information and tally totals about the most popular school lunches and present their findings in a block graph. They use these results to draw conclusions, for example most pupils like pizza. In numeracy, all pupils are developing useful mental strategies and use these effectively in their everyday work. A good example was seen in Year 2 when pupils St Stephen’s C of E Primary School used estimation well to identify the missing digit on a number line. By the end of Year 2 most pupils are secure in number bonds to 10 and recognise and understand place value

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MATHEMATICS

to two and sometimes three digits. Their awareness of the value of coins is sufficient to tackle the problem of finding the change from £1 when shopping. Some higher attaining pupils in Year 2 can do this with ease. Most pupils know well the characteristics of basic two and three-dimensional shapes, such as a rectangle and triangle, cylinder and cuboid. They measure in non-standard units such as handspans and strides and by the end of Year 2 are comparing these with standard measurements. Pupils complete addition and subtraction equations of the type 34 + 9 = 43 and 26 – 12 = 14, understand the concepts of ‘more than’ and ‘less than’. Most can count on in 2s, 5s and 10s sufficiently well to make simple calculations accurately.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Currently, standards at the end of Year 6 are above average. The majority of pupils currently in Year 6 are in line to achieve the nationally expected Level 4, with a significant number to reach a higher level. When compared to last year’s national test results, these are not as high. This does not represent a fall in standards, but reflects the differences in ability between separate year groups. As pupils move through the school their progress increases markedly. By Years 5 and 6, most pupils are confident with the four rules of number and the full range of the multiplication tables. They use these skills when calculating the costs of a producing a popular comic. These include detailed costs such as that of advertising, photocopying and staples to bind it together or the number of pencils the school needs to buy each year. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 use their knowledge of probability to draw conclusions about the number of Victorian child

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MATHEMATICS

labourers who got wet and muddy in the mines. Younger pupils are confident with place value, for example, when extending the sequences of numbers both forwards and backwards. Older pupils confidently multiply numbers by 10 and 100. Higher attaining pupils order positive and negative numbers, decimals and fractions. All pupils use their knowledge of inverse operations well, for example, when checking their answers when using a calculator. They are confident with shapes and measures, measuring length, weight and capacity and time using both the12 hour and 24 hour clock. Older pupils use formulae to measure the perimeter and areas of shapes. Pupils use tallies and record and retrieve information from block graphs and, by the end of Year 6, plot and draw scatter and straight-line graphs accurately. Most of these pupils are confident with the language of probability whilst higher attainers use the scale 0 to 1 to justify their findings.

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MATHEMATICS

By the time they leave school, pupils answer mental arithmetic questions confidently and explain in detail the strategies they use.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Numeracy skills contribute to learning in other subjects as well as teachers promoting these skills in other subjects. For example, when measuring in design and technology pupils take care to ensure their work is done accurately. An excellent example was seen where pupils in Year 5 were using a spreadsheet in their investigation of how the area of a rectangle increased when its length and width were doubled.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Progress for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory, in line with the targets in their individual education plans. The analysis of attainment over the past four years shows that the performance of both boys and girls exceeded the national average for their age group, although boys outperformed girls by approximately one term. During the inspection there was no evidence to suggest any reasons for this difference. Interestingly the school expects that most of the pupils in Year 6 on course to attain Level 5 this year will be girls. Pupils of all abilities in Year 6 are given booster sessions and this has improved pupils’ standards.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The quality of teaching overall is good and examples of very good teaching were seen. This shows an improvement since the last inspection, particularly in Years 3 to 6 where the quality of teaching varied greatly. In some less effective lessons, pupils were given St Stephen’s C of E Primary School work that was not matched to their abilities and they became restless and inattentive. This is not the case now as in Years 3 to 6 work is well planned to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. This aspect of planning is not as strong in Years 1 and 2 where higher attaining pupils are not given sufficiently challenging work. This is reflected in the well below average attainment of this group of pupils in the national test at the end of Year 2. Introductions to lessons are always well structured so that they keep pupils’ interested and remind them of previous learning. Planned objectives are shared with

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MATHEMATICS

pupils and the whole class session at the end of the lesson is used well to reinforce and consolidate their learning. Relationships between teachers and pupils are good and this is evident in the way that teachers deal positively with pupils’ answers and in the use of praise to motivate them. In the best lessons seen, in Years 3 to 6, teachers let their enthusiasm show. They lead by example and this has a direct effect on pupils’ interest and involvement. The epithet ’a keen teacher, a keen learner’ is brought to life and pupils enjoy mathematics. The teaching of numeracy skills is good. In its planning the school has taken care to ensure that pupils are given good opportunities to use and apply the skills they have learned. Teachers challenge their pupils without losing the sense of fun and enjoyment in learning. A very good example was seen in a mental mathematics session in Year 3 when numbers in mathematics were coded. Pupils had to calculate mentally

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MATHEMATICS

Beckham (7) + Heinz (57) = Beatles (64) and it was also a very useful way of introducing the concept of algebra. Although homework is set, mainly in Years 3 to 6, it lacks consistency between year groups.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Overall the management of mathematics is good. The co-ordinator has an overview of teachers’ planning and has had opportunities to evaluate teaching in the classroom. This had a positive impact on teachers’ confidence in delivering the National Numeracy Strategy. Standards are also monitored through observing displays round school. Statutory national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 and other annual tests are carried out and assessment information collected. However, this data is not used effectively to discover where specific weaknesses lie or to track pupils' progress, both individually and in groups. Currently, pupils do not have individual targets so are unclear how they can raise their standards. In Years 1 and 2, assessment in lessons is not used effectively to further raise attainment, especially that of higher attaining pupils. The school recognises that there should be more opportunities to incorporate information and communication

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SCIENCE

94. Teacher assessments in 2000 showed that standards by the age of 7 were close to the national average and this is confirmed by the findings of the inspection. Considering pupils start school with broadly satisfactory attainment these standards reflect satisfactory achievement.

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SCIENCE

95. Results of national tests at the age of 11 were well below average in 2000. Very few pupils exceeded the national average. Compared with similar schools, results were also well below average and this group had made poor progress compared with their teacher assessments at the end of Year 2. Currently, standards of the present Year 6 are below average and achievement is unsatisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs receive support in lessons and make satisfactory progress in the infants, but as with other pupils progress is unsatisfactory between Years 3 and 6.

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SCIENCE

96. Improvement since the previous inspection is unsatisfactory. The previous inspection judged standards to be above average throughout the school. The results of national tests supported these judgements. The main reason for the decline in standards has been the limited time now allocated to teaching the subject. All aspects of the National Curriculum for the subject are covered between the ages of 7 and 11, but not in sufficient St Stephen’s C of E Primary School depth for pupils to gain the knowledge and understanding they need. This is especially true of higher attaining pupils and the proportion achieving higher levels by the time they are 11 has fallen to well below the national average.

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SCIENCE

97. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a sound understanding of forces and magnetism. They know how bulbs work in a simple electrical circuit. Pupils understand how to test and record results. For example, they carry out investigations to discover how far a car will travel down a ramp and check to see if different surfaces affect the speed. When studying life processes pupils understand what humans need to keep them alive. They know what foods make up a healthy diet and understand the effect of exercise on the body. Results are recorded in a variety of formats and show an early understanding of making predictions and comparing their results. There is limited evidence of pupils instigating their own investigations.

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SCIENCE

98. By the end of Year 6 pupils’ scientific knowledge and understanding are below that expected for their age. Pupils do not cover enough work and standards are below average. Pupils have looked at the function of the major organs of the body and in more detail at the eye. They have investigated which colour is easiest to see. Pupils have not gone into sufficient depth about growth and reproduction or development and classification of plants. Pupils’ investigative skills are satisfactory overall and investigations including separating mixtures by dissolving have been carried out. Work on electrical circuits has been taught to an appropriate level and pupils understand how to extend a circuit and the effect this has on the source of power. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of materials and their properties. Currently, there is limited evidence of pupils’ knowledge of physical processes. Results are recorded in a variety of ways

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SCIENCE

including graphs, but this is not always done with sufficient care. For example, for pupils in Year 5 the challenge of drawing rock samples accurately was not done well and their recorded work was presented poorly. Information and communication technology (ICT) is underused to record results or extend scientific knowledge.

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SCIENCE

99. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. It is better in Years 1 and 2 than in Years 3 to 6 where the limited time allocated to the subject leads to topics not being taught in sufficient depth. This is more of a problem for higher attaining pupils who are not set tasks that challenge them and this hampers them reaching the level of which they are capable. Teachers have good subject knowledge, but this is not always shared effectively with pupils. Teachers plan good opportunities for pupils to investigate and experiment for themselves in pairs or groups and provide appropriate resources for them to do so. However, lesson plans are brief and teachers do not give their pupils enough information about what they are expected to learn so pupils are unclear what the overall focus of the lesson is. This is more of a problem for older pupils who are then unclear about their own learning or how they can improve. There are no records of progress for

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SCIENCE

teachers to use to plan work to meet the needs of individuals and there is no supporting guidance to help assess the quality of pupils’ work on a day-to-day basis. Pupils’ work is generally marked, but this is not always the case and very few comments are provided that tell pupils how they might improve. This means that pupils do not learn from their mistakes and this leads to gaps in their knowledge. In most lessons, teachers’ management of pupils is satisfactory, but this was a weakness in the unsatisfactory lesson in Key Stage 2 and this led to misbehaviour by a minority of pupils and disrupted the learning of others. This weakness was not evident in other lessons and in Year 3 pupils were enthusiastic learners and behaviour was very good. Adult support is used effectively, preparing resources and giving extra help during group activities

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SCIENCE

100. Since the last inspection new guidance and support materials have been put in place and these have had a positive impact on standards in Years 1 and 2. However, other aspects of management are unsatisfactory as insufficient attention has been given to test results St Stephen’s C of E Primary School to identify the weakness in the curriculum. This situation has been aggravated by the lack of opportunity for the co-ordinator to monitor provision and check on where the weaknesses are and so implement procedures to resolve these difficulties. The lack of a systematic approach to assessing and recording progress hampers this situation further as teachers are unsure of the progress pupils are making. This has led to low results in recent years.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Standards in art and design have improved since the last inspection and are now satisfactory at the end of Year 2 and good at the end of Year 6. Although it was only possible to see three lessons, there is ample evidence of pupils’ work on display to show pupils use a wide range of resources and have experienced an interesting variety of activities.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. In Years 1 and 2, pupils of all abilities achieve satisfactorily. By the end of Year 2, pupils understand colours can be mixed and use this skill effectively in their pictures. They have worked with patterns and shapes to produce posters showing an understanding of planning their work to achieve the desired effect. Pupils have an understanding of artistic vocabulary and in Year 1 have used sponges to print a background. The pictures were finished with black outlines of trees printed using sticks and the results were a very effective winter landscape. Fabrics are included in resources and pupils weave different colours to create a colourful piece of work. Discussions with pupils revealed them to be at the early stages of analysing their work and having a limited appreciation of the work of famous artists. There is limited evidence of the use of clay.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. In Years 3 to 6, pupils experience a wider range of activities and this motivates them and they become enthusiastic artists. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved, with effective adult support if required, and they make good progress in extending their artistic skills. Overall, achievement is good with many pupils reaching standards higher than those seen in similar schools. By the end of Year 6, pupils have studied a wide range of artists and the work on display is impressive. Colour mixing has improved and pupils experiment with different tones. They very successfully blend colours to match a cutting from a magazine in their abstract pictures. Pupils had explored their ideas using a tester strip of colours before completing their picture. Currently, the school does not have sketchbooks so pupils do not have records of their plans, practice activities or examples

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ART AND DESIGN

of work. Skills of critical analysis are well developed and pupils discuss their work, identify improvements needed and consider the criticism from their classmates. Throughout Years 3 and 6 several famous artists are studied and pupils have a good knowledge of their famous pictures. The display of design in Paul Klee’s style is very impressive in Year 5. The focus picture ‘Figur in Gelb’ has inspired their work and by careful use of colour and shade pupils have created imaginative figures in a very similar style as the artist.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. Teaching and learning are good. Opportunities to observe teaching in Years 1 and 2 were restricted as at the time of the inspection classes were being taught by students undertaking initial teacher training. Teachers plan an interesting range of activities and share their enthusiasm for art with the pupils with the result that pupils are confident to experiment with new ideas. As at the time of the previous inspection, lesson plans are brief and do not clearly identify what it is pupils are to learn. However, teachers now give closer attention to the artistic skills to be taught. This was very evident in Year 3 when pupils were taught techniques to create texture in their work and how to soften their tones by applying more water. Lessons in Years 3 to 6 also include time for pupils to talk critically about their work. Pupils are skilful at evaluating their work and in Year 5 commented on the relevance of the methods and resources they had chosen. Teachers

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ART AND DESIGN

St Stephen’s C of E Primary School have good subject knowledge and use correct artistic vocabulary when introducing lessons and pupils grasp this new knowledge and use it correctly in their conversations.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. Management of art is satisfactory. Currently, the deputy headteacher is co-ordinating the subject and has limited time to carry out the role. New planning has been put in place to resolve a planning issue identified in the previous inspection and more attention is now given to the teaching of artistic skills. The scheme is being extended to include more detail and to adapt the national guidelines for the subject. Standards are monitored by reviewing displays of work and checking teachers’ plans, but the co-ordinator has no opportunity to check that artistic skills are being taught correctly in lessons.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. Art makes a significant contribution to pupils’ social and cultural development as they work together on group projects and learn about the work of famous artists.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. There were no opportunities to see design and technology taught during the inspection. However, evidence obtained through discussions with teachers and pupils, a scrutiny of planning and samples of work show that standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are satisfactory. Progress for most pupils, including those with special educational needs, is sound throughout the school. This shows an improvement since the last inspection when attainment and progress between Years 3 and 6 were unsatisfactory due to insufficient coverage of the National Curriculum. This key issue has been resolved. The co-ordinator has put in place a revised scheme of work that includes all the required elements and ensures that pupils build on their earlier learning as they move through the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. By the end of Year 2 pupils talk confidently about their ideas and plans. They design and make bags to carry home the biscuits they have made in science and cups and mugs in the style of Clarice Cliff. When their work is complete they talk about how it could be improved. Pupils in Year 1 develop their design skills through a range of activities. In their study of mechanisms they design a moving picture. They design and make a hat for snowy weather and use a range of techniques to successfully join materials

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. By the end of Year 6, pupils put together materials with some accuracy and pay attention to finishing techniques. They understand the properties of many materials and work with a broad range of tools and equipment. Pupils recognise that the quality of a product depends on how well it is made and how well it fits the purpose. Pupils in Year 3 design and make picture frames for their portraits in art. In their designs they set out the resources they will need with step by step instructions. When designing bags their drawings are annotated with the colours, measurements and a choice of fabrics to use. A paper mock up helps to evaluate any problems before the finished article is made. Older pupils make moving toys in connection with their work on forces in science. From talking to pupils it is clear that they enjoy designing and making.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. There is insufficient evidence to make firm judgements about the current quality of teaching and learning. It is apparent a range of activities have been carefully taught and sufficient attention is given to designing as well as making. Teachers make effective links with other subjects, for example in Year 4 where pupils design and make chairs for dolls using Van Gogh’s paintings as a starting point. Teachers make activities relevant to pupils and during the inspection a chair designed and decorated for use by visitors had a prominent place in the classroom.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. Management of the subject is satisfactory. The post has recently been taken over by the headteacher. The revised scheme of work is an improvement and gives more scope for pupils’ ideas and there are better links with other subjects, particularly art. Mathematical St Stephen’s C of E Primary School skills such as accurate measurements are usefully applied. The use of information and communication technology (ICT), for example control technology, is limited.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. By the time pupils are 7 and 11 their attainment is close to that expected for their age. Pupils’ achievement overall is satisfactory and those with special educational needs make good progress. Improvement since the previous inspection of the school is satisfactory and standards are similar to those found at that time.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. By the age of 7 pupils draw diagrams and use different symbols to identify the main features. They draw maps of their locality and of their journeys to school identifying the main building and features they pass. Pupils show a satisfactory knowledge of their own locality and talk thoughtfully about where they might like to live and their reasons for wanting to live there. Pupils compare life on a Scottish island to their own in Burnley and are beginning to use geographical vocabulary to describe these differences.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. By the age of 11 pupils use a wider range of geographical terminology appropriately. They explain such terms as ‘erosion,’ ‘scale,’ and ‘contour’ correctly. Pupils identify the main features of river from a diagram and higher attaining pupils explain how the various features are formed. They are aware that weather and environment affects the way people live. For example, when studying Peru pupils understand the reasons for people moving from the countryside into the cities. Pupils’ geographical skills develop and they draw conclusions about what happens in particular places based on information from maps. Using a map of a safari park pupils identify what happens at various features. In Year 6, there is evidence of good work interpreting data from maps. Pupils understand co-ordinates on maps and when challenged they find out practical ways of measuring distances on maps. This effectively extends pupils’ skills of mathematical calculation.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. No teaching was seen in Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 to 6, teaching seen was satisfactory overall with some good features. The rate of learning reflects this teaching and pupils benefit greatly from enthusiastic teaching. This leads to pupils enjoying geography lessons and they give due attention in lessons and work hard. Teachers make good use of resources including videos, globes and large maps and this effectively captures pupils’ interest as well as clarifying geographical concepts. Skilful questioning extends pupils knowledge and understanding of geographical vocabulary. Lesson planning is brief and teachers do not explain to pupils what they are going to learn in the lesson so they are not always clear about the main focus of the lessons. Management of pupils is good and lessons are carried out in an orderly atmosphere.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Management of the subject is satisfactory. The subject leader has not had sufficient opportunities to consider the quality of provision for the subject fully and there are insufficient resources for learning, particularly to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding of maps.

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HISTORY

117. By the time pupils are 7 they reach standards close to that expected for their age. This represents satisfactory achievement for most pupils. Standards by the age of 11 are above that expected for this age range and this reflects good achievement for many pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are helped in lessons and make good progress in extending their knowledge of the past. Improvement since the previous inspection of the school is satisfactory and the standards reported by that inspection have been maintained. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School 118. By the end of Year 2, pupils have an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the difference between past and present. They understand how farming methods have changed and how this has affected the work of the farmer. Pupils know what the contents of their grandparents’ larder might have been and compare these with the contents of a modern refrigerator. They have contrasted the conditions in hospitals

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HISTORY

during the time of the Crimean war with those of today, making deductions and recording them correctly on diagrams.

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HISTORY

119. By the end of Year 6 pupils have a good all-round knowledge of history and recall work on the Romans, the Victorians, the Greeks and Egyptians. They know about life in Britain during the 1930’s and can place this effectively in context with major historical events since that time. Historical skills are well developed and pupils confidently work in groups discussing different sources of evidence. Pupils know first hand information can be obtained by interviewing someone who was living in the 1930s and identify suitable questions that will help them to find out what life was like at that time. Considerable enthusiasm was created as the task for homework was to interview the oldest person they know about what the early life of the person was like.

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HISTORY

120. No teaching was seen for pupils in Years 1 and 2. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 3 to 6 and in one lesson seen in Year 3 teaching was excellent. Teachers have good subject knowledge and share their enthusiasm with the pupils. Pupils have become so interested in the Ancient Egyptians they have bought educational journals and resources into school to share with their classmates. Lessons are often exciting and include a range of interesting activities that create a buzz of activity, as pupils are eager to find out information about the past. In the lesson observed when teaching was excellent the teacher inspired the pupils using effective questions that led pupils on to learn a great deal about the occupation of Britain by the Romans. The imaginative use of resources enables pupils to acquire very good factual knowledge of the period and to make predictions and deductions about the actions of the Romans

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HISTORY

based on the very good use of research materials. Information and communication technology (ICT) is included in lessons and pupils use CD ROMs to search for information. Good use is made of the local environment especially the nearby Towneley Hall museum. Pupils visited this during the inspection and the opportunities to take part in role-play gave them a real understanding of life in the past.

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HISTORY

121. The good quality of provision for this subject is founded on effective subject leadership. However, as at the time of the last inspection there is little monitoring of work across the full age range. Resources were identified as unsatisfactory for the pupils in Years 1 and 2 and these have been improved and are now satisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. At the last inspection, pupils' attainment throughout the school was well below that expected nationally and their progress was poor. Guidelines for teachers’ planning lacked focus and did not allow pupils to build on their learning as they moved through the school. In addition, teachers’ expertise needed to be raised. There has been a considerable improvement in the school’s provision since then. A new policy and a well- planned long-term framework for teachers to use in their planning have been put in place. Planned expenditure, including a grant from the National Grid for Learning, has allowed the school to renew its resources. These are of good quality and easily available in all classrooms. Consequently, standards have risen and are now in line with the nationally expected level at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and this represents satisfactory achievement for most pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. Word processing skills are learnt successfully in Years 1 and 2. Pupils in Year 1 use their St Stephen’s C of E Primary School skills to write the greeting inside their Easter cards. They show good mouse control when using an art package to make simple rectangular patterns for their calendars. By the end of Year 2, pupils are becoming confident and use the computer as part of their everyday work. When word-processing stories, such as ‘The Night before Christmas’, pupils use the keyboard confidently. They use shift for capitals, enter for a new line and backspace to delete words. They collect information about eye colour and favourite crisps in a simple database and, with help, print the results in a graph. Pupils use a CD ROM dictionary to find the meanings of words. Simulations are used to develop pupils’ problem solving skills. In control technology, pupils confidently program a floor robot to move

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

forward, backward and turn through a right angle.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. As pupils move through Key Stage 2 they build effectively on their earlier work. There are opportunities for pupils to further develop their word processing skills. The youngest pupils use ‘click and drag’ to move text around the screen and highlight words to change font and style. Older pupils write with confidence and rewrite popular poems such as ‘Sea Fever’ as ‘Wrestling Fever’ choosing the best font, centring their work and underlining the title for the most effective presentation. By the end of Year 6, pupils use the cut, copy and paste facilities to import passages and pictures, for example, on the Tudors from CD-ROMs. All pupils use databases to enter and save information from their investigations and older pupils use the sort function to reach conclusions about their findings. Experience with spreadsheets is an area requiring further attention. Art packages are used creatively as another art medium, for example drawing pictures in the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

style of Kandinsky. Pupils use simulation programs to reinforce their work in mathematics, for example plotting co-ordinates on a desert island. There is scope to advance the use of simulations further. In control they extend the work from the infants for example, by confidently programming instructions into the floor turtle to follow more complicated paths. As they move through the key stage, pupils use on screen commands to follow a trail. The oldest pupils can build procedures, for example ‘{PD, F4, W2, 45R, F2, W1, PU}’ to draw shapes and patterns and use the repeat command to make more complicated shapes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Little direct teaching was seen during the inspection and, therefore, a firm judgement on teaching and learning is not possible. Staff are generally confident in teaching the subject and offer good advice to help pupils as they are working on the computers. Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to practise their skills in other lessons. This has a two-fold benefit. Firstly, by bringing pupils work in these subjects to life and so deepening their understanding and secondly, ensuring that time is used most effectively. ICT makes a useful contribution to work in English and mathematics lessons. A good example was seen in Year 4 where pupils used the computer to draft their written work, saving their revisions on disc and improving it later. There are useful links with other subjects; for example, pupils in Year 2 using a digital camera to photograph everyday objects in plan view, such as scissors in a rack, as part of their map work and asking pupils opinions

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

about developing the playground. Pupils are taught to use computers carefully, but also to have confidence when trying new skills. This has led to pupils being competent users of ICT and from talking to pupils their enjoyment of working with computers is clear. All pupils have easy access to computers in class and they are used particularly well to support pupils with special educational needs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Management of ICT is good and the co-ordinator’s enthusiasm for the subject has paid off when responding to the weaknesses identified in the previous report. However, there are no opportunities to monitor what is happening in lessons to check that work is being taught to sufficient depth to challenge all pupils. There have been several other improvements in provision since then. Pupils now have access to a range of new multimedia computers and software and limited Internet access. The school is looking forward to using funding from the National Grid for Learning to improve its resources St Stephen’s C of E Primary School further later in the year. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to attend a residential course at Winmarleigh Hall which gives pupils extended periods of ‘hands on’ tuition. The subject is now well placed to continue to improve in the future.

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MUSIC

127. Overall standards in music are satisfactory and the quality of pupils’ singing is good and this reflects good achievement for many pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in all aspects of music and make satisfactory progress extending their musical knowledge. The standards identified in the previous inspection have been maintained.

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MUSIC

128. By the end of Year 2, pupils understand ‘high’ and ‘low’ and change their pitch correctly when singing. They recognise this is not the same as ‘soft’ and ‘loud’ and listen carefully to music and recognise which is the highest note being played. Early composition is taught and pupils play high and low notes in response to symbols, but the ability to record their own work and their knowledge of a range of composers is less well developed.

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MUSIC

129. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a better understanding of how to sing and appreciate the importance of controlling their breathing. They sing very tunefully with good timing, appropriate volume, pitch and melody. They listen carefully to music and comment thoughtfully on the phrasing and pace of the music. Musical terms are used correctly in class discussions. Percussion instruments are used to represent different moods and feelings. Limited evidence of composing different parts and combining them to achieve a group piece of music was seen during the inspection. In Year 5, pupils had used letters and shapes to represent sounds such as a car or a train, showing that the noise gets louder, but overall this aspect of music is underdeveloped.

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MUSIC

130. Singing is good in lessons and in assemblies. An interesting and active set of exercises and rhythm games to warm up the voice immediately captured pupils’ interest and all joined in with confidence and enjoyment. Pupils change the tone of singing to correspond with the choice of hymn. Celebration hymns are sung with gusto including actions and clapping. In comparison, a spiritual atmosphere is created as pupils practise hymns for Easter and their gentle tone reflects the sensitivity of the words. This aspect of music makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual development.

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MUSIC

131. The teaching and learning seen were good. Planning follows a detailed set of guidelines, but lesson plans are brief and learning outcomes are not always clear. Teachers have a good knowledge of music and showed confidence performing in front of the pupils with the result all pupils were prepared to have a go and try to improve. Lessons include opportunities to sing, play and listen to music and maintain pupils’ interest so that they learn at a good rate. In Year 6, pupils listened to music from World War Two and this effective link to their history topic made the learning more interesting as pupils understood the relevance of the lyrics. A positive feature of lessons is teachers’ management of pupils. It is always positive and firm, often including humour, and pupils respond with good behaviour and lessons are enjoyable for all.

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MUSIC

132. Co-ordination is satisfactory and resources have been greatly increased since the previous inspection. A new scheme of work offers teachers clear guidelines when planning lessons, although at present the school has no assessment procedures for music. No lesson observations are undertaken to check on how this is being implemented in lessons. Pupils’ cultural development is enhanced by visits from musicians and pupils are involved in school performances that are a popular feature of the school year. Jazz and blues are included in the curriculum, but music from other cultures is underused. St Stephen’s C of E Primary School

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. Opportunities to see physical education taught during the inspection were limited to one lesson in the infants and two in the juniors. However, evidence from these lessons and from discussions with the co-ordinator and pupils make it possible to draw positive conclusions about physical education. Standards by the ages of 7 and 11 are in line with those expected of pupils of these ages and achievement is satisfactory. Pupils go swimming in Years 3 to 6 and by the end of Year 6 the majority of pupils have achieved the level expected of pupils aged 11, which represents significant achievement by many pupils. Since the last inspection, standards have remained broadly the same throughout the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. In dance lessons pupils in the infants use movement imaginatively and respond creatively to stimuli such as music, for example ‘The Sugar Plum Fairy’. They perform confidently basic skills such as travelling, being still, making a shape, jumping, turning and gesturing. They combine their movements into short sequences and skilfully change the rhythm, speed, level and direction of their movements. Pupils understand that ideas and feelings can be expressed in movements. They use their bodies in a controlled manner to make different shapes and develop co-ordination and poise. In gymnastics, pupils find a space and use it safely to perform a series of movements and link them into short movement phrases. Most pupils enjoy playing simple games, throw and catch balls of various sizes and travel controlling a ball with their feet.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. In Years 3 to 6, pupils build on this sound foundation. By the end of Year 6 they dance creatively and practise to improve and refine their performances. Pupils adapt their movements to work with a partner and in small groups. They respond most purposefully when music is the stimulus. In games, for example rounders, pupils develop good team skills and appreciate that although winning is important so is taking part. In gymnastics, pupils use apparatus confidently for balancing and vaulting. By the time they are 11 pupils create and perform fluent sequences both on the floor and using apparatus, including variations in level, speed and direction. A good example was seen where pupils travelled using a variety of methods, for example with their weight on their hands and feet. Older pupils take part in outdoor activities such as orienteering, archery and climbing as part of their residential visit to Winmarleigh Hall.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Pupils enjoy physical education and respond enthusiastically in lessons. They concentrate well and are keen to show what they can do, to the teacher and their classmates. Lessons move with pace ensuring that pupils have sustained physical activity so that by the end of the session it is clear that most pupils have worked hard. Demonstrations are used effectively to celebrate good work as well as extend skills. From an early age pupils are taught to put out and tidy away items of equipment and this assists the organisation and pace of lessons. It also makes them aware of the safety rules and the need to give other members of the class due consideration. Of particular note is the way the school actively promotes inclusion for all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs have access to all aspects of the subject and they make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator has a good overview of standards in Years 3 to 6 through teaching games to the older pupils. A practical assessment sheet is in place that allows teachers to record pupils’ progress and this information is useful when completing annual written reports to parents. There are good links with other aspects of school life. Extra-curricular activities such as netball and rounders enhance the curriculum and a popular football tournament held at Towneley High School gives pupils opportunities to compete at a wider level. The support and expertise of instructors St Stephen’s C of E Primary School from Turf Moor Leisure Centre extends pupils' experiences, for example aerobics and circuit training. There are valuable links with other subjects such as literacy. Pupils presented ‘Macbeth’ in dance and drama as a result of a visit to the school by the English

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Shakespeare Company. This also contributed to pupils’ cultural development.

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