Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

RAWDON ST. PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Margaret Britton

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RAWDON ST. PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th - 8 th March 2001

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RAWDON ST. PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 190456 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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RAWDON ST. PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 3 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Town Street Rawdon Leeds West Yorkshire Postcode: LS19 6PP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Dr. M. Birkin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 nd - 5 th December 1996 Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 4 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 17678 Margaret Britton Registered inspector Art and design; Design and technology; Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve further? The school’s results and achievements. How well are the pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 12682 James Griffin 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? 30243 Anne Heakin Team inspector English Special educational needs 30439 Malcolm Heyes Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Physical education Equal opportunities 1530 Beryl Walker Science Information and communication technology Music How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

March 2001 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 6 March 2001

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 33

Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 7 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School with 293 pupils on roll including 46 children in the foundation stage. It is situated in a popular residential area on the north west outskirts of Leeds and the majority of pupils are drawn from privately owned housing in the immediate area. The school has grown from 242 pupils at the time of the last inspection in December 1996 and an eleventh class is planned for September 2001. The majority of pupils have favourable social backgrounds. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals (3%) is well below the national average. Very few pupils are from ethnic minority groups or have English as an additional language. There are 48 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs but none of these has a statement of special educational needs. Most children benefit from pre-school education. The results of baseline

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

assessments carried out when children start school in the Foundation Stage are above the local education authority average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a successful school that provides good value for money. The good rate of improvement since the last inspection is largely due to the very good leadership provided by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The school is well supported by the governing body. Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics, art and design and music throughout the school and in science by the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour contribute to these high standards. Another contributory factor to the high standards is the good quality of teaching throughout the school. The school has many strengths in important areas of its work.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards in English and mathematics are high at the end of Key Stage 2; • The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide very good leadership and are strongly supported by the staff; • The good quality of teaching, the contribution of support staff and the way pupils’ work is celebrated in high quality displays have a positive impact on the standards pupils achieve; • The provision for children in the reception classes is very good; • The pupils behave very well, have very positive attitudes to learning and relate very well to one another and to adults; • The very good partnership with parents supports the children well.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The rate of pupils’ progress in science throughout the school; • The increasing challenge of learning experiences as pupils get older, especially in subjects other than English and mathematics; • Opportunities for pupils’ wider personal development particularly in relation to independent learning, taking initiative and responsibility for the school community.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

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 was last inspected in December 1996. Since the headteacher’s appointment nine months after the inspection, the school has achieved the improvements required in the four key issues at the time of the last inspection and has made many other improvements too. The school improvement plan now provides a longer-term view of developments to which funding is appropriately linked. A clear programme of curriculum review has been established and the curriculum has undergone several developments including the addition of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy and adaptations to meet the requirements of the most recent changes to the National Curriculum. The staff now plan effectively in teams. A strong emphasis on improving the quality of teaching through training, observation of teaching and the development of more effective lesson planning has been very successful. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

March 2001 The quality of teaching is now good and there are frequent examples of very good teaching. A senior management team and subject coordinators now have clear roles and responsibilities and their work is having a positive impact on standards. The school has developed good assessment procedures and now makes very good use of the results to set targets for improvement. The school has recently been awarded “Investors in People” status in which the commitment to the professional development of staff is praised. Parents at the meeting with the inspectors were particularly pleased with the significant improvements in the quality of the leadership provided by the headteacher, the school’s communications with parents and the enhancement of the building and grounds. The school has made significantly good progress since the last inspection in many important areas of its work.

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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

1998 1999 2000 2000 in the highest 5% nationally A* English A A* A C well above average above average A B

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STANDARDS

mathematics A A A C average below average C D science A A B C well below average E

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STANDARDS

• Children in the Foundation Stage are on course to achieve at least the national early learning goals by the end of their year in the reception class. Many already achieve levels within the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 in language and mathematical development. • Pupils in Key Stage 1 achieve very high standards in reading and well above the national average in writing and mathematics. When compared with the results achieved by pupils in schools in a similar context, standards are well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Over the last five years standards in reading and in mathematics have improved at a slightly faster rate than the national trend. In writing there has been an overall trend of improvement but results have been more variable. Teachers’ assessments in the science national assessment for 2000 show pupils’ performance to be well below average when compared with all schools and with similar schools.

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STANDARDS

Inspection evidence shows that standards in science are average but that some pupils in Year 2 are not sufficiently challenged by the curriculum. • By the end of Key Stage 2, standards in English and mathematics are well above average. There was a trend of improvement in standards in English and mathematics between 1996 and 1999 but results dipped in 2000 in both subjects. However, pupils in the 2000 cohort made good progress in Key Stage 2 and achieved well in relation to their attainment at the end of Key Stage 1. Although standards in science are above average, progress across the key stage is variable because of some lack of challenge for higher attaining pupils. Progress in science is good at upper Key Stage 2. Standards in science have remained well above the national average since 1996. The school sets challenging targets for improvement based on their good use of assessment data. • Standards in art and design and in music are above the national expectations for the age group at

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STANDARDS

the end of both key stages. • Throughout the school there is no significant difference in the achievements of boys and girls. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 9 March 2001

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils' attitudes to school and in lessons are very good overall .

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The very good and reliable behaviour of nearly all pupils in classrooms and during lunchtime and playtimes is a key element in the very positive atmosphere for learning that prevails.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good relationships between adults and pupils and among pupils is a striking feature of the school. Pupils' personal development is satisfactory overall.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Attendance is very good. Nearly all pupils come to school on time and settle to their work promptly.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils calmly carry out the daily routines expected of them. In Key Stages 1 and 2, however, there are limited opportunities for them to show initiative in relation to their learning although this is promoted well in the foundation stage. Adults provide good role models for the pupils’ behaviour and relationships.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is good and better in 88 percent of lessons. In three percent of lessons the quality of teaching is excellent, in 32 percent it is very good, in 53 percent it is good and in the remaining 11 percent of lessons the quality of teaching is satisfactory. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. The clearly described expectations for good quality teaching, a regular programme of classroom observations and carefully chosen training opportunities for teachers, have had a significant impact and have led to the marked improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection. The particular strengths of the teaching are the very good management of pupils and the teaching of the basic skills of numeracy and literacy. The use of marking of pupils’ work, is not consistently well refined to help teachers to match the work to pupils’ learning needs or to set targets for improvement. The

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

quality of teaching for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is good overall in all the subjects of the National Curriculum at Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching is at least satisfactory in science and design and technology and is good in the remaining subjects of the National Curriculum. Due to good teaching, the quality of learning is good in almost every subject at both key stages. In science at Key Stage 1 the quality of learning is satisfactory. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 10 March 2001

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum for the children in the foundation stage is of very good quality and provides a stimulating range of learning opportunities in all six areas of learning. The curriculum for pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is satisfactorily broad, balanced and relevant. It meets legal requirements.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good provision is made in the foundation stage and good provision in Key Stages 1 and 2. Children are identified early and are given good support.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision is made throughout the school. The provision for moral and social development is very good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school makes good arrangements for the personal and academic care and guidance of pupils. This is an improvement since the previous inspection.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school’s partnership with parents is better than at the last inspection and is very good. It makes a significant contribution to the quality of education provided and the standards achieved. The school provides an extensive and interesting range of extra-curricular activities, residential and other educational visits. The two-year topic structure has some weaknesses. For example, science topics do not consistently provide an appropriate challenge for pupils with higher than average levels of attainment. The recently adopted and adapted national subject guidance has not yet been adjusted to meet the full ability range in the school and the teaching of subject skills has not been fully analysed and built into the provision. This leads to some limitations in pupils’ progress in science and, for example, in history and geography. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are very good and the use of this

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

data to identify areas for improvement in the curriculum is developing well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide very strong leadership and have a clear vision for the further development of the school. The quality of their leadership is reflected in the rate of improvement since the last inspection, the standards pupils achieve, the quality of education and the ethos of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities well. They are led very well by the chair of governors and play a strong part in shaping the direction of the school. They pose challenging questions but then work alongside the headteacher and staff to find the best answer for the development of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school makes good use of careful analysis and interpretation of assessment data to set targets for improvement. Effective monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning by the headteacher and teachers with responsibilities helps the school to identify areas of strength and areas for improvement. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 11 March 2001 The strategic use of resources Funds are well managed to support the school’s identified areas for improvement. The skills and expertise of the staff are well matched to their delegated responsibilities. Best use is made of all available resources.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There are sufficient well qualified and experienced teachers to meet the needs of the curriculum and they are very well supported by suitably qualified and experienced support staff. There is sufficient accommodation to enable the National Curriculum to be taught. Much has been done since the last inspection to improve the quality of the accommodation indoors and outdoors. There are adequate resources for the Foundation Stage and to support the teaching of all the subjects of the National Curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2. The number of computers limits the rate of progress pupils make. There are also some shortages in the resources for the foundation stage outdoor area, to support the teaching of the higher levels in science and to promote pupils’ awareness of other cultures. The governing body fulfils its financial planning role well and makes satisfactory use of the principles of best value. The

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

headteacher has developed a strong sense of teamwork between all those who work at the school and they are committed to school improvement.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What some parents would like to see improved • Their children like school • The headteacher and staff are approachable • Children are expected to work hard • The school is well led and managed • The teaching is good and children make progress • The range of activities the school provides • Information about their child’s progress • The amount of work children are given in lessons and at home • The way in which the school works with parents

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are positive about what the school provides and achieves. The inspectors agree with the parents’ positive views of the school and that communications about work to be done at home could be clearer. • The school provides a very good range of after school activities, particularly for pupils in Key Stage 2 and the curriculum is enhanced by very good opportunities for pupils to take part in residential and day educational visits. The activities in lessons are well planned and stimulating. • The proportion of parents who do not feel well informed about their child’s progress is similar across all year groups. No clear explanation has emerged for this. It may relate to the fact that the spring consultation evening has yet to take place. The inspectors judge that the range and quality of information to support pupils’ progress is good. • School works systematically and very effectively to involve parents in their children’s learning. It

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

welcomes outside ideas and where possible adopts or adapts them. For example, courses for parents on literacy and numeracy were provided in response to their request for guidance on supporting their children in these areas. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 12 March 2001

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The school’s results and achievements

1 Most children’s attainment when they start school is above that found in the local education authority. The children make good progress during the reception year because of the very good quality of the teaching. Teachers make very good use of the results of the initial assessments to identify any areas of relative weakness in children’s understanding, knowledge and skills and ensure that they have planned opportunities to make progress. For example, in 2000, weaknesses were found in children’s understanding of the mathematical ideas of shape, space and measures. Careful planning ensures that all the children are given opportunities to develop their understanding and make progress. This approach has a positive impact on standards. Inspection evidence indicates that the children are likely to attain at least the early learning goals and the majority will achieve higher levels in all areas of learning by the end of the foundation stage. At the time of the inspection many

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The school’s results and achievements

children achieve levels within the National Curriculum programmes of study for pupils in Key Stage 1 in English and in mathematics. The early learning goals set out what most children are expected to achieve in six areas of learning by the end of the foundation stage. The Foundation Stage includes children aged from three to five years old. The last year of the foundation stage is the reception year.

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The school’s results and achievements

2 The results of the national end of Key Stage 1 tests and assessments in 2000 show that standards are very high in reading and well above the national average in writing and mathematics. When compared with the results achieved by pupils in schools in a similar context, standards are well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher level (Level 3) in reading is very high in comparison with the national average. In writing and in mathematics, the percentage of pupils reaching Level 3 is well above the national average. When compared to the results of schools in similar contexts, the percentage of pupils reaching Level 3 is above average in reading, writing and mathematics. There is no significant difference in the achievements of boys and girls.

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The school’s results and achievements

3 In science teachers’ assessments in the national end of key stage assessment in 2000 show pupils’ performance to be well below the national average and well below average when compared with similar schools. However, the percentage of pupils reaching the higher level (Level 3) was above the national average. In the inspection, attainment in science, as judged by last term’s work, is in line with expectations for the age group at Key Stage 1. The challenge within science is limited for pupils of average and above average attainment in Year 2. Most of the science work is taught to the mixed Year 1 and 2 classes at the average level for Year 2 pupils. This means that Year 1 pupils are challenged well and they make progress but some Year 2 pupils have limited opportunities to make progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

4 Over the last five years standards in reading and in mathematics at Key Stage 1 have improved at a slightly faster rate than the national trend. In writing there has been an overall trend of improvement but results have been more variable.

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The school’s results and achievements

5 The standards achieved by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in the national tests and assessments for 2000 are well above the national average in English and mathematics and above average in science. When compared with the results Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 13 March 2001 achieved by pupils in schools in a similar context, standards are average in English, mathematics and science. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher level (Level 5) is well above the national average in English and mathematics and above average in science. When compared with the results of pupils in schools in a similar context, standards are well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science. There is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls.

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The school’s results and achievements

6 There was a trend of improvement in standards in English and mathematics between 1996 and 1999 but results dipped in 2000 in both subjects. However, when the results for 2000 are compared with the results achieved nationally by the age group at the end of Key Stage 1, standards are well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science. This indicates that pupils in the 2000 cohort made good progress in Key Stage 2 and achieved well in the end of Key Stage 2 assessments.

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The school’s results and achievements

7 In science, standards have remained well above the national average since 1996. Progress through the key stage is satisfactory for the average attaining pupils and for those with special educational needs but higher attaining pupils are not fully challenged in Years 3 and 4. This limits the progress they make and the standards they achieve. There is a noticeable increase in teachers’ expectations and the challenge provided for pupils at the end of the key stage. Progress here is better than in lower Key Stage 2. Inspection evidence shows that, overall, pupils’ attainment in science is average at Key Stage 2.

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The school’s results and achievements

8 The school sets challenging targets for raising standards in English, mathematics and science at the end of both key stages. They make good use of test and other assessment data to review targets and this has a positive impact on standards . For example, the results of the end of Key Stage 2 tests in 2000 exceeded the targets originally set by the school even though this was a weaker cohort. Evidence from the inspection indicates that the pupils are on course to meet the targets set for them in the end of key stage tests in 2001. The school has identified and begun to address an issue of pupils’ standards in writing compared to standards of reading. The high percentage of pupils achieving Level 3 at the end of Key Stage 1 and Level 5 at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading is not matched by the results of assessments in writing. In order to improve standards in writing, the school has set this as a shared

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The school’s results and achievements

target for Performance Management. The school provides additional support in literacy for some pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 and booster classes for some pupils in Year 6. These make a good contribution to the progress pupils make and the standards they achieve. The good quality of teaching and the very good support provided by teaching assistants is also having a positive impact on pupils’ progress and achievement.

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The school’s results and achievements

9 Inspection evidence shows that by the end of Key Stage 1 pupils achieve levels above those expected for the age group in English and in mathematics. By the end of Key stage 2, standards are well above expectations in English and in mathematics. Pupils’ achievement in science is in line with the national expectation at the end of both key stages. At the end of both key stages, pupils achieve levels above those expected nationally for the age group in art and design and in music. In design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology and physical education at the end of both key stages, pupils achieve the levels expected nationally for the age group.

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The school’s results and achievements

10 Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 and in the Foundation Stage. All pupils at Stage 2 and above of the Code of Practice Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 14 March 2001 on the school’s special needs register have individual education plans that include their targets for improvement. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy targets are listed in the front of their exercise books as a motivator to achieving higher standards. Both strategies have a positive impact on pupils’ achievements. Throughout the time that pupils are in the school, the regular assessment and careful monitoring by class teachers means that pupils who have special educational needs make good progress. Arrangements for additional support for pupils with special educational needs are effective and ensure they attain standards that are in line with their prior

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11 Pupils show very positive attitudes towards school and their work, behave very well and form very good relationships. Their personal development is satisfactory. Good teaching and the very good partnership with parents make significant contributions to pupils’ very positive attitudes and values. Their attitudes and values have improved since the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 Pupils' attitudes to school and in lessons are very good overall. Based on questionnaire returns, nearly all pupils like school and it plays an important part in their lives. For example, a group of Year 6 pupils ranked school ahead of friends and hobbies and only behind family in a list of the important things in their lives. They like the very positive atmosphere in the school. They consider that most teachers make their learning enjoyable by providing clear explanations and being responsive to their questions. Pupils’ attitudes in lessons are better in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 2 than in Key Stage 1. For example, pupils in Key Stage 1 are unable to sustain their interest and concentration when the whole class spend a long time responding to teachers’ explanations and questions. A significant majority are proud of their school, based primarily on the help that they get and the good progress they know

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

they are making. Year 6 pupils also mention representing school at various sports events and tournaments as a reason to be proud of school. Pupils’ favourite subjects and lessons are those where they are practically involved, such as art, experiments in science and making things in design and technology. The more able Year 6 pupils also speak positively about the enjoyment they get from solving difficult problems in mathematics. The best attitudes and behaviour occur in lessons where expectations are high, work is demanding and pupils are busy and engaged in a variety of activities which provide the right level of challenge for them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 Behaviour in classrooms, during lunchtime and playtimes is very good overall. The very good and reliable behaviour of nearly all pupils is a key element in the prevailing very positive atmosphere for learning. In almost all lessons pupils are very well behaved. When a class moves about the school, pupils form orderly lines and move about in a calm and responsible way. Behaviour of pupils at lunchtime and playtimes is very good. For example, classes use the outside play equipment on a rota basis without any signs of intrusion from other classes. There is no sign of any bullying, racism or other antisocial behaviour. Permanent exclusions do not occur and fixed term exclusions are rare. Parents’ responses to the questionnaire fully support this very positive picture with nearly all parents positive about pupils’ behaviour. Pupils take very good care of property and resources and help keep the school tidy.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 Relationships between adults and pupils and among pupils are very good overall. Very good relationships among pupils, including those with special educational needs, is a striking feature. Adults act as good role models. Teachers value pupils' work and praise effort. As a result, pupils are comfortable about expressing views and asking Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 15 March 2001 questions of their teachers. Pupils are very positive about the help they get from their teachers. They show caring and considerate attitudes towards each other and become increasingly skilled at working in pairs and small groups as they progress through school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15 Pupils' personal development is satisfactory overall. Pupils know, and calmly carry out, the daily routines expected of them. They enjoy speaking with visitors. When questioned in groups, Year 6 pupils are comfortable when listening to different views expressed by others. In contrast, Year 2 pupils do not listen as well to each other. Pupils show concern for others, if they are ill, hurt or otherwise upset. Pupils regularly, and without prompting, hold doors open for each other and adults. Pupils are keen to help others. For example, Year 6 pupils enjoy helping with reading in the Foundation Stage. They take responsibility routinely for their class duties. They enjoy contributing to a number of charities. Pupils in Key Stage 2 enjoy representing school at sporting events. Evidence of pupils showing initiative in relation to their learning is seen less often than is usual in Key Stages 1 and 2 but is a strong feature in the Foundation

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16 Pupils who have special educational needs have positive attitudes to school and are well integrated into the school community. They relate very well to adults and to other pupils, and as a consequence they gain in confidence and self-esteem. Pupils who have emotional and behavioural problems respond well to the caring ethos, feel valued and build meaningful relationships with adults and their classmates.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17 Attendance is very good. It is consistently well above the national average over several years. The unauthorised absence level is below the national average. Punctuality is good. Nearly all pupils come to school on time and settle to their work promptly and calmly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18 The quality of teaching is good and better in 88 percent of lessons. In three percent of lessons the quality of teaching is excellent, in 32 percent it is very good, in 53 percent it is good and in the remaining 11 percent of lessons the quality of teaching is satisfactory. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have established clear expectations for good quality teaching and have implemented a regular programme of classroom observation and feedback to teachers. These strategies, together with carefully chosen training opportunities for teachers, have had a significant impact and have led to the marked improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection when it was judged to be unsatisfactory in 11 percent of lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19 The quality of teaching for children in the Foundation Stage is very good in 80 percent of lessons and good in the remaining 20 percent. A particular strength is the quality of the plans for teaching. What is to be taught and what is to be learnt are clearly stated for each area of learning and areas of the classroom are resourced well to enable the children to learn in a variety of stimulating activities. For example, when they learn about ordinal numbers, children’s understanding is reinforced through their play in the “vet’s surgery” and in a game of snakes and ladders. The chairs in the waiting room are labelled “first”, “second” or “third” and children playing snakes and ladders wear “first”, “second” or “third” badges. The teachers have very good knowledge and understanding of the needs of the age group. They interact and intervene in children’s learning to support, guide and challenge them and this ensures

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 16 March 2001 that the children make good progress. The adults have a very good knowledge and understanding of the learning needs of the age group and this forms a secure basis for their intervention in children’s learning. Because the carefully planned activities are well matched to the children’s interests and stage of development, children acquire new skills and knowledge at a good rate. They are often absorbed by the tasks and concentrate for long periods. The quality of learning is very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20 T he quality of teaching for pupils in Key Stage 1 is good overall. It is very good in 12 percent of lessons, good in 76 percent and satisfactory in the remaining 12 percent. The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is good. There are examples of very good teaching in English. No science or design and technology lessons were on the timetable for the period of the inspection but lesson plans and a sample of pupils’ work indicate that the quality of teaching is likely to be at least satisfactory. The quality of teaching is good in the remaining subjects of the National Curriculum. The particular strengths of the teaching are the teachers’ good subject knowledge, effective lesson planning and the management of pupils. The teachers use praise well to help pupils to understand how well they have done and how they can improve. In a few lessons, the teacher talks for too long and this slows the pace of the learning. In

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

these lessons, the younger pupils are less attentive and have insufficient opportunities for active learning. Because of the good quality of the teaching and the pupils’ very positive attitudes and good behaviour the quality of learning is generally good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21 At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is good overall. In six percent of lessons the quality of teaching is excellent, 34 percent of lessons it is very good and in 66 percent of lessons it is good. In the remaining 14 percent of lessons the quality of teaching is satisfactory. The quality of teaching is good in all the subjects of the National Curriculum at Key Stage 2. Teachers’ lesson plans are of good quality. There are very specific learning objectives and these are supported by relevant activities which interest and motivate the pupils. Very good use is made of time in lessons. The teachers achieve a good balance of direct teaching for the whole class and for small groups and individual tasks. They intervene effectively to challenge and support individuals which helps them to work productively and at a good pace. As a result, the quality of learning is good and pupils show interest, sustain concentration and apply

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22 Throughout the school, teaching assistants play an invaluable role. They are very well deployed by the teachers who include them in the planning and in the assessment of activities. This enables them to make very good use of their time with groups of pupils or with individuals. They make very good use of their personal skills to interest and involve the pupils. The partnership between the teachers and the support staff is very strong and this has positive impact on the rate of pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23 The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good and is undertaken by class teachers within the class setting. Teaching assistants provide additional literacy groups and are very effective in helping pupils who have difficulty with literacy skills to consolidate their knowledge of high frequency words and become more confident readers. Individual attention is given by teachers and teaching assistants to help pupils who have problems with concentrating or learning phonics. The school makes sure that those pupils identified as having difficulty in literacy are heard to read on a daily basis and this helps them to make at least satisfactory and sometimes good progress. Where pupils have difficulties with numeracy skills, they work in small groups and focus on the problem areas. The system is very effective as pupils who have special educational needs make good progress overall. The teaching

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

assistants are well informed and liase well with the class teachers and co-ordinator to Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 17 March 2001 make sure the work is appropriate but still challenging. As a result, pupils make good progress.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24 Where the quality of teaching is very good and better, lessons are well planned, organised and managed. The teachers make strong links with the pupils’ earlier learning and the learning aims are precise and well matched to challenge pupils. The learning objective is shared with the pupils and the teachers’ high expectations are made clear. For example, in a mathematics lesson at upper Key Stage 2 where pupils learn about decimals, the learning objectives are written on the board, the lesson moves at a brisk pace and pupils are expected to be fully involved at all times. As the pupils begin their independent work, the teacher monitors individuals’ progress, checking their understanding and asking questions, which provide further challenge. In this way, good work habits are promoted and pupils achieve success because of the well focused teaching. Good subject knowledge enables teachers to teach with

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

enthusiasm and to be optimistic about the levels the pupils can achieve. For example, in a music lesson at Key Stage 2 where pupils learn to play the recorder, they make outstanding progress because of the teacher’s high expectations, lucid explanations and helpful demonstrations. She builds their skills well and they perform to a high standard by the end of the lesson. The use of praise, which is linked to the learning objective, is also a characteristic of very good and better teaching. For example, in an English lesson at Key Stage 1, the teacher responds enthusiastically and warmly to pupils’ responses when they write instructions for making chocolate crispies. This helps them to feel successful and helps others to know what they need to do to improve their efforts. In this way, teachers motivate pupils and help them to make good gains in their learning.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25 In most of the lessons the quality of teaching is good. These lessons are characterised by the teachers’ secure subject knowledge, detailed planning and good management of pupils. Resources and activities are well chosen to provide a good level of challenge for most pupils and this helps them to make good progress. Where the quality of teaching is satisfactory, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses but there are some significant shortcomings. The most frequent occur when teachers’ expectations, at both key stages, are not sufficiently high and pupils are not challenged to do their best. For example, in a mathematics lesson at Key Stage 2, where pupils in a set including pupils from Years 3, 4 and 5 learn to use multiplication facts when dividing, they are not sufficiently challenged by the work and some lose interest and this slows the rate of progress. In a few lessons, the teacher talks for too

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

long and this slows the pace of learning. For example, in a mathematics lesson at Key Stage 1, pupils are restless during the class teachers’ rather long explanation but work well once they are engaged in practical activities. In some lessons, learning objectives are not consistently well matched to the needs of the class. This is particularly noticeable when pupils at both key stages are taught in sets. Teachers tend to plan to the needs of pupils of average levels of attainment within the set and pay insufficient attention to the needs of those of higher ability. There are weaknesses in the use of feedback to pupils and marking because it is not made sufficiently clear what they need to do to improve their work or why it is successful. This slows the rate of pupils’ progress and limits the opportunities for them to take responsibility for some of their own learning. There are good examples of the use of

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

marking at upper Key Stage 2 but it is inconsistent in both key stages.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26 The skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught across the curriculum at both key stages. The teachers have a good knowledge of phonics and teach the basic skills very effectively. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 18 March 2001 27 Teachers give children appropriate work to do at home. They are often asked to seek out information. For example, pupils in Key Stage 1 are asked to practise counting while they are in the bath, older pupils are asked to find out if an olive is a fruit or a vegetable and a visiting speaker challenges the oldest to pupils to find out about infectious diseases. Pupils are also given more formal tasks which build on the work they have been doing and enable them to practise and consolidate their knowledge. Children are encouraged to read regularly at home. However, expectations are not clear to all parents. Parents at the meeting with the inspectors prior to the inspection

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

expressed concern about this and requested guidance. The school has already begun to take steps to improve communications with parents about homework.

p.18

PUPILS?

28 The curriculum is satisfactory overall. All the required subjects are planned and taught with suitable time allocations in most cases. Literacy and numeracy are appropriately given greater time allocations than other subjects. The school has successfully implemented the national literacy and numeracy strategies to support progression in learning in these two important areas.

p.18

PUPILS?

29 Opportunities for learning in the reception classes are very good and give children a very good start, building well upon what they already know and can do. This supports children in achieving or exceeding the recommended levels of learning for children in the Foundation Stage. The curriculum for these children provides strong links with the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1.

p.18

PUPILS?

30 The curriculum for pupils in Key Stage 1, including those with special educational needs, meets statutory requirements and provides a broad and relevant curriculum. However, the literacy and numeracy sessions are too long and reduce the time available for the other subjects of the National Curriculum. As a result, pupils receive an imbalanced curriculum. The long literacy and numeracy lessons are particularly unsuitable for the younger and below average attaining pupils in the Year 1 and Year 1 and 2 sets. The time allocated to science is insufficient in some terms to provide regular opportunities for pupils to build on their subject knowledge, skills and understanding. The curriculum for pupils in Key Stage 2, including those with special educational needs, is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements.

p.18

PUPILS?

31 The school has recently adopted and adapted nationally recommended schemes of work and these are beginning to provide a coherent and challenging curriculum for pupils. However, these schemes of work are not yet fully adjusted to meet the full ability range in the school and the teaching of skills has not been fully analysed and built into the planning. The two-year topic structure, which has been applied in both key stages for some years, is now showing some weaknesses. For example, science topics do not provide sufficient challenge for pupils whose attainment is average or above. These shortcomings in the long-term curriculum plan lead to some limitations in pupils’ progress in science and some of the foundation subjects. The school has developed an effective medium term planning model that will continue to serve its needs as the longer-term plan is adjusted.

p.18

PUPILS?

32 Pupils benefit from a well planned and varied programme of visits which includes a number of opportunities for residential courses. These are valuable in supporting pupils’ personal and social development. Visitors support the curriculum well. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, the school nurse led the session on micro-organisms very effectively. This was additionally a good example of the provision of opportunities Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 19 March 2001 for pupils to develop their skills in speaking and listening. Pupils benefit from a very good range of clubs, sports opportunities and musical tuition, many of which give opportunities to work in the wider community.

p.18

PUPILS?

33 The provision for pupils’ personal and health education is satisfactory. The strengths of the provision are in the support provided for any pupils who need guidance about their behaviour and in the overall school expectations which promote pupils’ personal efforts through the “house” system. However opportunities provided for pupils to take personal initiative and some responsibility for their work are limited. Health education is being developed further. Sex education is provided satisfactorily. Drugs education has been initiated for pupils and staff are currently developing their own understanding of how to teach this element of the curriculum. Links with pre-school providers and other schools are very good.

p.19

PUPILS?

34 Provision for pupils’ personal development is good overall. The school’s provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. All adults are clear and consistent in their guidance and expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. They treat pupils fairly and provide a good model for pupils to follow in their dealings with others. Pupils in Key Stage 2 take part in competitive sports and games and have a good understanding of the need to follow the rules and accept the decisions made by those in authority. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to extend their social skills and provision is very good. For example, pupils in Key Stage 2 can join in a wide range of after school activities, take part in a series of residential visits and have opportunities to meet with pupils from other schools in sports tournaments. All the pupils are involved in raising funds for a range of charities. For example, they have

p.19

PUPILS?

recently helped to send aid to Romania and have supported a national charity for the poor and hungry. The children in the Foundation Stage and in Years 3 and 4 have visited a special school, made friends with some of the pupils and invited them back to their own school. Pupils are given opportunities to work in pairs and in small groups. The whole school is involved in celebrations, performances and festivals in which pupils learn about the being part of a team and how they can play their part. The House system also promotes a team spirit and pupils are eager to work hard in order to gain points for their team. The pupils are encouraged to value and celebrate the success of others in assembly and in lessons.

p.19

PUPILS?

35 The school makes satisfactory provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Pupils have opportunities to learn about other communities and individuals and reflect on the needs of those affected by poverty and distress. They are encouraged to respond by raising funds for charities. They are given opportunities to reflect on the behaviour and actions of others through religious education and stories. Children in the Foundation Stage become very aware of the needs of a young baby when they watch her being bathed and are encouraged and shown how to respond sensitively by speaking and clapping quietly so that she is not upset. Older pupils are given opportunities to handle precious items as part of their work on Victorians and they respond by handling these with care and respect. Links with the church are strong and pupils are made aware of the beliefs of Christians and those of other faiths. They

p.19

PUPILS?

are taught to respect and value other people’s beliefs and traditions.

p.19

PUPILS?

36 Pupils are given many opportunities to learn about their own culture. They make visits into the local community and learn about the culture and development of the local area through their work in history and geography. The school provides opportunities for pupils to take part in community events and invites members of the community into the school. The links with St Peter’s Church are particularly helpful in developing pupils’ sense of their own culture. Pupils hear music, learn songs and study Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 20 March 2001 paintings, mainly from Western Europe but also to some extent from the wider world. For example, all the pupils enjoyed a recent visit from an African dance group and Key Stage 2 pupils benefited from their involvement in a dance workshop which followed. Teachers bring visiting experts into school. For example, the string quartet visits and

p.19

PUPILS?

plays for the pupils. Pupils perform for their parents in concerts and other performances and their own musical and artistic skills are promoted well. The rich variety of cultures within Britain is not fully explored, and curriculum studies include only limited reference to world cultures. Some valuable visits to places of worship are used to extend pupils’ understanding of other religions.

p.20

PUPILS?

37 The school is involved in an interesting initiative working with staff and pupils from neighbouring special schools. The long-term aim is to promote inclusion and a feeling of mutual respect between pupils from the different establishments.

p.20

PUPILS?

38 At the time of the last inspection the curriculum was satisfactory. This is still the case. Since that time there have been good developments in the provision of clear schemes of work. These are now being developed to match the full range of learning needs. For example, in science, the needs of the highest attaining pupils at Key Stage 2 are currently being explored. Improvement since the last inspection is at least satisfactory.

p.20

PUPILS?

39 The provision for pupils who have special educational needs is good. Pupils are included in all aspects of the curriculum and make good progress. Teachers have copies of individual and group plans and these are used well to plan suitable work to meet the needs of individuals. Provision for pupils with special educational needs at both key stages is enhanced by specific additional literacy teaching in a structured programme, which is well matched to their learning needs.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40 As at the previous inspection, the care arrangements for pupils are good. The procedures and use of assessment information are good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The educational and personal support and guidance for pupils are good.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41 Procedures to promote and ensure pupils' well being are good. The school has good arrangements for induction to reception and other classes. Pupils and parents in Year 6 are well supported with the task of choosing their secondary school. Pupils confirm that they are well cared for when they are ill or otherwise distressed. Child protection procedures are good and the school has good links with other professionals. All the adults in the school know the procedures to follow.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42 Procedures to ensure pupils' health and safety are satisfactory overall. Teachers make pupils aware of health and safety issues in lessons, such as, physical education. This contributes effectively to the development of a safe and health conscious attitude among them. Fire alarm testing and fire drills are carried out regularly. However, improvements are needed to the arrangements for the regular inspection of portable electrical equipment.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43 Procedures to monitor and promote good behaviour and discipline are good overall. Rules, defining expectations for behaviour in classrooms and the dining hall, are clearly displayed. The main emphasis is on recognising and rewarding good behaviour and nearly all pupils respond positively. Praise is used well in lessons and Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 21 March 2001 assemblies to promote appropriate responses. Teachers maintain clear and consistent boundaries between what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. They deal with classroom incidents and have a clear route for referring more serious incidents. There are good links between teaching and lunchtime staff.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44 Procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour, including bullying or racism, are good overall. The few pupils with significant behaviour difficulties are clearly identified. There is a clear and proportionate set of sanctions in relation to classroom and playground behaviour. The lunchtime staff feel well supported by teaching staff and the headteacher in relation to playground incidents. Parents are involved effectively where concerns arise. Two learning mentors now provide additional support for the few pupils who may have problems in the playground. Assembly time is regularly used as an opportunity to remind pupils of the importance of telling adults if they see any signs of bullying or racism. Pupils confirm that, once reported, any bullying and very rare racist incidents are handled effectively and sensitively. A record is kept of these incidents and the measures taken to resolve

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45 Procedures to monitor and improve attendance are satisfactory overall. The few pupils with persistently poor attendance are identified. The education welfare officer is involved effectively in helping to resolve such cases. Individual recognition and rewards are given for full annual attendance and this is helpful in promoting regular attendance.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46 Procedures to monitor and support pupils’ personal development are good. Pupils and their needs are well known to staff. Good work and attitudes are celebrated weekly in assemblies. This recognition and reward provides pupils with frequent and public confirmation of what is good in their lives and helps raise their self-esteem. In addition, the ‘Extra Mile’ award recognises, on a termly basis, the pupil who has made a significant contribution to school life. School creates good opportunities, for pupils in all year groups, to take responsibility for themselves and others. For example, older pupils help children in the Foundation Stage with reading and pupils contribute to a range of charities. The wide range of sports and music clubs also make a significant contribution. Key Stage 2 pupils compete in a good range of team sports, including football, netball, athletics, swimming and fishing competitions. These events,

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

combined with residential visits for all junior classes, further develop pupils’ discipline, personal application, team spirit, a sense of fair play and a wider knowledge of surrounding areas. Wider engagement of pupils in contributing to school life through a “School Council” is planned.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47 The school arrangements for collecting assessment data and analysing it are very good. Clear systems have been developed and these are being transferred into electronic form. The impact is that the headteacher and other key staff are developing both analytical and processing skills which have great potential for tracking the progress of the classes or individual pupils more efficiently. This also means that all national assessment data can be used to inform the school’s work efficiently. The current paper systems are being used well. Data is collected and analysed and the outcomes are communicated to all staff. For example, writing has been identified as an area for special attention across the school. Pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science is tracked. From the assessments that take place each half term, new targets are identified for these subjects. Parents receive copies of the targets set for their child in literacy and numeracy.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 22 March 2001 48 Pupils who are on the school’s register for special educational needs are well supported. Teachers assess and monitor pupils’ progress and quickly identify those pupils who are having difficulty with their work or behaviour. Assessments are used to help teachers plan effectively for individual pupils’ needs. The school has active links with support services, which provide advice as needed. When pupils are ready to leave the school, there are links with the receiving high school so relevant information is passed on so that pupils’ individual educational needs can continue to be met.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49 Overall the partnership with parents makes a very good contribution to the quality of education provided and the standards achieved. There has been significant improvement in the effectiveness of the partnership since the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50 Parents are positive about what the school provides and achieves. Nearly all confirm that their children like school, behave well and make good progress. They consider that school has high expectations and helps pupils become more mature and responsible. They are positive about the teaching. They feel comfortable approaching school with suggestions or concerns and consider that this well led and managed school works closely with parents. However, over a fifth of the respondents had some concerns about the range of extra-curricular activities, homework and its arrangements and the information they get about their child’s progress.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51 School works systematically and very effectively to involve and engage parents in their child’s learning. It welcomes outside ideas and where possible adopts or adapts them. For example, based on the parents’ comments at the meeting with the inspectors, the school has already begun to consider how they might improve communications with parents about homework. The teachers provide parents with their child’s literacy and numeracy targets as part of the autumn consultation evening. The timing of reporting on children’s progress makes good links between the mid-year assessments and the spring consultation evening. As a result, parents are informed promptly and therefore involved effectively in addressing any areas for improvement. A family learning initiative provides additional support for adults to help with their children’s learning in literacy and numeracy.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52 The quality of information to support pupils’ progress is good overall. All pupils have a reading diary, which provides a routine communication link between school and home. Half-termly information is provided on topic areas. The quality of pupils’ written annual reports is good overall. Reports do convey a clear sense of how well pupils are getting on. As well as the statutory reporting of the end of key stage test results in Year 2 and Year 6, the levels achieved in end of year tests in English, mathematics and science are included for pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5. Improvements in pupils’ attitudes and their progress in subjects are reported for all pupils and targets are set for improvement. The practice of getting pupils and parents to comment on the content of the report are positive features. Many parents take up the invitation to comment and pupils record what they currently enjoy and do well and identify what

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

they plan to improve in the following year. Whilst a significant majority of parents feel well informed about how their children are getting on, around a fifth disagree. Closer analysis of the data indicates that the proportion who do not feel well informed is similar across all year groups. No clear explanation has emerged for this. It may relate to the fact that the spring consultation evening has yet to take place.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53 Information from the school is of very good quality. Regular newsletters keep parents very well informed on school life and events. The prospectus gives a very clear and Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 23 March 2001 coherent outline of school’s expectations and character. The governors’ annual report provides a very clear picture about the main issues which the governing body is working on.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54 Parents’ involvement with the work of the school makes a very good contribution to pupils' learning and the life of the school. Parents meet their responsibility to get their children to school regularly and promptly and this contributes to the progress children make and the standards they achieve. Discussions with pupils indicate that nearly all have somebody at home who checks that they complete their homework. Almost all pupils are represented at the main parents’ evenings in autumn and spring terms. Parents of children with special needs’ attend their reviews. Over 30 adult helpers, mostly parents, give valuable help in classes. Parents regularly support group activities during literacy and numeracy hours. They also help with spellings, topic and display work, photocopying lesson materials and on school visits. Many parents attend and enjoy sports day, Christmas productions and religious services associated

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

with harvest and Easter. There is an active parent teacher association which works very well with school. They organise and run the usual range of fundraising and social events, typically raising up to £6,000 annually. Their activities also help to establish and maintain very good informal links between staff, parents and pupils, as all parties are involved in most of the events. Year 6 pupils, for example, speak very positively about the junior discos, which the group organises. Funds raised are used well to enhance resources such as books and computers. All five parent governor positions are filled.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55 Parents of pupils who have special educational needs are properly involved from the time the teacher has an initial concern. The school has very good links with parents and concerns can be discussed informally and at parents’ meetings.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56 The headteacher was appointed to the school nine months after the last inspection and has been a strong force in driving up standards and improving the quality of education. The headteacher provides very strong leadership and has a clear vision for the further development of the school. The deputy headteacher works closely with the headteacher and also provides very good leadership. They use their complementary skills well and their strong leadership is reflected in the improvements since the last inspection made in the standards pupils achieve, the quality of education and the ethos of the school. They give positive support and guidance to all the staff, introduce initiatives enthusiastically and, as a result, have developed a strong sense of teamwork between all those who work at the school. They enjoy the support of the governing body, staff and parents who recognise the amount of work done and the

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

changes achieved for the benefit of the pupils since the time of the last inspection. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 24 March 2001 57 The headteacher and deputy headteacher are well supported by the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 co-ordinators in their roles as members of the senior management team. The senior management team, formed since the last inspection, work successfully together in leading school improvement and in the day-to-day management of the school. Roles and responsibilities are well understood and appropriately delegated. The headteacher makes best use of the skills and expertise of the staff and this has supported improvements in curriculum planning and implementing changes.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 The headteacher has established and developed the roles and responsibilities of the key stage co-ordinators and subject coordinators and they now provide good leadership for their colleagues. This was identified as a key issue for improvement by the last inspection and good progress has been made. The key stage and subject co-ordinators monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning, sample pupils’ work from across the school, examine their colleagues plans for teaching and analyse pupils’ performance in assessments and tests. They are collecting samples of work that help their colleagues to accurately judge the standard of pupils’ work. This is better developed in English and science than in other subjects. Some subject leaders have had opportunities to observe their colleagues teach and have fed back to them following the lessons. They have a growing understanding of the strengths and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

areas for improvement in the key stage or in their subject. For example, the science co-ordinator is aware of the need to adjust the scheme of work for science in order to provide a better match of teaching to pupils learning needs. There are appropriate plans to continue to develop these roles and responsibilities.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59 The school has set out its aims in a policy and also in the prospectus. The school is well on its way to achieving its aims, especially its intention to maintain and improve academic standards by providing high quality learning experiences within a rich and caring environment. The aims of the school underpin the interactions of staff with pupils and are reflected well in the day-to-day life of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60 The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities well and governors have a clear understanding of the division of responsibilities between the headteacher and the governing body. The governors are led very well by the chair of governors and, under his leadership, they provide effective support for the headteacher and staff. The governors play a strong part in shaping the direction of the school. They have a long- term strategic plan that drives the overall aims and vision for the school and is the point of reference for all decision-making in their meetings. They pose challenging questions but then work alongside the headteacher and staff to find the best answer for the development of the school. The governors monitor the pupils’ performance in the end of key stage tests very closely and make good use of the data to challenge and support the school to further raise standards. Governors monitor progress

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

towards the school’s priorities for improvement at each of their meetings and receive detailed reports from the headteacher. The chairman identifies the need to develop opportunities for governors to gain information about the needs of the school more informally through visits or through receiving reports from subject leaders or other staff with responsibilities. The governors work very effectively in committees that take responsibility for areas including finance, personnel, the fabric of the building and the curriculum. They have delegated powers that enable them to make decisions and recommend a course of action to the full governing body. This makes very good use of governors’ individual skills and expertise and efficient use of meeting time.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61 The school makes good use of all available data from formal tests and assessments to identify areas for further improvement. The headteacher and deputy headteacher regularly monitor the quality of teaching and learning and use the information they Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 25 March 2001 collect to identify where support or challenge is needed. As the role of the key stage and subject coordinators develops, additional information is becoming available to help in identifying the most important areas for improvement in subjects. The areas identified for development are then included in the school improvement plan. This plan is at the heart of school improvement and provides a long-term view of developments. Each governing body committee takes responsibility for an element of the school improvement plan linked to their responsibilities. This has the beneficial

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

effect of involving them fully and providing valuable support for the headteacher and staff. Although the school identifies the right targets for improvement, the priorities are not clearly established. As a result, the plan is rather cluttered with tasks of lesser importance. However, the headteacher and governors are clear about what the priorities are even though this is not reflected in the written plan and so developments have a positive impact on standards and on the quality of education. The headteacher has identified the need to redraft and reduce the content so that it is more manageable. Financial and other resources are appropriately linked to the targets for improvement but the timescale and tasks are not sufficiently precise so that the plan becomes over-ambitious for the time available. Success criteria are not sufficiently measurable, and consequently, evaluation of the impact of the planned

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

change on quality and standards are less effective. The headteacher has started to work on improving this element of the plan for the next cycle of planning.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62 The governing body fulfils its financial planning role well. This is an overall improvement since the last inspection when the strategic management of funds was judged to be sound. Educational developments are supported and the governors have a good understanding of the current budget. They make good use of forecast information and take advice from the finance officer and from the headteacher. They have clear priorities for spending decisions and base these on their knowledge of the school and their vision for its long-term strategic development. For example, their commitment to providing a generous number of teaching assistants to support teachers and pupils is having a positive impact on the quality of learning throughout the school and the decision to plan and budget for an additional class in the next academic year is based on strong educational reasons. They make satisfactory use of the principles of best value.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63 The administrative assistant operates secure, efficient and effective systems for financial control. Minor recommendations made in the most recent auditors’ report have been acted upon. Administrative tasks are carried out very efficiently and the day-to-day organisation of the school runs smoothly. Good use is made of information and communications technology to support the management of finances and administrative tasks. The administrative staff provide very good support for the headteacher and staff enabling them to focus on their work with the children.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64 Funds for pupils with special educational needs are used well. There is a satisfactory, clearly written policy for special educational needs. Staff are fully aware of the procedures for identifying special educational needs. There is a satisfactory level of support and resources to meet the needs of this group of pupils. The deployment of teaching assistants is well organised and effective. The teaching assistants are well respected by the teaching staff who appreciate the valuable contribution they make as part of the special needs provision. The special educational needs co-ordinator is a part-time member of staff but organisation is such that teachers are able to take responsibility for pupils in their own class and liase with the co-ordinator in the allocated time to review progress and consider new targets. The arrangements for special educational needs are good and are well managed by the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

co-ordinator. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 26 March 2001 65 The school benefits from a committed and hard-working staff whose experience and expertise are appropriately matched to the demands of the curriculum. There are sufficient well qualified and experienced teachers to meet the needs of the curriculum and they are very well supported by suitably qualified and experienced support staff. Some members of staff have joined the school recently and have quickly become established because of the supportive systems for induction and staff development in the school. Induction arrangements for newly qualified teachers are very effective with a good balance between monitoring and supporting their teaching. A comprehensive staff induction pack and staff development policy make a valuable contribution to the professional development of all members of staff. The school has developed good

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

practice in evaluating its own performance and has a philosophy of continuing professional development. Training and development needs are well linked to individual needs and to the development needs of the school. This has been recognised as a strength in the school’s recent successful award of “Investors in People” status. This, together with very good leadership and management and the good quality of the teaching, makes the school an effective provider of training for new teachers.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66 There is sufficient accommodation to enable the National Curriculum to be taught. Much has been done since the last inspection to improve the quality of the accommodation indoors and outdoors. The installation of outside play equipment and extensive repairs to the external and internal fabric of the building are significant improvements and the school now provides an attractive learning environment. The consistently very good quality of displays, including a significant amount of pupils’ work, is a positive feature throughout the school. Improvements to the accommodation include the thoughtful refurbishment of cloakrooms, hall and offices, the development of a temporary classroom as a staff room, the development of the grounds (including an outdoor learning area for children in the foundation stage) and, most recently, the installation of an additional temporary classroom to reduce class sizes in Key Stage 2 next year. The main accommodation blocks provide a pleasant,

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

bright learning environment. There are some limitations in storage space and cloakroom facilities in the Key Stage 2 block that the school is working to address. The classroom accommodation is generally well maintained throughout the school and the shared areas in the Key Stage 1 building are also maintained to a high level. However, the cleanliness of the Key Stage 2 building is not of such a high standard and this detracts from the refurbishment and improvements carried out in that building. Whilst the grounds are spacious overall, practical use of the field and the fenced garden, to provide additional play and learning opportunities, is confined to periods of fine weather. The separate infant and junior playgrounds are adequate for the number of pupils.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67 There are sufficient learning resources to support the teaching of most subjects of the National Curriculum and the Foundation Stage curriculum. However, the number of computers limits the rate of pupils’ progress. There are some shortages of science equipment for teaching the higher National Curriculum levels at Key Stage 2. The range of artefacts, books and other resources from cultures other than the Western European tradition is limited. For example, there are few musical instruments from other cultural traditions.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68 The headteacher, staff and governors work well together to meet the school’s targets for improvement. They have achieved the targets for improvement set for the school at the time of the last inspection and, in many instances, have gone further. For example, the quality of teaching has improved, the curriculum has been reviewed and Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 27 March 2001 developed and the quality of teaching, learning and planning is regularly monitored and evaluated. In addition to these points for improvement the headteacher, staff and governors have worked hard to improve the accommodation, to work more effectively as a team, to develop opportunities for pupils to take part in additional activities after school and to benefit from an extensive range of visits. In addition, standards in the end of key stage tests and assessments have continued to improve. Overall

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

improvement since the last inspection is judged to be good. The school’s capacity for improvement is judged to be good because of the strength of the leadership provided by the headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors, the commitment and hard work of all the staff, the very positive attitudes and very good behaviour of the pupils and the strong support of the parents. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 28 March 2001

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

69 In order to raise standards and improve the educational provision the headteacher, governors and staff should work together to:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Further improve standards in science throughout the school by ensuring that: • the teaching challenges pupils of all abilities; • sufficient time is allocated for each unit of work.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Paragraphs: 3, 7, 30, 31, 38 and 99 -105

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Ensure that the curriculum plans provide opportunities for pupils to develop subject specific skills and that learning expectations are suitably challenging for all ability groups.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Paragraphs: 31, 47, 88, 94, 97, 98, 100, 101, 104, 110, and 117

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Enhance the provision for pupils’ personal development by providing more opportunities for independent learning, making choices, showing initiative and taking wider responsibilities within the school community.

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Minor issue:

The headteacher and governing body may like to consider including the following less urgent issue for inclusion in their action plan.

p.28

Minor issue:

Make more consistent use of teachers’ marking of pupils’ work to give guidance on how they could improve their work.

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Minor issue:

Paragraphs: 25, 97, 98, 122 and 128 Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 29 March 2001

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 46

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) NA 293

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals NA 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs NA 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register NA 48

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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 1

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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 13

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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

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 30 March 2001

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 22 19 41

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 22 22 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 19 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 98 (90) 100 (90) 98 (98) 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 22 21 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 17 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (90) 93 (90) 80 (95) 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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 20 18 38

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 16 17 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 16 17

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 87 (96) 87 (86) 92 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 16 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 16 16

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (89) 84 (79) 84 (93) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 31 March 2001

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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 8 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11 Financial year 1999-2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Total income 478458

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total expenditure 465935

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Expenditure per pupil 1694.31

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 165 Balance brought forward from previous year 19910

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 32430 Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 32 March 2001

p.31

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. 55 41 3 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 49 47 4 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 44 16 6 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 26 52 20 1 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. 69 27 4 0 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. 61 37 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 39 47 11 2 1

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 60 37 2 1 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 46 2 0 2

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 27 32 23 5 12 Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 33 March 2001 Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Parents are very supportive of the school. They are particularly pleased that their children enjoy school, are required to work hard and make progress. They find the headteacher and teachers approachable and agree that the quality of teaching is good. They are generally pleased with the progress their children make. Analysis of parents’ responses to the questionnaire indicates that the proportion who do not feel well informed about their child’s progress is similar across all year groups. Some parents are not happy with the range of activities the school provides outside lessons, the amount of work children are given in lessons and at home and the way in which the school works with parents

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Parents at the meeting with the inspectors praised the improvements brought about by the headteacher since the last inspection. They highlight significant improvements in communications with parents, to the accommodation and in the leadership and management of the school. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 34 March 2001

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70 Children start school in one of the two reception class at the beginning of the academic year in which they have their fifth birthday. The results of the baseline assessments carried out during the children’s first few weeks in school show that they achieve at least typical levels for their age and many achieve higher levels. The quality of learning in the reception classes is good; the children make good and sometimes very good progress and are in line to reach at least the nationally prescribed early learning goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. Many children already achieve levels within those expected nationally for children in Key Stage 1, particularly in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71 The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good and is a strength of the school. A detailed policy and guidelines has been implemented since the last inspection and are the basis for the very good quality provision. The staff have developed strong and effective links with parents. Meetings with parents, home visits and liaison with pre-school providers prior to children’s admission to school are well organised and are effective in helping children settle quickly at school. The curriculum is very well planned. It is based on the six areas of learning and makes good links with the programmes of study for the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1. This ensures that children are well challenged by the activities and are able to make good progress towards the early learning goals and beyond. The staff carry out a detailed analysis of the results of the baseline assessments carried out during the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children’s first few weeks in school. They use the analysis to identify areas of strength or weakness in the children’s prior attainment and then plan the teaching to help each child make progress. The teachers provide a stimulating range of activities indoors and outdoors that are interesting for the children and motivate them to learn. Improvements to the provision since the last inspection include the development of an outdoor learning area. This is used imaginatively but is not fully developed or resourced as a teaching area and is identified for further improvement. The classrooms and shared area are also used imaginatively to make best use of the space available to provide a well organised and rich learning environment. The two teachers and the teaching assistant work very well together and provide very good quality teaching. They challenge and inspire the children and are optimistic about

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

what they can achieve. This is a particular strength of the provision and contributes to the very good quality of learning in all six areas of learning. Children’s attitudes to learning are very good and they behave very well.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72 Improvement since the last inspection is good. Baseline assessment and its use has been established, the policy underpins the provision, the foundation curriculum has been implemented well, an outdoor area has been established and learning resources have been enhanced. The staff have made good use of training opportunities to enhance the provision.

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

73 The adults foster children’s personal and social development at every opportunity. They interact and intervene in the learning frequently and this has a positive impact on the development of children’s confidence and attitudes to learning and to each other. For example, children playing snakes and ladders learn to take turns and are encouraged to relate to each other. The adults provide very good role models for the Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 35 March 2001 children by thanking them for their hard work, valuing their ideas and treating them with respect. As a result, the children become more aware of the needs of others. For example, when a baby is bathed in their classroom they are helped to become more aware of her needs. When they clap at the end of the lesson to thank the baby’s mother they do so quietly so that they don’t frighten the baby. They also

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

realise that they have a responsibility to provide a good model of behaviour for younger children. The classrooms are organised to promote children’s independence in selecting from a planned range of activities, tools and materials. The children make choices sensibly and confidently and take responsibility for putting away what they have used when it is time to tidy away. The adults make good use of the children’s time by providing short periods of direct teaching for the whole class group followed by interesting activities in which they continue to teach through practical activities and play. Consequently, the children are developing good attitudes to work. They concentrate, persevere and take pride in their achievements.

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

74 Pupils are articulate and their speaking and listening skills are beyond the levels described by the early learning goals. The adults provide the children with frequent opportunities to speak and listen in small and large groups. The children generally use the convention of putting up their hand if they have something to say in a group discussion and are increasingly able to take turns in conversation taking account of what others say. Listening skills are modelled well by the adults who listen carefully to what the children say. The children are absorbed by the well chosen stories, rhymes and poetry chosen by the teachers and listen with concentration and enjoyment. Progress in reading is very good and children turn to books for enjoyment. Above average attainers read fluently and with expression, using a number of strategies to help them read words they have not seen before. Average attainers read confidently and make good use of their knowledge of letter sounds.

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

The less confident readers know most of the letter sounds, read some words and use the pictures to help them to tell the story. The teaching of reading is well structured and this enables children of all abilities to make good progress. Children’s writing is good. Because the adults plan realistic opportunities for writing, the children understand how writing is used to communicate messages in a variety of ways. For example, they write their names on a checklist when they have read “the book of the week”, fill in forms to get treatment for their pet in the “Vet’s Surgery” and make labels for models or for the small-world zoo. They write simple sentences to describe their teddy bears and use word books to help them with the spelling. For example, one child has written, “My bear is soft and cuddly and eats honey”. Many are beginning to write simple stories and to sequence their ideas. Letter formation is practised and the

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

children gradually improve their control over the size and shape of the letters. For a minority of children, however, the move to formal tracing over, or copy writing is started before they have sufficient physical control. As a result, they practise forming the letters incorrectly. Children make very good progress in this area of learning and almost all are on course to achieve levels above the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 36 March 2001

p.35

Mathematical development

75 The learning activities in this area of learning are well planned and interesting for the children. The adults have a very good understanding of the children’s needs and the work is well planned to enable them to make good and sometimes very good progress. Most children count confidently back and forward from nought to 30. They all recognise and name numerals to ten and many know numerals to 20 and put them in the correct order on attractive caterpillar or snail shapes. Most children write numerals correctly to 10 and many to 20. They understand and record simple addition to 10. The children are taught many of the mathematical ideas through their play. For example, they check the prices for their pets to be treated on the vet’s scale of charges and recognise number to 10 correctly. They make sensible estimates when they try to guess the number of biscuits in a jar. When they learn about ordinal

p.36

Mathematical development

numbers they consolidate their understanding by queuing in the “vet’s surgery” on chairs labelled first, second and third. When they use the water trough they correctly say when the containers are full, half full or empty. Children using shapes to create patterns correctly name circles, triangles, squares and hexagons. They are learning about area by drawing around their teddy bears on squared paper, counting the number of squares covered and then making comparisons using words such as very big, big, medium, small and very small. They learn to use money and most know that five one pence coins are equivalent to one five pence piece. They sort the coins and recognise and name their values. Some children are able to purchase items and talk about what they have left from 20 or even 30 pence. Mathematical language is promoted well in the activities. For example, children are encouraged to use terms

p.36

Mathematical development

such as “smaller”, “ larger” and “one more than” when they compare numbers. Children make very good progress in this area of learning and almost all are on course to achieve levels above the early learning goals by the end of the reception year.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

76 The teachers plan very effectively for this area of learning and, as a result, the children make at least good progress and are on course to achieve at least the levels described by the early learning goals by the end of the year. Pupils use the computer confidently to support their learning and use the mouse to locate, drag and drop objects on the screen. When they use a programmable floor robot, they understand the sequence of keying in instructions to make it move forward and back within a specified area. They learn about the passage of time and how things change. For example, when a baby is bathed in the classroom they recognise how they have changed since birth. They know that a baby cries to express need, can kick and roll over but cannot crawl or walk. They observe changes in daffodil and hyacinth bulbs as they grow and make drawings to compare the differences between day and night. The children learn to investigate materials and record their findings in simple

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

diagrams, for instance when they test items to find which are magnetic and which are not. They develop an understanding of plans and maps as, for example, when they take part in a bear hunt. As they find the bears hidden in the school grounds, they mark them on a simple map. Children use construction toys to make models and understand how and why things move through pushing, pulling and falling. They are provided with rich opportunities to select from a wide range of materials, glues and other fastenings to make models. Because the curriculum is planned to provide a wide range of stimulating and relevant activities, the children are very interested and as a result make good progress. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 37 March 2001

p.36

Physical development

77 Children make very good progress in this area of learning and almost all are on course to achieve at least the levels described by the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. In the classroom, children control their actions well. They are well co-ordinated and, for example, confidently fit together small pieces of construction kits, place small world figures and pour water. They handle pencils with developing control and most write legible letters and numbers of an appropriate size which are mostly correctly formed. They demonstrate good skills when they draw using pastels and control paint well to make attractive pictures. In a physical education lesson, children find a space in the hall and show good awareness of others as they move around the hall. They control the speed, level and direction of their movements well. During the lesson, they work hard to improve and refine their

p.37

Physical development

movements as they “slither like snakes” or “prowl like lions”. The outdoor area is used for some activities but lacks resources to promote children’s physical skills of, for example climbing, balancing, going under, over or jumping on and off. The teachers promote the physical skills well and make good use of opportunities to develop children’s coordination and dexterity.

p.37

Creative development

78 This area of learning is very well planned, resourced and taught. The adults are enthusiastic partners with the children in imaginative play. For example, the teaching assistant makes an excellent impact on children’s learning and willingness to use their imaginations when she is involved with them in the “vet’s surgery” role-play. The resources are well thought out to make the situation realistic. For example, the child taking the role of the “veterinary nurse” is absorbed and carries out the role very efficiently. She tidies away the equipment, wipes the table and pretends to wash her hands after a pet has been treated. Children using the small-world zoo tell a story as they play with the animals. Their play is enhanced very effectively by the brief intervention of the teacher who suggests that perhaps it would help visitors to the zoo if the enclosures were labelled. This encourages the children to write for a real

p.37

Creative development

purpose. The children paint and draw from direct observation, from memory and from imagination. For example, they learn to mix colours to represent their toy teddy bears as accurately as possible and draw daffodils and hyacinths from direct observation looking carefully and recording small details. In a physical education lesson they move imaginatively to give the impression of chickens pecking and strutting their way around a farmyard. The children respond well to music in this lesson. They know a range of songs and can repeat clapped rhythms correctly. They listen carefully to the musical instruments and then select appropriate sounds to represent the characters in the story of “The Little Red Hen”. They enjoy believing that there is a real hen in the room as they perform their “sound story”. Children make very good progress in this area of learning and almost all are on course to achieve at least the levels described by the early learning goals by the end of the

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ENGLISH

79 Standards in English are high and well above the national levels in both key stages. Very high standards in reading are a particular strength in both key stages. For seven year olds, standards in writing are well above the national average and standards in reading are very high in comparison with the national average. In comparison with similar schools, standards for seven year olds are well above average in reading and writing. In comparison with schools nationally, Key Stage 2 standards in English are Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 38 March 2001 well above the national average, and in comparison with similar schools standards are close to average. Attainment in Key Stage 2 is good overall and very good at the end of the key stage. The school has made good progress since the last inspection in maintaining high standards and improving teaching in the subject. However there is

p.37

ENGLISH

still room for improvement in raising expectations and standards for those pupils who are higher achievers. Teachers use the National Literacy Strategy well in both key stages to build solidly on what pupils achieve in the Foundation Stage. The good quality of teaching throughout the school, and especially in Years 5 and 6, has a positive impact on standards achieved at the end of Key Stage 2. There is no significant difference in standards achieved by boys and girls. The school has already identified that the very high standards in reading are not reflected in standards of writing and action has already been taken to improve standards of writing within the school.

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ENGLISH

80 By the age of seven, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are typical of that age group. They listen attentively in lessons and answer questions appropriately. Year 2 pupils contribute satisfactorily as they discuss characters in Little Red Riding Hood. They make sensible contributions to a discussion about the sequence of instructions for making chocolate crispies. Year 1 pupils engage in a lively conversation as they estimate quantities of Lego and cotton reels before counting to check the accuracy of their estimations. Younger pupils in Key Stage 2 give extended and detailed responses to their teacher when they are questioned about their work. They negotiate well with each other as they share resources during a science investigation to separate liquids and solids. Groups of older pupils read poetry competently to the rest of their class and use sophisticated vocabulary as they discuss controversial issues

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ENGLISH

such as factory farming. Their diction is clear when they read aloud from non-fiction text about Tutankhamun. As Year 6 pupils re-enact a Passover meal, they listen well to their teacher and join in the prayers, reading aloud with reverence. Pupils talk politely to adults and engage sensibly in conversation about things that interest them. There are further opportunities to develop the good provision for pupils’ speaking and listening skills by planning for them to use these skills in other subjects.

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ENGLISH

81 Pupils achieve very good standards in reading. There is a clearly defined policy and the school emphasises the importance of reading by having a daily fifteen-minute reading session in each class. Pupils are enthusiastic, accurate readers and parents are very supportive of their children in hearing them read and giving them opportunities to enjoy books. In Key Stage 1, the structured approach to teaching phonics is proving to be beneficial to the youngest pupils because they are learning and consolidating their knowledge of letter sounds quickly. The use of the literacy strategy also helps with reading skills and pupils’ knowledge of phonics helps them to read new texts with confidence. Pupils talk readily about their books, know the difference between fiction and non-fiction and state preferences in the types of books they enjoy reading. Roald Dahl is a favourite and more able readers enjoy poetry,

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ENGLISH

82 In Key Stage 2, pupils continue to enjoy reading and to increase their skills in independent reading. They read accurately and talk with confidence about the characters and plots in books they are reading. They make astute predictions about the way that stories will unfold. Pupils enthusiastically state their preferences ranging from adventure stories, books about aliens and ghosts to animal stories such as “Call of the Wild” and “White Fang”. The Harry Potter stories are favourites with pupils of all abilities. When pupils read to an audience, it is with clarity and expression. One pupil confided that she likes ‘to hide in a good book’, and this remark typifies the attitude of many pupils to reading. Pupils in this key stage use their reading skills well when they research medicine in the present day and in the past, or contentious issues such as Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 39

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ENGLISH

March 2001 fox hunting. Pupils in Year 6 enhance their knowledge of literature as they use the internet to research famous authors. Resources are good and the parent association is helpful in assisting the school to replenish the well-used stocks of fiction and non- fiction books.

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ENGLISH

83 Standards in writing are good. The teachers believe that these standards could be higher and do not match the very high standards of reading. A decision has already been made to pay special attention to the achievement of boys in writing. Pupils in Key Stage 1 sequence instructions for making sandwiches or constructing a hanging star. They write known stories such as Little Red Riding Hood in their own words and create their own stories with a beginning, middle and end. They make good use of story frames to remind them how to construct a story including title, characters and setting. Pupils choose interesting adjectives to describe characters and are able to use past and present tense appropriately in their writing. They use carefully annotated diagrams to describe the life cycle of the newt and are beginning to use cursive script in their writing books. Higher achieving pupils at the end of the key stage write a two

p.39

ENGLISH

page imaginative story such as ‘The Sneaky Escape’ making correct use of speech marks and exclamation marks. In Year 2, pupils use their word processing skills well to edit errors in text provided by their teacher.

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ENGLISH

84 In Key Stage 2, younger pupils use punctuation correctly as they write personal stories. They increase their competence in story writing as they concentrate on creating an interesting introduction to ‘Message in a Bottle’. They start to consider stories specifically from the point of view of one of the characters and use dictionaries well to confirm their understanding of words such as purchase, upholstery and appeal. Pupils write perceptive book reviews of authors such as Roald Dahl, Ann Jungman and Dick King Smith. They learn to organise their writing into paragraphs, to set the scene for dialogue and to write dialogue. Older pupils in the key stage build on this work and examine the shades of meaning that can be created by the effective use of adverbs. They use poetry such as “The Listeners” by Walter de la Mare and “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes to inspire their own writing. They understand the

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ENGLISH

characteristics of different genres including poetry, adventure, instruction, fairytale and letter writing. Pupils use their writing skills very skilfully to create the front page of a newspaper based on the defeat of The Spanish Armada and to write clear factual accounts of the class visit to Burnsall on a geography field trip. By the end of the key stage, pupils are able to write a story from two different points of view and make good use of dialogue in their story writing. They write imaginatively and use interesting words to make their written work exciting. They write a well-structured narrative account of the Marie Celeste and create play scripts based on “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”. Pupils use accurate spelling and appropriate punctuation when they write autobiographies and biographies of friends. In Year 6 pupils make good use of their notes and discussions to write balanced reports on factory farming. They use

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evocative words well when they want to persuade their audience to a particular point of view.

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85 The quality of teaching is consistently good, with very good teaching in Year 2 and Years 5 and 6. This is an improvement since the last inspection. It is evident from the planning that teachers have responded successfully to the introduction of the national literacy strategy. They promote knowledge, skills and understanding successfully through clear explanation and questioning. They provide work that is well matched to the needs of pupils, taking account of the individual educational plans for pupils who have special needs. Lessons are conducted at a good pace and pupils are expected to produce a reasonable amount of work. All teachers manage pupils well; consequently behaviour is good and this creates an effective learning environment. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 40 March 2001 The quality of marking pupils’ work is weak; it is inconsistent and generally unhelpful,

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as it does not show pupils what they need to do to improve their work. This slows their rate of progress and limits opportunities for them to take responsibility for some of their own learning. Teachers have a lively approach to the work. For example, pupils in Year 2 had great fun miming the sequence of actions needed to make chocolate crispies. This meant that they were easily able to recall the facts when they started their writing. The plenary discussions at the end of lessons are used well to reinforce and share pupils’ new knowledge. The good quality relationships are a strength of the school and have a very positive impact on pupils’ willingness to learn and receptive attitude to the lessons. Lessons are challenging and enjoyable. This means that pupils, including those who are less able, make good progress in all aspects of the subject. Teachers have good subject knowledge, and use good assessment procedures. Good teaching ensures that pupils make good progress in

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86 The links made with other subjects such as science, history and geography are very effective in consolidating and developing pupils’ research and writing skills. Pupils analyse and record data they have gleaned from reference books and remember the facts so they can have informed discussions. They extend their reading skills with a wide variety of texts.

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87 Subject management is satisfactory. The subject co-ordinator has recently taken on the role and is working diligently to promote higher standards in the subject. There are good quality policy documents for reading, literacy and spelling. The co-ordinator’s role in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning is developing. Teachers’ lesson plans and pupils’ work are checked and evaluated and there have been some opportunities to observe teaching. The co-ordinator has a clear vision for the development of speaking and listening skills to support and improve standards in writing.

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88 Very detailed analysis is made of pupils’ test results so that teachers can focus their teaching on specific parts of the English curriculum and continue to improve levels of achievement. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and is building up a portfolio of work, to include factual and imaginative writing, as a reference to help teachers to assess standards of work. The governor with responsibility for English is well informed and very supportive of the teachers in their implementation of the national literacy strategy. The present system of grouping pupils across two year groups creates some problems in the continuity of pupils’ learning. Teachers carefully assess pupils’ progress each half term and move some to a different set but there are potential problems of pupils missing or repeating work as they change classes. Booster classes are used well to promote high standards at the end of Key

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89 There are sufficient resources for the subject and these are used well. The library in Key Stage 2 is used regularly. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Teachers display a wide range of fiction, non-fiction and texts to support the class topic imaginatively in the classrooms. Pupils are encouraged to access further information from the library. The co-ordinator organises a twice-yearly book fair that is well supported and encourages pupils and families to take an interest in literature. There are plans to work with the local education authority’s library service to improve the quality of books available in the school library.

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Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 41 March 2001 90 Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is well above the average; this is a significant improvement on the standards identified in the previous inspection. National Curriculum test results for 11year olds in 2000 were well above the national average for pupils reaching the expected levels (Level 4), and well above for pupils reaching the higher level (Level 5) when compared with schools nationally. Over the last three years, results at the end of Key Stage 2 have been above the national average and broadly in line with schools in a similar social context. There are no significant differences between the performances of boys and girls. Inspection evidence indicates that these standards are being maintained and pupils are making very good progress over time.

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91 Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is above average; this is an improvement on the standards identified at the previous inspection. In the national tests for seven- year-olds in 2000, the percentage of pupils reaching the expected level (Level 2) was above the national average, and well above average for the pupils achieving the higher level (Level 3). Standards are above average for schools in a similar social context. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. Inspection evidence indicates that the school is maintaining these standards and pupils are making good rates of learning and progress over time.

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92 Pupils in a Year 1 set count confidently up to 30 to check that their estimates are correct. In a Year 1 and 2 set, higher achieving pupils compose a number sentence using three numbers. By the end of the Key Stage 1, pupils confidently add two digit numbers and know that there is a ‘tens’ and ‘unit’ column. Pupils use mathematical language in their number work. This develops further when they work with money up to £1.00 and use minutes and hours in their work on time. They know some of the properties of shapes and compare shapes, including a square, hexagon, rectangle and circle. They measure in kilograms and distinguish between bigger and smaller masses using non-standard and standard measurements. They sort and classify items and data giving good reasons for their decisions.

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93 At Key Stage 2, pupils in a Year 3 set use diagrams to order and separate multiples of numbers. Higher achieving pupils in this set order and separate multiples of 6 and 9. Pupils in a Year 4 and 5 set multiply a two-digit number by a two-digit number in a number sentence. They understand how to use brackets to partition the numbers to help them arrive at the correct answer. In a Year 3, 4 and 5 set pupils use their knowledge of multiplication tables to assist them in solving problems involving dividing sums of money between four, five or six people. Pupils in a Year 5 and 6 set identify the relationship between the numbers of triangles found in a shape to the number of sides it has. They interpret and solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of decimals to two places. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils confidently use the four rules of number using thousands, hundreds, tens and units. They successfully

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convert and reduce fractions and understand their relationship to decimals and percentages. They recognise and name angles correctly. The more able pupils in Year 6 use a formula to develop and express ideas in a tile pattern. Pupils use two and three figure co-ordinates accurately and gather and interpret information from line graphs and charts. Pupils use appropriate mathematical language with confidence. In problem solving, they are developing their own strategies and explain their reasoning.

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MATHEMATICS

94 The school has successfully implemented the national numeracy strategy at both key stages. Lessons include a good balance of mental skills and opportunities to consolidate and extend understanding through direct teaching and practical activities. The learning is well reinforced in the last few minutes of the lesson. The pupils’ achievement in Year 1 and in Years 3 and 4 is not as high as at the end of both key Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 42 March 2001 stages. This is due to the complex setting arrangements found in each year group. The work is not consistently well matched to the pupils’ prior attainment and learning needs. The high standards achieved at the end of the key stage, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2, are the result of well matched and challenging work, the very good quality of the teaching, pupils’ aspirations to do well and willingness to work hard

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95 The curriculum is broad and balanced and good attention is given to mental mathematics and its application. This has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils’ mathematical knowledge and number skills are well promoted in other subjects. For example, pupils use their skills in measuring and handling data in design and technology and their understanding of symmetry in art and design and physical education. The subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ moral and social development through the wide range of paired and small group activities offered to them. However, the use of information and communication technology is currently under-used to develop pupils’ learning in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

96 Pupils throughout the school have good attitudes to their mathematical work. They enjoy their lessons. This was seen in a Year 1 and 2 set where pupils enjoyed answering questions concerned with how many more 10’s were required to make a 100. Pupils work with enthusiasm and sustain their concentration for long periods. They work well collaboratively or independently. For example, in a Year 5 and 6 set pupils were totally focused on their work with decimals and how to set them out properly. All pupils respect each other’s contribution in discussion in lessons. They behave well and respond positively to the learning opportunities offered to them. They are willing to draw upon previous learning and attempt to extend their knowledge and understanding through full involvement in the lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

97 The quality of teaching is good in both key stages. Teachers have good subject knowledge and manage the pupils well in lessons. This has a positive impact on the rate of learning. All lessons are well planned and have clear learning objectives which are linked to the national numeracy strategy materials. Teachers are clear about what they want pupils to learn and place appropriate emphasis on developing pupils’ mental skills and understanding. For example, in a Year 1 set pupils can answer successfully what combinations of two numbers make 10. Teachers use questioning techniques well to assess and develop pupils’ understanding. This was clearly demonstrated in a Year 5 and 6 set, when the teacher used a number of questions in the last few minutes of the lesson to identify what pupils knew about decimals that include 0.1, 1.0 or 1. Although the teachers guide and encourage pupils, an over-use of a directive

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MATHEMATICS

style of teaching and tight control of pupils’ learning in some sets often limits the pupils’ rates of learning. In the better lessons, teachers match activities successfully to pupils’ different abilities in order to stretch their thinking. These lessons have a definite structure, a brisk pace with an appropriate emphasis on activities matched to pupils’ abilities. In the outstanding lesson seen in Key Stage 2, the teacher very carefully matched the lesson to meet the needs of all pupils in the class. She intervened and raised questions throughout the lesson to make pupils think. Resources are used well to support learning. All teachers make good use of teaching assistants to support pupils’ learning. There is an inconsistent use of marking across both key stages. Although work is marked regularly, there is insufficient guidance given to pupils to help them improve. 98 Leadership for mathematics is very strong and has been a significant factor in raising

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MATHEMATICS

attainment in both key stages since the last inspection. The co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge and has kept up to date with developments by attending a number of courses run by the local authority. She plans to raise the standards in Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 43 March 2001 mathematics even further and has identified areas within the subject for further development. This includes raising the challenge for more able pupils, using information and communication technology to support learning and developing closer links with the local comprehensive school. There are well-established systems for recording and assessing pupils’ achievement and progress and targets are set for individual pupils in each class. They are tracked as they move through a class individually or as a cohort. The information is used to decide which set pupils should

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MATHEMATICS

work with and plans for teaching broadly match the needs of the sets. However, assessment information is not used consistently to plan activities matched to pupils needs within the sets. The monitoring role of the co-ordinator is well developed and includes classroom observations to evaluate the quality of teaching, planning and pupils’ learning. There are sufficient resources of good quality.

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SCIENCE

99 The results of the national teacher assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2000 show standards to be well below average when compared with all schools and with similar schools. However, the percentage of pupils achieving the higher level (Level 3) is above the national average. In the inspection, pupils’ attainment in science, as judged by last term’s work, is in line with national expectations for the age group.

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SCIENCE

100 The most recent science topic taught in Key Stage 1 was “Changes”. This enabled pupils to observe at first hand many changes related to ice, water, cooking and the seasons. Pupils noted that the egg changes into a chicken and the water in the kettle changes into steam. By the age of seven, pupils observe, understand and record the changes which occur when, for example, ice or chocolate are melted or jelly is left to set. They enjoy a good range of such experiences and keep a clear record of what they have done and what they noticed. As they get older, the range of recording techniques increases and pupils’ developing skills in English are used well. The challenge within science is more limited. Most of the science work is offered to the mixed Year 1 and 2 classes at the average level for Year 2 pupils. This means that Year 1 pupils are able to work at higher than average levels for their age group and

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SCIENCE

they make progress. However, higher attaining Year 2 pupils are not sufficiently challenged. This results in limited progress for some Year 2 pupils and for the key stage overall. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress as their learning needs are fulfilled by the level of work offered. The good standards found at the last inspection have not been fully maintained, but writing about science is better than it was. Work is mainly well presented and clear.

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SCIENCE

101 The 2000 national end of Key Stage 2 test results for science show pupils’ performance to be above average when compared with all schools and average when compared with similar schools. This is supported by inspection findings. Progress through the key stage is satisfactory for the average attaining pupils and for those with special educational needs. The standards of the last inspection have been maintained. Eleven year olds investigate forces and explain the functions of the main organs in the body. They plan some of their own investigations, use their literacy skills effectively to write about their work and use a limited amount of mathematics and information technology to support it. Recent work on micro-organisms, which is at a high level, provides a good level of challenge for the higher attaining pupils. Rates of progress in Years 5 and 6 are better than those seen over the key stage because the

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SCIENCE

curriculum is not consistently planned to extend pupils’ learning sufficiently. Pupils’ work is not always presented well and handwriting is often weak. This is particularly the case at lower Key Stage 2. Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 44 March 2001 102 There were no science lessons available for observation in Key Stage 1. The evidence available in the sample of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning indicates that the quality of teaching is at least satisfactory. Judgements on the quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 classes are supported by a sample of lessons. Teaching in this key stage is good overall; at times, it is in the range of very good to excellent for the top two year-groups. In an excellent lesson at Year 6, the very high expectations and the involvement of the pupils in discussing micro-organisms led to pupils using their previous knowledge well and building new learning on in a systematic way. In Year 5,

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SCIENCE

a lesson moved at a very good pace and linked the learning well to previous work. Teachers plan carefully and prepare their lessons well, showing effective subject knowledge: two lessons celebrated the work of famous scientists and gave pupils opportunities to read details of scientific discoveries. Years 3 and 4 pupils enjoyed investigating solids and liquids in a well-managed lesson where learning was supported through the effective use of key vocabulary and prediction of outcomes. Pupils respond well to interesting science, but in some lessons have to sit for lengthy periods with little to challenge them. They are always well behaved and attentive.

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SCIENCE

103 The Key Stage 1 curriculum for science is satisfactory overall and meets the statutory requirements. However, there are shortcomings in the challenge provided for some average and higher attaining pupils and the way in which time is allocated for the subject. The curriculum is based on a two-year cycle of topics. The distribution of these topics through the two years results in some half terms when no science is taught. This disadvantages the pupils because they lose continuity in their learning. The time allocation for science at this key stage is not well balanced with the time allocated to literacy, numeracy and the remaining subjects of the National Curriculum.

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SCIENCE

104 The science curriculum at Key Stage 2 is based on a national scheme and is well organised into units taught on a two year rolling programme. Pupils’ work shows most of these units to be pitched at the average for the age groups offering only limited additional challenge for higher attaining pupils. The most recent topic in upper Key Stage 2 has extended the scope of the work. All areas of science are included. The quality of opportunities for pupils to experiment and investigate is good but there is room to extend and develop this approach to the subject.

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SCIENCE

105 The school’s wildlife area is being developed well with the support of parents. The resources support the curriculum but offer little to support technology within science. The coordinator is eager to improve the provision for science and recognises that further work is needed to ensure that the curriculum is sufficiently challenging for the higher attaining pupils throughout the school. The co-ordinator checks his colleagues plans for teaching, analyses the end of key stage test results, monitors samples of pupils’ work and has had some opportunities to see his colleagues teach. This part of the role is developing satisfactorily. Science provision is similar to that described in the previous inspection report with additional developments of the new curriculum units at Key Stage 2. Standards in the end of Key Stage 2 tests and assessments have remained above average. There is sufficient improvement since the last

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ART AND DESIGN

106 Judgements are based on one lesson in each key stage, an examination of teacher’s planning, the scrutiny of pupils’ work displayed in the school and a discussion with the coordinator. During their time in school, pupils have experience of a good range of media and materials and learn about and appreciate the work of other artists. Pupils have positive attitudes to the subject. They concentrate well in lessons and Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 45 March 2001 persevere with their work in order to improve it. They make good progress and standards remain above the national expectations at the end of both key stages as they were when the school was inspected in 1996. There are no significant variations in the attainment of pupils of different gender and background and pupils with special educational needs are appropriately supported and make satisfactory progress.

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ART AND DESIGN

107 Pupils in Key Stage 1 begin to develop their observation skills. For example, they look closely at Victorian artefacts such as flat irons and make careful pencil drawings focusing on areas of light and shade. They use pastels very effectively to draw violins after a string quartet has played for them. They experiment with charcoal to create dramatic drawings of Victorian buildings. A visit to a local art gallery has inspired work of good quality. The pupils draw and write in response to the sculptures they see. Their large scale drawings indicate a good understanding of form and their writing gives clear descriptions. Some pupils express preferences and give their reasons and some explain how the sculpture made them feel or what it made them imagine. This makes a good contribution to the pupils’ cultural development. They have investigated and printed repeating patterns, collaborated on a large scale frieze using

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fabric, paper and sponge printing and made clay figures and decorated them.

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ART AND DESIGN

108 Pupils in Years 3 and 4 develop their observation skills when they look carefully at photographs and natural materials to plan detailed plant collages. They take care in selecting the colours and texture of paper, fabrics and threads that they use to create their pictures. They make rubbings of leaves and use these for paper weaving together with natural materials. They study Brueghel’s painting “Children’s Games”, focus on groups of figures within the painting, make pencil sketches and then develop these sketches into large scale paintings. They control the paint well and mix and select the colours well to reflect the style of the original. When they explore ways of creating a repeating pattern, pupils learn and use correctly terms such as “rotate”, “reflect” and “overlap” when they describe their work. They are willing to evaluate their work and make adaptations in order to improve it.

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109 Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are taught to use sketches to plan their drawings and then to develop them using different materials and techniques. For example, sketches made during a residential visit are developed into landscape paintings. They enlarge and adapt their sketches and then select from a range of techniques including colour wash, line drawing and thick paint. These landscapes are of good quality and demonstrate that the pupils have good control over line and colour and are developing an individual style. Pupils in Year 5 make well observed pastel drawings of vegetables. They take care to match the colours to make their work as realistic as possible. Years 5 and 6 pupils have drawn their friend and then used the sketch as a basis for a seated or reclining figure in clay. The drawings and sculptures show a developing understanding of human form and are made and painted with care.

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ART AND DESIGN

110 The quality of teaching is good at both key stages. This is an improvement since the last inspection when the quality of teaching was variable. Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the subject and manage the pupils and resources very well. The plans for teaching describe precisely what the pupils will know, understand and be able to do by the end of the lesson and each lesson builds successfully on the previous learning. This enables pupils to make good progress in developing the skills identified in each topic. However, the progression of skills across both key stages is not fully established and the co-ordinator recognises that this is an area for development if standards and expectations are to be raised even further. The subject co-ordinator has just taken on responsibility for the subject. She is a subject specialist and has a clear and well expressed vision for the development

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ART AND DESIGN

Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 46 March 2001 of art and design throughout the school. There are sufficient resources of satisfactory quality and range. Good use is made of information and communication technology to access the work of artists and to develop some art work. For example, pupils in Year 5 have used the computer to create colourful repeating patterns. Art and design are often linked to other subjects and to special events and this adds to pupils’ interest and motivation.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111 The judgements are based on evidence from three lessons at Key Stage 2, an examination of teachers’ planning, the scrutiny of pupils’ work and a discussion with the co-ordinator. When the school was inspected in 1996, standards were judged to be in line with national expectations for the age group. This is still the case. The standard of pupils’ work is in line with the national expectations for their age group at the end of both key stages. There are no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112 Pupils have very good attitudes to their learning and behave well in lessons. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 are absorbed by the tasks when they work with straws and card joints to make a strong frame. They concentrate, share materials and ideas and cooperate well in pairs and small groups. When they evaluate their work, they are open and honest about their problems as well as their successes.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113 Pupils at Key Stage 1 learn to investigate and evaluate products, express preferences and plan and make their own products. For example, they evaluate a variety of rice puddings and then design and make their own version. They learn to follow safe procedures for food safety and hygiene. They design and make calendars based on teddy bear shapes. They then evaluate their design and technique and say what was difficult and how they might improve it if they were to do it again.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114 In Years 3 and 4 pupils investigate books with moving parts and evaluate a range of products with lever and linkage systems. They improve their accuracy in marking, cutting and assembling components before planning and making their own product. When they evaluate their product, pupils use technical vocabulary as they make critical judgements. They make sensible decisions about what could be improved. A current project to develop their knowledge of methods of joining materials together will culminate in making a Tudor style house. They learn to use card joints to fasten straws together. As they work they improve the accuracy of the joints and most produce a strong frame.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115 Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have designed and made calendars in which they have used a wide range of joining techniques. There is evidence that pupils measure accurately and take care to be precise when they join the parts together. They make appropriate choices of materials, tools and techniques and the designs are imaginative and the products well finished. This term, pupils are investigating and making pizza. They compare the bases and the toppings, commenting on cost, appearance, smell and taste. They express preferences and link this to their knowledge and understanding of healthy eating. Some pupils design questionnaires to survey pupils’ preferences and learn to use a computer database to organise and interrogate the data. Others design the shape and topping for the pizza they will make and talk knowledgeably about the food groups and nutrition they are providing in their design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116 No design and technology lessons were on the timetable for Key Stage 1 for the period of the Inspection but the quality of teaching is likely to be at least satisfactory Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 47 March 2001 because teachers’ lesson plans have clear targets for the learning and the expectations are matched to the age group. The activities are interesting and provide suitable opportunities for pupils to make progress towards the learning targets. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 is very good. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the subject and this is reflected in their effective plans for lessons. Opportunities for pupils to evaluate their own products and those of others are particularly well planned. The management and organisation of pupils and resources is a strength of the teaching and contributes well to he pace

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

of learning. Teachers make very good use of the skills of support staff to teach groups of pupils. Due to the good quality of the teaching and pupils’ willingness to use intellectual and creative effort, the quality of learning is good and pupils make good progress in lessons.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117 The curriculum is based on national guidance, meets National Curriculum requirements and provides a satisfactory range of learning opportunities. Although the work is stimulating and interesting and generally builds on pupils’ subject knowledge and skills, the progression of skills’ development has not been fully analysed and built into the provision. The coordinator has just taken on responsibility for the subject and has already drafted a policy with advice from the local education authority. She has identified useful strategies for the immediate development of the subject. She has a realistic but ambitious vision for the development of the subject. One of the improvements she has identified is to develop planned opportunities for pupils to use the key skills of literacy, numeracy, problem solving and information and communication technology. There are sufficient resources to support the teaching of

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

the curriculum. Good use is made of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in lessons.

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GEOGRAPHY

118 The majority of pupils reach the levels expected nationally for their age at the end of each key stage. Standards found in the last inspection have been maintained. There are no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make sound progress in lessons and over time in the key subject knowledge and skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

119 By the end of Key Stage 1, standards are at the expected levels for this age. Pupils have an increasing awareness of the physical and human features of Rawdon and Leeds. They know that there is an airport near the school and that motorways and a rail network link the area with other parts of the United Kingdom. They know the cardinal points of the compass and know that the world can be represented on maps and in atlases. Pupils in a Year 1 and 2 class know that Rawdon is an urban and well- populated area and can contrast it with a rural island in Scotland which has few inhabitants.

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GEOGRAPHY

120 At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have an appropriate knowledge of their own region, other countries and contrasting areas. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have been studying the impact of building a commercial telephone mast in the local environment near the school. They have interviewed and taped local residents’ views and have produced a questionnaire for local residents to fill in on what they think about this proposal. They have listened to a local councillor’s view about this proposed development. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 have recently visited Cober Hill in Scarborough, and this has given them opportunities to develop their mapping skills using four-figure co-ordinates. Year 5 pupils identify the main part of the course of the River Wharfe at Burnsall, and plan their route on an ordnance survey map. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 study the ‘weather Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 48

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GEOGRAPHY

March 2001 around the world’ and how this affects the choice of holiday destination. This has been further developed by the study of the ‘Rainforests of the World’.

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GEOGRAPHY

121 The pupils enjoy their work in the subject and approach tasks with enthusiasm and interest. They collaborate well in groups, for example in completing a questionnaire for local resident to complete in a Year 5 and 6 class. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to their work are very good. They listen carefully and are always willing to share ideas. There are appropriate opportunities, particularly in the older classes, for pupils to follow lines of enquiry and independent research. For example, they analyse the responses of local residents from taped interviews. The subject makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ moral and social development through the opportunities it provides for pupils to take part in field trips and residential visits. Computers are currently under-used to support pupils learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

122 All the lessons observed were in Key Stage 2 and the overall quality was judged to be good and better. The teachers have good subject knowledge and use questioning well to support and develop pupils’ learning in lessons. This was seen in a Year 5 lesson when the teacher used a mixture of open and closed questions to focus pupils’ thoughts on an environmental issue near the school. However, evidence from the sample of pupils’ work indicates that some teachers tend to over-use photocopied work sheets which stifle the pupils’ opportunity to learn independently. Teachers display pupils’ work well and this helps to promote interest in the subject throughout the school. There is a large display showing the route of the ‘Convoy of Hope’ in the Key Stage 2 hall and the major continents of the world are represented on the Key Stage 2 playground. Marking of pupils’ work is variable with some work receiving just

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GEOGRAPHY

a tick, whilst the better examples have positive comments aimed to take pupils’ learning forward.

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GEOGRAPHY

123 The subject is well led and managed by an enthusiastic co-ordinator. The policy and scheme of work reflect current practice. The co-ordinator monitors planning each half term and there are formal systems of assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in the subject over the academic year. The co-ordinator is currently collecting samples of pupils’ work to produce a portfolio to assist teachers in planning for progression and continuity in the subject. Resources are adequate and are accessible to teachers and pupils.

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HISTORY

124 Pupils achieve levels in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. Standards have been maintained since the time of the last inspection. There is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls. Most pupils acquire, use and extend historical skills, knowledge and understanding at a satisfactory rate in both key stages.

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HISTORY

125 Pupils in Year 2 have a sound understanding of chronology and sequence events in their own lives from when they were born to the present day. Years 1 and 2 pupils know that there were rich and poor people in Victorian times and identify the type of furniture they could afford for their homes. They also use the local area to help them to understand how the local environment near the school has changed over the last century. They enjoy role-play activities in the well resourced areas and this helps them to understand some of the differences in dress and household equipment. They Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 49 March 2001 use photographs and prints to help them to understand how poor children might have felt in Victorian times.

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HISTORY

126 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have increased their understanding of chronology and are able to find and link information from a variety of sources. Year 6 pupils know that historical evidence can be found from sources such as written evidence in accounts, diaries and inventories and also in artefacts, coins and buildings. They know that it is important to gather evidence from a range of sources in order to interpret it and arrive at a balanced view of the events of the period. For example, when they investigate and study Roman Britain, they find that there are different versions of the same event. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 use the paintings of Pieter Breughel to identify the characteristics of rich and poor people in Tudor society and study the inventory for Clarke Hall for the same period. In this way they gained insights into what life was like in those times and develop their skills of historical

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HISTORY

127 Pupils have positive attitudes towards their work. They are keen to find out what happened in the past and willingly concentrate on the tasks they are given. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are keen to contribute to a discussion about the lives of rich and poor schoolchildren . Pupils’ behaviour and their relationships with adults and with one another are always of a high standard in lessons. The subject makes a positive contribution towards the pupils’ knowledge of their own culture and that of people in the past. The curriculum is enriched by educational visits. For example, pupils have visited a medical museum and a Victorian schoolroom. Visiting actors enact what life was like in Anglo Saxon or Roman times.

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HISTORY

128 The overall quality of teaching is good. Teachers’ have good subject knowledge and use exposition and questioning well in lessons. They use a wide range of good quality resources and artefacts to promote the pupils’ understanding. For example, pupils in Key Stage 1 handle artefacts carefully and look at them closely as they search for evidence of conditions in Victorian times. Lessons are well managed and this has a positive impact on pupils’ progress. However, in some classes there is an over- reliance on photocopied sheets which tends to stifle pupils’ ability to express themselves and reveal their understanding of the period they are studying. The marking of pupils’ work is variable; the better examples give pupils positive guidance to help them to take their learning forward.

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HISTORY

129 The leadership and management of history are good. The policy and scheme of work are reflected in current practice. The coordinator monitors teachers’ lesson plans each half term and has observed some lessons in Key Stage 2. There are manageable systems for assessment which are used to monitor pupils’ attainment and progress over the year. There are adequate resources for teaching the subject and these are enhanced by loans from the local education authority’s library and museum services.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130 Standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations for pupils at the end of both key stages. Recent evidence suggests that pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 are beginning to work at higher than average levels. Progress is satisfactory for pupils in both key stages. Training opportunities for staff ensure that the school keeps up to date. This has helped to maintain the satisfactory standards of the last inspection. Every class has access to only a small amount of appropriate equipment. Pupils have to take turns to use the computers and this Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 50 March 2001 slows down progress. However, pupils use them with confidence. Even the youngest understand how to use the mouse and the keyboard, and skills develop well as pupils move through the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131 By the age of seven, pupils use the mouse and direction keys. They select from menus confidently to design faces and add features. They create patterns. In word processing, they type text using the keyboard and add or delete letters and words, using the space bar appropriately. Some change the size and style of the printing fonts.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132 Eleven-year-old pupils design a classroom on screen using a key to indicate the different features which they have incorporated. They create repeating patterns and develop them in the style of stained glass windows. When they use the computer for word-processing skills they use the grammar and spelling checks. Pupils are beginning to use spreadsheets appropriately to sort data and explore how they can extract information. Pupils save their work confidently to hard and floppy disks.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

133 The quality of teaching is good at both key stages. Creative approaches are evident and effective links are made with subjects such as art and design, design and technology and English. Teachers make the best use they can of the limited resources. Teachers are developing their own skills well and teach the subject confidently. They demonstrate well and support and guide pupils sensitively in their individual work. Teachers in Years 3 and 4 teach the use of a problem-solving program well, promoting a high level of motivation in pupils, while also ensuring that they understand the next steps. Good provision in Year 2 includes the use of prepared texts with sections for pupils to correct. Guidance from a support assistant ensures steady progress in learning. Pupils are enthusiastic about computers and pay good attention to their work, enjoying the collaboration and mutual support provided through working with a partner.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

134 The curriculum for information and communication technology is good; it is well planned and effective. Objectives for learning are very clear and activities are selected well to support them. Arrangements are made to support all elements of the subject. For example, control activities are provided for both key stages, networking is in place, and the use of the internet is being developed. Opportunities for pupils to use their skills in all subjects are not fully developed. Some exist in English and art and design but data handling is minimal. Searching for information on CD ROM and the internet is a growing activity, but little was seen in support of history and geography. The curriculum is limited by the hardware provision, which is minimal.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135 Management of the subject is very good. Leadership by the co-ordinator ensures that the school’s developments are steady and effective. Regular training opportunities are well matched to the needs of individual staff. Useful assessment arrangements have been developed and initiated through each year group. Software purchases are made with care to ensure pupils’ skills development but insufficient funds are available to support technology applications for individual subjects. Some classroom support assistants show confidence and skill in this subject, so are able to support pupils well. Monitoring and support of the teaching provision are in place and are valued by all concerned. The subject manager has clear up-to-date subject knowledge and expertise and leads training for her colleagues.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

136 At the time of the last report, standards were satisfactory. This is still the case, but the potential for higher standards is clearly evident in the school if more equipment were to be available. Developments since the last inspection include monitoring, Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 51 March 2001 assessment, training and overall management of the subject. Improvement since the last inspection has been very good .

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MUSIC

137 Standards in music are good overall, with singing being satisfactory. Some strengths are emerging in standards of performance by the choir and the recorders. By the time they are seven, pupils sing with confidence and clap rhythms and pulse beats in two- part arrangements. They sing clearly from an increasing repertoire of songs. By the time they are 11, pupils know a good range of hymns and songs, and perform calypso rhythms using their voices, with additional percussion support from a few pupils. Music groups and clubs offer opportunities for extended performance. The choir, which is open to all pupils, performs very well and succeeds very effectively with part- singing and rounds. The recorder group showed rapid progress when challenged to use all parts of the lesson in the final performance. Progress overall is good at both key stages, including the progress of pupils with special educational needs.

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MUSIC

138 The quality of teaching is good overall and exceptional at times. Music is played at the beginning of assemblies to raise pupils’ awareness of a range of musicians and their work. Key Stage 1 teachers plan with care and make very effective provision and use of resources to support rhythm work. Key Stage 2 singing is well supported by staff, some of whom play piano or guitar to accompany the pupils’ voices. Classroom work in Key Stage 2 includes attention to notation and interpretation. Teaching by the co-ordinator is very good and sometimes excellent. These clear efforts to provide the full range of musical opportunities ensure that pupils sing, perform, appraise and compose as they move through the school. Pupils enjoy the work and try hard. They learn to appreciate a growing range of music.

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MUSIC

139 The music curriculum is good; it is based on three commercial schemes. This ensures that variety and challenge can be built into lessons at all times. The teachers’ planning for the medium term and individual lessons is effective. The co-ordinator has only recently taken on responsibility for the subject and is developing the leadership and management well. Early developments include the re-organisation of time allocations to get the most value out of music lessons; the development of a choir that is open to all and a review of resources. The co-ordinator provides guidance for colleagues as requested.

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MUSIC

140 The resources for music are adequate, but provision for understanding the music of other cultures is limited at present, as is technological support for music. There is good provision of instruments for those pupils who wish to learn to play. At present, tuition is available for violin, woodwind and recorders. Standards were good at the last inspection. This has been maintained, but now time is used more effectively and choir work and music tuition are more firmly co-ordinated. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141 The physical education lessons observed were games, gymnastics, swimming and dance activities. Discussions with the co-ordinator, teachers and pupils and a scrutiny of teachers’ planning indicate that the school provides a balanced programme of physical education which meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. Pupils learn to play games, participate in athletics and gymnastics activities and respond to music through dance. Pupils in Year 4 have swimming lessons at the local pool and all Year 6 pupils can swim at least 25 metres by the time Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 52 March 2001 they leave the school. All pupils have the opportunity to undertake adventurous activities on residential visits with the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142 Pupils of all abilities make sound progress in lessons and over time. As they move through the school, pupils develop skills and perform with increasing competence in the activities offered to them in lessons. They have a clear understanding of the effects of exercise on their bodies. Attainment at the end of both key stages is what you would expect for both age-ranges. This maintains the standards identified in the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143 Pupils in Key Stage 1 respond to music through dance. For example, a Year 1 and 2 class develop a sequence of movements based on their understanding of a ‘Victorian Factory’ gained in their history lessons. They practise their sequence and improve their performance during the lesson. The pupils develop the skills of sending and receiving balls and beanbags. They increase their accuracy when they learn to throw a beanbag into a hoop accurately and bounce and receive a ball from a partner. As pupils move into Key Stage 2, they extend the skills they have already learnt. Pupils in Year 3 and 4 move across large mats using different parts of their bodies to create symmetrical shapes. They know and understand what is meant by a “sequence” and successfully link movements together as they travel round the hall. They make creative use of the space available to create a “pathway” for the sequence. In

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

swimming, Year 4 pupils learn to use different strokes and techniques to improve their overall swimming competence. For example, they practise and improve their breaststroke technique. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 accurately pass and receive a ball using their feet, hands or hockey stick. They use these skills well in small-sided team games such as soccer or netball. Pupils in Key Stage 2 gain experience of a range of sports and many compete successfully in school and in competitive tournaments in the local area.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144 Pupils’ attitudes to physical education are very good throughout the school. They listen carefully and respond well to instructions and advice from teachers. All pupils are enthusiastic and make good use of the opportunities offered to them in lessons. For example, pupils in Year 1 and 2 concentrate and work hard to refine and improve their dance performance. Pupils throughout the school cooperate well in small groups or as part of a larger team. Pupils’ behaviour is very good whilst they are preparing for, and participating in, physical education lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145 The subject makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ moral and social development. When they play team games, they develop a sense of competitiveness and fair play. The subject makes good use of opportunities to use and develop pupils’ speaking, listening and numeracy skills. For example, they are expected to listen carefully and follow instructions in lessons and are encouraged to evaluate their own work and that of others. When Year 3 and 4 pupils are asked to think about creating symmetrical shapes in gymnastics, their knowledge and understanding of this mathematical idea are reinforced.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146 The quality of teaching in both key stages is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and are secure in their understanding of the subject. All lessons are well organised, structured and clearly planned to show progression and to provide a safe working environment. All lessons begin and end in an orderly manner and include appropriate warm-up and cool-down activities. All teachers set appropriate physical challenges, provide clear instructions and explanations and encourage pupils to develop their skills. Intervention and questioning are used effectively and pupils are encouraged to practise and improve their performance. All teachers provide good Rawdon St. Peter’s CE Primary 53 March 2001 role models for the pupils by dressing appropriately and showing enthusiasm for physical education lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147 A range of extra-curricular sporting activities is provided for girls and boys. This includes soccer, athletics, cricket, rugby league, rounders and angling. Activities are well organised by members of staff and are well attended by pupils. The school makes good use of local initiatives such as the ‘Activate Leeds’ scheme in which external coaches come into the school and work with pupils. This summer term the pupils will benefit from opportunities to be coached in dance, athletics and orienteering activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148 The co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and manages the subject well. Good use has been made of national guidance to update the scheme of work. The co-ordinator checks teachers’ planning each half term and there are formal systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress during the academic year. Resources for the subject are adequate, but the larger apparatus in the hall, including the large mats, needs replacing. There are good indoor and outdoor facilities for physical education which are used well to provide an interesting curriculum for the pupils.

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