St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School

SCHOOL

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

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SCHOOL

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

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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. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hastings Road Bexhill-on-Sea East Sussex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Norman Ingram

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 th – 12 th July 1996 St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 27681 David Marshall Registered inspector English Information Technology Art and Design Special Educational Needs How high are standards? How well are the pupils taught?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

19653 Elisabeth Dickson Lay inspector How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Pupils’ personal development and attendance. 27709 David Major Team inspector Mathematics Design and Technology Geography Physical Education How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

3674 Grace Marriott Team inspector Science History Music Foundation Stage Equal Opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well does the school care for its pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

e-Qualitas Education Consultants Ltd. Langshaw, Pastens Road, Limpsfield Chart, Oxted, Surrey. RH8 0RE

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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 Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school with 224 children on roll from the ages of 4 to 11. There are 8 full-time and 22 part-time pupils in the reception class. The children are drawn from a wider geographical area than is usual with community schools. At the beginning of this term the school moved into a new building on the same site as the old school. The children come from a range of social backgrounds with 11.7% claiming free school meals. This figure is half that of four years ago and is close to the national average. The percentage of children with special educational needs is just over 25, this is above the national average. Overall, children’s achievements when they start school are typical of those found nationally. There are very few ethnic minority children on roll and there is one child with English as an Additional Language. The inspection of this school included a detailed inspection of its provision for pupils with special

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Mary Magdelene is now an effective school. The pupils make good progress in English and mathematics and inspection findings show they are now achieving above average levels of attainment in these subjects by the time they leave the school. Pupils with special educational needs are catered for well with appropriately challenging activities. Pupils make a good start to their education in the reception class. The quality of teaching is good overall. The leadership and management provided by the head teacher and key staff is good and is giving a drive to raising standards. The school offers a broad curriculum and provides particularly well for the pupils’ personal development. The school is giving good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The quality of teaching is good overall. • Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics by the time they leave school. • The children make a good start to their education through the overall provision in the Foundation Stage. • Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good. • The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. • The teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is good. The care taken to make lessons appropriate means pupils make good progress.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The overall curriculum planning to ensure that lessons are appropriate for all pupils at all times is inconsistent. The good practice in English and mathematics, that has enabled good progress, is not carried out in other subjects. • The monitoring and assessment of pupils’ progress in the non-core subjects is unsatisfactory. • The governors’ overall role in the monitoring the school performance. 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

At the time of the last inspection in July 1996 the school was judged to have weaknesses in a number of areas. Since that time standards have risen considerably. The requirement of the last report to raise attainment in English has been addressed with particular success. Although the school has had three acting head teachers in the last four years, the professional leadership and management of the school have shown great improvement. The permanent head teacher currently in post is very clear about the direction the school is now taking, and the school’s long-term financial planning is good. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching is now effective and the majority of teaching is now at least good. Assessment of pupils’ performance is improving. This has led to the greater progress in English and mathematics as lessons now offer all pupils appropriate challenges. All subjects have policies and schemes of work that

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

fulfil the requirements of the national curriculum and the framework established after the last inspection. Involvement of parents in school life and the quality of information that they receive from school have got St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 7 better. Overall, the school’s improvement since the last inspection has been good.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The school’s results in the annual national tests in 2000 for pupils aged seven in reading and writing were well below the national average. In the same series of tests the school’s results were close to the national average in mathematics. Teachers’ assessments of the overall level of attainment in science were also well below the national average. The results above show an improvement with pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 achieving well above the national average in English. The results for mathematics and science show pupils achieving in line with the national average. When compared with pupils in similar schools the results are the same for English and mathematics, but below average in science. Pupils’ work seen during the inspection reflects an above average picture of improvement. The school has made good progress over the last four years since the time of their last inspection in 1996, and the trend has

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STANDARDS

been one of steady improvement in all subjects at Key Stage 2. The school has already exceeded its targets for results set by the local education authority in the annual national tests. This greater success results in part from the school’s positive responses to the national literacy and numeracy strategies, and also the careful use of assessment in these core subjects. Teachers match tasks more closely to pupils’ learning needs and this has improved the progress they make. In all other subjects of the primary curriculum, pupils reach expected levels of achievement for pupils of their age.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good overall. Pupils are enthusiastic, eager to learn end enjoy coming to school. They take an increasing level of responsibility for their own learning as they go through the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour is very good overall. There is no sign of bullying and pupils’ understand how their actions affect others.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils form very good relationships with their teachers, other adults and each other. This makes a very significant contribution to the school’s positive ethos.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory and in-line with the national average. Pupils arrive on time and sessions start promptly.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The quality of the relationships throughout the school has a very positive impact on pupils’ attitudes, behaviour, attendance and attainment. They particularly enjoy the successes of others. The school’s provision for moral and social development contributes particularly well to the overall personal St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 8 development of pupils. The opportunities for older pupils to look after the younger ones promote the caring attitudes that are evident throughout the school.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is good. Eleven per cent of the lessons observed were very good, 42 per cent were good and 47 per cent were satisfactory. None of the teaching observed was unsatisfactory. This is a huge improvement over the last inspection when around 20 per cent was unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1, and over 40 per cent in Key Stage 2. The overall good quality of teaching is now enabling pupils to make good progress. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum, and of the individual needs of most pupils, is good throughout the school. This enables them to teach the essential basic skills of English and mathematics effectively to most pupils and for pupils to learn well. Most teachers have high expectations of pupils, which results in the overall good behaviour and good learning. Occasionally teachers’ set inappropriate work because of the lack of suitable assessment to make sure

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

pupils are building on what they already know and understand, and they make less than maximum progress. In most lessons the class discussions are lively and challenging and lessons are consistently of a good pace. Questions are well focused and designed to bring all pupils into the discussions. Pupils learn to listen carefully and sustain their concentration for longer periods as they get older. A wide variety of teaching methods are employed to make lessons interesting, and pupils enjoy their learning. Teachers relate well to their pupils and they manage classes well. The teaching, and support, of pupils with special educational needs is good and they make good progress. Literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology are now being taught effectively across the curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of learning opportunities are good overall. The literacy and numeracy strategies are effective.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall. Pupils are well known to all staff and effectively supported throughout the school. Their progress is tracked very regularly.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory overall. Pupils are provided with relevant support and enabled to make good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development is good, and for moral development it is very good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection, ensuring pupils’ welfare, and the monitoring and promotion of attendance are good. Procedures for monitoring and assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good in English and in the Foundation Stage, satisfactory in mathematics, but unsatisfactory in other subjects.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school works well in partnership with parents. The quality of information provided by the school about the pupils’ progress is good. Parents are involved in fund-raising activities and extra-curricular St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 9 activities and this provides good support to the school in its work. The curriculum provided by the school is good. All subjects have a policy and a scheme of work and all areas of the curriculum meet statutory requirements. This is a caring school. The way that all adults look after pupils in order to meet their needs is effective.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The head teacher and senior staff provide good leadership. They have a view of the way ahead and are committed to the continuing process of school improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school and have been effective in managing aspects of the school in the difficult period of the last three years. However, they do not monitor provision sufficiently to play an effective role in shaping the direction of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is now making the best use of its development plan to prioritise improvements and evaluate the changes they have made.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Support assistants work hard and are effective in helping pupils. The school secretary and bursar administer the school effectively. The budget is used well. The grant for pupils with special educational needs and the standards fund are used effectively

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has an adequate number of teachers and support staff to meet all requirements of the primary curriculum. Resources for learning are satisfactory overall. The accommodation is now good and sufficient to deliver all requirements of the National Curriculum. The school secretary and bursar take great care to make sure that best value is obtained in all purchases and site work.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children like school and make good progress. • Children’s behaviour is good. • The teaching is good and all staff are very approachable. • The school expects children to work hard and do their best. • The school is well led and managed. • The consistency and effectiveness of homework. • The information they receive about their children’s progress. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The evidence from the inspection confirms the overall positive views of the parents. Although some parents are concerned about the amount of information they receive, this is generally adequate. The inspection team does not agree with some parents about the homework their children are given or the range of extra-curricular activities. Homework is linked with the work being covered in lessons, parents are well informed so they can help, and pupils’ progress is enhanced as a result. The quality and number of extra-curricular activities are satisfactory for this age group and make a contribution to the pupils’ overall development. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When children are first admitted to the school initial assessments show that their attainment is close to that expected for their age. Children in the reception class make good progress in their learning as a result of effective teaching. When they leave the reception class almost all children are ready to move on to the National Curriculum. By this time they achieve standards above those expected by the end of the Foundation Stage in communication, language and literacy; knowledge and understanding of the world; mathematical, creative, personal, social and emotional development. They attain standards in line with those expected in their physical development. The reception class teacher, nursery nurse and support assistants work closely together in planning and assessing pupils’ achievements. This helps to promote the good progress the children make.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the national statutory tests for pupils aged seven in 2000, the proportion of pupils attaining the levels expected in reading and writing were well below the national average, and in writing it was well below the average in comparison with national figures. The results in all these aspects were also well below expectations in comparison with pupils from similar backgrounds. For pupils aged eleven in 2000 the proportion of pupils attaining the levels expected in English were well above average nationally and in comparison with pupils from similar backgrounds. There was little difference between the results of boys and girls at both key stages. The pupils who are on the Special Needs Register make good progress in English and are testament to how carefully the school now assesses their individual needs in this subject and plans appropriately. Results of tests over the last three years show that the overall trend is upwards at the end of Key

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Stage 2 and higher than the national improvement trend.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The year 2000 national assessments in mathematics for seven year olds showed that all pupils reached the expected Level 2 of attainment, but the proportion gaining the higher Level 3 was below the national average. In the 2000 tests for pupils near the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion of 11 year olds achieving the expected Level 4 was close to the national average, and above average for those gaining the higher Level 5. Comparisons with schools in similar social circumstances indicate that these results were average for both 7 and 11 year olds. Results over the four-year period to 2000 show that the school is raising levels of attainment in line with the national trend of improvement.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In 2000 the results of teacher assessment in science for Year 2 showed that standards were well below average and also not as good as the results of similar schools. This was partly because relatively fewer pupils reached Level 2, which is the average level, but mainly because no pupils achieved the higher Level 3. At Key Stage 2 the results last year were close to the national average overall but not as good as similar schools and not as good as the national figures in terms of the number of pupils achieving Level 5 the higher level. There was little difference between the results of boys and girls and in general the pupils were not achieving at a level consistent with their performance in English and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Inspection evidence shows that pupils make good progress in their learning in both key stages. The standards they are achieving in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are steadily improving. Pupils are interested in their work and most work hard and try to please. Their ability to recall mathematical facts, for instance, has St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 11 improved markedly since the introduction of mental maths sessions in every lesson. They acquire new skills, knowledge and understanding through a good range of interesting activities and varied opportunities for investigating aspects of mathematics and science. More able pupils make good progress through work that is carefully planned to challenge and extend their knowledge and understanding. Proof that this is occurring is in the way pupils in Year 5 and 6 talk about and compare their results in investigations in such a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Inspection evidence showed that levels of attainment in information and communication technology are average in Key Stage 1 and above average in some aspects in Key Stage 2. Key Stage 1 pupils use a computer mouse competently to load and to draw using a number of functions connected with different art packages. They also use word processing programs to write simple stories and make labels for classroom displays. Key Stage 2 pupils access the Internet and store data in word processing programs and databases.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils show above average attainment in the constructing aspect of design and technology, in dance and gymnastics, and in areas of art and design. Achievements in all other subjects of the primary curriculum are satisfactory at both key stages. The school has already exceeded its targets for results set by the local education authority in the annual national tests.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils with special educational needs at both key stages are making good progress, and they achieve well in relation to their prior attainment and against the targets set for them in their individual education programmes. Of the 52 pupils on the register of concern, three pupils have statements of educational need. Work for these pupils matches targets set in individual education plans and their progress is reviewed and measured against these goals each term. Good support from classroom assistants enables pupils to complete tasks successfully. The school’s policy documents contain a statement and checklist relating to the identification of children with specific gifts or talents. The special educational needs co-ordinator has undertaken some in-service training in this area and discusses individual pupils with class teachers as the need arises.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. The children and pupils have good attitudes to school and know that they are expected to learn. Their personal development is very good. Pupils’ behaviour and the quality of relationships are very good and a significant feature of the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Their attendance is satisfactory, with no unauthorised absence.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The youngest children are becoming aware of and well settled into school routines. The children are eager to learn and encounter new experiences, and because the learning is focused so well on their overall development, the activities provided for them are always appropriate. The reception children explore, experiment and gain knowledge through a mix of play and learning activities suitable for their age and stage of development; it encourages them to be independent, as they increasingly need less support with the work they are given. The children generally behave well and have particularly good relationships with the adults around them. They enjoy being part of the school community and respond well to whole school situations such as assemblies.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The older pupils show consistently good attitudes to learning and are enthusiastic learners. They listen carefully to their teachers and respond well in question and answer sessions. They often provide thoughtful answers, for instance, in suggesting different ways of creating moving pictures in design and technology. Pupils settle to work quickly, St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 12 particularly when the activity is interesting. They work hard to ensure that their work is well presented. The oldest pupils always enjoy their challenging lessons and are provided with good opportunities to encourage their thinking and to develop independent learning skills.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The behaviour of pupils is very good. There are many instances of pupils supporting each other in class work and there is genuine pleasure when others do well. Pupils are always polite and helpful, readily volunteering assistance if it is needed. Even when not directly supervised, or out of sight of staff, pupils’ behaviour remains very good. They are sensible and show a high degree of maturity with boys and girls playing happily together at break times. There is very positive mutual respect shown to others. Pupils follow and know the school rules. Their very good behaviour makes a strong contribution to the harmony that prevails in the school. No inappropriate or aggressive behaviour or actions were seen and there have been no exclusions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The quality of relationships is very good. Pupils of all ages mix easily together. There is ready acceptance and support given to their friends who have special educational needs. The pupils have little first hand experience of meeting children from ethnic minorities. There is some mention in lessons of multicultural aspects, such as different religions or information about African musical instruments, but it is not a strong feature. Pupils relate very well to the adults in the school and staff provide positive role models that pupils can follow. Staff are quick to stem, for example, any sexist perceptions that pupils may have. Pupils are secure, knowing that they can make mistakes and these will be used positively to build on their knowledge. Pupils have a good understanding of others’ needs and appreciate views that may be different to their own.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The attention paid to pupils’ personal development is good. Staff use their good knowledge of pupils and the positive relationships to provide informal reminders about the school’s expectations of behaviour, attitudes and sense of community. This is accepted well by the pupils who do their best to improve any weaknesses. More formal aspects of personal development, for instance regular class discussions about personal development, are very evident. The older pupils undertake residential visits to broaden their social development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils show good responsibility and initiative. They relish opportunities to be responsible, not just through duties such as returning registers, but by volunteering to tidy up, or through unprompted initiative such as collecting scrap paper, changing reading books or cleaning the whiteboard for the teacher. They also enjoy participating in planned initiatives such as raising money for Comic Relief. The opportunity for an established school council is anticipated eagerly by the pupils. Independent learning is encouraged, so that the oldest pupils are well able to organise their own learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Attendance rates for the last academic year were in line with the national average for primary schools. There was no recorded unauthorised absence. Registers are filled in appropriately and registration sessions are brisk and efficient. Most pupils arrive to school on time and there is a prompt start to the school day.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection. There are many more examples of good teaching throughout the school, and the incidence of unsatisfactory teaching has been reduced to nil. The quality of teaching and the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning now are good. During the inspection 53 per cent of the lessons observed were good or better, and there were no unsatisfactory lessons St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 13 observed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Lessons for children who are under five, in the Foundation Stage of learning, are well planned and organised. The teacher and nursery nurse provide very good role models and have high expectations of children’s work and behaviour. Children are assessed carefully and the outcomes are used effectively to plan the next step in each child’s learning. The teacher and all assistants work very effectively as a team. They all have a very good knowledge of how children learn and children’s confidence and independence are promoted strongly. The teacher makes sure the classroom provides an attractive and stimulating learning environment. Children are given a good start to their schooling and gain a firm foundation on which to build their National Curriculum work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects of the curriculum and of how pupils learn effectively is good. Recent staff training has focused largely on the teaching of literacy and numeracy. This has been very beneficial and, as a result, the teaching of English and mathematics has improved. Teachers know their pupils well, and assessments using informal strategies to gauge pupils’ understanding are apparent in most lessons. These are now being used across the school and guarantee progression for all pupils at the quickest pace on a day-to-day basis in English, mathematics and aspects of science. Groups of pupils are targeted suitably for assessment, and some checklists based on the lesson plans are used.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Most teachers have appropriately high expectations of pupils, and class discussions are lively and challenging. Questions are well focused and designed to bring all pupils into the discussions. This helps all pupils to make quick progress towards the particular learning objectives. Teachers use a good range of methods and groupings that are well matched to the lesson’s purpose. The quality of whole-class teaching in the literacy and numeracy sessions is generally good. Teachers lead these discussions well and in most lessons introduce new ideas with care and clarity. For example, in a design and technology lesson , the teacher used good questions to reinforce all the basic skills, by concentrating on ideas such as – “Could you do anything better?” and “What are you pleased about?” Pupils have been taught the “rules” of discussion and listen politely to others giving their views and ideas.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers throughout the school manage their pupils very effectively. As a consequence, pupils show very positive attitudes to their lessons and maintain good levels of concentration. In a high percentage of lessons throughout the school pupils’ behaviour was good or better. Teachers create a peaceful and industrious atmosphere in many lessons and this enhances pupils’ learning so they can concentrate well on their tasks. Teachers treat their pupils with respect, value all their responses and offer lots of praise and encouragement. All teachers are careful to present good role models, and the most effective teaching ensures that other pupils are also used this way. Teachers have very good relationships with their pupils throughout the school. Instructions given to pupils are clear, and teachers listen carefully to pupils’ replies and questions, and show they value them all. This was particularly evident in the reception class where pupils follow the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

example of their teachers in how they talk and act. They make good progress in their social development as a result.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers and classroom assistants support pupils with special educational needs very well. Their individual education plans have appropriate targets and meet the needs of the pupils very effectively. The special needs co-ordinator knows the pupils very well and provides her colleagues with effective support. Teaching support is provided in a variety of ways with well-trained support assistants and in-class help targeted through the adults’ good knowledge of individual pupils’ needs. The teaching is good. Tasks are well St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 14 matched to pupils’ needs and lessons move at an appropriate pace. A good feature of this support is the close link made with the work that other pupils in the class are doing.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Marking is generally effective and teachers use the school’s own agreed marking policy and strategies. Younger pupils benefit from the way in which their teachers talk their results through with them rather than by simply writing on their books. Homework is used appropriately and effectively to support pupils’ progress throughout the school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage is fully meeting the requirements of the early learning goals. The class teacher is making good provision for learning in all the recommended areas, through purposeful play and, as appropriate, through slightly more formal activities in language, literacy and numeracy. The children have appropriate opportunities to choose their own activities. The class teacher makes as much provision for outdoor play as possible, given the lack of a separate play area for the youngest pupils. The reception classroom is a lively, colourful and stimulating environment in which pupils learn well from the time they start school until they move up into Year 1.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. At Key Stages 1 and 2 the curriculum is meeting the requirements of the new National Curriculum though there are minor issues of balance and time allocation. The school has put considerable effort into implementing the national literacy and numeracy strategies and teachers prepare thoroughly. This is helping to raise standards overall. However, these sessions often last over an hour and this is making it harder for the teachers of younger pupils to sustain a high level of work for the whole lesson. The time given to literacy and numeracy is more than the recommended allocation, which means that less time is available for other subjects such as history and geography.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The previous inspection report indicated that the arrangements for managing and monitoring the curriculum needed to be more effective so that the curriculum was better planned. A considerable amount of work has been done on this. All subjects now have co-ordinators who take responsibility for one or more subjects. They have a clear view of the action needed and curriculum planning is becoming more rigorous, but there is more to be done to establish consistency of approach across the school and in all subjects. The planning of each subject using the national guidelines is an improvement but class teachers are planning each unit of work individually, with teachers of parallel classes working together. This ensures that the content meets the basic National Curriculum requirements but does not necessarily ensure that work in one class builds progressively on what has gone before. This was particularly evident in history but also to some extent

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

in science. However the senior managers and co-ordinators are aware of the need to continue to develop subject schemes of work which outline what pupils should be able to know, understand and do by the end of each year.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The school uses the resources of the local area to extend and enrich the curriculum for example through studying Bexhill in geography. The links with the local community, particularly the church, make a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning. The range of extra-curricular activities is adequate though not extensive. The links with local secondary schools are good and aid the smooth transfer to secondary education. The school’s provision for personal, social and health education promotes an understanding of healthy living and includes sex education as appropriate and attention to the prevention of drug misuse.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school is committed to ensuring that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 15 However the planning of work does not always include enough extension work for higher achieving pupils. The individual education plans provide teachers with good information on which to plan the provision for pupils with special educational needs. The work planned for these pupils is well matched to their needs. This enables them to participate fully in lessons. The few pupils who have English as an additional language are also well provided for through equally careful planning for their particular needs.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. Provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Spiritual development and a good sense of community are promoted strongly through assemblies and religious education lessons. Religious education lessons help to provide pupils with a good knowledge and understanding of other faiths as well as a deeper understanding of their own. In some lessons, such as “Circle Time”, pupils are encouraged to reflect on important issues and relationships.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. Pupils’ moral development is very good. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and they respond positively. Teachers provide good role models for pupils, reinforcing the values set by the school. Pupils are reminded about being caring towards one another and in lessons they are expected to share materials and take turns. Older pupils are encouraged to look after younger ones and do so willingly through, for example, helping the smallest children with their trays at lunch time and helping out at wet playtimes. Pupils develop a clear understanding of right and wrong. Social development is also well provided for. From the reception class onwards pupils learn to work and play together well. Circle time sessions give them the opportunity to discuss matters that are important to them and pupils take this seriously and participate sensibly. Pupils are expected to take responsibility within the classroom and undertake a range of duties. A school council is

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

planned to extend the opportunities for pupils to exercise responsibility in the school.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. They learn to appreciate their own cultural traditions and values through English, art, music and to a lesser extent history. Music also introduces them to a range of cultures and traditions and the school has a good range of multi-cultural instruments. The pupils learn about how people live and work in other countries, but less about the role of contribution other ethnic groups make to this society.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The monitoring of pupils’ academic progress has improved since the previous inspection and the systems are satisfactory, with areas of good practice, for example in the target setting in English. Improving the quality of assessment and the use made of it is currently a high priority and the co-ordinator has made good use of the advice and support available from the local education authority.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The reception class teacher is using the information gained from assessing what children know, understand and can do when they start school to plan a good match of work to the needs of the children. The records are passed on to the next teacher but they do not include a written record of the extent to which children have achieved the early learning goals. The recently revised teaching and learning policy, which includes expectations for assessment, is providing the basis for development. The assessment sheet introduced for recording progress at the end of Key Stage 1 and then each year through Key Stage 2 is a good development in principle. However, it does not yet include space to record the attainment at the end of the reception class or progress they have made in Year 1 and in practice this limits its usefulness. The information from the analysis of Key Stage 1 tests is beginning to be used much more rigorously and the effect of this can already be seen

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

in lessons. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 16 34. Target setting both for individuals and year groups is a high priority. The staff are beginning to track the progress of pupils from reception onwards and to set targets based on the information gained from each stage. This has been refined in relation to English to the point where the individual pupils know their short term targets and keep track of progress themselves. This is having a beneficial impact on standards. In mathematics the staff have made a start by devising a tracking sheet so that they can see easily what different pupils have achieved. This is being developed to set individual targets. In science, progress is not yet being assessed as systematically and this is making it more difficult for the co-ordinator and class teachers to improve the planning and the match of work to pupils’ needs. In other subjects the quality of assessment is similarly variable.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Pupils’ work is regularly marked with encouraging comments, which in English gives pupils guidance on how to improve their work.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Pupils with special educational needs are identified quickly throughout the school, and given good support. Their individual education plans are generally well matched to their needs. Provision outlined in statements is implemented by the school and by any other outside agencies involved. Annual reviews are carried out in line with the local authority’s guidelines. The few pupils who have English as their second language are well supported. Teachers know their pupils well and although the support for pupils who are very able is less systematic they make good progress in all subjects and achieve high enough standards.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are good overall. All staff are caring and know pupils well. The school’s positive ethos encourages good behaviour and there are effective procedures in place for monitoring and rewarding this. Following the previous inspection report there is a good mix of rewards and sanctions which teachers are applying consistently. Pupils know the rules and speak positively about the system of house-points and the granting of ‘Golden Time’. They are also given good opportunities to share their feelings and concerns in activities such as ‘Circle Time’. This makes a positive contribution to their learning and their attitudes towards each other. There are effective measures in place to address any bullying incidents which might occur, with the school involving parents when necessary.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school monitors attendance carefully and encourages pupils to attend regularly and punctually. Most parents inform the school office if their child is going to be absent. When this does not happen the school secretary contacts the parents, initially by telephone, to obtain an explanation. The school asks parents not to take their children away on holiday in term time and especially during the week of the national tests.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school has proper procedures in place for child protection in line with those of the local authority. The headteacher is the designated child protection officer and she ensures that staff are well briefed on relevant issues. Health and safety is underpinned by comprehensive policies and routine checks by the site manager and a member of the governing body. There are regular checks of equipment and frequent fire drills. Lunchtime routines are well established and midday supervisors ensure that the lunchtime break is an orderly and pleasant social occasion. There is one certificated first-aider and other members of staff have been trained in administering basic first aid. Pupils are made aware of health and safety issues by handling equipment safely in physical education lessons, and through visits by the local policeman and a fire officer. They learn about aspects of citizenship through the Education in Personal Relationships programme.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. Since the last inspection the school’s partnership with parents has improved. Most parents have positive views about the education their children receive. Following the appointment of a permanent head teacher, they now feel better informed and more comfortable about approaching the school with any concerns. The school regularly seeks their views on a wide range of relevant matters, and, through newsletters, appeals for parental help. Several parents help in the infant classes, and staff value and use their support well. Good examples of effective support were seen during the inspection. For example, two parents offered valuable help in a Year 1 science class, one with cooking and the other helping pupils carry out an investigation into testing the water resistance of different materials. At home most parents of younger pupils support their children’s education through listening to reading. Parental consultation meetings and workshops on

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

curriculum matters are generally well attended. A small but active parent and teacher association organises a variety of social and fundraising events. The money raised makes a useful contribution towards buying resources and subsidising the leasing of computer equipment. While there has been a significant improvement in the relationship between school and home, there are still several parents who feel that the school could work more closely with them.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The range and quality of information provided for parents are satisfactory. The prospectus, though not as attractively presented as some primary schools, provides adequate and appropriate information. When their child joins the school, parents receive a useful pack, which contains guidance on areas such as homework, uniform and the administration of medicines. Teachers inform parents at the beginning of each year of the work the pupils are to study, and newsletters sent out by the headteacher each half-term keep them up to date with the school’s activities.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. More than one fifth of parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire said they are not kept well informed about how their children are getting on. Although the termly parental consultation meetings provide them with a valuable opportunity to discuss their children’s progress, several consider the annual academic reports are too impersonal and do not give them a clear picture of their child’s work. Inspectors agree that although reports do not appear to be specific and have generic statements adapted for each pupil, they do give a clear picture. However, they do not highlight areas for improvement. The provision for extra-curricular activities was also a cause for concern to half the parents who completed the questionnaire. Inspection findings show that this provision is satisfactory for primary schools of this size.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The school works hard to ensure that the parents of pupils with special educational needs are able to support their children’s learning. Good recording procedures are in place to ensure that parents are involved in reviews of their children’s progress.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The leadership and management have been successful in leading the school through a difficult period of transition since the last inspection. Following a series of acting heads, the new headteacher has worked closely with the governing body to help the school to effect a smooth transfer to its new buildings, and to develop a strong team ethos among staff. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school, shared by all members of its community. This is well expressed in the school’s mission statement, and is being fulfilled. The head teacher has begun to put in place systems to monitor and evaluate the work of the school. She also demonstrates a strong commitment to creating and St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 18 maintaining a caring ethos within the school, helping pupils to establish very good relationships with each other and all adults.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The school’s commitment to and capacity for further improvement are good. The headteacher and staff are aware of priority areas for future development, and they have begun to address most of them. Systems are developing for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning, and the standards of pupils’ work. This includes a whole school monitoring policy, with an agreed format for feeding back to teachers on all lesson observations. Subject co-ordinators are now beginning to develop a good understanding of key strengths and weaknesses. They have had opportunities to look at pupils’ work and teachers’ planning. Some co-ordinators have also observed lessons, but this aspect of monitoring is still developing in many subjects. The professional development of teachers is supported by annual appraisal interviews. The school has recently introduced a new system, drawing on nationally agreed guidelines, in which teachers are set targets closely

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

linked to improving pupils’ performance. The school is also keen to ensure good training opportunities are provided for all members of staff, and is developing this aspect further as it seeks Investors in People status. The school has sound procedures in place for the induction of new staff, and works closely with the University of Brighton to provide effective support for students on initial teacher training placements.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs has improved since the last inspection. The special educational needs co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and diligent. She has created very effective systems for tracking the progress of pupils on the school’s special needs register. The individual education plans are detailed and sensible. The targets set for individual pupils are appropriate and take them forward in realistic steps that they all understand. The reviews of statements are handled well and the relationships with parents are good.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The governing body provides good support for the school and is eager to help it improve further. It has been successful in leading the school forward during a three-year period under different acting head teachers. It has also played an active role in helping to stabilise the school’s financial position, and overseeing its smooth transition to brand new purpose-built buildings. The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities. They have a strong committee structure in place, which deal effectively with issues relating to curriculum, finance, buildings, staffing, admissions and public relations. Governors bring a wide variety of expertise to their role, and have established good relationships with the school management and staff. Some governors have been able to visit lessons, hold discussions with teachers and co-ordinators, and gain some overview of standards in subjects. Strategies are in place for sharing this information with the full governing body,

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

but their ability to ask relevant questions to check how well the school’s plans for improvement are progressing is still developing. For example, they have not yet linked individual governors to literacy and numeracy in order to gain a close overview of standards in these key areas, and the governing body plays a passive role in the school’s procedures for setting targets for national assessments. They also rely heavily on information provided by the headteacher when taking part in the process of school development planning, and reviewing the progress made towards targets.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The school improvement plan is a detailed document linked to a series of realistic and relevant strategic intents drawn up by staff and governors. It provides a sound basis for managing school improvement, and includes eight whole school targets for the current year, some of which focus specifically on raising standards. The main emphasis has been on updating schemes of work and beginning to implement monitoring programmes in order to improve teaching and learning. The action plans contain some links to finance, including the provision of new resources. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 19 48. The school has a committed and hard working teaching staff whose experience and expertise is suitably matched to the demands of the curriculum. They are well complemented by a strong team of skilled support staff, who are valued members of the school community. Educational priorities are appropriately supported through the school’s

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

financial planning. The school has had to manage an agreed budget deficit for the last three years, which has arisen through long-term staff absences and high supply cover costs. It has managed this situation well in consultation with the local authority. The school’s financial management systems are good and they always manage to secure best value in all purchases and site work. The use of new technology within the management of the school has developed well, and now includes some analysis of information about pupils’ performance to help inform target setting as agreed by the local authority.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school has enough staff to teach the curriculum effectively. All teaching staff are suitably qualified and, contrary to the situation at the last inspection, their knowledge and expertise are matched as effectively as possible to the subject for which they have a co- ordinating role. In-service training is now linked to the school development plan and the school chooses appropriate training courses for staff and school needs. Teaching assistants are well deployed and make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning in classrooms. There are appropriate arrangements for the appraisal of all staff.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The accommodation is good. The school has recently moved to a new building that provides a bright and attractive learning environment. Although some classrooms are rather small for the number of pupils in the class, central areas are used effectively when possible for practical activities. The library is well situated in the centre of the main corridor and the hall is a good size for the school’s needs. There are two playgrounds and a large playing field, and the school hopes to develop a nature area in the near future. There is currently, however, a lack of adequate outside play area for younger children.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The fact that, currently, one class has to be accommodated in a mobile classroom on the playground away from the attractive new building is of concern to some parents. There is no water supply to this mobile classroom and this has some impact on the pupils’ access to art and design lessons. Their teacher also takes opportunities when they visit the main school for information and communication technology lessons to allow the pupils to use the toilets. Taken over the term, this must waste some time when compared to other pupils. However, these pupils still receive a good quality education.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The range and quality of learning resources have improved since the last inspection and are now adequate to support the needs of the curriculum. Resources for information technology have improved significantly and are now good, as are those for music. The library has an adequate range of non-fiction texts, but the range of fiction is currently limited, and the school has made this a priority in their development plan.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. At the last inspection, the leadership and management of the school were judged to be ineffective in a number of areas. These referred specifically to leadership of the curriculum, staff development, planning the future needs of the school, communicating with parents, and meeting the needs of higher attaining pupils. There has been considerable improvement since that time. The school has made good progress in addressing the key issues that were raised, and the leadership and management are enabling the school to continue to improve in all areas. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 20

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

54. In order to raise standards of pupils’ attainment and extend the school’s improvements, the governors, head teacher and staff should jointly:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve progress in pupils’ learning by:-

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) providing better guidance for teachers which enables them to plan work that builds well on pupils’ previous skills and knowledge. b) ensuring that planning for all aspects of the curriculum identifies clear criteria against which pupils’ attainment in all subjects can be assessed. (Paragraphs: 19, 25, 26, 105, 115)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the school’s monitoring of pupils’ attainment and academic progress by:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) building on the good arrangements in English so that assessment of pupils’ learning is effective in all subjects. b) ensuring that assessment information is systematically recorded and used in the planning for the next stage of each pupil’s learning. (Paragraphs: 33, 34, 35, 44, 68, 77, 82, 85, 90, 100)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Build on the governors’ current knowledge of the school to ensure they monitor the school’s overall performance more effectively and help to shape the direction for future improvement. (Paragraph: 46) St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.21

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.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 224

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 27

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 52

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 12

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 22

p.21

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 16 22 38

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 11 9 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 20 22

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 82 (69) 76 (77) 100 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85(83) 90 (87)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 11 15 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 19

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 87 (69) 97 (90) 79 (87) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.22

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 13 22 35

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 11 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 16 19

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (80) 77 (78) 86 (80) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 12 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 21 21

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 91 (80) 94 (82) 94 (80) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

p.23

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.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.3 Financial year 1999/2000

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 428240

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 1842

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 168 Balance brought forward from previous year -23350

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -16255 St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 24

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 41 53 4 0 2

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 47 2 1 6

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 40 24 5 2

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33 43 17 5 2

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 27 4 1 2

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 39 2 0 4

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 38 45 12 2 3

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 55 40 2 0 3

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 53 38 3 0 6

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 12 29 31 19 9 St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. The children join the school in the September of the school year in which they are five. Most attend part-time to start with and then are introduced to full time attendance over a period of time. This helps them to cope intellectually, socially and physically with the demands of a full day. They start school with broadly average skills and knowledge. The work in the reception class is very well planned using the nationally recommended early learning goals. The class teacher and the classroom assistant work in a close partnership to ensure that the children receive a very secure foundation for their future education. The children currently in the reception class are on track to achieve above average standards overall.

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

56. The children acquire above average social skills and develop self-confidence, independence and maturity because of effective teaching. They know the classroom routines, follow instructions accurately and organise themselves. For example, at the start of a session children were very quick to find the table with the right symbol on it and start working. They changed groups with a minimum of fuss and clearly understood that they would all get a chance to do the various activities. They are given many opportunities to work together regularly in small groups. During the inspection the groups playing in the ‘hospital’ and the ‘flower shop’ were learning to take turns and share equipment and toys amicably. When given a free choice of activity the children are helped to make suitable choices about what they want to do. They were using equipment such as a laptop, headphones and tape recorder sensibly.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

57. Children’s speaking and listening skills are good. They talk confidently with adults and with each other about what they are doing and to express their own ideas. The children were very forthcoming about what they had done in the half-term holiday. They enjoy both story and picture books and re-tell favourite stories. The class teacher is successfully using a modified form of the National Literacy Strategy; the children clearly enjoyed reading together the story of ‘The Cheeky Fish’ using a Big Book. They were particularly interested in finding rhyming words. The children are learning letter sounds systematically, most have learnt to read at least a few words and the highest attainers are reading simple sentences quite fluently. Standards overall are better than expectations for their age. Children have similarly good writing skills. Almost all read and write their own names and a few are writing simple sentences of their own. Through good

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

teaching the class teacher skilfully uses all the activities to extend the children’s vocabulary and understanding of language. For example, through the lively question and answer sessions and giving children the chance to tell the rest of the class what they have been doing,

p.25

Mathematical development

58. The children are making good progress in learning about number and other elements of mathematics. Overall they are likely to reach standards that are above those expected of five-year-olds. Almost all count to ten and most of the class count to twenty and beyond. The class teacher is using a modified version of the national numeracy strategy. She makes good links between different activities to extend children’s understanding of number. During the inspection the children were learning to find the number in between two other numbers. For example finding the numbers in between 5 and 7 or 12 and 14. Most children count on or back from a given starting point using a number line, though not St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 26 always very confidently. They know the basic shapes such as a square, rectangle and this is reinforced by the use of these shapes as the names for the groups in which they work. The classroom assistant was asking the children appropriate questions about

p.25

Mathematical development

weighing and measuring while making pancakes. This activity on Shrove Tuesday produced not only very good pancakes but a bar chart of the favourite fillings.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

59. The children receive a good foundation for their future work in subjects such as science, history and geography because of the good teaching they receive. Through stories, role- play and a range of practical activities they are learning about the world in which they live. During the inspection they were testing various objects to find out whether they would float or sink. Children were putting forward sensible ideas related to the shape and weight of an object to predict what would happen and to explain the outcome. They also made their own boats to test their ideas and had drawn sensible conclusions from the failures as well as the successes. They had discovered that the lop-sided and the top-heavy structures were the least successful. The information and communication technology (ICT) work was developing good computer skills, for example in moving objects about the screen. The classroom assistant was using the ICT work well to develop children’s

p.26

Physical development

60. The opportunities for outdoor play are limited, though the teacher takes every opportunity to allow children outside to play with the large wheeled toys. However, the children have physical education (PE) lessons in the hall. Here they were active and well co-ordinated during lessons and were making good progress. They used a range of apparatus when learning how to travel in a variety of ways. The children understood the need to change into PE kit and to behave sensibly and safely on the apparatus. They were willing to demonstrate to each other when asked. The children generally handle small equipment well. They hold and use pencils properly and use scissors and glue sticks properly and safely. When using computers they manipulate the mouse and direction keys confidently and accurately.

p.26

Creative development

61. The teacher’s skill and enthusiasm in this aspect ensures the children make good progress. Much of the creative work arose out of the reading of the book ‘The Cheeky Fish’. During the inspection the children demonstrated good colour sense when colouring the fish. They showed considerable imagination and ingenuity when making models and a picture using different types of fabric and materials. Singing games are a regular feature of classroom activities and the children sing tunefully with a good sense of rhythm. They learn new songs quickly. The children achieve standards that are above those expected for their age.

p.26

ENGLISH

62. In the national statutory tests for pupils aged seven in 2000, results in reading and writing were well below the national average. They were also well below average when compared with pupils from similar backgrounds. For pupils aged eleven in 2000 the proportion of pupils attaining the levels expected in English were well above average nationally and in comparison with pupils from similar backgrounds. Those pupils who are on the Special Needs Register make good progress in English and are testament to how carefully the school now assesses their individual needs in this subject and plans appropriately. Results of tests over the last three years show that the overall trend is upwards at the end of Key Stage 2 and beyond the national improvement trend. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 27 63. At Key Stage 1 most pupils listen attentively to their teacher and to the opinions of each other and their achievements are in line with expectations for their age. Almost all pupils

p.26

ENGLISH

speak confidently to adults and enjoy expressing their views in front of an audience. This was evident in a Year 2 Literacy Hour when all the pupils took part in the reading of a Big Book about “The Coyote Girl” with real enthusiasm. This was followed by very interesting and lively discussions in their groups that extended the ideas of the story. By the end of Key Stage 2 most pupils contribute to debate and discussion and they are achieving standards above expectations for their age. They benefit from the increased opportunities presented to them to extend their range of vocabulary, particularly during the literacy hour. The level of response in a Year 4/5 class that the teacher created when considering “The Listeners” by Walter de la Mare was impressive. The poems pupils then created after their group discussions showed the benefits of their earlier deliberations. The lesson in Year 6 about the construction of a detective story and the use of words like “deduction”,

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ENGLISH

“alibi” and “motive” showed how well pupils respond in kind to the example of their teachers when speaking and listening. Pupils experience speaking to larger audiences, when participating in assemblies and school productions. In the Year 4, 5 and 6 classes, pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities through class or group discussion in many subjects and the developing role of drama. This enables pupils to extend their skills and gain in confidence.

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ENGLISH

64. At the end of Key Stage 1 all pupils have acquired basic reading skills and are in line with expectations for their age. The more able pupils read independently and are fluent and expressive when reading aloud. There is an emphasis on the development of phonic skills, and so less able readers work hard to improve strategies for working out and reading unfamiliar words. The majority of pupils have a good recall and understanding of stories they have read and some recognise the difference between fiction and non-fiction. Overall, the standard of reading is average. By the end of Key Stage 2 many pupils are fluent readers and the overall standard is good and above national expectations. Most pupils talk with understanding about themes and characters in stories. They become more confident about expressing their own preferences and opinions. The range of reading material for more able pupils is good and the better readers develop their more

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ENGLISH

advanced skills effectively. This is an improvement on the position noted at the time of the last inspection. Throughout the school pupils are encouraged to use wordbooks, dictionaries and thesauri. Pupils’ reading skills are developed effectively through the sharing of whole class texts and through group and individual reading opportunities. The more able pupils in Year 6 made good progress in accurately skimming and scanning the text of a non-fiction book. Most children show an enthusiasm for books and there is evident enjoyment of reading, particularly in group reading sessions. A key factor that enhances the school’s ability to raise standards in reading further, especially the more advanced reading skills, is access to the new, good school library.

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ENGLISH

65. Progress in writing is good at both key stages, although the overall standards achieved are lower than in the other aspects of English and are in line with achievements expected for pupils of their age at the end of both key stages. At Key Stage 1, pupils gain skills in spelling and simple punctuation, which are closely linked to their reading. Handwriting skills develop well and many pupils are developing a good, personal style by the end of Key Stage 1. When handwriting is good at Key Stage 2, work is often written and put on display to the greater motivation and delight of all concerned. At Key Stage 2, pupils write for different purposes and for different audiences. There are examples of writing poetry, autobiographical writing, newspaper articles and dialogue for interviews. Children are familiar with drafting and editing processes. The work is often good, the content is thoughtful, interesting and uses appropriate vocabulary. This was true of a Year 4/5

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lesson based on learning the technique of writing acrostics, after considering Ted Hughes’ poem “The Snail”. Writing in subjects other than English is developing and there St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 28 are examples of good writing following research in history and geography.

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ENGLISH

66. Throughout the school good attention is paid to spelling development through regular testing and assessment. Pupils are introduced to a variety of strategies which encourage them to be accurate in their spelling of words. Provision for the teaching of spelling has improved since the last report. Displays in most classrooms reflect a range of written language to stimulate interest and provide examples of useful words. Reading standards are closely monitored and record keeping is efficient and effectively used to ensure progress. This means, in particular, that pupils with special educational needs make good progress in reading and writing as most support focuses on the development of language skills. The setting of shorter, clearer targets, that are readily achievable, has a positive effect on progress.

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ENGLISH

67. Teaching is satisfactory overall, but with some good features. The teaching observed during the inspection was never less than satisfactory, and in 50 per cent of lessons it was at least good. Where teaching is best the aims of the lesson are made clear to the pupils; the pace is brisk; tasks are challenging but well suited to the needs and ability of the pupils and the teachers’ expectations are high. The Year 4/5 lessons based on different forms of poems were good examples of lessons that contained all of these elements. The teachers also circulated well to make sure that pupils were always working and making progress. Teachers are very thoughtful about their lessons and try to develop new and interesting ways to present them. The way that the Year 6 teacher used humour to motivate the pupils in a comprehension lesson was particularly effective. Teachers’ planning contains all the recommendations in the national framework. The

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ENGLISH

headteacher and the English co-ordinator have managed the implementation well and this is having a positive effect on both teaching and learning. Work during the literacy hour is organised well. There is a good balance of whole class, group and individual work. Effective structures and procedures have been established which allow teachers to focus on individual groups whilst being sensitive to the needs of all pupils. Plenary sessions are generally well used to re-cap and share work and check pupils’ understanding. The way that the Year 2 teacher elicited very good responses from her pupils when asking them to mime their antonyms was a good example of the care being taken. The use of information and communication technology to write poems and illustrated texts is adding a new, and exciting dimension to the pupils’ work.

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ENGLISH

68. Effective assessment procedures are in place for all aspects of the subject and are fully used to assist future planning and target setting. Every pupil has an individual target card of their own and they work hard to make progress. This means that arrangements for all classes are accurate and pupils are provided with appropriate challenges throughout. National and many other test results are analysed well and they are also used effectively to identify strengths and weaknesses throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

69. The new English co-ordinator is well qualified and brings a wealth of enthusiasm to the post. She is working very well by the side of the deputy-head, who was the co-ordinator until recently. They are now taking responsibility for different aspects and, together with the very good documentation they have produced, this creates a firm foundation on which to support future teaching and learning.

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MATHEMATICS

70. In the year 2000 national assessments for seven-year-olds the school’s results were below the national average. However, all pupils reached the expected Level 2 of attainment, but the proportion gaining the higher Level 3 was below the national average. In the 2000 tests for pupils near the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion of 11 year olds St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 29 achieving the expected Level 4 was close to the national average, and above average for those gaining the higher Level 5. Comparisons with schools in similar social circumstances indicate that results were average for both seven and 11 year olds. Results over the four year period to 2000 show that the school is raising levels of attainment in line with the national trend of improvement and is already achieving the targets set for pupils’ level of attainment for this year.

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MATHEMATICS

71. Inspection evidence shows that attainment in the current Year 2 is close to national expectations. Most pupils work confidently with numbers to 100, for example when counting in 2s, 5s, or 10s, ordering numbers, and calculating basic addition and subtractions. Most pupils are beginning to understand the value of digits in larger numbers, though this is insecure for the lower attainers. Pupils carry out a range of calculations with numbers and money, such as finding different ways of making different sums then calculating the change from 50 pence. They estimate whether lengths are more or less than 1 metre and weights more or less than 500 grams, checking their measurements correctly. Higher attaining pupils describe a range of two-dimensional shapes, and identify lines of symmetry. Pupils of all abilities have successfully completed block graphs and pictograms, sometimes using the computer, and know how to extract

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MATHEMATICS

information from their charts. Across the key stage, pupils’ work shows sound achievement, with a good amount of work covered in number. However, higher attaining pupils often complete the same work as other pupils, and this restricts their progress. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support from teacher assistants and make good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

72. By Year 6, most pupils calculate confidently with numbers up to 10,000 and have good mental calculation skills. They have good experience of problem solving skills in relation to number. Their knowledge and use of fractions, decimals and percentages is good. They identify and sort two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes correctly, and calculate the area and perimeters of regular shapes correctly. Most pupils draw and use bar and line graphs accurately, and become confident in interpreting data. Overall, attainment in the current Year 6 is above national expectations. Pupils of all abilities make good progress during Key Stage 2, with more challenging teaching towards the end of the key stage using and extending their existing skills.

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MATHEMATICS

73. Throughout the school, pupils’ numeracy skills are good. Good emphasis is placed on developing mental calculation skills in mathematics lessons. Pupils develop and use numeracy skills effectively in other subjects. For example, in science pupils take accurate measurements during investigations and tabulate and present their data in appropriate formats. In design and technology pupils measure materials accurately when making models, and in geography older pupils plot line graphs to help compare and interpret weather statistics. The school is continuing to develop its planned links between numeracy and subjects across the whole curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

74. The quality of teaching is sound overall. Teaching was satisfactory in six out of the seven lessons seen, and very good in one. A scrutiny of pupils’ completed work shows that the quality of teaching is better in Key Stage 2 than Key Stage 1. There is a good structure to lessons, and teachers share learning objectives with pupils so that they know exactly what they are trying to achieve. In the best lessons, much emphasis is placed on explaining different methods of calculation, with a high level of pupil involvement through questioning. For example, in a Key Stage 2 lesson pupils were asked to attempt progressively more difficult calculations using fractions, with a good range of questions testing pupils’ understanding of equivalent fractions, improper fractions and mixed numbers, and ordering a series correctly. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 30 75. Teachers make good use of teacher assistants, briefing them well on their planning, and

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MATHEMATICS

enabling them to support lower attainers effectively. Teachers do not always keep up a good pace during a lengthy lesson, or provide suitably challenging activities for higher achievers. For example, in one lesson in Key Stage 1, lower attainers made very good progress identifying patterns made in given number squares and predicting the next numbers in a sequence. However, the higher attainers spent a long time drawing the number squares out themselves, and did not have time to go on to tackle larger number squares.

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MATHEMATICS

76. Most teachers explain new concepts and tasks clearly, make good use of mathematical terms, and ensure that basic skills are consolidated well. Pupils’ attitudes to mathematics are very good. They respond by listening carefully, and applying themselves well to their tasks. They enjoy mental mathematics, make good contributions in question and answer sessions, and generally take pride in the presentation of their work.

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MATHEMATICS

77. The school has most recently adopted a published scheme of work, which follows the National Numeracy Strategy closely. The co-ordinator has recently taken charge of the subject, and is gaining a good overview of the subject throughout the whole school. Teachers have received feedback on their planning, the quality of pupils’ work in books, and some lesson observations have taken place. Assessment procedures are still developing, with increasing use made of the analysis of tests to identify areas to improve further within teaching. Teachers are beginning to use assessment to identify specific targets for individual pupils. A subject action plan identifies appropriate future priorities, including further development and extended use of assessment procedures.

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MATHEMATICS

78. At the last inspection, pupils were achieving standards in line with national expectations at the age of seven, and although most pupils achieved average standards at 11, there was underachievement among higher attainers. There was no scheme of work or assessment policy, and no monitoring of standards by the co-ordinator. The school has made good progress in addressing these issues, and raising standards at Key Stage 2.

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SCIENCE

79. In 2000 the results of teacher assessment for Year 2 showed that standards were well below average and also not as good as the results of similar schools. This was partly because relatively fewer pupils reached Level 2, which is the average level, but mainly because no pupils achieved the higher Level 3. At Key Stage 2 the results last year were close to the national average overall but not as good as similar schools and not as good as the national figures in terms of the number of pupils achieving Level 5 the higher level. In general the pupils were not achieving at a level consistent with their performance in English and mathematics.

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SCIENCE

80. The Key Stage 1 results based on teachers’ assessments are not as good as at the time of the last inspection. However, the most recent evidence from the standards seen during the inspection show that both standards and pupils’ achievement are improving in Key Stage 1 and have been maintained at Key Stage 2. The work in Year 2 shows that more pupils are likely to achieve Level 3 in this year’s assessment. In the lesson on materials and their properties the pupils were making good predictions about which materials would stretch most and could explain their reasoning clearly. Their response to the teacher’s questions showed that each group had understood the need for a fair test and knew that they must not change any aspect of the test, except the material used. They carried out the tests sensibly, though a few groups were finding the accurate recording of the distances difficult when the distances they were measuring were longer than the metre

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SCIENCE

stick. The work in their books showed detailed recording of experiments in terms of what St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 31 they had done and why.

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SCIENCE

81. In Key Stage 2 the pupils’ work was consistent with the Year 6 test results and showed that standards are average overall and that pupils are achieving at a satisfactory level. The pupils have sound knowledge and in oral work show good understanding, but this is not always evident in their written work and other recording. In Year 6 the work on the water cycle showed pupils acquiring a reasonable understanding and learning the appropriate technical vocabulary such as condensation and evaporation. In oral work, the higher achieving pupils were showing good knowledge and understanding. However, their written reports of the experiments did not emphasise the need to establish a hypothesis, which was then tested and the outcomes compared with the predictions. This was limiting their progress. Similarly in Years 3, 4 and 5 the pupils demonstrated good practical skills in terms of planning and carrying out the investigations and a good

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SCIENCE

understanding of the importance of accurate recording. However, they were not analysing clearly enough why the results did not always match their predictions.

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SCIENCE

82. The teaching was satisfactory overall and the lessons are planned to cover the requirements of the National Curriculum. They are systematically introducing investigative and experimental skills into the teaching and this give pupils experience of a good range of practical work. Teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge. In all classes good question and answer sessions with the whole group established the level of understanding and allowed the teachers to introduce appropriate scientific vocabulary. In both key stages the teachers were making good links with mathematics by encouraging the pupils to measure and calculate accurately. In one of the Year 4/5 experiments on pulse rates the teacher showed the pupils how to make use of information and communication technology (ICT) to find the most effective way of presenting and comparing results.

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SCIENCE

83. The main weaknesses of the teaching in both key stages are a lack of challenge for the highest achievers and insufficient emphasis on comparing outcomes with predictions. Expectations of what the most able pupils can achieve are not always high enough. In some activities there is little extension work to make sure that those who have the ability are given the opportunity to achieve at their level. In contrast the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The worksheets are prepared at a suitable level and classroom assistants are well briefed to provide good support.

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SCIENCE

84. The co-ordinator is planning the science curriculum carefully using the new national guidelines and she is making good use of training provided by the local education authority to improve work in science. She monitors books and planning regularly and is working with staff to ensure that the essential topics are covered across the key stages and that in particular that pupils in the mixed age classes are not disadvantaged. The co- ordinator provides advice for colleagues but as yet there is no whole school scheme of work which identifies what pupils should know and be able to do in each year group and gives advice on appropriate teaching methods.

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SCIENCE

85. The co-ordinator is keen to improve the quality of assessment. She is working on introducing assessment at the end of each major topic to make it easier to track progress and set targets. Pupils’ work is regularly marked. The marking is encouraging and shows the pupils what they have got right and wrong but does not always give them guidance on how to improve their work.

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SCIENCE

86. The school has a satisfactory range of science equipment for practical work and this is well used. Opportunities to use information and communication technology are not yet fully exploited mainly because they are not planned systematically. Where information St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 32 and communication technology is being used it is having a positive impact on standards.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in art. They achieve standards appropriate for their age in painting, printing, collage and observational drawing, and above expected levels in art appreciation. This is an improvement on the position at the time of the last inspection. Pupils are introduced to an appropriate range of materials, including clay, pencils, weaving, paints and pastels. There is a systematic progression of drawing skills throughout the school, as pupils become increasingly good at observing closely and turning their observations into pictures. Evidence of progress is more limited in other aspects of art such as three-dimensional modelling work.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. Overall the art in Key Stage 1 is average and work is effectively linked to topics. In Years 1 and 2 the pupils experiment with a wide range of materials and have produced some colourful pictures of butterflies and made sound progress in observational drawing. Satisfactory progress is made in using pastels and coloured pencils when sketching still life, and there was some evidence of three-dimensional artwork.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. Pupils in a Year 3 class have produced some effective history pictures using gummed paper. Their intricate Islamic patterns are particularly good. Year 4 pupils extend their knowledge of famous artists by studying the work of Mondrian and have produced some colourful computer generated pictures using the software package “Dazzle”. The first sketches made by Year 6 pupils based on examples provided showed they are beginning to understand perspective and scale. By the time they are eleven most pupils produce work to a satisfactory standard in drawing, painting and collage.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. Teaching is satisfactory overall. The present art scheme provides breadth and balance and there is a satisfactory range of materials. There is insufficient recording of pupils’ work and no assessment. The co-ordinator has no chance to monitor progress and standards, other than informally.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. At the last inspection, pupils were attaining average standards at the age of seven, but there was evidence of unsatisfactory teaching, underachievement and lack of progress in Key Stage 2. Evidence gathered during this inspection indicates that pupils achieve standards in line with those expected for their ages, and that some significant improvements have been made in the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. In Year 2, pupils learn to design and make their own moving vehicles. They take care when drawing sketches, showing different views of their design. Pupils also use an art program on the computer to produce a labelled diagram. They are taught how moving parts work, and how to incorporate them into their models. For example, they construct axles using plastic straws, plasticine and wooden wheels prior to making their chassis and body. They evaluate their completed models by answering a series of questions. In a recent project pupils looked closely at moving parts in string puppets, before designing their own. They draw labelled diagrams using a computer program to identify different features. Pupils measure and cut out templates for their designs, then learn and practise basic stitches before sewing together their material. They are given good opportunities to evaluate their own work. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

sound progress. St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 33 93. In Year 3, pupils examine packaging for different types of confectionery, then make their own containers using 3-dimensional shapes from mathematical nets. Finished products are of sound quality, and some have word processed titles of the pupils’ choice. In Years 4 and 5, pupils design and make money containers. They learn and practise three different stitches prior to making their containers, using a good range of materials. Year 6 pupils use knowledge gained in geography lessons when designing shelters for different climatic conditions. Their completed models contain interesting internal features, but a very limited range of techniques and skills are used in joining together materials in their construction. When designing and making slippers, a few pupils produced good quality products, and made good use of homework to complete their work. Overall, pupils of all

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

abilities make satisfactory progress during Key Stage 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. The quality of teaching was good in both lessons. Teachers’ planning made what they wanted pupils to achieve very clear, and these objectives were shared with pupils. There was a good range of methods and a whole class discussion to encourage pupils to share ideas. In a Key Stage 2 lesson, the teacher showed a very good range of examples of different moving pictures in books, then used questioning skilfully to enable pupils to think about mechanisms and how they might design and construct similar ones. In another lesson in Key Stage 1, pupils were made to think clearly about the making skills they used and the quality of their finished work. Pupils enjoy design and technology, discuss their own ideas freely, and focus well on their different tasks.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. Since the last inspection the school has introduced a better curriculum, based on nationally agreed guidelines. Good links are made to other subjects, such as art, mathematics, science, ICT and geography, which enhance pupils’ progress. The co- ordinator is enthusiastic and provides helpful support through planning and advice, and is now monitoring standards through evaluating completed work. Staff have received in- service training, and are now more confident when teaching skills within both the design and making process, particularly in Key Stage 2.

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GEOGRAPHY

96. As at the last inspection, pupils of all abilities make sound progress in geography. They achieve standards that are close to those expected for their ages.

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GEOGRAPHY

97. In Key Stage 1, pupils study the immediate locality of the school, and begin to learn about places in other countries. Year 1 pupils are encouraged to share their knowledge about the different places they visit on holidays through taking their toy Barnaby Bear with them to record his different experiences. In one lesson seen, pupils looked at postcards from Venice, and learned that canals can fulfil a similar function to roads. They also learn about different modes of transport taken to visit far way places, and some basic things about the culture. For example, they were told about the Mardi Gras celebrations in Venice, and why they took place. In Year 2, pupils write about features of their own homes and different buildings in Bexhill. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make sound progress during the key stage.

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GEOGRAPHY

98. In Key Stage 2, Year 3 pupils are taught map skills. They begin by interpreting then drawing their own plans of their living room, classroom, and school buildings. They show a sound understanding of local street plans and learn to read and draw symbols to represent different places. They conduct class surveys of where parents work, and discuss why people travel to and from Bexhill. They consider the range of facilities the town offers, design their own brochures to attract potential visitors and study land use in more detail. In a separate topic, pupils learn about life in India. Year 6 pupils study weather in the United Kingdom and climates around the world. They compare and St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 34 contrast rainfall and temperature data for places in mountain and lowland regions, making good use of drawing and interpreting charts. Although there are limited opportunities for them to develop their independent study skills, pupils of all abilities make satisfactory

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GEOGRAPHY

99. In the four lessons seen, the quality of teaching ranged from satisfactory to good. Lessons began by referring to previous work and reinforcing skills already learned. Teachers used open-ended questions successfully, for example, to lead discussion about residents of Bexhill and motives for wanting to live there. In the best lessons, teachers made good use of maps and visual resources to pose questions and link different themes together. Pupils are keen to learn about geography. They confidently ask questions about different places, maps and photographs, and show respect for different ways of life.

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GEOGRAPHY

100. A newly adopted scheme of work takes good account of national guidelines and supports teachers’ planning well. Some good use is made of visits to local places to support learning in geography. Assessment remains a weakness, as record keeping is still to be developed. There is a sound range of resources that provide good starting points for learning.

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HISTORY

101. History was not being taught in all classes during the inspection but the lessons observed and the displays and scrutiny of work provided enough evidence to make a judgement about standards.

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HISTORY

102. In Key Stage 1 it was clear from the lesson observed, the work in books and that on display that the standard of work is in line with expectations for children of this age and the pupils are achieving at a satisfactory level. The pupils have learnt about the lives of famous people. The lesson in Year 2 on the life of Florence Nightingale showed that the pupils knew a lot about her life and were able to put pictures of the main events into the correct order. They knew about her nursing work in the Crimean War but only the highest attainers really understood why she is an important and famous person.

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HISTORY

103. In Key Stage 2 the work on display and in pupils’ books is below average and shows relatively little development of historical knowledge and skills from Year 3 to Year 6 and little improvement since the last inspection. Discussion with pupils showed that they had enjoyed the various topics such as learning about British history since the Second World War through studying the life and times of John Lennon, but they were not able to talk about them in any depth. In the lesson seen in Year 6, pupils were using resources to find out basic information about World War II. This was the first lesson in the series and they were acquiring a satisfactory level of knowledge about which countries were involved in the war and why. The opportunities for extended writing were limited, though some pupils had made a good attempt at portraying the impact of evacuation through the eyes of evacuees. In general however, the written work is quite superficial and not always

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HISTORY

accurate. For example some completed work on World War II was not systematically organised in chronological order.

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HISTORY

104. In the lessons seen during the inspection the teaching was satisfactory overall. In Key Stage 1 the teacher’s pertinent questioning was helping to draw out the pupils’ knowledge and helping them to understand why the order of the pictures was important. The response of the pupils who said that the picture sources should be organised ‘age-wise’ showed that they had clearly understood the importance of the sequence. In one Key Stage 2 lesson the teacher had prepared a good range of artefacts and other resources St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 35 to show pupils what they could learn from first and second hand sources. In another lesson the teacher had given the pupils a good range of questions to research but the session was too long, and the range of resources rather limited, which made it more difficult for her to maintain the pupils’ interest.

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HISTORY

105. Teachers have planned together to ensure that the recommended content of the National Curriculum is covered in each key stage, using the new national guidelines. This has not, however, ensured that the work is progressively developing pupils’ knowledge and skills. Pupils’ knowledge and skills in history are not being systematically recorded. The co-ordinator has only recently taken over responsibility for history. She is aware that the guidelines need to be adapted to meet the specific needs of the school. The subject is reasonably well resourced though more books for Key Stage 2 work would be desirable and there is scope to extend the use of Information and Communication Technology.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

106. The provision of Information and Communication Technology now meets the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. This is an improvement on the position at the last inspection. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ achievements are what can be expected for pupils of their age. By the end of Key Stage 2, the attainment of the majority of the pupils is above national expectations in the areas of word-processing, data handling and the use of illustrations. There is also evidence of good work in the use of the Internet. Scrutiny of pupils' work used in displays showed evidence of information technology being used in different subjects. Opportunities for pupils to use a range of information and communication technology equipment and software to perform different functions have now been established throughout the school and their progress has increased as a result.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils know and name different parts of the equipment. They use the mouse with confidence to load. Pupils use various functions to draw with different art packages, and some add text to their drawings. By Year 2 the more able pupils write parts of simple stories on a basic word-processor and use text to make labels for classroom displays. In Key Stage 2, working in pairs, pupils access the Internet and begin to store data in a word-processor or database from the evidence collected. Pupils are occasionally using different programs to support their work in the literacy hour.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. Overall progress and achievement throughout the school are now good. A number of examples were seen of pupils using computers in different lessons as well as the direct teaching in the computer suite. The co-ordinator has made a considerable impact in the short time the school has had its computer suite. All other examples seen showed that teachers have sufficient knowledge to get pupils underway, and the understanding to make information and communication technology meaningful. The school has begun to use national guidelines to offer sufficient guidance to those staff who are not skilled in the use of computers in the classroom. The examples of information technology being used to enhance work in other subjects shows the care that is being taken over planning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. Pupils' attitudes and behaviour in the examples seen of information technology in use were good. The way in which pairs came together for their lessons and worked very co- operatively on the drawing tasks that they had been given, was generally impressive. As a result no time was wasted, all pupils had several turns at drawing, and they made good progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. The co-ordinator is very keen and enthusiastic and has a very good idea of where the school needs to focus in the immediate future. There are now sufficient, good quality St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 36 computers in the school, each with a printer and adequate software, to meet the needs of the National Curriculum.

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MUSIC

111. Standards in music are average overall in Key Stage 1 and pupils are making satisfactory progress. In Key Stage 2 standards are also broadly consistent with expectations and the pupils are also making satisfactory progress overall, but above average progress in music appreciation. Pupils sing confidently and tunefully. In a Year 2 lesson they sang well together to illustrate a marching rhythm. They listened carefully and with enjoyment to the Radetsky march and to songs by Alison Krauss and described the differences in the rhythm and tempo between the march and the waltz. 112. Pupils in Key Stage 2 enjoyed the work on musical patterns derived from the ‘Carnival of the Animals’ by Saint Saens. In Years 4 and 5 they identified the range of instruments used to produce the different effects and listened intently to the differences. In Year 6 they used instruments to create their own sounds. However, an opportunity was missed to

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MUSIC

extend pupils’ knowledge of musical terminology. Attitudes to music are good. Pupils participate well in music lessons and learn to take turns and use the range of instruments carefully and sensibly. 113. The teaching observed was never less than satisfactory and one lesson was very good. Most teachers are not specialists but prepare lessons well. They use the newly produced national guidelines to help them plan suitable activities, select resources and match the work to the range of ability and experience in the class. The teachers are enthusiastic about music and this encourages pupils to participate in a similar manner. In the very good lesson the teacher used her greater knowledge to extend the pupils’ ability to identify key elements of the music and describe them in detail.

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MUSIC

114. Music is used to create a good atmosphere in assemblies and the pupils listen and respond well. Instrumental lessons, recorder groups and the opportunity to take part in local festivals all help to extend the musical experiences of pupils.

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MUSIC

115. Music is currently co-ordinated by two teachers who work well together to advise other teachers. The planning for music is being revised to make sure that in each year group the pupils are taught the appropriate musical knowledge and the range of skills and that previous gaps are covered properly. Resources for music are good and the school has a good range of instruments from a variety of countries and ethnic traditions. Staff are taking full advantage of the temporary music room to do a wider range of practical work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

116. At the last inspection, pupils were attaining average standards at the age of seven, and above average standards at 11. Evidence gathered during this inspection indicates that pupils’ attainment is above average at the age of seven. Although little teaching was seen in Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in Year 3 in the lesson observed was above average in dance and gymnastics.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. In dance, Year 1 pupils learn to respond to music imaginatively, and convey their ideas and feelings through their actions. For example, in one lesson pupils simulated their reactions well to stepping on hot sand and entering a cold sea. They went on to move in time to music when enacting different swimming strokes, and worked in small groups to create rippling wave effects together. In gymnastics, Year 2 pupils learn to develop the actions of turning and rolling. In a lesson seen, pupils showed good control when St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary - 37 stopping, starting and turning during their warm up session. Most pupils showed good control and agility when rolling over in a variety of ways on mats. They learn to perform forward rolls, using the correct technique, and are able to pick up points quickly and apply them accurately. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. Only one physical education lesson was seen in Key Stage 2, with another lesson involving Year 4 and 5 pupils simply performing a series of physical activities then recording their pulse rates for their current science investigation. Year 3 pupils make good progress during dance lessons when learning to express their feelings and create a sequence of movements in response to music.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. The quality of teaching was good in two of the three lessons observed. The structure of lessons was sound, with a warm-up, followed by a focus on skills or group activities, then a cool down session at the end of the lesson. Where teaching was good, effective use was made of demonstrations to teach techniques, illustrate good points and stimulate improvement. For example, during one lesson pupils were taught to adopt the correct position, in stages, prior to completing a forward roll. Good use was made of focused demonstration. Pupils were given good support and encouragement, and quickly gained confidence and control as they developed the technique. In a dance lesson, pupils were encouraged to evaluate their own performances, and to consider points for improvement. Pupils enjoy physical education lessons, work well co-operatively, behave sensibly, and try hard to improve their performances. For example, in one lesson seen,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils sustained great concentration throughout, and developed their skills as a result.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. The school provides a sound range of activities within its curriculum. Appropriate arrangements are in place for swimming. A satisfactory range of sporting extra-curricular sporting clubs is offered, and the school enters teams in local competitions. The co- ordinator has not yet had opportunities to observe lessons, and give teachers feedback on their practice, which is limiting the support she is able to give.

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