St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School

ST GABRIEL’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Barbara Doughty

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ST GABRIEL’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th – 20 th March 2001

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ST GABRIEL’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST GABRIEL’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Well Lane Alsager Stoke-on-Trent Postcode: ST7 2PG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Kevin Fox

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 nd December 1996 St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 4

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Team members

Mrs Barbara Doughty Registered inspector

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Team members

Schoolhaus Ltd Suite 17 BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Walesby Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a Catholic school for boys and girls aged four to eleven. It is average sized, with 207 pupils on roll. Most of the pupils come from advantaged homes, and less than one per cent are known to be eligible for free school meals. This is below the national average. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the reception class at the age of four is above that found nationally. Most of the pupils are from white English speaking families and less than one per cent have English as an additional language. This is low in comparison with most other schools. There is a broadly average number of pupils with special educational needs, 17 per cent, but only four per cent of the pupils are on the higher support stages and less than one per cent have a statement of special need.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. Standards are very high because of very effective teaching that leads to very good learning, particularly in the juniors. Throughout the school, there is a climate of high expectation and pupils want to learn because the work they do is extremely demanding. The school is very well led and managed. The head teacher, governors and staff work together very effectively to raise standards further. This school gives very good value for money because it achieves high standards whilst spending no more than most other schools do to educate each pupil.

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What the school does well

• Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the pupils leave the school because teaching is very effective. • All of the pupils have very good opportunities to learn and do well because the curriculum is interesting and relevant. • This is a very caring school where pupils’ achievements are celebrated. As a result, the pupils want to do well, take a pride in what they do, have very good attitudes to work, get on extremely well together, and behave excellently. • The school is very well led and managed because senior managers work hard to maintain very high standards, get more pupils to the higher levels, and improve teaching and learning.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are too low because some of the work is not taught in sufficient depth. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good improvement since it was last inspected in December 1996. Although several newly qualified teachers have been appointed since then, very effective teaching has been maintained. Standards in English, mathematics and science have risen at a greater rate over time than in most other schools and pupils achieve very well in all three subjects. All of the key issues have been dealt with. Assessment is better than it was and the school’s development planning has improved. Lessons are observed and evaluated to identify what does and does not work well, and pupils’ learning is monitored as they move through the school. However, weaknesses in the teaching and learning of ICT remain. Some parts of the ICT curriculum are not taught effectively because of weak teaching expertise and pupils’ skills in this subject are insufficiently developed to support work in other subjects. The school has identified this as an area for development and has started to

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

address it. It is well placed to bring about further improvement. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 7

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Children in the reception class do well and most exceed the early learning goals by the end of their first year in school. Most pupils in Year 2 reach the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics, and more than in most other schools reach the higher levels.

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Key

Pupils of all abilities achieve very well in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the school. St Gabriel’s Primary School does much better in the national tests for eleven year olds than most other schools, including those with a similar percentage of pupils taking free school meals. Its performance is in the top five per cent of schools nationally in all three subjects. Standards have risen at a greater rate than in most other schools over the last four years and very high standards have been maintained over time. Targets are realistic, based on pupils’ Year 5 assessments, but these are usually exceeded because many pupils do better than expected. The school is on course to meet them again this year. The work seen during the inspection reflects the test results. Many pupils in Year 6 use interesting and exciting vocabulary in their stories and read with very good expression and understanding. They speak confidently and talk in role, for example, when

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Key

reading play-scripts. They work competently with three- and four-digit numbers to solve mathematical problems and their scientific knowledge and understanding are very good.

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Key

Standards in some aspects of ICT are not high enough and pupils do not attain the expected levels for their age. Whilst pupils have good word-processing skills and edit text confidently, for example by moving words, phrases and sentences around, their other ICT skills are under-developed. Pupils have difficulty entering and presenting information on computers without adult support. Their skills in using technology to control objects are weak and limited mainly to programming the floor robot. The school has too few computers. Although it has other ICT equipment, such as tape recorders and headphones, a sensor, and two programmable robot toys, limited use is made of these. Pupils have too little experience of sending and receiving email, using CD-ROMs, and preparing multimedia presentations. They have little knowledge of the use of technology outside school. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school These are very good. Pupils of all ages are keen to learn and want to do well. They work extremely hard, are proud of their achievements, and take great care to present their work neatly.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and around the school is excellent. Pupils are courteous and polite and always pay attention in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships are excellent. Pupils work together very well. They offer their views sensibly and listen carefully to the thoughts and feelings of classmates. Their personal development is good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Pupils like school and are eager to attend.

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

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

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

Teaching and learning are very good overall. Of the 15 lessons seen, 80 per cent were good or better and 27 per cent were very good. No unsatisfactory lessons were seen. The teaching in Year 6 is exceptionally good because teacher subject knowledge is very secure and so explanations are clear and answers to pupils’ questions are explicit. Whilst the lessons seen in the Foundation Stage and infant classes were mainly good, there were some very good aspects of teaching for pupils of all ages. Throughout the school, teaching makes very high demands on pupils. Pupils of all ages are expected to work hard. They find the work enjoyable and challenging and because of this, achieve very well during lessons and over time. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make the same rapid progress as their classmates because teachers and classroom assistants support them very effectively in lessons and withdrawal sessions.

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

Relationships between teachers and pupils are excellent. Pupils participate fully in all of the activities because they are interested in their work and want to please their teachers. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated very well through high quality displays and teachers’ positive comments. The teaching of English and mathematics and, in particular, the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, is very good and pupils apply the skills they have learnt well to, for example, story writing and solving problems in science and mathematics. Learning resources are well prepared and used effectively, and lessons move at a brisk and lively pace, holding pupils’ interest. Pupils understand what they are doing and why, because teachers share this with them. Well-focused and targeted questions challenge different attaining pupils well. Homework supports learning effectively, particularly in Years 2 and 6.

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

Teaching and learning in ICT are unsatisfactory because teachers are insecure about teaching data-handling and control technology. Consequently, these aspects of the ICT curriculum, in particular, are not taught in sufficient depth. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a very good range of opportunities, including residential visits in Years 4, 5, and 6, to meet the needs and aptitudes of all its pupils. There are highly effective strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy, particularly in the juniors, but the curriculum for ICT is too narrow. The curriculum for children in the reception class is exciting and challenging.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. These pupils make very good progress and most of them achieve at least the expected levels in English, mathematics and science by the age of eleven. This is because teachers take good care to make sure that the work is suitable and support assistants ensure that the pupils can do it.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Class teachers and support assistants meet their needs well so that these pupils are able to follow what is going on in lessons and so achieve as well as their classmates.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development The provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. Pupils are given time to think about how what they do affects others. They have many opportunities to work together and there are high expectations about how they should behave. Special moments of quiet reflection give pupils time to think and talk about their own beliefs and those of others, and the opportunity to wonder at the natural world in which they live.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils This is a very caring school. Staff know pupils well and put them first. The school enjoys very good relationships with parents, who are very pleased with the standards their children achieve and the progress they make.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff Very good. The head teacher in particular has very good knowledge and understanding of what works well in school and how to deal with any weaknesses. Senior managers work hard to maintain high standards and bring about further improvements to teaching and learning.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body provides very good support for the school and fulfils its duties very well. Governors work very effectively with the head teacher and staff to influence change and bring about improvements. They are committed to the future success of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There are good procedures in place to see what works well in the school and what is less effective. Improvements are brought about through well-focused school development planning. However, the ICT action plan is not precise enough about which aspects of this subject need improving, and therefore it has not been as effective as it could have been in raising standards and improving learning.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Finances are managed well and the governors check that they are getting the best value through effective tendering procedures. Developments are supported through effective financial planning. For example, some of the contingency money has been allocated for enhancing ICT resources next year. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are good, except for the unsatisfactory range and quantity of ICT equipment. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The high standards their children achieve, the progress that they make, and the way the school encourages them to become mature and responsible. • Pupils’ behaviour in and out of school. • The quality of teaching and the way pupils are expected to work hard and do their best. • A very few of the parents of children with special needs feel that they are not told enough about how their children are doing. • It is difficult to have open discussions at parent/teacher meetings because appointments are very short and discussions are not held in private.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team shares the views of the parents. The school accepts that parents of children in the early stage of support for special needs could be better informed about how their children are doing. Governors and staff acknowledge that appointments at parent/teacher evenings are too short and that these meetings should be held in private. They intend to address both issues without delay. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 11

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

pupils leave the school because teaching is very effective.

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

1. Pupils do very well at St Gabriel’s Primary. Last year, the majority of pupils, between 69 and 76 per cent, attained the higher levels in English, mathematics and science. No pupils attained below the expected levels in English and science, and very few attained below the expected level in mathematics. This shows how successfully the school meets the needs of all of its pupils, especially the less able and those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. These pupils do so well because of the effective support they get from classroom assistants and because the teaching has good regard to their individual learning needs.

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

2. Teachers challenge pupils of all levels of attainment because they match the level of questioning and tasks accurately to individual pupils. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson using the game ‘chase the answer’, the teacher made sure that the less able pupils were given questions that they could answer and the more able were challenged to a higher level. Classroom assistants make sure that the less able pupils understand what the teacher has asked them to do and, if necessary, take time to explain it again or in a simpler way. This gives pupils the confidence to have a go and means that they do the work confidently and accurately. For example, in a Year 5 English lesson, two pupils, who were known to the teacher to be struggling with spelling, were given help with this skill in particular so that they achieved as well as their classmates. In a Year 3 literacy lesson, the teacher made sure that a pupil with

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

English as an additional language could see the book the class were reading together and checked that she understood what she was to do in the activity session. Consequently, this pupil got on well with punctuating text because she was confident enough to have a go. In a Year 3 withdrawal group session, the teacher gave the pupils well-planned exercises to help them with their spelling, and in a mathematics session she helped a pupil to move from telling the time in measurements of half and quarter hours to 10 minutes.

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

3. Children do well in the reception class because their work is challenging and teaching builds well on their achievements over time. Consequently, attainment is better than that normally found in the reception year. Children’s literacy and numeracy skills are well developed. Their use of, for example, exciting words in their writing, such as ‘creepy’ and ‘shivering’, add effect to their descriptions of how they would feel if they were in a wild wood. Spelling is usually accurate and letters are correctly formed and positioned on the page. The majority of the children work confidently adding and subtracting numbers up to 20 and the more able children can count in twos. Children’s scientific knowledge and understanding is particularly good. Most of the children understand that when different materials are used to make parachutes some work better than others. They found this out when they tested ones that had been made from different

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

materials to see which worked the best. They knew, from other scientific testing that, to make the tests fair and accurate, they needed to keep the strings the same length and drop the parachutes from the same height. They know that gravity “stops us floating off into space” and that when a brick is put into water, bubbles come up “because there is air in it”.

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

4. By the end of the infants, pupils’ attainment is above expected levels in English, mathematics and science. As in the juniors, many more pupils attain the higher level in all three subjects than in most other schools nationally and very few attain below the expected level. Pupils in Year 2 write well-sequenced stories using full stops and capital letters. They describe characters and settings well. Sentence construction is good and words are chosen carefully for effect in sentences like, for example, “Owl got so tired with Baby Bear on his back, he fell down, down, down. They landed with a BUMP!” and “As blue as the ocean with the sun shining on it”. Pupils use information books to find things out about, for example, Australia. They have favourite fiction St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 12 authors, such as Roald Dahl, and preferred styles, such as adventure stories. Mathematics is well developed, and all pupils are currently working at the expected level and some of them at

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

the higher level. They add and subtract two-digit numbers accurately and solve mathematical problems correctly. They use decimal notation in money sums and put amounts of money in order up to £5. Their science work shows above average standards. Most pupils can explain, for example, why some materials are more suited for particular purposes, such as those that conduct or insulate electricity. They understand that a bulb will not light up if the electrical circuit is broken and demonstrate accurately with a torch and globe how the motion of the earth in relation to the position of the sun forms shadows.

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

5. Teaching is so effective because a climate of high expectation is evident throughout the school and teachers make high demands on pupils to work hard and learn more. As a result, by the time they reach Year 6, most pupils are achieving beyond the levels expected for pupils of their age in English, mathematics and science. For example, pupils in Year 6 use very interesting and exciting vocabulary in their stories and read with very good expression and understanding. They speak confidently about what they are doing and talk in role using different accents, for example, when reading their play-scripts of ‘The War of the Worlds’. They talk excitedly about how they know from reading books that they need to make the beginnings of their stories exciting to make the reader want to read on. More importantly, they put this into practice. For example, sentences such as “She did not know what was in store for her…” create suspense

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

well. All of the pupils use paragraphs well to order their writing and their choice of unusual words and expressions add interest and effect − for example, “I saw a faint shadow of a man on the wall” and “The river water was lapping against the dull concrete road”. They write reports about, for example, butterflies, adding illustrations and diagrams, and persuasive arguments for and against, for example, vivisection. Mathematics work already shows many examples of work from the higher level. Pupils work confidently with three- and four-digit numbers to solve mathematical problems and add fractions and convert them to percentages. They solve problems in their heads using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and explain clearly and confidently how they have carried out the calculations. For example, when asked which two consecutive numbers could make up 156, they replied “12x13 because 13x13 is 169

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

and then if you take away 1x13, it leaves 156”. Their scientific knowledge and understanding are equally as good. Pupils measure force in Newtons and use scientific terms such as “magnetic field” correctly. They say, for example, “the large marble rolled faster because it has a larger mass”. They understand how to keep healthy and know about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs misuse. They understand how certain substances mixed together produce particular reactions and describe the changes that occur, for example, when sugar is added to lemonade.

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

6. Teaching is particularly good in Year 6, where teacher subject knowledge is very secure and explanations are extremely clear and explicit. For example, in a science lesson, the teacher explained precisely what the term ‘ph scale 0-14’ means when testing solutions to measure the strength of acid or alkaline in them and described clearly how to test which were acid, alkaline or neutral solutions. The pupils applied very good intellectual effort to their experiments and learnt a lot in the lesson because they understood how and what they were doing and why.

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

7. The teaching of literacy and numeracy are very good and pupils apply the skills they have learnt in English and mathematics lessons well, for example, when writing about historical events and recording scientific experiments. Learning resources are used well, such as the shared text ‘The Wolf and the Kids’ in a Year 1 literacy lesson, to promote good sentence construction, and the ‘hot air balloon’ role-play area in the reception class, to stimulate children’s imagination and develop their communication skills. Lessons generally move at a brisk pace, holding pupils’ attention well. There is a good balance of teacher explanation and time for pupils to do their activities, brought about mainly through the very effective implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 13 8. Homework supports pupils’ learning well. Year 6 pupils say that it challenges them and that they

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Pupils’ work reaches a high standard in English, mathematics and science by the time the

sometimes find it hard to do. They believe, though, that it helps with their work in school and understand why it is given.

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All of the pupils have very good opportunities to learn and do well because the curriculum

9. The curriculum is exciting and challenging. Lessons are interesting and the work that the pupils are given is inspirational and makes them want to learn. For example, in a literacy lesson, the use of an actual recording of a 1938 New York radio broadcast of ‘The War of the Worlds’ generated a lot of interest and excitement. It inspired the pupils to write their own versions of the extract, exaggerating key features of science fiction genre and incorporating very good humour. Pupils worked together very well in pairs. They discussed the plot and negotiated roles sensibly and maturely, and their relationships with one another were excellent. They read, with great confidence, their play-scripts to classmates, using different accents and unusual voices. This showed that they understood the importance of language and voice intonation in radio broadcasting because it is unable to rely on visual imagery to capture the listeners’ interest and

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All of the pupils have very good opportunities to learn and do well because the curriculum

10. The reception classroom is full of a wide range of exciting and challenging things to do, which capture the children’s attention and stimulate their imagination and, because of this, children enjoy learning. During one lesson, for example, groups of children tried on and then sorted clothes correctly into those that were too big and those that were too small for them. Others measured classmates’ heads accurately and then made wigs to fit them. The holiday shop role- play area gives children the opportunity to talk to others on the telephone and record their classmates’ holiday bookings, promoting communication skills well. The children’s understanding of the passing of time is developed well by comparing, for example, old and new things such as hot water bottles, and looking at old family photographs. Children play in the ‘hot- air balloon’, pretending to be flying high above the land – peering out of the basket through

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All of the pupils have very good opportunities to learn and do well because the curriculum

binoculars and chatting to their fellow passengers about where they are going and what they can see far below.

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All of the pupils have very good opportunities to learn and do well because the curriculum

11. Pupils of all ages and levels of attainment find their literacy, numeracy, and science work extremely interesting. They enjoy finding patterns in numbers and reading stories together with their teacher. For example, in numeracy lessons, pupils talked excitedly about how they calculated answers to sums in their heads and in a Year 2 literacy lesson pupils asked, “Did the turtle survive?” when told the story of how Cruncher the shark broke his teeth biting it. Year 3 pupils found the poem ‘Pirate Captain Jim’ very interesting and were enthusiastic about inserting the correct punctuation so that the poem made sense. Pupils of all ages find their science work extremely stimulating, for example in Year 2 when testing which objects made from different materials float and which sink, and in Year 6 when investigating what happens when different substances are mixed together and then measuring the acid content in them.

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All of the pupils have very good opportunities to learn and do well because the curriculum

12. The curriculum is further enhanced through visits to places of educational interest for pupils of all ages and residential visits for the three oldest year groups. As well as developing their language and artistic skills and teaching them about the environment, these visits help the pupils to understand the importance of getting on well together and living in harmony.

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pupils want to do well, take a pride in what they do, have very good attitudes to work, get

on extremely well together, and behave excellently.

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pupils want to do well, take a pride in what they do, have very good attitudes to work, get

13. Pupils like coming to school and have very good attitudes to learning. This is because the school provides a good range of opportunities for pupils to learn and do well so that pupils of all ages are very well motivated, want to achieve, and are therefore very receptive to learning. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 14 14. Pupils are encouraged, through extremely challenging work, to achieve better standards and are ambitious to succeed. The presentation of their work is of a very high standard. They care about what it looks like and take a pride in the end result. For example, they use good quality drawings and diagrams to support their writing about science and history.

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pupils want to do well, take a pride in what they do, have very good attitudes to work, get

15. Pupils of all ages understand what they are learning and why because teachers usually talk about this with them at the beginning of lessons. They are guided effectively by the teachers to bring about further improvements to their work. At the end of each term, each pupil talks with the teacher about how well they are doing and what they need to work on improving next, and set their own learning goals for the term. For example, pupils in Year 6 evaluate the quality of their writing during ‘writing conferences’ with the teacher and set goals for improvement next term.

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pupils want to do well, take a pride in what they do, have very good attitudes to work, get

16. Behaviour is excellent. There is a very clear framework for behaviour and pupils are very clear about what is expected of them. They are courteous and polite towards each other and visitors and participate fully in all of the activities because they are interested in their work and want to please their teachers. Relationships are excellent. Teachers promote these well through giving pupils the opportunity to work together in small groups, and requiring them to talk with each other about what they are doing and to negotiate roles in, for example, Year 6 script-writing. As a result, pupils of all ages work together well. Teachers celebrate pupils’ achievements very well by showing that they value and appreciate pupils’ efforts and results through high quality wall displays of their work and positive comments in their workbooks. This makes pupils feel good and so they strive to achieve better.

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pupils want to do well, take a pride in what they do, have very good attitudes to work, get

17. Personal development is good. Pupils take responsibility for jobs around the school such as taking the registers to the office. They are valued as individuals and their views are sought and taken into account about, for example, the design of the new playground. There are times for them to reflect on the world in which they live and wonder about events in their lives. They help to raise money for charities and this helps them to appreciate that there are others less fortunate than themselves.

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very high standards, get more pupils to the higher levels, and improve teaching and

18. School leadership and management are very good. The head teacher, in particular, is a very effective leader. She is very clear about what works well in school and what is less successful and, most importantly, knows what needs doing to bring about improvement. She gives very strong direction for the work of the school and supports her colleagues well.

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very high standards, get more pupils to the higher levels, and improve teaching and

19. Standards are rising at a greater rate than nationally and are very high because senior managers and school staff work very hard to maintain these standards and to get more pupils each year to attain above the expected levels in English, mathematics and science. This is achieved through effective monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning, which identifies what is working in school and what is less effective. The head teacher observes lessons and discusses with individual teachers how they can make their teaching more effective. Professional development targets are agreed, which give teachers relevant goals for improvement. The staff ensure that all pupils are doing their best and succeeding because they analyse the pupils’ work and talk to them about their progress.

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very high standards, get more pupils to the higher levels, and improve teaching and

20. School development planning is good. The head teacher and deputy have very good knowledge and understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and targets for improvement are relevant to the needs and circumstances of the school. With the exception of ICT, subject action plans are bringing about improvement.

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very high standards, get more pupils to the higher levels, and improve teaching and

21. The governing body provides high quality support for the school and, because of the range and quality of expertise of its individual members, it fulfils its duties very effectively. Governors have St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 15 very good working relationships with each other, the head teacher in particular, and staff. They look at and talk about the schools’ test results and hold the school accountable for what happens to standards, whilst recognising the pressures on staff in maintaining such very high standards. They evaluate how efficiently the school runs and how it can be more effective in meeting the needs of the pupils. They manage the school’s finances very well and ensure value for money through effective tendering procedures. Contingency funding has been allocated for developing and improving ICT provision throughout the school, and the governing body measures the success of its decisions on spending, such as how effective the employment of

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very high standards, get more pupils to the higher levels, and improve teaching and

classroom assistants in the infant classes is in improving pupils’ learning opportunities. The governors share a vision for the future of the school and, because of this, are well placed to maintain the high standards and bring about further improvements.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Standards in ICT are too low because some of the work is not taught in sufficient depth.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

22. Standards in ICT are not high enough. Pupils use computers confidently and have good word- processing skills. They edit their writing confidently, for example by moving text around and checking spelling. They use the print menu to preview their work and then print it independently. They have very good ‘mouse’ control skills to drag and drop words and objects onto, for example, an island map in Year 2 geography. However, pupils have difficulty entering and presenting information on computers without adult support. Their skills in using technology to control objects and make things happen are limited mainly to programming the floor robot to move in a given direction, and their ability to explore what happens in real and imaginary situations, such as using an adventure game or simulation, is weak. This is because teachers are not confident teaching these aspects of the ICT curriculum. The work is undemanding and

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

does not extend skills. Computers are not used effectively in subjects such as mathematics when, for example, Year 2 pupils wasted time putting decimal points into numbers on the computer when they could already do the work. In a literacy lesson in Year 1, pupils were required to drag ‘colour’ words to the end of sentences so that the sentences made sense. For example, “The wolf was (grey). The sack was (brown)”. This is very low-level literacy and ICT work for above average Year 1 pupils and lacked purpose.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

23. No one checks to see that the plans for ICT are being implemented and so the school cannot be sure that all aspects of the subject are taught in sufficient depth. Whilst the co-ordinator keeps samples of work done in each year group, she cannot assess pupils’ learning or judge standards because the teachers do not write comments about how much support the pupils were given or how easily they completed the work. Records of achievement are not completed to help teachers in the next year group to know what to teach.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

24. The school has too few computers and those it does have are not used as effectively as they could be. Although it has other ICT equipment, such as tape recorders and headphones, a sensor, and two programmable robot toys, limited use is made of these. Pupils have too little experience of sending and receiving email, using CD-ROMs, scanners and photocopying machines, and preparing multimedia presentations. They have little knowledge of the use of technology outside school.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

25. The action plan for developing ICT throughout the school is not as effective as it could be in bringing about improvement. This is because is it not precise enough about the need to raise standards and it is unclear about which aspects of ICT need improving and what needs to be done to bring this about. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

26. The school should improve teaching and learning and so raise standards in ICT by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving teachers’ confidence in teaching the whole of the ICT curriculum, and in particular their subject knowledge and expertise in data handling and control technology; • improving the quantity and range of learning resources for ICT and ensuring teachers make better use of what there is; • ensuring pupils’ ICT skills are built systematically from year to year and that work is challenging; • ensuring ICT is used to support learning in other subjects; • teaching pupils about the use of technology in the wider world; • ensuring that the action plan for developing ICT across the school is specific about what needs doing to bring about improvements. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 20

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 207

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 36

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 11

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 13 21 34

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 21 21

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (97) 97 (97) 100 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 21 21

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (97) 100 (97) 100 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 19 10 29

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 19 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls NA NA NA

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 97 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 19 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls NA NA NA

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 100 (97) 97 (97) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * Because the number of girls taking the tests was below 11, the data is not reported. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.1 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 360300

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5.0 Expenditure per pupil 1676

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 88 Balance brought forward from previous year 34532

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 28916

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Gabriels’s Catholic Primary School- 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 77 23 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 81 19 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 60 32 5 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 56 40 5 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 77 19 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 86 14 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 60 36 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 79 18 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 82 18 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 43 39 9 1 8

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