St Luke's CofE Primary School

ST LUKE'S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 29 th February to 2 nd March 2000

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ST LUKE'S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Radnor Street Islington London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body, St Luke's CEP School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr D Forsdick

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4 th November 1996

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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 Luke's CEP School - 3

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Team members

R E G Cross Registered inspector A West Lay inspector T F Elston Team inspector

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Team members

Phoenix Educational Consultants "Thule" 60 Joy Lane Whitstable Kent CT5 4LT

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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 Luke's CEP School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

• The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2. • The pupils’ attitudes to their work are excellent. • The quality of the management is very good. • The quality of the teaching throughout the school is consistently very good. • The school’s relationships with parents and the community are excellent. • Provision for the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

• The effectiveness of the co-ordination of some subjects. • School development planning.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Luke's Primary School was founded in 1698. It educates boys and girls aged between 3 and 11. There are 233 pupils on roll altogether, which is about the same size as other primary schools. The school has 56 children aged under six, 26 in its Nursery and 30 in a Reception class. There are six fewer girls than boys on roll. One hundred and twenty-two pupils speak English as an additional language which is very high compared with most schools. About 40 per cent of the pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds which is also very high compared with most schools. Almost 48 per cent of the pupils are entitled to free school meals which is above the national average. The school has 65 pupils on its register of special educational needs which is above the national average. Three pupils have statements of special educational need which is broadly the national average. During the last school year, 16 pupils entered the school other than at the usual time of first admission and 18

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

left it at times which were not those of the normal leaving or transfer for most pupils. The school is very popular and is over-subscribed. Pupils enter the school at below average levels of attainment.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school. The pupils enter it at below average standards and leave it at well above average standards in English and science and very high standards in mathematics compared with similar schools at the end of Key Stage 2. This is due to the very good quality of the management and leadership of the school and, in particular, to the high quality and very effective review of the school’s performance which promote continuous improvement. It is also based on the very good quality teaching which is found throughout the school and which underpins the rapid progress made by the pupils. These factors promote the excellent attitudes to work which the pupils display and also fosters the successful “St Luke’s Way”. The “St Luke’s Way” is fully understood by all connected with the school to mean that this school is a special place. It also reflects the tradition established by the school in the 300 years of its existence. The school is at the heart of the

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

community which it serves. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2. • The pupils’ attitudes to their work are excellent and greatly assist the progress which they make. • The very good quality of the management ensures that the school is always successfully seeking to improve still further. • The consistently very good quality of the teaching throughout the school is the basis of the high quality of the pupils’ learning. • The excellence of the school’s relationships with parents and the community makes an important contribution to the pupils’ development. • The school’s very good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development promotes the “St Luke’s Way” very well and establishes a caring, hardworking ethos with excellent racial harmony.

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What could be improved

• The effectiveness of the co-ordination of some subjects. A number of co-ordinators are new to their roles, have not had the opportunity to undertake monitoring and, therefore, have not yet developed a complete overview of their subjects. • School improvement planning. Although the school is very clear about areas for development, this planning has not yet been fully formalised. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in November 1996 and, since then, it has made a good improvement and it has a very good capacity to continue to improve. At the time of the school's last inspection, standards were judged to be below average in English and science at the end of Key Stage 2 and St Luke's CEP School - 6 raising standards in these subjects was amongst the key issues for action which the inspection identified. The findings of this inspection are that the pupils in the present Year 6 are on course to attain above average standards in English and at least average standards in science by the end of Key Stage 2. In addition, standards in mathematics were in line with the national average when the school was last inspected and they are now judged to be above average. Raising standards to this degree in these three subjects is, clearly, a very significant improvement in the school's work since its

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

last inspection. The improvement has been achieved through the school's determination to raise standards and by the strategies it has implemented to ensure that this happens. For example, the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy have been very well implemented, more effective analysis and use of assessment information have been made and the organisation of the curriculum and teaching has been refined. The quality of teaching has improved from "sound or better" throughout the school to very good. The school is aware that standards in handwriting have not improved as much as other aspects of English and has plans to address this matter. Another key issue for action from the last inspection was to increase parental involvement and to improve attendance and punctuality through developing the role of the home/school liaison officer. This has been very successfully achieved. Attendance is now satisfactory and punctuality is good. The

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

involvement of parents in the school is excellent. The work of the home/school liaison worker has been an important factor in bringing about these improvements. In addition, the key issue requiring the school to increase the size of the Reception class has been fully met as this room has been extended. Improvement in school development planning since the last inspection is only satisfactory as the school has yet to produce a detailed plan which is clearly linked to finance and which covers a suitable period. However, the school has a clear idea of the direction in which it plans to develop but the headteacher has not yet been in post long enough to formulate this in a structured plan.

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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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Key

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

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Key

Compared with similar schools, the standards achieved by the pupils in English, mathematics and science in the 1999 National Curriculum tests were well above average. In mathematics, the school's standards are in the highest five per cent nationally. Compared with all schools, standards are above average in mathematics and average in English and science in 1999. The rate of improvement in the school's results over the period 1996 to 1999, taking all three subjects into account, is above the national trend. The school has set challenging targets to maintain its high standards. The findings of the inspection agree with the school's 1999 end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum test results in mathematics as the pupils are on course to attain above average standards in this subject. In English, the findings of the inspection are that standards are on course to be above average at the end of the key stage rather than average. This difference is due to the school's accurate

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Key

identification of what the pupils need to do to improve and then taking effective steps to ensure that this improvement comes about. In science, the pupils are on course to attain standards which are at least at the level of the national average.

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Key

Throughout the school, the pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, achieve well and reach good standards for their previous attainment. St Luke's CEP School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school The pupils’ attitudes to the school are excellent. They are keen to learn and are very well motivated. Pupils are lively yet polite, industrious yet reflective and thoughtful. They are interested in all aspects of their learning. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The quality of all pupils' behaviour, including that of children aged under five, is very good. Pupils abide by the school rules and take pride in complying with “The St Luke's Way”. Personal development and relationships Relationships are excellent and are a strength of the school. Adults are very good role models for the pupils. Pupils help one another and they gain in confidence as they move through the school. There is total racial harmony and pupils show appropriate respect for others and their views. Pupils’ personal development is promoted well through visits, visitors and opportunities to take responsibility. Attendance

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Aspect Comment

Attendance is satisfactory. Authorised absences are just below the national average, and unauthorised absences are in line.

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

Lessons seen overall Very Good Very 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

Throughout the school, the quality of teaching is very good. During the inspection, 35 per cent of the lessons observed were very good, 61 per cent were good and 4 per cent (one lesson) were satisfactory. The quality of the teaching of English, including literacy, and mathematics, including numeracy, is very good. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs, higher attainers and those for whom English is an additional language is good. The consistently high quality of teaching ensures that the needs of all pupils are well met and that pupils make rapid progress in their learning. Particular strengths of the teaching are the calm and effective approach to the management of behaviour, the high level of challenge, the expectation which the teachers have of the pupils' attainment and the care which is taken to ensure that pupils understand what they have to do. An additional strength is the way learning support assistants and teachers work together. Limitations in

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

some teachers' knowledge of information technology reduce the rate of progress in this subject.

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

The very good quality of the teaching promotes a very good quality of learning for the pupils. Good questions from the teachers make the pupils think and the fast pace of lessons gives many learning opportunities and keeps the pupils interested. Praise is well used to give the pupils self-esteem and to boost their confidence and the teachers' very good control of the pupils ensures that they make good use of their time. St Luke's CEP School - 8

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is good. It is broad and balanced, with a good focus on English and mathematics. The school has made a very good start with the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Extracurricular activities are broad in range, but there are too few regular events after school to make the best use of teachers’ talents and pupils’ enthusiasm. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The targets for these pupils are clear, and the good support by classroom assistants ensures pupils that make good progress towards them. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The school makes good provision for pupils with English as an additional language. Teachers structure their own language carefully, and this, together with skilled support by the specialist teacher, ensures that pupils soon improve their use and understanding of English.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The excellent ethos means that pupils work in an atmosphere of reverence and reflection. The teaching of moral values is at the heart of the school’s philosophy. Very good social provision means that pupils develop clear ideas of how to work together in the school and the local community. Very good cultural provision teaches pupils much about western cultures, whilst giving many opportunities to explore the way people live and worship further afield. How well the school cares for its pupils The staff know the pupils well, and take great care of them in a safe and very supportive environment. Child protection procedures, health and safety and welfare arrangements for pupils are good. The monitoring of academic performance and personal development is

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Aspect Comment

also good. Behaviour management is consistent and is positive and represents "The St. Luke's Way" in operation.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The very good quality of the school's leadership and management ensures that its aims are implemented very effectively. All aspects of the school function very well and work together cohesively to ensure that relationships are of the highest standard. An ethos in which achievement is greatly valued is created and high and improving standards are attained. There is a shared and successful commitment to making the school even better.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their responsibilities well. They have an appropriate committee structure that effectively assists them in the organisation of their duties. Some governors visit the school regularly to help in its day-to-day work and others monitor aspects of the curriculum. Governors are also linked to classes and subjects. These activities, although still developing, give them a secure overview of the school’s activities. This enables them to act as critical friends to the school and to agree useful targets for the headteacher to improve it still further. The parents appreciate the fact that governors are very approachable and communicate with them well. St Luke's CEP School - 9 The school’s evaluation of its performance This is one of the major strengths of this school. For example, the very realistic self-review carried out by the school as part of this

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Aspect Comment

inspection identified areas such as the use of assessment information as requiring further improvement. The findings of the inspection are that assessment information is well-used to promote good standards and that the additional steps planned by the school are intended to improve its use still further. There is no complacency in this school.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good use is made of the school's resources. For example, the recently established information technology room is very well used to enhance the pupils' skills. Ethnic minority achievement grant funding is very well applied to promote the education of pupils for whom English is an additional language. The principles of best value are applied well especially in the way that parent's views of the school are taken into account. The pupils in this school derive great benefit from the way the school spends its money and uses its resources.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The progress which their children are making. • The quality of the behaviour in the school. • The quality of the teaching. • The expectations which the school has of the children. • The way the school works with them. • The way the school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. • The information they receive about how well their children are getting on. • That they are comfortable about approaching the school with problems. • The way the school is managed. • The amount of homework which their children receive. • The range of extracurricular activities provided. • The consistency with which their child's class is taught by the same teacher.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The findings of the inspection agree with the positive views of the parents. They also find that, although some classes have unavoidably been taught by a number of teachers, this has not affected the good quality of education which the school provides. The provision of extracurricular activities is satisfactory but not as wide as in many other schools of the same type and size. The homework provided by the school is also generally satisfactory and, in some areas, such as mathematics, it is good, but the school’s policy is not made sufficiently clear to parents. St Luke's CEP School - 10

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

1. Pupils do well in English. They enter the school with weak language and literacy skills, and, by Year 6, their standards are above the national average. Whilst the 1999 national assessment tests at Key Stage 2 placed pupils’ standards at close to the national average, but well above those of pupils in similar schools, this inspection shows that standards have risen still further. The school’s strong commitment to raising pupil's attainment in English, and the consistently good teaching of the National Literacy Strategy, drive up standards from year to year. Year 6 pupils, including those with English as an additional language, speak confidently and clearly, and have made considerable progress from the poor standards in the Nursery. They talk easily to the whole class, and choose their words carefully. One Year 6 pupil, for example, appraised a fellow pupils’ art creation by commenting “I really like your picture because of all the detail. It’s like a real artist would

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

have drawn it… .”. They read fluently, and with good expression. Pupils’ research skills are well developed, and many skim text quickly when looking for information for their history topic, for example. The strength of their writing lies in the quality of the language they use. The development of pupils’ writing can be illustrated by looking at poetry in Year 2,

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

"One day I saw a curly dog She looked like a ball of fluff I said good morning curly dog And she said woof woof woof"

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

"The sun is like a big yellow balloon, Drifting in the sky to brighten up the day!"

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

2. The only weakness in pupils’ English work is found in their handwriting. This is often untidy, and a mixture of joined and printed letters. The best handwriting is found where teachers make a point of emphasising the need to write carefully, always in a joined style. For example, the scrutiny of pupils’ work showed that, in one class, the quality of the pupils' handwriting improved dramatically in a very short period. Apologetically, the teacher attributed this improvement to her “old fashioned ways”, but her ways worked. 3. The findings of the inspection are that pupils reach above average standards in mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2 which is the same as the school's attainment in the national end of Key Stage 2 tests in 1999. This is an improvement on the findings of the school's last inspection which judged that stands were in line with those expected nationally. Standards have risen because of the strategies implemented by the school.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

Since 1995, staff, including learning support staff, have benefited from a good range of in- service training in the subject including work on mental mathematics. The co-ordinator has observed staff teaching mathematics and has led a staff meeting to discuss how her findings could be used to improve teaching further. The National Numeracy Strategy has been well implemented. The pupils' books show clearly that their work is carefully and accurately assessed and that assessment information is used to raise standards by setting individual targets based on these assessments. Booster classes and appropriate revision also help to raise standards. In September 1997, a whole-school mathematics homework initiative was introduced and this is currently running effectively. The co-ordinator has a St Luke's CEP School - 11 good action plan for the continued improvement of the subject which includes the distribution of information on the teaching of mathematics to the parents in a number of

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

languages to ensure that they are able to help their children at home. 4. The pupils' attainment is particularly strong in problem solving and number work. When using and applying mathematics, the pupils have their own ways of working out solutions to problems and checking that their results are reasonable and higher attainers are starting to make and explain general statements based on their work. The pupils multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals by 10, 100 and 1000 and use calculators to work out fractions or percentages of quantities. During the inspection, work in shape, space and measures and handling of data was, comparatively, less in evidence. However, there was clear evidence that the pupils can convert imperial measures to metric measures and have a good understanding of the concept of symmetry, including rotational symmetry. They also collect data and record them in a frequency table and understand the terms 'mode' and

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

The pupils’ attitudes to their work are excellent.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

5. Pupils’ attitudes to the school are excellent. Across the school the pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. All the adults in the school act as excellent role models. Pupils are proud to attend the school; they understand and successfully achieve the “St Luke's Way”. The school's behaviour policy details its expectations for relationships, behaviour and responsibilities for children, staff and parents.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

6. The behaviour of all pupils is excellent in classes and around the school. Adults treat the children consistently well and with much positive reinforcement of good behaviour. During the inspection, it was noticeable that very few negative responses were made to children by the staff. Pupils are enthusiastic and interested in their work and apply themselves well to their tasks. They are thoughtful and reflective. The atmosphere in the whole-school assemblies was very reverent. Pupils share their ideas, respect others' opinions and are very willing to listen to others. In 'circle' time in Year 1, the pupils listened attentively to each other talking about bullying. They are confident and unafraid to voice their opinions, knowing that they will be listened to positively. The school does not currently have a school council although this is to be re-instituted. However, pupils are able to take initiatives, accept responsibilities and help others. In the previous inspection, the

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

relationships were noted as a great strength of the school and this is still the case.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

7. The personal development of children under five is good, and provides an excellent basis for the development of their personal and social skills and behaviour in Key Stages 1 and 2. Children quickly learn to be independent, and change for physical activities and playtime without fuss. Even the youngest ones help each other to do up buttons and fasteners. For example, they soon learn class rules, about calling out in discussions, and move sensibly from one activity to another. A few are beginning to show initiative, even in the Nursery. One boy, for example, noticed that the water fountain in the playground had overflown, and promptly picked up a brush and swept away the puddle.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

The quality of the management is very good .

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

8. The very good quality of the school's leadership and management, and its results, are evident in all aspects of its work. The school's aims are embedded in the way it operates. Very high quality relationships where everyone works together for the good of the school are firmly established. An ethos in which achievement is valued, and in which respect for others, whatever their race or creed is very evident. This is the practical manifestation of St Luke's CEP School - 12 the "St Luke's Way" which is known, appreciated and applied by the pupils, parents and staff of the school and which represents the traditions of the 300 years of its existence. The strength of the school's ethos is such that a recent change of headteacher, which involved a year of acting headship and a number of changes of staff, has left it unaffected. The governors fulfil their responsibilities well. They have a secure overview of the school’s

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

activities which enables them to act successfully as critical friends to it and to agree targets for its further improvement with the headteacher. 9. The quality of the school's management has created a very strong team spirit and a shared and successful commitment to improvement by everyone connected with the school. For example, when the school was last inspected, standards were judged to be below average in English and science and average in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2. The findings of this inspection are that standards are on course to be above average in English and mathematics and at least average in science by the end of Key Stage 2. Raising standards this significantly is part of the good improvement which the school has made since its last inspection and is a direct result of the strategies which is has implemented. For example, the use of assessment information is now used very well in

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

order to assist teachers when they plan the pupils' work. Nevertheless, the school plans to improve its analysis and use of assessment information still further. There is no complacency in this school and raising standards is central to its functioning. The school's review and evaluation of its performance, and the steps it takes to address any areas of relative weakness which it identifies, are major strengths of the management and leadership. The school's resources are used very well to benefit the education of the pupils, for example, in the development of information technology. 10. The high quality leadership and management results in all aspects of the school working together very well. The quality of both teaching and learning is very good, the pupils' attitudes to their work are excellent, curricular provision is good, provision for the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and relationships with

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

the parents are excellent. These factors promote the above average standards which most pupils achieve by the time that they leave the school although they generally enter it at below average standards. The general strength of the school's management, and in particular the reflective and effective leadership of the headteacher, give it a very good capacity to continue to improve.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

The quality of the teaching throughout the school is consistently very good.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

11. Throughout the school, the quality of teaching is consistently very good, meets the needs of all pupils and ensures that they make rapid progress. During the inspection, one in every three lessons observed was very good and almost all of the others were good. One satisfactory lesson was seen. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. English, including literacy, and mathematics, including numeracy, are very well taught. The only significant weakness in teaching observed during the inspection was limitations in some teachers' knowledge of information technology which reduced the rate of progress in this subject. 12. A numeracy lesson in Year 2 illustrated the strengths of the teaching. The teacher's calm and successful management of the pupils' behaviour made good use of time and reinforced their classroom routines - "Please follow the rules for the good listener". The learning support assistant made a major contribution to the management of behaviour

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

through her one-to-one work with a pupil with special educational needs who was successfully encouraged to play a full part in the lesson. The fast pace of the lesson and the changing of the starting point from which the pupils counted in fives made them think, retained their interest and promoted very good progress in their learning. Praise was well St Luke's CEP School - 13 used to reinforce the pupils' feeling of success - "You are the kings and queens of counting in fives!" Challenging work which required the pupils to produce specific examples to investigate general mathematical statements was set for the group work in this lesson. The work was well matched to the attainment of the pupils and was set at three different levels. The pupils were well supported by the teacher and the learning support assistants who made sure that the pupils understood and could do the work so that they made the good

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

progress expected by the teacher. At the end of the lesson, a very good discussion of what the pupils had learnt took place which furthered their understanding. 13. The teaching of children under five is very good, and lifts their attainment significantly from their below average levels on entry to the Nursery. In both classes, teachers are particularly skilled at developing children’s language, always structuring their own sentences carefully, and encouraging children to use the appropriate words. A further strength is the effectiveness of the partnership in both classes between the teachers and the nursery nurses. This ensures that all children have prompt and knowledgeable support, and full use is made of their time in school to develop their learning. The staff are skilled at managing children’s behaviour in a positive way. This teaches children clear rules early in their school life, and prepares them well for Key Stage 1.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

14. The quality of teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers’ planning is focused appropriately on the needs of pupils with learning and behavioural difficulties, and this ensures that the clear targets in their individual education plan are met. Classroom assistants are skilled, and their carefully planned support means that pupils with special educational needs learn new work as quickly as the rest of the class. The effectiveness of the school’s provision can be judged by the fact that, by Year 6, all pupils achieve, or are close to, national standards in English and mathematics. The quality of teaching for pupils with English as an additional language is good. The specialist teacher works closely with teachers in support of these pupils, who soon develop their use and understanding of English to enable them to gain full access to the curriculum.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

The school’s relationships with parents and the community are excellent.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

15. The school’s partnership with parents is excellent. Parents are encouraged to come in to the school and participate in an institution that is a vital part of the local community. The parents’ perception of the school is that it is excellent. As in the previous inspection, the parents are very positive about the school. They feel welcome when the come to the school to discuss any issues and to help in the classrooms. The school produces an informative weekly newsletter for parents as well as providing information on the curriculum and the children's progress. The appointment of the home/school liaison worker continues to improve the links between parents and the school. For example, close co-operative work with the community development officer has resulted in help being arranged for Bengali and Turkish parents. The liaison worker and the Nursery staff make home visits for new pupils and is involved with a WEA family learning project that is aimed to strengthen these

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

links still further. The school’s toy library is aimed at pre-Nursery children but also provides a very useful resource for the entire community. In their questionnaires and at their meeting, parents were very happy with the school, the information it provides and the way it responds to complaints or suggestions. 16. Curricular provision and the personal development of the pupils are enhanced by the large number of volunteers and organisations who give their time, finance and expertise to the school. Parents and governors assist with specific projects and emplo7yees from city companies assist the school in a wide range of activities. St Luke's CEP School - 14 Provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

17. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is of high quality, and is a significant strength of the school. The school has an atmosphere of spirituality, which permeates through all its work. There is a strong sense of history, which impresses upon pupils the importance of the Church, and the place of God in their lives. Pupils leave assemblies still singing their hymns, and show a great reverence for the messages they have just heard. As early as in the Nursery, children are encouraged to wonder at how water trickles through their fingers, and how the paint dries when they are refurbishing the shed. Pupils are urged to be increasingly reflective as they get older. In Year 3, for example, the notice on the wall says: "Teach us well so we may enjoy the gifts of the world, but let us play, too, for some things we must discover for ourselves". The curriculum gives much emphasis on the need to think deeply about issues, and

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

consider how pupils can help one another. In Year 6, for example, pupils were asked to produce written self-portraits to help a new pupil get to know his classmates. 18. The very good moral provision takes much from the messages of ‘The St Luke’s Way’, and teachers constantly talk to pupils about how pupils should treat each other fairly. The school gives pupils a clear sense of right and wrong, and the success of this commitment is illustrated by the high quality of pupils’ behaviour in every class. When disputes do occur, the school has effective ways of resolving differences, including an ‘incident form’, which gives each pupil the chance to put forward his or her side of the story, and consider what he or she could have done to avoid the situation. This works well, and teaches pupils a great deal about the consequences of their actions. 19. The school’s provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Pupils are given

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

many opportunities to take responsibility, which increase appropriately as they grow older. Whilst children aged under five are expected to help to clear away their painting materials, Year 6 pupils are given the role of monitors at lunchtime, and help younger pupils with their reading. Pupils are given a strong awareness of how their actions can affect the environment. Year 6 pupils, for example, were asked to write letters in the role of Greenpeace officers, urging people to behave responsibly with waste. Pupils are given a very powerful sense of the school’s role at the heart of the community, and are provided with, for example, graphic illustrations of life at St Luke’s during the war by ex-pupils recounting their experiences. Teachers provide excellent role models to develop pupils’ moral values, by the sensitive way they speak to pupils and one another, and by their fairness when handling differences.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

20. The school’s very good cultural provision gains much from the diverse cultural backgrounds of its pupils. Teachers make full use of the richness of Asian cultures, for example, by providing pupils with Indian fabric to produce excellent observational drawings. There is also a very good library in the school, specifically for books written in the Bengali and Turkish languages. Pupils are given many opportunities to share the celebrations of different cultures, and take part in exciting activities associated with Ramadan and Eid. This is good, and, as well as teaching pupils important facts about how other people live, it allows those from other cultures to demonstrate their knowledge. The school provides a great deal in the way of music and art to develop pupils’ cultural understanding, with regular visits from musicians and a wealth of music played in assemblies and at lunchtimes from around the world.

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The pupils make good progress and attain good standards in English and

21. All of these opportunities provided by the school combine well with the pursuit of high academic standards. The school in general, and the pupils in particular, are valued highly by the local community. St Luke's CEP School - 15

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The effectiveness of the co-ordination of some subjects.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

22. Following a relatively long period of stability amongst the teaching staff, significant changes have occurred in the last two years. In addition, the posts of two permanent members are currently covered by temporary appointments. This, naturally enough, has caused some disruption in the co-ordination of the areas of the curriculum. At present, the school has temporary co-ordinators for mathematics and science and the co-ordinator for English is newly appointed. There is a co-ordinator who is responsible for children aged under five and special educational needs, which is a heavy load. In addition, the headteacher is responsible for religious education and a newly qualified teacher shadows physical education. All other subject areas are addressed by working parties formed by the staff when this is necessary. 23. The school is, of course, well aware of this situation. The headteacher plans to have

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

allocated appropriately qualified and experienced co-ordinators to all subject areas, where possible, by next September. Responsibilities will be distributed fairly and evenly and appropriate training in management and knowledge of the subject for which a co-ordinator is responsible is to be provided where necessary. The school's last inspection judged that monitoring by co-ordinators in English and mathematics had been particularly effective and that the role of other co-ordinators was being developed to enable them to monitor the effectiveness of teaching in their subjects. This is still the case. The National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy have been carefully monitored by the subject co-ordinators, the headteacher and the governors but this is not so in other subjects. Further development of the links between co-ordinators and governors who have a responsibility for the same subject are planned.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

24. At present, the school has an interim improvement plan which covers the period September 1999 to April 2000. The headteacher has deliberately and appropriately adopted this strategy in order to link a three-year plan to the financial year, to give himself time to gain a full understanding of the school and to obtain the views of others. The interim plan clearly focuses on raising standards through target setting and monitoring the quality of teaching and learning particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. However, improvements in information technology, the education of pupils with special educational needs, the premises, links with parents and the community and the work of governors are also included. The interim improvement plan also includes clear objectives, suitable criteria for judging success, dates for completion, costs, those responsible and arrangements for monitoring.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

25. The plan is already an improvement on the school development plan presented to the last inspection. The findings of that inspection were that development planning covered one year, concentrated on the curriculum rather than whole-school development and was not sufficiently well costed or prioritised. The school is well aware of the weaknesses in the school improvement plan and plans to address them. For example, a broader range of people is to be involved in agreeing priorities for development and in their evaluation. As the plan is interim, it does not cover a long enough period and is not securely linked to suitable financial planning. This means that the criteria used for judging the success of developments cannot be used, where appropriate, to support judgements of cost- effectiveness. In addition, detailed action plans for all major areas of improvement have yet to be developed. St Luke's CEP School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

26. In order to improve further the school should:

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planned, by:

• allocating appropriately qualified and experienced co-ordinators to all subject areas; • distributing responsibilities fairly and evenly; • providing time for the monitoring of teaching and standards in all subjects; • further developing the governors' links with the co-ordinators of the subjects for which they have a responsibility to maintain an overview; • ensuring that, where necessary, co-ordinators are supported by receiving training in the management aspects of their role and the development of their expertise in the subject for which they have responsibility.

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(2) Improve school improvement planing, as already intended, by:

• formalising development beyond April 2000; • ensuring that planning covers an appropriate period and that it is well-linked to financial planning; • where appropriate, using the criteria for evaluating the success of developments to assist in making judgements about the cost-effectiveness of spending; • making sure that major developments, including those involving the curriculum, have specific action plans; • involving everyone concerned with the school in the identification of priorities for improvement and sharing with them how well these priorities are achieved. St Luke's CEP 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 15

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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

0 35 61 4 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Year 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 207

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 101 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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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 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 71

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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 122

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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 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 18

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Luke's CEP 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 1999 17 13 30

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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 14 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 11 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 80[87] 87[70] 90[87] at NC level 2 or above National 82 [80] 83 [81] 87 [84]

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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 15 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 12 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 83[83] 90 [ 87] 87[93] at NC level 2 or above National 82 [81] 86 [85] 87[86]

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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 1999 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 15 17 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 7 9 7

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 76[52] 90[63] 83[70] at NC level 4 or above National 70 [ 65] 69 [59] 78 [69]

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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 8 15 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 6 6 7

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 48 [67] 72 [59] 83 [78] at NC level 4 or above National 68 [65] 69 [65] 75 [72] Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Luke's CEP School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 30 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 10 Other minority ethnic groups 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) 9.8 Financial year 1998/1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Year 6 Total expenditure 542557

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Expenditure per pupil 2359

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 144 Balance brought forward from previous year 15992

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 16769

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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) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 40

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 10 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Luke's CEP 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. 67 31 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 66 31 1 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 50 31 10 4 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 62 32 5 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 23 3 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 73 25 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 70 25 1 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 63 27 1 1 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 68 27 2 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 46 31 9 4 10

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Other issues raised by parents

Seven parents made additional comments on their forms, five of these were concerned about the number of supply teachers used by the school.

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