St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th - 20 th June 2001

p.1

SCHOOL

Short 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.

p.1

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 James’ Catholic Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: St. James, Road Orrell Wigan Lancashire Postcode: WN5 7AA

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev. Father K Walsh

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1997 St James’ Catholic Primary School - 4

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 13827 Mrs A Waters Registered inspector 9981 Mr S Hussain Lay inspector 28076 Mr D Byrne Team inspector 7983 Mr I Johnston Team inspector

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Lynrose Marketing Ltd Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St James’ Catholic Primary School - 5

p.4

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

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St. James’ Catholic Primary School is bigger than average in size, with 283 boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 11 years. The school serves the local parish but almost a fifth of the pupils come from farther afield. The social and economic circumstances of pupils are slightly advantaged in comparison with the national average. Just over 5% of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average. Fifteen per cent of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs, which is below average. Four pupils have a statement of special educational need and this is broadly average. All but ten pupils are of white ethnicity, and only two have English as an additional language. Most pupils have had some pre-school experience in playgroups or nurseries. Although a sizeable number of children enter school with average levels of attainment, overall, attainment for most pupils when they start school is above average.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a highly effective school that is very successfully achieving and sustaining high standards. Very strong teaching, a challenging and interesting curriculum plus very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development ensure very good levels of learning and progress. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and is very well supported by a capable deputy, committed staff and governing body. The school provides very good value for money.

p.6

What the school does well

• The school is very well led and managed. The outstanding leadership of the headteacher, with the support of staff and governors, guides the work of the school and sets high expectations. • Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, the standards they achieve in English, mathematics and science are well above average. • Strong teaching challenges pupils of all abilities to work hard and learn quickly. • Personal development and relationships are outstanding, contributing significantly to pupils’ learning. • The curriculum provided is rich and varied and successfully broadens knowledge and extends pupils’ thinking skills.

p.6

What could be improved

• The use of information and communication technology in all areas of the curriculum. • The quality of the School Improvement Plan so that it more accurately reflects the intentions for the long-term development of the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan .

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in January 1997. Since that time, the school’s strengths have been preserved and the standards have been driven up and maintained at a high level. All of the key weaknesses highlighted at the last inspection have been successfully addressed Good improvement has been made in organising the curriculum, and schemes of work are in place for all subjects. More effective systems have been put into place to St James’ Catholic Primary School - 7 measure pupils’ attainment and track their progress, particularly in English and mathematics. This has helped the school to improve the way it provides for the needs of the higher attaining pupils and to ensure that they are given sufficiently challenging work on the basis of what they have shown they can already do. There have been other improvements since the school was previously inspected. These include an improvement in the quality of teaching, which is now very good overall and significantly better than

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

described in the last report, with no unsatisfactory teaching observed. This inspires pupils to want to learn and accelerates the rate of progress. Leadership and management have also improved with full consultation between staff and governors and more involvement of the governing body in decision making. The school’s accommodation has improved and resources for teaching and learning are better organised. In all, this represents good improvement since the last inspection.

p.7

STANDARDS

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

p.7

schools

English A A A A well above average above average A B mathematics A A A C Average below average C D science A B A B well below average E

p.7

schools

The school’s end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum assessment results are impressive. Standards in English, mathematics and science have remained consistently high over the last three years, although there was a slight fluctuation in science. The 2000 results show that standards in English are well above the national average and well above the average for similar schools. Standards in mathematics, whilst being well above the national average, are in line with those of similar schools. In science, standards are well above the national average and above the average for similar schools.

p.7

schools

When the school’s performance figures are averaged out over the last four years, the upward trend is broadly in line with other schools. Considering the above average starting point, this represents good achievement.

p.7

schools

The results of the 2000 end of Key Stage 1 National Curriculum test and assessments are above the national average in reading but below average in writing. In mathematics they are well above average. Over the past three years, whilst the standards in mathematics have remained consistently high, the standards in reading have fluctuated and in writing have declined. The school has successfully put measures in place to raise standards in writing across the school, and indications are that the results this year will show a marked improvement in the standard of writing at Key Stage 1. The work seen during the inspection indicates that standards are well above average and reflect the findings of the end of key stage National Curriculum tests. Pupils also do well in other areas, such as music and physical education, where there is a high level of St James’ Catholic Primary School - 8 achievement. Standards in information and communication technology, whilst satisfactory,

p.7

schools

could be improved. Pupils get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage: most comfortably achieve what is expected of them by the time they start Year 1 and many exceed this. They continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 1. At Key Stage 2 the rate of progress is accelerated and pupils make very good progress leading to high standards. However, the current year 6 cohort is unlikely to attain such good results because of the composition of the group that has more lower attaining pupils and not as many higher attainers. Nevertheless, they are still on track to reach above average standards. The majority of pupils in Year 5 are well on the way to achieving very well by the end of the key stage.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils show great interest and like to be challenged. They enjoy coming to school and are keen to be involved in the full range of activities. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The behaviour of the pupils is very good both in lessons and around the school. They are polite and friendly and show consideration for each other. Personal development and relationships Outstanding. Pupils have very mature and responsible attitudes. They display a good level of social confidence based on excellent relationships both with each other and with adults. Attendance The level of attendance is very good. Pupils arrive punctually and lessons begin on time.

p.8

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

33 lessons seen overall Good Good Very Good

p.8

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

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.

p.8

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

Overall, the teaching is very good. Of the 33 lessons observed during the inspection, 18% were excellent, 18% were very good, 52% were good and the remaining 12% were satisfactory. Almost all of the outstanding teaching was found in Key Stage 2. Teaching is particularly effective in Years 5 and 6, where the extra flair and enthusiasm that the teachers bring to the activities is captured by the pupils and this makes them want to learn and to succeed.

p.8

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

The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is generally good and some is of the highest quality. The literacy and numeracy strategies are implemented successfully and the basic skills are taught well. Reading is well taught and pupils learn to appreciate books at an early age. Good attention is given to developing pupils’ writing skills. In numeracy, the methods used to develop mental arithmetic skills are very successful and teachers place appropriate emphasis on showing pupils strategies they might use to solve problems. Children in the Foundation Stage acquire the basic skills well through the good provision and consistently good teaching. This is progressively developed throughout both key stages, enabling pupils to achieve well above average levels in the national tests by the St James’ Catholic Primary School - 9 time they leave the school. Very good teaching was also seen in science, where teachers’

p.8

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

high expectations and well prepared activities and use of resources ensure that all pupils are actively involved.

p.9

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

Teaching is effective for pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and for higher achieving pupils because, in most lessons, teachers plan activities to challenge pupils at their own level. Lower attainers have well targeted support either from the teacher, support staff or voluntary helpers. Pupils enjoy being presented with challenging work and delight in the justifiable praise they receive for their efforts. They respond well to the good teaching and learn quickly.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school provides pupils with a wide range of interesting and relevant learning opportunities. The statutory curriculum is enriched by a wide range of additional activities and visits which extend the breadth of pupils’ experience. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school makes very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and enables them to make good progress and achieve in line with their peers. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good for the few pupils needing support.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good and a significant strength. Learning takes place in a calm, orderly and purposeful atmosphere where each pupil is valued and cared for. As a result, personal development is outstanding.

p.9

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The school maintains a high level of care for its pupils. Welfare arrangements and procedures for child protection are of a high standard. Monitoring of pupils’ academic performance and their personal development is very good.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is very well led and managed. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and sets very high standards. He and senior staff have a very clear idea of how to improve the school and encourage all staff to be confident and work together as a team. The high expectations and consistent questioning about how the provision might improve further is a hallmark of the school’s leadership. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are very supportive of the work of the school. They fulfil their statutory responsibilities well and are well organised to work productively with the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school has a clear idea of its strengths and areas for improvement. It makes effective use of assessment information to measure pupils’ performance against the county and national

p.9

Aspect Comment

averages. St James’ Catholic Primary School - 10 The strategic use of resources Very good. The school is efficiently run and makes good use of all its available resources. Spending is closely linked to educational priorities and the principles of best value for money are well applied.

p.9

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The children like to come to school. • Almost all parents think that their children are making good progress and that the teaching is good. • Behaviour is good. • There is unanimous agreement that the school expects their children to work hard. • The vast majority of parents think that the school is well led and managed. • The school encourages pupils to show care and respect. • The school is very approachable and all matters of concern are taken seriously. • Parents appreciate the strong community spirit and the very good relationships between staff and pupils. • A few parents would like to be better informed about how their children are getting on. • Some parents do not think that the school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents support the school well and appreciate what it does for their children. In comparison with this support, the level of parental concern is very low. The inspectors endorse the parents’ very positive views of the school, which is rightly held in high regard. They can find no evidence to support the concerns expressed. Inspectors feel that the information provided about pupils’ progress is good and the school encourages parents to find out more if they wish. The school provides a good range of activities outside lessons and this enriches the curriculum. St James’ Catholic Primary School - 11

p.10

headteacher, with the support of staff and governors, guides the work of the school

1. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and a strong personal example of dedication and commitment. This gives a clear direction to the work of the school. He works closely with the deputy headteacher and senior staff, who make up the senior management team. He has successfully inculcated, amongst staff and governors, a strong team spirit and a commitment to providing the best possible education for the pupils, to creating a stimulating learning environment and to sustaining high standards. Teachers all have at least one area of management responsibility and they work closely with colleagues to develop the curriculum and to plan their teaching. The school administrative officer is skilled, efficient and helpful. The site supervisor ensures that the school is kept clean and attractive. Several governors, including the chair, visit the school regularly. The immense sense of team spirit in the school is

p.11

headteacher, with the support of staff and governors, guides the work of the school

evident in the way in which all members of staff and governors work purposefully and co-operatively together.

p.11

headteacher, with the support of staff and governors, guides the work of the school

2. The staff’s hard work is guided by a secure programme for strategic planning. Teaching and the curriculum are constantly being monitored and evaluated. There is appropriate feedback and development in teachers’ planning and this has a positive and beneficial impact on pupils’ learning. Annually, subject co-ordinators evaluate progress in their areas and new targets for development are set. They take into account national initiatives and carefully review the pupils’ standards of attainment and the progress they are making and use this information to strengthen relative areas of weakness. A strong feature of the school’s leadership is the way in which it is constantly questioning how it can improve the quality of education provided.

p.11

headteacher, with the support of staff and governors, guides the work of the school

3. The governing body is well organised to carry out its work and fulfil its statutory responsibilities. Governors are well aware of the school’s strengths and areas for development through their involvement in development planning. Regular and detailed reports from the headteacher keep governors well informed. The headteacher discusses with the governors an analysis of the school’s results and together they consider how standards can be maintained or improved. The school recognises its strengths and areas for development. For example, it has recognised a relative weakness in attainment in writing at both key stages and has put into place measures to address this in the current year.

p.11

headteacher, with the support of staff and governors, guides the work of the school

4. The school’s Mission Statement declares the purpose and aims of the school and is the inspiration for its ongoing growth and development. Central to this vision, which is shared by staff, the governing body, parents and children, is the commitment to creating a fundamentally distinctive ethos and strong community spirit within the school. The worth of each person is recognised and valued and opportunities to develop individual potential, self-esteem and personal dignity are regularly presented. There is a clear focus on the pursuit of high standards of achievement and helping pupils with all aspects of their spiritual, moral, social, cultural and academic development and ensuring that they make good progress. The ethos of the school is excellent and the high quality of the open, warm relationships underpins the success of the school. St James’ Catholic Primary School - 12

p.11

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

achieve standards in English, mathematics and science that are well above average.

p.12

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

5. Pupils are achieving well and standards are well above average in English, mathematics and science and have remained consistently high over the last three years. The depth and range of work is impressive. Pupils get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage and most comfortably achieve what is expected of them by the time they start in Year 1 and many exceed this. They continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 1. At Key Stage 2 the rate of progress is accelerated and pupils make very good progress leading to the achievement of high standards. Very good teaching enables pupils to make the progress of which they are capable, and to achieve their full potential.

p.12

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

6. Standards are high for several reasons. The school wants all its pupils to do as well as they can and takes effective and practical steps to encourage them to do so. The curriculum is very well planned and reviewed regularly to bring in new ideas. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught and opportunities are provided for pupils to practise and apply them in all subjects. Teachers and co-ordinators work closely together providing consistent levels of challenge and support for pupils of all ages and abilities. Very good procedures are in place to assess and record pupils’ attainment and progress and teachers intervene quickly and effectively if pupils are not progressing at least as well as they should. The school has built up a good level of resources and teachers use them well. Pupils’ performance in tests is regularly analysed to pick out areas for improvement and changes to teaching are introduced

p.12

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

where necessary. Staff value what pupils do and give justifiable praise to encourage further effort. Excellent relationships exist between all members of the school community and this is a major factor in pupils’ personal and social development. Pupils are interested in their activities; they enjoy them and try hard to do their best.

p.12

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

7. The school gives high priority to improving pupils’ progress in literacy and numeracy. In English, pupils develop a love of books from the start. From the earliest age, pupils are encouraged to use spare minutes to browse through books and appreciate illustrations and become familiar with story patterns and different genres. Skilful teaching of reading to older pupils concentrates on developing higher order skills, such as reading with expression and reading between the lines for meaning. Key Stage 2 pupils contribute to their own reading development during quiet reading times. During these sessions, teachers, with the help of classroom assistants and voluntary helpers, use the time very effectively to focus on small groups and extend their reading skills. For example, the Year 6 pupils learned how to make use of a reading journal to record and refine their responses to the text and develop their

p.12

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

understanding of characterisation. The teacher very skilfully led the discussion and probed pupils’ ideas and opinions and helped them to read beyond the literal level and to develop their skills of inference and deduction. Writing has been the focus for development this year and carefully thought out opportunities have been presented to pupils at every stage. Pupils’ progress in reading and writing is underpinned by the emphasis the school places on developing pupils’ skills of speaking and listening. In lessons, the balance between adults and pupils speaking is appropriate and pupils develop the confidence to express their ideas and to listen to what others have to say.

p.12

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

8. In mathematics, a strong emphasis is given to teaching number skills, but other areas, such as shape space and measure, are also well covered. The pace and level of St James’ Catholic Primary School - 13 challenge within the mental arithmetic sessions is a strong feature of the teaching and this is closely linked to teaching strategies for problem solving. Very detailed lesson planning makes good links between class-work and real life situations. Tasks are very well organised so that pupils of all levels of ability are well catered for and suitably challenged, thus ensuring that very good learning can take place. As a result, almost all pupils achieve the national curriculum level expected for their age and a significant number of pupils attain standards that are well above that. For example, many pupils in Year 6 demonstrate a very secure grasp of how to convert fractions to decimals in the context of length and capacity and can accurately add and subtract these. They

p.12

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

are conversant with solving problems involving all aspects of measurement.

p.13

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

9. By the age of eleven, most pupils are achieving high standards in science. One of the main strengths is the rate at which pupils acquire scientific knowledge and the confidence with which they use this knowledge to help them carry out investigations and experiments. They are able to explain clearly why things happen as they do. A strong feature of the work in science is the way teachers make links with other subjects, for example, by using numeracy in plotting graphs to show the decrease in the water cycle and to measure pH levels in soil investigations. Teachers assess pupils’ understanding and plan future work at the right level of challenge. Pupils’ work is accurately marked and teachers make good evaluative comments, which helps pupils to realise what they need to do to improve their work.

p.13

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

10. In general, the pupils are consistently challenged to improve on their previous best through staff’s high expectations of them. These expectations cover all aspects of pupils’ development and are particularly noticeable in the work set at the upper end of Key Stage 2.

p.13

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

Strong teaching challenges pupils of all abilities to work hard and learn quickly.

p.13

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

11. Teaching in the school is consistently strong, with nearly 90 per cent of lessons being judged to be good or better. Of these over a third were very good or excellent in equal measure. This high quality has a significantly positive influence on pupils’ learning and the progress they make. This is an improvement since the last inspection. A continuing strength is the way teachers work together regularly to plan and review the curriculum. This improves the quality of short term planning. Very detailed and thorough lesson planning shows exactly what pupils are expected to learn. This adds sharpness to teachers’ lesson introductions and helps them to make accurate assessments of what pupils have learned.

p.13

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

12. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and set high standards. Work is carefully prepared so that each group of pupils in the class understands clearly what is to be done. High, yet achievable challenges are set for different groups of pupils so that all are encouraged to make very good progress. Teachers establish good relationships with their pupils and this creates an easy atmosphere in which pupils have the confidence to ask when they do not understand and to suggest an answer even if they are not sure it is correct. This is because teachers always value pupils’ contributions, give praise for effort and introduce some humour and fun into the lessons. Teachers are adept at adding a sense of urgency to keep pupils on task whilst at the same time giving them time to answer and explain.

p.13

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

13. Teaching for the children in the Foundation Stage is consistently good and provides a firm foundation for the development of children’s attitudes to their learning. Teaching St James’ Catholic Primary School - 14 at Key Stage 1 is good and builds effectively on this good start. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is very good and almost all of the outstanding teaching was found in Key Stage 2. Teaching is particularly effective in Years 3, 5 and 6 where the extra flair and enthusiasm brought to the activities is captured by the pupils and this makes them want to learn and to succeed. Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge and pupils pick up on any particular strengths that are presented. In an excellent English lesson for pupils in Year 5/6, the teacher’s very evident love of the subject and her clear explanations of the archaic language inspired the pupils to find out more and they groaned with disappointment when the lesson ended. Similarly, in an excellent

p.13

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

science lesson for pupils in Year 3, the teacher successfully engaged pupils’ attention immediately by linking the homework activity based on finding solids and liquids and asking them what they had found out. There was a clear focus upon developing scientific ideas and the teacher’s very secure subject knowledge enabled her to extend pupils’ thinking through skilful questioning.

p.14

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

14. The literacy and numeracy strategies are implemented successfully and the basic skills are taught thoroughly and systematically. Reading is well taught and pupils learn to appreciate books at an early age. Lessons in many subjects focus effectively on the development of literacy, enabling pupils to make very good progress in language and literacy development. Throughout initial explanations, teachers grasp opportunities to ask pupils to pronounce words or to explain their meaning. During an excellent literacy lesson in Year 6, pupils learnt a wide range of terms including, ‘alliteration’, ‘personification’ and ‘atmospheric’ and could identify occasions when these devices were used by the poets. Some pupils could make perceptive and thoughtful comments about how the use of such techniques had achieved the desired effect.

p.14

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

15. In numeracy, the methods used to develop mental arithmetic skills are very successful and teachers place appropriate emphasis on showing pupils strategies they might use to solve problems. Teachers provide pupils with high challenges not only at the start of lessons in the mental arithmetic sessions but also in the group work that follows. As a result, pupils make good progress in understanding number patterns, problem solving, how to measure and estimate and the properties of different shapes.

p.14

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

16. Understanding of whole lessons is reviewed towards the end when teachers question different groups of pupils very skilfully to check that they have understood what they have been taught and to give an indication of what they are going to learn next.

p.14

Pupils are enabled to achieve their full potential and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they

17. Teaching is very effective for pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and for higher achieving pupils because in most lessons, teachers plan activities to challenge pupils at their own level. Lower attainers have well targeted support either from the teacher, support staff or voluntary helpers. Pupils enjoy being presented with challenging work and delight in the justifiable praise they receive for their efforts. They respond well to the good teaching and learn quickly.

p.14

Personal development and relationships are outstanding, contributing significantly to

18. Pupils are enthusiastic in their attitudes to school and they clearly enjoy being there. In all classrooms and at lunchtime and break times, pupils respond to staff in an St James’ Catholic Primary School - 15 excellent fashion. Teachers have high expectations not just of academic standards but also of behaviour and self-discipline. The school has successfully maintained the high standards found at the last inspection. Pupils’ very good attitudes and their behaviour in class contribute to an exceptionally industrious atmosphere where they are enabled to make rapid progress. Relationships between pupils and staff are excellent and are firmly based on mutual respect and the value that is placed on each individual.

p.14

Personal development and relationships are outstanding, contributing significantly to

19. Pupils display very good attitudes towards their learning and are very positive about the school. They co-operate well with their teachers and settle down quickly to their tasks. They listen attentively to instructions and ask pertinent questions or seek advice and clarification when necessary. They show high levels of interest in what they are being taught and this leads to high levels of concentration. Their relationships with each other are friendly and helpful. They are able to work independently and in groups and help each other quietly and without fuss. They show respect for each other’s answers and occasional misunderstandings. The very high standard of behaviour is a characteristic of the school and is quite evidently a response to the teaching environment and not a result of stifling the pupils’ natural vitality and curiosity.

p.15

Personal development and relationships are outstanding, contributing significantly to

20. The positive attitudes, high standards of behaviour and personal development make a significant contribution to the overall ethos of the school and the positive climate for learning.

p.15

The curriculum provided is rich and varied and successfully broadens knowledge and

21. The curricular provision for children in the Foundation Stage and throughout the rest of the school is very good. The school strives to cater for the needs of all of its pupils and to secure success in a variety of subject areas and extra curricular activities. To this end, whilst much attention has been given to the core subjects of English , mathematics and science, the rest of the curriculum has not been neglected. A particular strength is the detailed and comprehensive curriculum planning. This provides a very good range of learning opportunities that captures pupils’ interest and progressively develops the basic skills.

p.15

The curriculum provided is rich and varied and successfully broadens knowledge and

22. The appropriate statutory curriculum is fully in place, including personal, social and health education. The school is working hard and achieving a measure of success to ensure that many subjects are linked together, so that learning is accelerated through pupils making connections across a range of subjects. The breadth and variety of learning opportunities are clearly seen in the amount of work produced and in the range of written work of pupils. The many lively and attractive displays in classrooms and around the school are not only aesthetically pleasing but are also an effective learning resource because of their rich and varied content. Pupils benefit from a well organised programme of activities outside the statutory curriculum and this enriches the life of the school. Members of staff give much of their own free time and this provides pupils with a variety of experiences that effectively broaden and support

p.15

The curriculum provided is rich and varied and successfully broadens knowledge and

their learning. These include visits in the locality and further afield. Residential visits help pupils to develop social skills as well as to learn about the area and undertake outdoor pursuits. For example, pupils have just returned from a visit to Coniston. The provision for physical education is very good both within lessons and after school. A rich and varied programme offers opportunities for all pupils to develop wide-ranging St James’ Catholic Primary School - 16 skills in many sports including netball, skittleball, rugby, baseball and lacrosse. Several pupils took part and achieved success, in the recent Manchester Youth Games. The school also participates in many inter-school sports events and this season won the Rugby championship, the Skittleball and Netball Tournaments. Musical activities are very much a part of the curriculum and the choir and musicians are used to performing in local community events as well as further afield in such

p.15

The curriculum provided is rich and varied and successfully broadens knowledge and

events as the ‘Vivace Primary Schools’ concert in Wigan and in the Summer Song Festival at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. These valuable experiences contribute positively to pupils’ personal and social development and promote an understanding of the importance of team effort and loyalty.

p.16

The curriculum provided is rich and varied and successfully broadens knowledge and

23. All in all, the breadth and richness of their experiences help to develop a good degree of self-esteem and confidence within the pupils and thus enable them to achieve high academic standards.

p.16

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The use of information and communication technology in all areas of the curriculum.

p.16

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

24. The school has placed a strong emphasis on developing the information and communication technology skills of the staff and pupils. A suite of computers has recently been installed to complement the equipment based in the classrooms and open teaching areas. There is a good programme of work in place and pupils are gaining good experience with keyboard skills, loading and using programs and saving their work. The suite is well designed and is used as much as possible, as are the computers in the classrooms. All classes have the opportunity to use the suite each week but the time allocated to each class does not always enable the most benefit to be gained. For example, older pupils could sometimes benefit from a longer session where they could complete a project and younger pupils need more frequent short spells. Some good teaching was observed during the inspection and this is helping pupils to accelerate their skill acquisition and broaden their experience in using

p.16

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

information and communication technology. However, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop the skills they learn in the suite during other lessons and this restricts their learning. Few lessons seen during the inspection included the use of computers to support pupils in their learning in other subjects. Teachers’ plans do not regularly highlight how the use of information and communication technology will be integrated into the lesson.

p.16

The quality of the School Improvement Plan so that it more accurately reflects the

intentions for the long term development of the school.

p.16

The quality of the School Improvement Plan so that it more accurately reflects the

25. The leadership and management of the school are very strong and underpinned by a strong commitment to continuous improvement. There is clear evidence to show that the school monitors and evaluates its performance and diagnoses its strengths and weaknesses and takes effective action to secure improvements. However, although the headteacher articulates a clear vision for school improvement and fully involves staff and governors in a strategic planning cycle to move the school forward, the written school improvement plan does not fully reflect the good intentions and the clear agenda which the staff and governors evidently have for bringing about improvements. The current plan covers only one year and lacks clear evaluations on progress to date. Whilst it does include a detailed improvement plan for one of the St James’ Catholic Primary School - 17 identified priorities, namely information and communication technology, it lacks

p.16

The quality of the School Improvement Plan so that it more accurately reflects the

specific detail about other areas for development. For example, the school rightly identified the need to focus on improving the standard of pupils’ writing but the detail about how this was to be done is not included. The fact that the school has been successful in achieving its objective is largely a result of the purposeful leadership of the headteacher and English co-ordinator and the good team spirit and willingness of all staff to co-operate together. All in all, this lack of a clearly written broad and focused plan, which presents a long term view of the priorities for development with clear and specific targets, makes it difficult for the school to accurately assess the effectiveness of objectives set and the measures taken to achieve them.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

26. In order to build upon the school’s many strengths and high attainment levels, the Governing Body, headteacher and staff should:

p.17

1)raise standards in information and communication technology by:

• identifying opportunities for the use of information and communication technology where possible in everyday teaching;

p.17

1)raise standards in information and communication technology by:

• revising the current timetable arrangements for use of the ICT suite to ensure more effective use of the available time.

p.17

2) improve the quality of the written school improvement plan so that it:

• more adequately reflects the identified intentions for school improvement, covers a longer period than at present and is more broadly focused;

p.17

2) improve the quality of the written school improvement plan so that it:

• includes more detail about the tasks to be undertaken, the personnel involved, the time scale, the resources needed and the criteria by which success can be evaluated. St James’ Catholic Primary School - 18

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

18 18 52 12 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y6

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 283

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 9 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 44

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

p.18

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St James’ Catholic Primary School - 19

p.18

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 15 28 43

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 13 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 26 25 27

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (87) 88 (92) 98 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 13 13 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 26 26 27

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 91 (87) 91 (90) 98 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82 ) 88 (86 ) 88 (87)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.19

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 16 24 40

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 14 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 20 24

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 93 (89) 88 (92) 98 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 11 14 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 19 22

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 78 (89) 83 (94) 93 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St James’ Catholic Primary School - 20

p.19

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 3 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.

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.3 Financial year 1999

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 444995

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1601

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 100 Balance brought forward from previous year 28116

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 31032

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE)

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult FTE means full-time equivalent. St James’ Catholic Primary School - 21

p.20

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 56 39 3 0 2

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 61 36 2 0 1

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 52 7 2 1

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33 49 16 1 1

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 31 1 2 0

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 68 32 0 0 0

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 38 53 7 0 2

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 62 35 3 0 0

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 66 30 3 1 0

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 39 14 7 7

p.21