St Margaret's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 th April – 1 st May 2001

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PRIMARY 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.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Town Street Horsforth Leeds

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: December 1996 St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 4

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Team members

21024 Mr R A Robinson Registered inspector 19339 Ms S Evasdaughter Lay inspector 1390 Mr A H Markham Team inspector 23898 Mrs J Schaffer Team inspector

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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 Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a large primary school for boys and girls aged from four to eleven years that serves the local area of Horsforth near Leeds. It has 391 full-time pupils, 205 boys and 186 girls. There is a very small proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. Three pupils speak English as an additional language, but their English skills are well developed and do not require extra support. Forty-three pupils (11 per cent) are on the register of special educational needs which is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is about average. Children’s attainment on entry to the reception class is broad and, overall, about average. Fifty-seven children under the age of six are taught in the reception classes (the Foundation Stage). The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is about eight per cent which is below the national

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

average. The number of pupils at the school has increased significantly since the last inspection because of the popularity of the school. The school is on two sites about 1.5 miles apart. Funding is now available to accommodate the whole school on one site and the governors are currently working with the local education authority to plan the redevelopment.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. Pupils have very good attitudes to work, behave very well and relate very positively to one another and to the staff. The school’s performance in the latest reported results of the national tests for eleven year olds was well above average. The pupils achieve very well overall as the quality of teaching and learning is good. The leadership and management by the governing body, the headteacher and senior teachers are very good. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The quality of teaching and learning is good, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very good progress. • The leadership and management of the school are very effective. • Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the community is very good. • The school fosters pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well.

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What could be improved

• Recent national curricular guidance for the children in the reception class has not yet been fully implemented and the tracking of the children’s progress from the time they start school to entering Year 1 requires further development. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good improvements since the last inspection in December 1996. High standards in English, mathematics and science have been maintained. The quality of teaching and learning remains good and there is now no unsatisfactory teaching. Pupils’ very good attitudes to their work, their behaviour and their personal development are still of a high standard. The school continues to be very well led and managed. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 7 The areas for improvement were successfully addressed as shown below:

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

• The curricular planning for mathematics, geography and history is improved and follows recent national recommendations. • There is a comprehensive range of books to support teaching and learning. • The provision for information and communication technology has been enhanced significantly through the introduction of high specification computers and high quality support equipment and software. The recent development of a scheme of work for the subject, which follows national recommendations, provides opportunities for pupils to develop their expertise at an appropriate level.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The strong commitment of the staff, the strengths in the teaching, and the leadership and management place the school in a favourable position to continue to improve standards.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English A* B A A very high (highest 5% nationally) well above average A * A

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Key

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

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Key

• As can be seen from the above table, in 2000 standards in the national tests for eleven year olds in English, mathematics and science were well above average both compared to the national average and in comparison to similar schools. The school has maintained high standards since 1996. • Inspection judgements of the performance of this year’s group of pupils at Year 6 show that results may fall a little this year because more pupils have special educational needs than in 2000. Pupils achieve well between the ages of seven and eleven. • The results of the national tests for seven year olds in 2000 showed pupils’ performance, compared to the national average and similar schools, to be well above average in writing, above average in reading and average in mathematics. Inspection judgements of this year’s group of pupils at Year 2 are above average in English and mathematics, which reflects improvements in the teaching of mathematics. Pupils’ achieve well relative

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Key

to their prior attainment between the ages of six and seven. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 8 • Pupils by the age of eleven, including those with special educational needs, achieve very well relative to attainment on entry to the school. Children in the reception classes make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development; however, in letter formation they make insufficient progress. In addition, the children have too few opportunities for the further development of their learning in an outdoor environment. Overall, children’s achievement in the reception classes relative to their attainment on entry to the school is satisfactory. The school is on course to meet its challenging targets for the proportion of eleven year olds who will reach expected levels in English and mathematics as the teaching and learning are good.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good; the pupils are enthusiastic in lessons and eager to learn. They maintain a lively interest in their activities and work very well.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good; high standards of behaviour are apparent in lessons and around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good; the pupils relate very well to each other and their teachers. The pupils take on responsibilities willingly. They become increasingly mature and this enhances their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good; attendance is well above average.

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overall

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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overall

• The quality of teaching and learning was very good in 15 per cent of lessons, in 59 per cent it was good and it was satisfactory in 26 per cent. • The teaching and learning in five of the six lessons observed in the reception classes were good and in these lessons children made good progress; however, examination of children’s work showed that the teaching and learning of letter formation was unsatisfactory. In addition, the lack of adequate outdoor accommodation restricts teachers’ planning for further opportunities to quicken children’s progress in all areas of learning. • Throughout the school teachers plan their lessons very well, use a good range of appropriate strategies and develop the learning of basic skills well overall. The teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy skills are effective. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach and set activities for pupils with high expectations of

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overall

the outcomes; the pupils respond enthusiastically to the teaching and they work productively. Lessons are very effectively managed and as a result the pupils behave St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 9 very well and work at a good pace. Very good use is made of capable classroom assistants; they help pupils very well, particularly pupils with special educational needs. • The opportunities to develop literacy and numeracy in other subjects are good. Information and communication technology assists the teaching and learning in other subjects well, particularly in literacy. • The teaching meets the needs of the pupils well, including higher attainers and pupils with special educational needs, as teachers’ lesson plans build effectively on pupils’ previous learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum for six to eleven year olds is good; it is broad and balanced with particular emphasis on developing the skills of literacy and numeracy. The school’s recently revised guidance for the reception classes does not provide sufficient detail for teachers to develop children’s letter formation nor provide sufficient opportunities for children to develop their learning in an outdoor environment.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The curricular provision for the children with special educational needs is well organised and effective.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The very few pupils who speak English as an additional language have well-developed skills in their English and do not require extra support.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school makes very good provision for personal development through the contributions of assemblies, religious education lessons and the very carefully planned programme for personal, social, health and citizenship education. The overall provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are appropriate procedures in place for managing health and safety. Members of staff know the pupils well and respond to them in a caring and supportive way.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership and management by the headteacher and senior teachers are very good. They work very well with the subject co- ordinators who are effective. The senior staff, together with the other teachers, work extremely hard to ensure that the two school sites provide equal opportunities for pupils to make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body has a very good, varied range of expertise and governors have a clear understanding of the school gained through regular meetings and visits to the school. The governing St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 10 body fulfils its responsibilities very well indeed. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 11 The school’s evaluation of its performance The school development plan is a most effective document formulated and evaluated by staff and governors resulting in the maintenance of high standards. The monitoring of teaching and learning is good, though the tracking of children’s progress is underdeveloped in the reception classes.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school deploys its staff well to support teaching and learning. Staff expertise is developed very well and the school is very well placed to train new teachers. The accommodation at both sites is satisfactory, though by having two sites a burden is placed on management time and some duplication of resources is necessary. The lack of suitable outdoor areas for children in the reception classes limits teachers’ opportunities to develop the curriculum. There is a high standard of financial planning and financial administration. The governors are committed to ensuring the best use of available resources for the benefit of pupils through careful planning, comparisons of costs with other schools and wide consultation when embarking on major initiatives.

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improved

• Children like school, behave well and become more mature and responsible. • Children make good progress because the teaching is good and the school has high expectations that they will achieve well. • Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress and find the staff approachable. • The school works well with parents and they are comfortable talking to staff. • The leadership and management of the school are good. • A few parents feel the amount of homework is inappropriate. • Some parents would like to see a larger range of activities outside lessons.

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improved

Inspectors agree with the very positive views of the parents; however, they disagree with the views of a minority of parents regarding homework and the range of activities available outside lessons. The amount of homework is generally appropriate for the age of the pupils. The school consulted with parents before implementing the policy for homework and parents were sent a copy of the policy. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities, particularly sport. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 12

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

1. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. Five lessons observed were very good, 20 lessons were good and nine lessons were satisfactory. Overall, pupils’ achievement by the age of eleven, relative to the attainment on entry to the school in the reception classes, is very good because of the good standard of teaching throughout the school and the very good attitude to work, behaviour and personal development of the pupils.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

2. In the reception classes the children make good progress and achieve well in the area of personal, social and emotional development. Teachers have high expectations of both behaviour and work which they fulfil through effective class control within a caring environment, resulting in children responding positively and confidently to the teaching. In the best lessons in the reception classes the children gained a better understanding of letter sounds when the teacher used a glove puppet to introduce new sounds. The children were very attentive and excited and responded quickly and enthusiastically to the teacher’s questions. Lower attaining children developed a deeper understanding with the effective support from classroom assistants and parent helpers. The rapport between the children and with their teachers is very good; this was seen in a carefully planned dance lesson. The teacher’s enthusiastic and lively demonstrations spilled

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

over to the children. Children danced with a partner well, bowing, clapping, joining hands and dancing around with their partner in a controlled and sensible manner. They were keen to improve because they knew they would have opportunities to perform for their parents and the rest of the school at an assembly.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

3. In lessons, planned particularly to develop the children’s personal and social skills, small groups of children sit with their teacher on the carpet and play games which develop children’s confidence in expressing themselves in front of others. The children are very interested and take turns, listen carefully to the views of others and sustain concentration well. As well as providing opportunities to enhance children’s personal, social and emotional development, these sessions contribute well to the development of speaking and listening. This was seen clearly in the good progress lower attaining children made in expressing their feelings in response to the teacher’s careful questioning. Similarly, higher attaining pupils were given opportunities to articulate clearly their views on the ways to develop friendship through sharing and good behaviour.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

4. By the age of seven the pupils’ performance is above average. Teachers have a good understanding of how to support pupils’ small steps of learning. Pupils are familiar with the work routines and class ‘games’ and are consequently confident, eager to participate and unafraid to ‘have a go’. Most pupils make good progress over time in the use of punctuation and higher attainers make very good progress in the content, style and maturity of written work. Pupils are interested in reading stories and generally read well for their age; for example, an able group of Year 1 pupils was very amused and interested in the double meaning implied in the story of ‘Big Bad Bill’ who meets a ghost called ‘Nobody’. Resources are used well to support pupils with special educational needs; for example, objects were used for identifying initial letter sounds St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 13 and pupils very thoughtfully sorted objects according to their initial sounds, making

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

good progress in discriminating between the letter sounds ‘m’ and ‘p’.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

5. In mathematics six and seven year olds concentrate very well and make lively responses to the teachers’ questions which are focused well according to the pupils’ level of attainment. This happened in a Year 2 lesson when pupils wrote their answers on whiteboards in a lively, quick manner and gained a deeper understanding of two-digit calculations. In group work teachers’ explanations are clear and as a result the pupils quickly organise themselves and start working productively. Pupils co-operate well together because of their very good relationships with one another; for example they pass resources to each other with care and attention. By the age of seven pupils’ attainment is above average. Lower attainers have a good grasp of number. They can add and subtract two digit numbers accurately and their work is presented well. Most pupils understand fractions such as ¼ and ½ and can tell the time correctly to the

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

nearest half-hour. Higher attainers’ work is neat and shows good progression with work being challenging. Number skills are well developed; pupils add and subtract confidently and use multiplication and division skills related to problem solving.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

6. By the age of eleven pupils’ performance is above average overall and a significant proportion is well above average for this age in English, mathematics and science. Pupils are very clear about what they are going to learn as teachers share the lesson objectives with them. Teachers have very good relationships with the pupils and these allow pupils to accept responsibility for their own learning. Other subjects are used well to develop literacy skills; for example, higher attaining pupils sorted sentences containing technical language relating to the science of light. The process of ordering the sentences was very challenging and developed pupils’ thinking well. Older pupils work very hard at their written tasks and show interest in constructing paragraphs well. Teachers very clearly identify what pupils are going to learn; this was demonstrated in a lesson to develop pupils’ understanding of persuasive writing. The teacher introduced

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

the lesson with a short role-play which captured pupils’ interest resulting in them being keen to learn and behaving impeccably. The follow-on activities were very well adapted to suit pupils’ stages of learning and the teacher assessed pupils’ understanding as the work proceeded. The pupils really enjoyed writing a different version of well-known stories such as ‘Humpty Dumpty’, explaining why he fell off the wall.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

7. Information and communication technology is used well to develop literacy skills. This was apparent in a Year 4 lesson which was taught in the computer suite. Pupils worked very enthusiastically and productively with a partner on a computer to develop a better understanding of the use of inverted commas. Higher attainers punctuated text accurately using full stops, exclamation marks, commas and inverted commas. Most pupils gained experience of demarcating sentences with inverted commas though were often inaccurate in the use of other punctuation. Lower attainers developed a better understanding through effective support from the teacher and the classroom assistant. The planning of the lesson was of a high standard and extension work was available for higher attainers. The pace of learning was brisk through the efficient use of a computer projector enabling the teacher to explain the new work to all and providing opportunities

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

for pupils to consolidate and extend the learning.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

8. In mathematics the organisation of groups of pupils into classes of similar levels of attainment is beneficial and assists pupils’ good achievements. Mental activities are brisk with pupils responding quickly and enthusiastically. Sessions are well planned and teachers ask questions in a lively manner which develops pupils’ enthusiasm. Pupils’ behaviour is very good and they are attentive and eager to learn; for example, when asked to plot a series of co-ordinates resulting in shapes on the four quadrants St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 14 they did so with enthusiasm and understanding. Lower attainers have good numeracy skills and use a range of diagrams, metric measures and decimals effectively. They can use calculators to work out fractions, percentages and probability. Most pupils present their work well and have good skills in the four rules, money, fractions, percentages and decimals and can calculate the mean, median and mode. Higher

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

attainers have well-developed skills in solving problems and their work is of a high standard. Work is well marked; teachers’ comments help pupils to appreciate how well they are doing and how they can improve. Expectations of teachers are high and the rate of progress at each level of attainment is good overall.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

The leadership and management of the school are very effective.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

9. The very good leadership and management are achieved through a very effective partnership between senior staff and governors. The headteacher leads the school very well and is supported by a strong senior management team which includes the deputy headteacher, the assistant head and the co-ordinator for the Low Lane School site. The senior managers work very well as a team and involve other staff successfully to develop the school further. There are regular scheduled staff meetings for teachers and classroom assistants with specific agenda items relating to the priorities in the school development plan. The co-ordinators take responsibility for their subjects and report on developments in their subjects termly in writing to the senior management team. The reports state clearly the progress being made towards initiatives detailed in the school development plan, the use of funding available for the

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

subject and areas requiring improvement. The very good leadership of the headteacher and the very effective management structure have enabled the school to maintain high standards despite the increased number of pupils and the problems associated with leading a school with two sites. The main aim of the school − ‘by working together we aim to achieve the best for our children by encouraging self- confidence, empathy, a sense of community and a desire to learn, enabling them to meet challenges of today and tomorrow’ − is met very well indeed. The shared vision for improvement places the school in a good position to raise standards further.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

10. The governing body is very active, dedicated and hardworking and fulfils its responsibilities very well. Governors are extremely supportive of the school and fulfil their role as a critical friend admirably. They meet regularly as a full governing body and as committees. They help to formulate the school development plan and monitor the success of initiatives effectively. The governing body plans for the future and keeps a close check on finances to ensure that it is able to maintain an adequate level of staffing for the present year and future years as well as to allocate finances for initiatives to raise standards further. Money was set aside wisely from last year’s allocations to fund expected costs relating to staffing and the purchase of computer equipment. The governors are very aware of the strengths of the school and of areas for development through their active involvement. This is achieved through visits,

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

observations of lessons and help with extra-curricular activities and in classrooms. In addition, they are informed by reports to the governing body from the headteacher, co- ordinators and governors with particular responsibilities for aspects of the school such as literacy, numeracy and special educational needs. Collectively, the governors have a wealth of expertise which is used to benefit and support the teaching and learning. The very effective partnership between the governors, staff, children, parents and the local education authority is a particular strength of the school.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

11. The monitoring of teaching and learning is good and results in overall effective teaching and learning. There are good procedures and systems for monitoring which have been developed well by the senior management team and officers of the local education St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 15 authority. The recent national requirements for performance management are firmly embedded at the school and build on previous systems. Monitoring and evaluation are planned and linked to priorities in the school development plan. Pupils’ progress can be tracked effectively for pupils in Years 1 to 6. Similarly, in the reception classes the overall progress of children can be ascertained from the results of the assessment on entry to school and at the end of the reception year in language and literacy, mathematical development and personal, social and emotional development. However, the procedures to track children’s small steps of learning in all their areas of learning at

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

regular intervals during the year have not been formalised. The school is very well placed to develop teachers’ existing skills and to provide training for new teachers.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

12. The school development plan is very good and is built up through contributions from all staff and governors. The previous year’s initiatives are analysed in detail. The priorities in the current year’s plan are extremely well thought out and are appropriate to move the school forward. Finances are linked well to the school development plan; there is a very good partnership between the capable school administrator, the senior management team and the local education authority’s finance officer. Members of staff are allocated a curricular budget and co-ordinators report termly on the use of the finance as appropriate.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

13. The accommodation at both sites is satisfactory overall, though the use of two sites places a burden on management time as well as necessitating some duplication of resources. The senior management team and other members of staff work industriously to ensure that pupils on both sites have equal opportunities and make similar progress. Ancillary staff provide good support for teachers through effective administration, good care of pupils at lunchtimes and by maintaining the environments of the sites very well.

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behaviour and personal development are very good; as a result, the pupils make very

14. The governing body is mindful of the need to ensure that finances allocated to the school are used purposefully for the benefit of pupils. Standards are closely monitored in comparison to the national average and to pupils in similar schools. Costs are compared with similar schools using the web site of the Audit Commission. The governors evaluate closely the use of funding through the very effective use of the school development plan. They take into account price, service and recommendations when awarding contracts and use the expertise of governors, such as when negotiating the development of the computer suite. The governing body consults widely when embarking on major initiatives.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

15. Parents hold the school in high regard. An extremely high percentage of parents (74 per cent) responded to the parents’ questionnaire and nearly all of the responses were positive. The significant proportion of parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting was very appreciative of the school.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

16. Almost all parents considered that their children make good progress, and praise, in particular, standards in literacy for six to seven year olds and standards in all subjects in Year 6. Some parents consider rightly that standards in mathematics and information and communication technology have improved since the last inspection.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

17. Parents believe very strongly that the school helps the children to become more mature and responsible and ensures that behaviour is of a high standard. The children enjoy coming to school and are proud of their work. Their children mix very St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 16 well and teachers put a lot of effort into ensuring that children at both sites get to know each other. Parents state rightly that bullying is not an issue at the school. The inspection evidence supports parents’ views that their children are very well behaved and the personal development of pupils is very good.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

18. Most parents consider that the amount of homework their children are expected to do is about right; however, a minority considered that there is too much, particularly in Year 6. Most agree that it is important that their children get some homework and consider the homework club useful. They realise that the school has high expectations of their children and feel comfortable approaching the school if they have any concerns or suggestions. Most parents believe the extra-curricular provision is very good. Inspection evidence confirms that the amount of homework is generally appropriate for the age of the pupils. The school consulted with parents before implementing the policy for homework and parents were sent a copy of the policy. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities, particularly sport.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

19. Parents praise rightly the leadership and management of the school, the very welcoming atmosphere and the dedication of the staff. They found the meetings held to discuss literacy and numeracy very helpful. They consider that since the last inspection there has been an increased focus on the individual child and that they are well informed about their children’s progress.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

20. Discussion with older pupils reflects the parents’ very positive views. Pupils state that relationships are special: ‘all teachers can be talked to and we are really close to them’. They appreciate the opportunities to be elected to the school council and believe it is a purposeful committee; for example, the recommendation of the school council resulted in £200 being allocated for playground equipment and mirrors in the Year 6 toilets. Pupils feel they have responsibility and consider they help to run the school. The pupils talk extremely well and are enthusiastic and appreciative of their school. They state that ‘this is a good school – teachers treat us with respect so we give them respect.’

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

21. The links with the local community are strong. The village and the local churches are used very well to enrich learning in subjects such as geography, history and religious education. Local businesses sponsor events as well as supplying equipment and furniture. At harvest-time pupils attend church services and then distribute gifts to senior citizens in the community. Elderly members of the community are welcomed to the Christmas celebrations. The school choir sings carols outside a local supermarket and coffee shop, and collect money to send to a national charity for the homeless. Through the links with the community pupils gain a better understanding of the community which enriches their personal development.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

The school fosters pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

22. The overall provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The school is a caring and happy community where each pupil is valued. It fulfils its aim − ‘to ensure that all children feel part of the school family with equal access to all school activities regardless of ability, race, creed, gender or background’ − very well. This has a very positive effect upon pupils’ achievements, their attitudes to work and their behaviour. Parents confirm that the school helps their children to develop in a mature and responsible manner.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

23. Teachers make very good use of school assemblies to develop the pupils’ spiritual awareness. There is a very good atmosphere in assemblies and the pupils realise St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 17 that it is a special time of the day. There is plenty of interaction between speakers and the pupils. Opportunities are provided for reflection through prayer, for example. Visitors, such as the local clergy who are governors, provide very effective support by regularly leading assemblies.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

24. The Children’s Charter begins with the statement, ‘Everyone at St Margaret’s School has a right to feel happy and safe’, and this is very apparent in practice through the charter. Together with the home-school agreement, the pupils have a very clear understanding of the high expectations of both staff and parents. Adults in the school are excellent role models and relationships between staff and pupils are very good. Bullying is not a problem and any minor incidents are dealt with politely, tactfully and effectively. Parents appreciate that children can write to ‘Trusty the Dog’ or the headteacher if they have any concerns.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

25. The pupils are given many varied opportunities to take on responsibilities and are fully aware of the contribution they can make to assist in the smooth running of the school. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 take responsibility for ensuring the grounds are free of litter whilst other pupils in Year 6 manage playground equipment, for example. There is a well-established school council which is chaired by a pupil from Year 6. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 have opportunities to care for younger pupils through planned regular visits to Year 2. Parents praise, particularly, the ‘buddy’ system that ensures an older pupil looks after a younger child.

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Parents and pupils think highly of the school, and the school’s relationship with the

26. Pupils gain a deeper understanding of their cultural heritage through their history work and visits to local museums. The school broadens pupils’ experiences of other cultures, such as in studies of Ancient Egypt. In religious education lessons the pupils are introduced to the beliefs and artefacts of major world faiths, such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The pupils consider how people’s lives are effected by their religious beliefs; for example, in a very well planned lesson about Martin Luther King, pupils reflected on his life and expressed their views sensibly gaining a better understanding of racial tolerance. The pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the ethnic and cultural diversity of British society is developed satisfactorily.

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been fully implemented and the tracking of the children’s progress from the time they

start school to entering Year 1 requires further development.

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been fully implemented and the tracking of the children’s progress from the time they

27. The nationally recommended curricular guidance for the Foundation Stage is being implemented during this academic year and features as a priority in the school development plan. The headteacher, early years’ co-ordinator and reception teachers attended training for the new requirement and sought advice from the local education authority. A clear draft policy for the Foundation Stage (the reception classes) was presented to staff recently; however, the curricular planning and guidance for teachers is still being built up during this year and will be evaluated at the end of the academic year. The school has realised already that the facilities to develop pupils’ learning in an outdoor environment are limited at both school sites. This affects pupils’ progress adversely as teachers have insufficient learning resources and suitable areas in order to develop fully the curriculum in an outdoor environment to

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been fully implemented and the tracking of the children’s progress from the time they

fulfil the national curricular guidance. Additional resources have been ordered and funded by generous contributions from a commercial company but suitable areas to develop the outdoor curriculum are not yet available. The co-ordinator’s report to the senior management team gives a detailed analysis of the present situation. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 18 28. The monitoring of children’s progress is underdeveloped and is not helping teachers sufficiently to plan future lessons to quicken children’s progress. Teachers are assessing children and tracking their progress on entry to the school and at the end of the academic year in language and literacy, mathematical development and in personal, social and emotional development. Day-to-day planning includes appropriate assessment opportunities; however, there is limited tracking of pupils’ progress in relation to the small steps of learning in all their areas of learning. As a

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been fully implemented and the tracking of the children’s progress from the time they

result, children are not achieving as well as they should in certain elements of the curriculum, even though the teaching seen in the reception classes was good, as the teachers are still developing the recent curricular guidance and the tracking of children’s progress over time. This occurs particularly in the development of letter formation and the development of learning in an outdoor environment. Few children, including higher attainers, reach the level expected of their age in letter formation. Examination of children’s work shows that the handwriting of higher attainers is below average and they make unsatisfactory progress during the reception year. Occasionally, teachers use unsuitable worksheets containing small print for children to insert words; this they are unable to do satisfactorily, as their writing is still large. Average attainers make insufficient progress over the year and many cannot write

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been fully implemented and the tracking of the children’s progress from the time they

their name correctly; however, the weaknesses in letter formation are picked up quickly in Year 1 and by the age of seven and eleven handwriting is of a good standard. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 19

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29. The governors and staff should undertake the following:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Implement fully the recent national curricular guidance for the reception classes through the following measures*: • the extension of the learning for children in suitable outdoor environments; • the improvement of the teaching of letter formation in the reception classes; • the further development of the tracking of children’s progress from entry to the school to the beginning of Year 1 in all their areas of learning. (Paragraphs 27, 28)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* This area for improvement has been identified already by staff and governors. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 20

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 13

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 391

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 33

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 43

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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 3

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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 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

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Attendance

National comparative data 4.3 National comparative data 0.3

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 21

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 34 22 56

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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 31 31 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 22

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (94) 94 (91) 98 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 31 34 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 22

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (96) 100 (96) 100 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 27 28 55

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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 24 25 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 25 21 26

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (83) 84 (85) 96 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 22 24 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 21 24

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 78 (83) 82 (85) 89 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 22

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 4 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15.8 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.7

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 629788

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Expenditure per pupil 1632

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 235 Balance brought forward from previous year 50000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 71238

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Margaret’s CE Primary School - 23

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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. 58 39 2 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 42 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 46 10 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 45 50 5 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 27 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 56 41 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 66 32 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 64 35 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 40 44 11 0 5

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