St Andrew's Church of England Primary School

St Andrew’s Church of England School - 1

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SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 th – 7 th February 2001

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SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Andrew’s Church of England School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Lane Middle Chedworth Cheltenham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev D Hutchin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3 rd – 5 th February 1997 St Andrew’s Church of England School - 3

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Team members

21138 Adrian Simm Registered inspector 19694 Moira Kerr Lay inspector

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Team members

The inspection contractor was: Chase Russell Limited

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Team members

85 Shores Green Drive Wincham Northwich Cheshire CW9 6EJ.

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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 Andrew’s Church of England School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 15

St Andrew’s Church of England School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Andrew’s Church of England School is a co-educational Voluntary Aided school for pupils aged between four and eleven years. It serves the village of Chedworth and surrounding smaller communities. The school is much smaller than other primary schools and currently educates 72 pupils in three classes, 37 boys and 35 girls. Of these, 13 are reception pupils who are taught with Year 1 pupils. Each of the classes is mixed age. The school is popular. Around 23 per cent of pupils attend the school from out of the area. This is by parental choice. Approximately four per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average. All pupils come from homes where the first language is English. About 18 per cent of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs and of these, four per cent have a statement of Special Educational Need. This is higher than other schools.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Generally four year olds have attended pre-school provision. Attainment of pupils on entry is variable but average overall. Out of a small staffing complement, two teachers are new to the school this academic year. The current head teacher officially took up post only two weeks before the inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school. Standards are increasing and the school effectively prepares its pupils for living in a multi-cultural society. By 11, pupils’ results are generally well above the national average and either equal to or in advance of similar schools. On occasions and in different subjects at the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2, standards fluctuate. This happened in reading with seven year- olds and science with eleven-year-olds in 2000. However, English standards overall remain consistently high. Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good. The high standards achieved are as a result of the good leadership of the school that encourages very high quality teaching. Although the school receives higher than average funding, it ensures that pupils who have average attainment generally on entry to the school achieve well above average standards by the time they leave. Both

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

higher and lower attainers achieve effectively. As a result, the school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Achieves consistently very high standards in writing by pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 and in English by the end of Key Stage 2. • Takes steps to improve pupils’ standards particularly in English, mathematics and science, by identifying all pupils’ needs, checking their progress and deciding what else needs to be done to improve standards even more. • Very high quality teaching and learning. Teaching encourages all pupils to achieve their best. • The relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff are generally very good. This is part of the school’s strength in promoting very good behaviour, attitudes and personal development. Pupils’ enthusiasm for school shows in everything they do.

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What could be improved

St Andrew’s Church of England School is effective in analysing its work and identifying areas for improvement. It is already taking steps to improve the following areas which the inspection confirms as correct priorities;

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What could be improved

• Maintaining the focus on raising pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science as other areas are developed. • Ensuring that children in the combined Reception and Year 1 class continue to have access to a well designed curriculum that now takes full account of the six areas of learning recommended for Reception children as well as the National Curriculum and other national strategies for Year 1.

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What could be improved

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

St Andrew’s Church of England School - 6 The school was last inspected in February 1997 and shows good improvement. Pupils’ standards of work have continued to rise and their attitudes to work and each other have improved further. The quality of teaching has improved significantly overall and quite specifically in information and communications technology. A number of curricular areas have been reviewed including design and technology, history and geography. Also, literacy and numeracy have been reviewed in line with national strategies. Whilst the focus of planning for development is more prioritised and effective, subjects policies have not been adjusted to take account of any alterations coming from their review.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English A A A* A well above average above average A B

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Key

mathematics A A A C average below average C D

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Key

The school achieved the high targets it set for itself for improvement this year in English and mathematics. The school’s standards show continued improvement in core subjects together although both mathematics and science dipped in 2000, particularly against similar schools. This was also the case in reading and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1. However, numbers in year groups at St Andrew’s are frequently less than ten pupils. As such, one child represents a large percentage of each year-group. This has a greater effect on data trends than would be the case in larger schools. In science in 1998 and in English in 2000, standards at the end of Key Stage 2 were in the highest five per cent nationally. This is also the case at the end of Key Stage 1 in reading in 1998 and in writing in 1998 and 1999. From work seen during the inspection and from discussion with pupils and from hearing them read, pupils are achieving well and making good progress in most aspects of their work. Achievement in

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Key

information and communications technology throughout the school is good and improving.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good: pupils are keen to learn and eager to succeed.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good both in lessons and around the school. Behaviour on the playground is good; sometimes boisterous but generally harmonious.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils take responsibility for their own actions. They are supportive of each other and show respect for their school. Their initiative, independence and confidence are developing very well. All pupils relate very well to each other within a strong ‘community’ atmosphere.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good and just above the national average. Pupils arrive promptly at the start of the school day. This has the effect that lessons start on time and teaching is not interrupted by pupils arriving late.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils work on their own, in pairs and in larger groups, and generally persevere until tasks are complete. This was particularly obvious with a group of Year 4 pupils trying hard to get a set of results from a fair test they were carrying out in science. The working atmosphere that has been developed throughout the St Andrew’s Church of England School - 7 school allows adults to concentrate on teaching and pupils to concentrate on learning. Higher attainers and pupils with special educational needs are equally keen to learn . Pupils understand their own strengths very well and generally strive hard to overcome their weaknesses.

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

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

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

During the inspection, the quality of teaching was at least satisfactory in all lessons. It was good in ten per cent and very good in 70 per cent. Most teaching in English and mathematics was very good at both Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils strive to do well and all generally show the initiative, independence and desire to succeed, that is expected of them. This develops as pupils move through the school and on most occasions, pupils’ learning is very good. When teaching is simply satisfactory rather than good or better, this is because of staff very new to the school or covering for the permanent teacher and not quite adjusting work for some pupils appropriate to their individual levels. In one lesson during the inspection with Years 5 and 6, pupils did not achieve as well as they might with the spelling of words that were mostly too hard for them. The National Literacy and Numeracy strategies have been very well introduced

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

and the teaching of skills are good throughout school. Those pupils requiring additional support in literacy and numeracy are taught a broad range of strategies. They learn very well how to improve their work so that they can use different techniques across a range of other lessons. Teachers remind them of these strategies as necessary. Homework is used appropriately to add to pupils’ learning opportunities and increases in amount as pupils get older.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Whilst the curriculum meets statutory requirements and gives pupils a broad experience of all the subjects, the school has not yet completed its review of the Foundation Stage. The school offers a good choice of activities outside of lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs make good progress on work designed especially for them.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Staff have high expectations of pupils’ personal development and act as good role models within a strong Christian ethos. This ensures that pupils develop a very mature understanding of their moral and social responsibilities. Good provision is made for spiritual development and for pupils to appreciate cultural traditions.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good procedures are in place for supporting pupils in maintaining their good behaviour. The school takes steps to improve pupils’ standards particularly in English, mathematics and science, by identifying all pupils’ needs, checking their progress and deciding what else needs to be done to improve standards even more. This is continuing to develop. Pupils’ welfare is looked after appropriately.

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Aspect Comment

The school is rightly proud of its developments in information and communications technology (ICT) and good plans are in place to move this on further. The curriculum is planned well and each element receives appropriate time. When swimming is timetabled, this affects the amount of time that can be given to other aspects of physical education for that period. Lunchtime and after-school clubs extend St Andrew’s Church of England School - 8 the opportunities well for pupils at Key Stage 2. Child protection procedures in place are currently being reviewed. Attendance registers are not always completed consistently.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff This is good and ensures a clear educational direction for the school. Its Christian ethos and aims are reflected well in all aspects of school life.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its basic duties in areas such as planning, financial control and health and safety. It does not yet ensure that its annual report to parents is as clear as it might be on the success of its special educational needs policy and how it would ensure fully inclusive education for pupils who are disabled. Whilst the curriculum committee has been involved in reviewing subject areas, subject policies have not been updated in the last few years. Whilst governors already understand the school’s strengths and what else needs to be done for it to improve further, they intend to be more active in their day-to-day involvement.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school’s planning document is clear and its consultation and implementation methods are thorough. The school analyses its assessment results in English, mathematics and science, compares its success against other schools and sets appropriate targets for improvement. It takes steps to work out what is working well and why from its regular evaluations of pupils’ work, and how the results of this could improve planning. The school is developing this further with the inclusion of non-core subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Resources, including a range of voluntary funds, are targeted well at priorities for development.

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Aspect Comment

The new head teacher has very high expectations and it is clear that everyone shares her vision for continued improvement. She recognises that all staff need to be more fully involved in planning and monitoring subject development, teaching and pupils’ progress, so that the impetus of one development can be maintained as the school moves onto another. The school compares itself with other schools, seeks to improve its standards and ensures it spends wisely by researching options before deciding on a way forward. It seeks to apply the principles of best value and has plans to consult more widely with parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The expectations of the school that children will work hard and achieve their best. • The good progress made by children. • The good teaching. • Children are becoming mature and responsible. • Their knowledge of how their children are progressing. • The working relationship of the school with parents. • The range of activities outside of lessons. • The balance in what is expected of pupils in working at home. • The ease with which they can approach school with a question or problem.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The findings of the inspection agree with what pleases parents about the school. In relation to the areas some parents would like to see improved, inspectors consider that for the number of staff available, the school offers a good range of activities outside of lessons. They consider the current amount of homework is satisfactory, meets the expectations of the majority of parents and is far from being St Andrew’s Church of England School - 9 excessive. The other areas, which some parents would like to see improved, are all to do with how the school relates to and communicates with parents. Whilst inspectors find this aspect of school life to be satisfactory, the new head teacher already has plans to find out more about parents’ views of the school and to make it easier for parents to approach the school with questions or suggestions.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

St Andrew’s Church of England School - 10

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Achieves consistently very high standards in writing by pupils at the end of Key

Stage 1 and in English by the end of Key Stage 2.

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Achieves consistently very high standards in writing by pupils at the end of Key

1. On entry to school, the majority of four-year-olds have attended pre-school provision and their attainment, whilst variable, is broadly in line with the national average. The results of the national tests in 2000, show that at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ performance in reading was above the national average and well above in writing and mathematics. Whilst reading and mathematics compare slightly less favourably against similar schools, at above average in mathematics and average in reading, writing remains well above average. Although results in reading and mathematics vary slightly year on year, writing has remained consistently well above average for the four years from 1997. On two occasions, in 1998 and 1999, pupils’ results were in the top five per cent nationally.

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Achieves consistently very high standards in writing by pupils at the end of Key

2. In national tests in 2000, at the end of Key Stage 2, whilst pupils’ performance in science was satisfactory and well above average in mathematics, the school’s results in English were within the top five per cent of schools across the country. This very high level in English happened previously in 1997 and has remained at least well above average each year since. The targets set by the school for improvement this year in English and mathematics were appropriately high and met at the expected standard of level four or above.

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Achieves consistently very high standards in writing by pupils at the end of Key

3. The school’s standards show continued improvement in English, mathematics and science together although separately, both mathematics and science dipped in 2000, particularly against similar schools. However, numbers in year groups at St Andrew’s are frequently less than ten pupils. As such, one child represents a large percentage of each year-group, which has a greater effect on data trends than would be the case in larger schools. Despite slight fluctuations in the mathematics and science results, the schools’ combined results of the three core subjects show that the progress pupils have made year on year between the age of seven years and 11, puts the school in the top five per cent of schools nationally. It continues to improve at the same rate as the national trend but at a higher level.

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science, by identifying all pupils’ needs, checking their progress and deciding what

else needs to be done to improve standards even more.

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science, by identifying all pupils’ needs, checking their progress and deciding what

4. The head teacher and staff challenge themselves and each other to try to ensure that pupils receive the most effective teaching and support that can be provided. The head teacher supports and monitors teachers’ planning. This already builds upon very good knowledge of children’s strengths and weaknesses gathered as they start at the school and builds progressively as pupils move through the school. Recently introduced assessments in literacy, numeracy, science, religious education and another chosen area of focus add to teachers’ knowledge of what the children know and understand. Quite recently, staff focussed on examples of children’s fiction and non-fiction writing. This was to ensure full agreement between staff on what is an acceptable standard. Also to decide on what else should be done for those who need extra help to reach that standard or to extend those already well ahead of it and to see if any approaches

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science, by identifying all pupils’ needs, checking their progress and deciding what

being used are unduly impeding either boys or girls.

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science, by identifying all pupils’ needs, checking their progress and deciding what

5. Increasingly the school is using data for comparison with other schools and levels that are standardised for comparison with other children nationally. This is checked annually following the national assessments at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Also, since last May, the school has been building information on pupils’ reading levels using assessments twice a year. Staff are now monitoring this information so that extra support can be offered to any pupil who is not improving sufficiently, whether they are a higher or lower attainer. The school is good at St Andrew’s Church of England School - 11 identifying those pupils who require a boost in their work and providing additional support for this. This includes the setting of learning targets including good individual education plans for those pupils in need of some individualised teaching. The head teacher has plans to introduce year group targets to ensure that appropriate levels are being maintained within classes where,

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science, by identifying all pupils’ needs, checking their progress and deciding what

in a school of this size, different year groups will always be taught side by side. As the school develops even further its strengths in information and communications technology (ICT), it intends to use this technology to improve its methods of planning for and recording pupils’ progress. Constant discussion between staff extends everyone’s understanding of what is working and what could be improved for all pupils regardless of their age.

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science, by identifying all pupils’ needs, checking their progress and deciding what

6. The governing body has developed its direct involvement in school life since the last inspection in February 1997. Their development planning for the school is now much clearer and precise so that progress towards agreed targets for the school as a whole can be evaluated. The school improvement plan prioritises subject development over a three-year period, with very detailed targets for the current year. The governors involvement and knowledge of school life from visits and committee meetings is satisfactory and helps to maintain the staffs’ focus on the developments in hand. Governors intend to increase their ‘first hand’ knowledge and involvement in school life so that they can be more supportive.

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Very high quality teaching and learning. Teaching encourages all pupils to achieve

7. During the inspection, teaching was satisfactory or better in all lessons. Ten per cent of lessons were good and 70 per cent, very good. Most teaching in English, mathematics and science was very good at both Key Stages 1 and 2.

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Very high quality teaching and learning. Teaching encourages all pupils to achieve

8. In an English lesson with Years 2, 3 and 4 every second of time was used profitably. This was clear both in a quick paced starter to the lesson where pupils grouped ‘Christian’ names into alphabetical order and during the main activity where pupils had to identify key moments in a story. The lesson was clearly planned so those pupils of different ages and attainment could gain equally from the teaching. A story very well read by the teacher with changes of pace and tone of voice, maintained an excitement for all. Very good questioning throughout, directed at times to individual pupils, both maintained concentration and let the teacher know at what level different pupils understood the story. Pupils strove to do well and were successfully encouraged to bring their own feelings to the story by describing how ‘Jack’ might have felt when he first saw the ‘beanstalk’; such as shocked, worried or awed. The questioning also developed the concept

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Very high quality teaching and learning. Teaching encourages all pupils to achieve

of ‘key moments’ in a story, which the different year groups pursued at appropriate levels during the rest of the lesson.

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Very high quality teaching and learning. Teaching encourages all pupils to achieve

9. The same style of approach was evident in most lessons where teaching and learning were very good. Teachers know at what levels the pupils are currently working. They are clear what they want the pupils to know by the end of the lesson and how they are going to organise the lesson including the classroom support staff, to ensure that all pupils learn. Frequently, older and more able pupils work more independently and are set tasks, which demand much initiative. This was very evident in a science lesson where some Year 4 pupils worked mostly on their own to find out the average from a set of results obtained from a fair test. The number of variables for them was ‘taxing’ but they rose to the challenge. In a mathematics lesson warm-up, support staff worked very hard to ensure that all pupils, but particularly those needing extra clues, were achieving successfully. They were carefully helped by open-ended questions that helped pupils

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Very high quality teaching and learning. Teaching encourages all pupils to achieve

to draw a shape that had ‘only one side’ or ‘to draw a shape that was the result of cutting a circle in half’. At Years 5 and 6 in science, pupils gained in knowledge about the moon as a result of the teacher’s own knowledge, interest and enthusiasm. Through discussion, pupils’ current understanding was clarified about the ‘present’ has developed from the ‘past’. Another strength of teaching in this particular lesson was how it incorporated very good cross-curricular work. This included linking developments in lunar knowledge to the Greeks and Romans and to the Apollo Projects. St Andrew’s Church of England School - 12 10. On rare occasions lessons had some weaknesses as well as strengths and teaching and learning was simply satisfactory rather than good or better. This was because of staff either very new to the school or covering for the permanent teacher did not quite adjust work for some pupils and make it appropriate to their individual levels. As such, some Year 1 pupils were not

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Very high quality teaching and learning. Teaching encourages all pupils to achieve

quite able to investigate non-standard measurements as independently as had been expected of them although some other pupils more directly supervised achieved good estimates as to the comparable lengths of ‘coiled shapes’. Some Year 5 and 6 pupils struggled with their spelling test on words connected with their science project. Very few pupils spelt words such as ‘quasar’ correctly and many had more words discouragingly wrong than right. The warmth of pupils’ support and understanding for each other was obvious. Although a small minority were worried by the experience most pupils came to terms with their disappointment easily, and did not let it affect their good learning in the rest of the lesson.

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attitudes and personal development. Pupils’ enthusiasm for school shows in

11. Ninety seven per cent of parents responding to the parents’ questionnaire for the inspection reported that their children like going to school. They arrive promptly and some who arrive early work well together prior to the start of the school day. They work conscientiously in lessons, respond quickly and are eager to contribute. This is throughout the school. For example, in the reception class children offered viewpoints on the relative weight of different items about to be weighed. In Years 2, 3 and 4 children described key elements of a shape for their friends to guess its name. Whilst in Years 5 and 6 pupils helped each other to decide the difference between a lunar and solar eclipse. Pupils with additional learning needs are integrated well into lessons, are actively engaged in learning, confident to answer questions and work conscientiously. In lessons where there is good differentiation, all pupils are enthusiastic when

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attitudes and personal development. Pupils’ enthusiasm for school shows in

tackling activities. Pupils are very clear about their own strengths and very open about areas of uncertainty. They support each other on this very well.

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attitudes and personal development. Pupils’ enthusiasm for school shows in

12. Behaviour in lessons is very good due to the high level of staffs’ skills in ensuring well-organised lessons appropriate to children’s age and ability. Pupils agree both individual and class-targets and this is just one way of giving children the chance to recognise and regulate their own behaviour before needing any reminders. When a pupil even indicates that they may be about to behave in an unacceptable way, both teaching and support staff deal with it gently and effectively with such high level of skill that the flow of the lesson is not interrupted. This skill in managing behaviour has a very positive impact on the achievements of the pupils as it ensures maximum time is spent on learning. Behaviour was also good in the playground during the inspection. Some pupils were boisterous but generally harmonious and the school has taken steps to offer the younger and older children some separate time on the playground at

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attitudes and personal development. Pupils’ enthusiasm for school shows in

13. Relationships between pupils and adults in the school are very good with mutual respect being very evident. Pupils take responsibility for their own actions. They are supportive of each other and show respect for their school. Their initiative, independence and confidence are developing very well. All pupils relate very well to each other within a strong ‘community’ atmosphere. They are very polite, friendly and helpful to visitors. Pupils enjoy the responsibilities of assigned jobs around the school, such as setting out the hall for assembly, and collecting work at the end of lessons. Pupils’ acknowledgement of each others’ feelings and of good work helps to build the type of relationships that can be seen for example with a spontaneous flood of personal ‘Get Well’ cards to a classmate when in hospital. It is also developed through older and younger pupils reading together at set times in the week, which extends the family atmosphere. A large

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attitudes and personal development. Pupils’ enthusiasm for school shows in

majority of parents consider that the school expects pupils to achieve their best within a setting where maturity and responsibility are also very important. The result is good attendance at St Andrew’s Church of England School - 13 school that is slightly higher than the national average and pupils who have very good attitudes to their learning and show much interest in their work and care for their fellow pupils.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

St Andrew’s Church of England School is effective in analysing its work and identifying areas for improvement. It is already taking steps to improve the following areas, which the inspection confirms as priorities;

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• Maintaining the focus on raising pupils’ standards, particularly in English, mathematics and science, as other areas are developed.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

14. The school‘s improvement plan is very clear on the time scales set out for reviewing and developing all of the subjects of the national curriculum. This is scheduled over a three-year period for example, with science scheduled at the current time, religious education and personal, social and health education during the summer term 2001 through to art being the last subject in the summer term of 2003. A different subject is scheduled for each term in between and this is appropriate for such a small school with limited staffing levels.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

15. All staff are involved in developing all subjects. The school had a major push on reading between 1996 to 1998. It developed schemes of work, approaches to improving reading for all pupils regardless of ability, developed the school library, involved parents more in their children’s reading, encouraged volunteers to help in school and ran events such as ‘book fairs’. During this period, pupils’ standards increased across the school. In the case of standards at the end of Key Stage 1, from below national expectations to well above and at the end of Key Stage 2, to the same high level although the starting point was already above national expectations.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

16. Although year-groups are small in number and as a result, data on pupils’ standards year-by - year can only be an indicator of trends over time, the school realises that overall, pupils’ standards peaked in reading in 1998, particularly at Key Stage 1. Since then they have fallen slightly although they still remain higher than national expectations. This coincides with the school developing and coming to terms with national initiatives such as those for literacy and numeracy and more recently, the school’s own focus on writing. The school recognises that the individual assessment profiles introduced for pupils will help them monitor this type of fluctuation more closely and to maintain the momentum of developments as the school changes its focus to other curriculum areas.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

17. With the very recent changes of staffing, the school has yet to come to terms with allocating subject responsibilities to individual teachers so that they can take the lead in developing areas in line with the school’s improvement plan. Teachers have not had time previously, to support other staff during the school day, in developing ideas, monitoring the success of teaching and learning, and checking on pupils’ progress particular to their own subject responsibility. The head teacher has plans to do this soon as an aid to maintaining standards in one area as the focus for development changes to another.

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learning recommended for Reception children as well as the National Curriculum and

other national strategies for Year 1. St Andrew’s Church of England School - 14 18. One priority for the current school year set out in the school’s improvement plan is to write a policy for the ‘Early Years’ and to develop a scheme of work and planning to ensure that Foundation Stage pupils are taught appropriately alongside Year 1 pupils. Whilst this has started and plans are good to date, staffing changes have slowed the process, which was scheduled for completion by April 2001. The school is also coming to terms with a change in the balance in numbers between reception children and those in Year1, which has affected how the classroom can be best arranged to provide the breadth of experiences necessary for a good foundation stage curriculum.

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learning recommended for Reception children as well as the National Curriculum and

19. The school plans in co-operation with other schools. This is good especially bearing in mind the small size of the school and its access to professional debate. It is working with a group of other schools to ensure that its Early Years policy and approaches are as good as they can be. The Local Education Authority supports these meetings. The school is also working with the local day nursery to co-ordinate approaches that will ease the transfer of pupils into school life and give children an even better start. This is to be applauded. The school recognises the importance of these developments and the completed policy is scheduled for approval by the governing body in April 2001.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

20. In order to improve further the high quality education provided for the pupils, the governing body and head teacher should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Monitor progress in addressing the areas which both the school and the inspection identified for improvement;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Maintaining the focus on raising pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science as other areas are developed.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensuring that pupils in Reception and Year 1 continue to have access to a well designed curriculum that now takes full account of the Foundation Stage’s early learning goals as well as the National Curriculum and other national strategies for Year 1.

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 10 St Andrew’s Church of England School - 15 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

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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) 72

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 or 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 9

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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 0

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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 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

Attainment data at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 is not included in this report as the year group sizes were less than 10 pupils . St Andrew’s Church of England School - 16

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

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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) 3.7 Financial year 1999/00

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.7

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 165696

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 2270

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 48 Balance brought forward from previous year 8496

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 7627

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Andrew’s Church of England School - 17 22. Results of the survey of parents and carers

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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. 47 47 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 31 60 9

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 21 55 21 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 16 58 24 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 29 11 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 53 42 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 30 46 16 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 39 50 8 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 42 50 5 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 39 34 24 3

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