St Paul's CofE Primary School, Leamington Spa

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th – 20 th June 2001

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 192773 Full 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 Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Upper Holly Walk Leamington Spa Warwickshire

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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: 10 th March 1997 St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 5

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Team members

21581 M. Speakman Registered inspector 11229 M. J. Freeman Lay inspector 22949 I. Addis Team inspector 5241 C. Millband Team inspector

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Team members

‘Grasshoppers’ 1 Anglesey Close Chasetown Burntwood Staffordshire WS7 8XA

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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 Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 18

St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Paul’s Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School is situated close to the centre of Leamington Spa. Most pupils live in the surrounding locality. There are 294 on roll. The majority of pupils are of white ethnic heritage and speak English as their first language. Nine per cent of pupils are from Indian communities. Ten per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language, this is a higher proportion than is usual. Nineteen per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals; this is a high proportion compared to the national average. Children enter the nursery at the beginning of the school year in which they are four. Their attainment on entry to nursery is similar to that generally seen. Thirty seven per cent of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs. Four pupils have Statements of Special Education Needs. This is a higher proportion of the school roll than is

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St. Paul’s Primary School is an effective school with a strong Christian ethos that provides all of its pupils with a positive climate for learning. Standards at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT) are in line with those expected. The quality of teaching is good overall, with particular strengths in the teaching of ICT at Key Stage 2. The school is very well led by an energetic and hardworking headteacher who is realistic about what needs to be done to improve the school further. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that children make a positive and secure start to school life. • The provision for ICT is well organised and the teaching of this subject at Key Stage 2 is of a high standard. • The headteacher and senior management of the school provide very effective leadership. • Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. This is instrumental in promoting pupils’ positive attitudes towards school and each other. • Procedures for the monitoring and assessment of pupils’ progress and attainment are very thorough. The findings are used very effectively to inform the planning of the curriculum and to set pupils’ targets for achievement. • The partnership with parents is very good.

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What could be improved

• Some afternoon lessons at Key Stage 1 are too long. Many pupils find it difficult to sustain their interest throughout the lengthy sessions allocated for design and technology and art and design. • In science, pupils do not have to have sufficient opportunities to plan, carry out and record investigations and experiments. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in March 1997. There has been good progress in addressing the key issues from that inspection and in maintaining or improving standards. Provision and standards in ICT have improved considerably and pupils’ attainment at the age of eleven is now in line with national expectations. Much effort has been put into devising workable systems of assessment and monitoring of progress; these are now secure and well used to inform target setting and curriculum and lesson planning. Some aspects of teaching that required attention have been dealt with well. Teachers define learning objectives for English and mathematics very carefully, although this is not always the case in other subjects. There has been a strong focus on ensuring appropriate provision for gifted, talented and highest attaining pupils and the school’s provision for these pupils is improving.

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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 B A C A Well above average above average A B

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Key

mathematics A B C B Average Below average C D Science A A C B Well below average E

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Key

At the age of eleven, the rate of improvement in the national tests is similar to that seen nationally. In 2000, pupils’ attainments were in line with national averages in all three subjects. These are similar standards to those seen during the inspection. Attainment at the higher level 5 was more variable being above the national average in English, in line in mathematics and below in science. When compared with similar schools, attainment is very much higher in English and higher in mathematics and science. These attainments were lower than those achieved in 1999. However, there was a higher proportion of pupils with a high level of special educational need in 2000 than in 1999. Targets for attainment set for 2001 are higher than in 2000 and early indications are that they should be achieved. At Key Stage 1, in 2000, test results were very low in reading and writing and low in mathematics. The school has

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Key

recognised the need to improve levels of attainments and a good deal of additional support has been committed to pupils currently at Key Stage 1. This is proving effective in raising standards as is demonstrated by 2001 national test results. These show that the number of pupils achieving the expected levels in the national tests in reading, writing and mathematics are considerably higher than those seen in St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 9 2000. The findings of the inspection reflect these. However, attainment at the higher level (level 3) is not as high as in 2000.

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Key

Children in nursery and reception make a secure start to school life and achieve well. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is good. The pupils who speak English as an additional language make similar progress to their peers. Taking account of tests results over three years, girls attain higher than boys at the ages of seven and eleven. The school is aware of this issue and has a range of strategies in place to raise attainment of boys. Overall, pupils are achieving satisfactorily. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and are keen to learn. They respond well to the challenges they are set.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils usually behave well in class and around the school. There are occasional lapses in good behaviour towards the end of the lengthier lessons at Key Stage 1.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils grow in confidence. They fulfil their roles and responsibilities within the school community effectively. Relationships in the school are positive

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is satisfactory and in line with the national average.

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

Lessons seen overall Good Satisfactory 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 week of the inspection, teaching was good or better in fifteen lessons (sixty five percent of lessons), with five lessons (twenty two per cent) being satisfactory and three lessons (thirteen per cent) were unsatisfactory. The principle features of the better lessons are the high expectations of what pupils can achieve and the brisk pace at which the lesson proceeds. Pupils respond well to the challenges these lessons set and make good progress in their learning. In the unsatisfactory lessons the pace of teaching is too slow, time is not used efficiently and the tasks allocated the pupils do not enable them to make as much progress as they could. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good at both key stages 1 and 2. The teaching of the youngest children is very well organised and the provision in reception builds most effectively on the approach used in nursery. Pupils with special educational needs are supported very well throughout the school and this

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

enables them to make good progress towards their individual learning targets. Higher attaining pupils are, on the whole, appropriately challenged, although sometimes opportunities are missed to provide them with more demanding tasks than their classmates.

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

Pupils’ learning is good. When teaching is effective, pupils give of their best, take a pride in their achievements and make good strides in learning. They show a high level of interest in their work and mostly concentrate well. However, at Key Stage 1, many pupils find it difficult to maintain their interest and concentration through the lengthy sessions devoted to art and design and design and technology. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. The provision for children in nursery and reception is very good. The school provides a broad curriculum that covers all subjects and meets statutory requirements. However, the organisation of the design and technology and art and design curriculum for children between the ages of five and seven does not best suit the learning needs of pupils of this age. The organisation of the science curriculum at Key Stage 2 does not give enough opportunities for investigative and experimental science.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils are supported very well in lessons and benefit considerably from the additional help they receive. The procedures for identifying them and monitoring their progress are most efficient.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Provision is efficiently managed. Pupils who need additional support are carefully identified and their progress is regularly evaluated.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. There are particular strengths in the provision for social and moral development. The provision for spiritual development is enhanced greatly by provision of the reflective area and courtyard.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are good procedures in place for child protection. The monitoring of pupils’ academic attainment and their progress is very well organised and the data is well used to identify aspects of provision that need improvement. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 12

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher has initiated a very good pace of development. He gives strong and energetic leadership and manages the school very effectively. Senior staff have a clear understanding of their roles and give the headteacher good support.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors have a clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are appropriately involved in the school’s planning for improvement. The chair of governors has a very detailed knowledge of the work of the school and a productive working relationship with the headteacher.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher makes very good use of assessment data and monitoring evidence to identify areas for school improvement. He acts on the evidence available promptly and improvement is taking place at rapid pace.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good overall. Staff are deployed and used effectively. Good use is made of additional work areas such as the studio and computer suite. Although time is mainly used efficiently, there are some weaknesses in the use of time at Key Stage 1. The quality of the accommodation and school grounds is good. Recent refurbishment to the Key Stage 2 accommodation and the provision of a computer suite has done much to improve the quality of provision. The school is very well kept by the caretaker and his staff.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school is well led and managed. • The school expects their children to work hard. • Parents feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or problems • Their children like school • Their children make good progress at school. • Some parents thought the quality and administration of homework needed improvement. • Some parents were concerned about the impact on their children’s learning of being in mixed age group classes. • Some parents would like more information about what their children are learning currently.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The parents have a very positive view of the school. The inspectors agree with most of the parents’ positive views about the school. Although generally expectations of what pupils can achieve are high, more could be expected of higher attaining pupils in some lessons. There was a considerable range of views about the quality and quantity of the homework. The inspectors consider that pupils receive a reasonable amount of homework that is appropriately linked to their work in school. The school recognises the need to increase the level of information parents receive about what work their children are covering currently and has detailed plans to address this concern. The inspectors take the view that the school’s organisation of mixed age classes ensures that there is very little or no negative impact on the pace of pupils’ learning. The curriculum is structured to ensure that pupils in mixed age classes do

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 13 not repeat work unnecessarily. There is also some teaching of literacy and numeracy in ability groups throughout the school and additional support is provided for pupils who are having difficulties with literacy and numeracy. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 14

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

children make a positive and secure start to school life.

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

1. At the time of the last inspection, provision and teaching were found to be satisfactory overall. The school’s nursery unit has been in place for just less than two years so was not established at the time of the last inspection. There has been considerable improvement in the quality of provision and teaching in the reception classes since then. Provision is now very good and teaching is consistently of a high standard in both nursery and reception.

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

2. The Foundation Stage 1 co-ordinator is based in reception. Nursery and reception staff plan the curriculum together, they have a thorough understanding of the requirements of the Early Learning Goals and through careful planning ensure that all aspects of the Foundation Stage are covered at an appropriate level for the children. There are clear and useful systems in place for planning the curriculum and children’s progress is assessed against the “Stepping Stone” statements in the Foundation Stage guidelines. These inform further planning of the curriculum and the organisation of children’s learning.

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

3. Children flourish in the secure and friendly environment of nursery and reception. Teachers are very successful in promoting children’s independence in learning through the organisation of the curriculum and the expectations adults have of children. Children are required to opt for certain activities at the beginning of the session and to see these through to a successful end. This system is further developed for the older children in reception. By the end of reception children have developed a good level of confidence and independence in their approach to learning and understand that they have responsibility for organising their time. They are interested in the activities that are provided, concentrate for a good length of time and see their tasks through to a creditable end. Children in reception were able to explain clearly how the system worked. One child when asked why he was not at the play dough table, which he said was his favourite, replied “because I haven’t put

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

it on my card for today”. Throughout the Foundation Stage, teaching and non- teaching staff use every opportunity to develop children’s personal and social skills. The daily programme in both units is well balanced, with time being carefully divided between teacher led and independent activities. All aspects of the curriculum are well catered for.

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

4. The teaching of language, literacy and mathematical development is good throughout the Foundation Stage. By the time children are five and leave the reception classes most will achieve the Early Learning Goals in these areas with a few pupils working at the early stages of the National Curriculum. Children in

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

1 The Foundation Stage applies to children from the age of three to the end of the reception year. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 15 nursery have a range of language skills that are similar to those of other children of this age. However, some children’s speech lacks the level of clarity that would be expected at this age. Children listen very well to adults and benefit from the interesting range of activities provided. Early literacy skills are well promoted through stories, games and rhymes. Children were seen enjoying the rhyme and repetition of the rhyme “Incy Wincy Spider”, particularly as they could demonstrate the story with plastic spiders, guttering and water! These early experiences are built on well in reception. Children handle books carefully, they are beginning to understand how a story is structured and benefit from activities such as ordering pictures to make a story. Higher attaining children are beginning to write simple

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

sentences about the stories they hear. One reception class was seen sharing a Big Book made from the children’s own paintings and writing. All the children were given the opportunity to read their writing to the class and all, including those children who speak English as an additional language, were prepared to do so; reading one by one, mostly in loud, confident voices. Teachers never miss an opportunity to promote language, extend children’s vocabulary and their understanding of letter sounds and the printed word. This mix of incidental and planned teaching and learning is also a strength of the Foundation Stage approach to mathematical development. In nursery, there are well-planned activities to teach key mathematical skills such as counting, sorting, matching, and recognising patterns and numbers. These are complemented by the inclusion of mathematical language and concepts being built into everyday conversation and events. A conversation with children

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

about how they might use the Wet Area and the utensils available gives the teacher the chance to use the language of capacity such as “full”, “empty”, “less than”. Staff make good use of questioning to give children a chance to talk about what they understand and to use the vocabulary they are acquiring. The topic on mini beasts, as well as extending children’s knowledge and understanding of the world around them, is also used as a vehicle for promoting mathematical concepts. Children count the legs of spiders and crickets, they make models of beetles and spiders and check that they have given the mini-beasts the correct number of legs and antennae. These early experiences serve them well when they move into reception and towards the end of their time in reception many children are able to recognise digits up to twenty, are undertaking simple addition and subtraction activities with numbers up to and sometimes beyond ten. They show a good command of the language of

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

shape. For example, explaining that that a cube has “square flat faces”.

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The very good provision for children in nursery and reception ensures that

5. Throughout nursery and reception teachers and support staff demonstrate high expectations of what children are capable of both in terms of their learning and their social and personal development. Staff have a good understanding of the learning and emotional needs of these young children and they provide secure and worthwhile environment in which children may thrive.

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The provision for ICT is well organised and the teaching of this subject at Key

6. The findings of the last inspection were that standards in ICT at the end of Key Stage 2 were below national expectations and that some teachers were in need of additional support in order to improve their competency. This was a key issue for the St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 16 school to address and it has done so with considerable energy. Consequently, the provision for ICT is now well organised and the teaching of this subject at Key Stage 2 is of a high standard. Standards of attainment achieved by pupils at the age of eleven are securely in line with national expectations.

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The provision for ICT is well organised and the teaching of this subject at Key

7. Since the last inspection, the time allocated for the teaching of ICT has been increased for pupils at both key stages. All pupils have the opportunity to work in the recently established computer suite. It was evident in the lessons observed during the inspection that all teachers, including those who did not consider themselves as “experts”, have a good level of confidence in this subject. They have benefited from the support they receive from the subject co-ordinator and from a programme of in- service training.

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The provision for ICT is well organised and the teaching of this subject at Key

8. Direct observations of teaching during the inspection and scrutiny of pupils’ work on display indicate that at Key Stage 2 teachers give pupils opportunities to use ICT for a wide variety of purposes. For example, they use programs to help reinforce spellings, create spread sheets to show information clearly and use information programs to support their learning in subjects such as geography and history. Teachers’ lesson planning is clear and builds usefully on the termly curriculum planning. The computer suite is well used to introduce and reinforce pupils’ skills at the same time as enhancing their learning in other subjects. In a Year 5 and 6 lesson, the teacher required the pupils to research information about the heights of mountains. Pupils were able to track down the information efficiently in an encyclopaedic program. Higher attaining pupils were expected to complete their tasks quickly and were provided with the task of finding out additional detail.

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The provision for ICT is well organised and the teaching of this subject at Key

They were able to do this and to produce a bar chart showing the information accurately. Teachers are well supported by a classroom assistant who has a good level of expertise in ICT. He has a positive rapport with the pupils and supports them effectively. His encouragement and help do much to promote their confidence in this subject.

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The provision for ICT is well organised and the teaching of this subject at Key

9. Both pupils and teachers are enthusiastic about this subject. Teachers were observed making very precise use of subject specific language (such as “cell” in relation to spread sheets) with an expectation that pupils would understand – and they did. In a good lesson observed for pupils in Year 5 and 6 the task set rightly presupposed that pupils were able to use reference materials efficiently. They could scroll down a list quickly to find the section they needed, quickly skimming the text until they found the relevant information. The whole lesson proceeded at a very brisk pace and pupils concentrated really hard. The teacher later provided follow up activities that helped to consolidate their understanding of how to construct spreadsheets.

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The provision for ICT is well organised and the teaching of this subject at Key

10. The ICT curriculum is further enhanced by the provision of two lunchtime clubs a week. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have opportunities to visit the Rover Technology Centre at Gaydon to develop their understanding of control technology. The school has a detailed three-year development plan for ICT, has invested wisely in the subject and subsequently standards are rising. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 17

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The headteacher and senior management of the school provides very effective

11. The school is very well led and managed. Since his appointment a year ago, the headteacher has worked energetically to establish a swift pace of change and development. He has a clear sense of the school’s educational direction. His energetic and inclusive style of management has had a positive impact on the school. A great deal has been accomplished in a comparatively short time, notably in the establishing and development of an effective and positive approach to behaviour management and in addressing the key issues from the last inspection. The headteacher is skilful at recognising the various strengths of the staff and in giving them opportunities to develop their particular talents to the benefit of all. Currently the school is without a deputy headteacher. This role has been very competently shared between the Key Stage 2 and Early Years Co-ordinator. They give the headteacher very effective support and work in close accord with each

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The headteacher and senior management of the school provides very effective

12. The headteacher has established very efficient systems to monitor how the school is functioning. Direct monitoring of teaching by the headteacher, Key Stage and subject co-ordinators and analysis of test data are further supplemented by regular scrutiny of pupils’ work by co-ordinators and headteacher. There are regular discussions about planning and the headteacher scrutinises teachers’ lesson planning. The programme of staff development is very closely linked to the school improvement initiatives. The positive impact of this programme was seen during the inspection particularly in the improvements in the teaching of ICT and in the good quality of literacy and numeracy teaching throughout the school.

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The headteacher and senior management of the school provides very effective

13. The headteacher recognises where there is a need to raise standards, particularly in reading and writing at Key Stage 1, and additional support has been provided which has enabled the school to give extra help to pupils in Years 1 and 2 who most need it. Improvements in the number of pupils’ achieving level 2 are an indication that this approach is beginning to pay off.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. This is instrumental

in promoting pupils’ positive attitudes towards school and each other.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. This is instrumental

14. The school’s strong Christian ethos is clearly expressed in its mission statement and reflected in its aims. It is evident in the daily life of the school and in the importance placed on the development of positive relationships between pupils and pupils and adults. There is a high level of mutual respect evident between adults and pupils and a commitment to the inclusion of all pupils, to enable them to achieve to their full potential.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. This is instrumental

15. The very good quality of provision for pupils’ social and moral development makes a considerable contribution towards promoting pupils’ good attitudes to school and to their learning. Attention to pupils’ personal development starts from the earliest age. Children in nursery learn through the experience of working together to share and take turns. They discuss with great seriousness the need to care for all living creatures, and why it is cruel to squash a snail. Every day they St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 18 have an opportunity for reflection during “Quiet time” and share their ideas and thoughts in turn, listening well to each other and the teacher. As they move through the school, they become increasingly aware of the school’s expectations of social behaviour. Class rules are displayed in all classrooms and well supported by the pupils. The school has a clear moral code and pupils understand the difference

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. This is instrumental

between right and wrong. The school rewards positive effort and behaviour in a wide variety of imaginative ways including certificates, praise at weekly achievement assemblies, stickers, badges and afternoon tea with the headteacher.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. This is instrumental

16. The school is successful in providing opportunities for pupils to develop their independence and to show initiative. There are numerous opportunities for pupils to undertake a wide variety of monitorial duties, For example, a group of Year 5 inherited the responsibility of overseeing and organising the lunch boxes of pupils who have a packed meal at lunch time. They were very proud of the responsibility that had been accorded them and took their duties seriously. The school has a School Council with members from each class from Year 1 upwards. This represents the pupils’ views on the life of the school and makes suggestions for improvements. For example, it was a Schools Council initiative that a water fountain should be provided in the school playground. The school has a large number of out of lesson clubs. Pupils report that they try them out before deciding on which ones to join and appreciate that they have a wide choice.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. This is instrumental

17. Spiritual values are well developed through many aspects of school life. The schools’ reflection area and courtyard have an atmosphere of tranquillity that is most valuable in providing a haven of peace for pupils or staff who need it. In the reflection corner pupils have posted their own prayers, many of which demonstrate their concerns for the welfare of others in the school and in their families. Assemblies offer good opportunities for quiet reflection and prayer as part of pupils’ daily experience.

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attainment are very thorough. The findings are used very effectively to inform

the planning of the curriculum and to set pupils’ targets for achievement.

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attainment are very thorough. The findings are used very effectively to inform

18. The use of assessment information was a key issue at the time of the last inspection. Since then the school has developed its procedures considerably and makes very effective use of assessment results to fine tune the provision for individual pupils, especially those with special educational needs. Teachers meet children who are entering nursery in their own home. This helps them to get to know the children and make some preliminary plans for their learning and social needs when they arrive at school. As they move through the school, pupils’ progress is carefully tracked through a mixture of close observation, scrutiny of their work, testing and assessment. The data from these assessments is very carefully used to pinpoint each pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and to adjust their work accordingly.

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attainment are very thorough. The findings are used very effectively to inform

19. Teachers set pupils’ targets for improvement in literacy and numeracy once a term and these are recorded on target setting sheets and shared with the pupils. Pupils have a record of achievement for which they select work of which they are St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 19 proud and this provides them with a record of their progress as they move through the school.

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attainment are very thorough. The findings are used very effectively to inform

The partnership with parents is very good.

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attainment are very thorough. The findings are used very effectively to inform

20. The parents hold the school in very high esteem. This is clearly shown by the responses to the parents’ questionnaires, the comments of those parents who attended the parents meeting and in conversations with parents during the week of the inspection.

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attainment are very thorough. The findings are used very effectively to inform

21. The school provides a good range of information to parents. School publications such as the prospectus and the information for parents of children starting in nursery are clear and user friendly. Some parents said they would like more information about what their children are currently learning and the school is aware that they need to develop this aspect of their regular newsletter. Annual reports to parents are detailed and informative.

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attainment are very thorough. The findings are used very effectively to inform

22. Parents find the staff and headteacher most accessible when they have concerns and are confident that any difficulties their children have in school are dealt with quickly and effectively. Parents particularly appreciate the presence and accessibility of the headteacher in the front playground of the school at the beginning and end of every school day. They are very supportive of the school’s approach to behaviour management.

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attainment are very thorough. The findings are used very effectively to inform

23. About a dozen parents help regularly in school, and their help is valued by the staff. The support they are asked to give is carefully planned for and they make positive contribution to the life of the school.

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difficult to sustain their interest throughout the lengthy sessions allocated for

design and technology and art and design.

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difficult to sustain their interest throughout the lengthy sessions allocated for

24. At Key Stage 1 design and technology and art and design are taught in sessions that last about two hours. One teacher takes responsibility for teaching one of the subjects to all three Key Stage 1 classes on a rotating timetable (with religious education as the third subject) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. These sessions are far too long for such young pupils to sustain their interest or concentration throughout. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 20 25. Pupils were observed in the last half-hour of a design technology lesson taking part in a whole class discussion about the principle of a simple winding mechanism. The teacher used an interesting model to show the use of an axle to aid the winding process. But the pupils were tired and fidgety and had clearly had enough of exploring this process which they had been doing for the last two hours. A parallel art and design lesson started well with the teacher’s clear exposition of how

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difficult to sustain their interest throughout the lengthy sessions allocated for

pupils could use plants from the school grounds as the starting point for a design. She drew an enthusiastic response from the pupils and they settled to work to devise their designs with support from the teacher and support assistant. However, pupils could not sustain this high level of concentration over a lengthy period and as the lesson wore on the teacher had to intervene increasingly to ensure that pupils stayed on task and behaved sensibly.

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difficult to sustain their interest throughout the lengthy sessions allocated for

26. Teachers commented to inspectors that the organisation for the remaining days of the week was much more effective. This was because those afternoons are split up into shorter sessions and pupils are able to sustain their concentration well for the whole of each lesson and cope well with the change over from one activity to another.

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In science, pupils do not have to have sufficient opportunities to plan, carry

out and record investigations and experiments.

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In science, pupils do not have to have sufficient opportunities to plan, carry

27. Although only two science lessons were observed during the inspection, evidence was also taken from discussions with pupils and with the science co- ordinator and from scrutiny of written work and teachers’ short term planning. Findings from this evidence indicate that at both the ages of seven and eleven pupils achieve standards that are in line with national averages. These findings reflect those seen in the national tests taken at the age of eleven in 2000. However, they are dissimilar to the results of teacher assessments taken by pupils at the age of seven in 2000. These results indicate standards much lower than the national average in terms of the number of pupils achieving level 2 or above but higher than the national average in terms of the number of pupils achieving the higher level (Level 3). Taking account of national average points score over four years, pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with the national average.

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In science, pupils do not have to have sufficient opportunities to plan, carry

28. By the time pupils are seven and eleven they have a satisfactory understanding for their age of the required scientific knowledge outlined in the national curriculum programmes of study. Their experimental and investigative skills are less well developed than their scientific knowledge. Pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 are able to record their work neatly using simple grids in which to show their findings, with higher attaining pupils being able to measure very precisely. However, there is insufficient opportunity for pupils to say whether things happened as they expected or for the higher attaining pupils to consider whether the tests they carry out are fair or not.

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In science, pupils do not have to have sufficient opportunities to plan, carry

29. Likewise, older pupils at Key Stage 2 show a reasonable knowledge of scientific facts and use scientific vocabulary accurately in their writing. A scrutiny of written work and conversations with pupils shows that they have too few St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 21 opportunities to devise their own scientific investigations or experiments, select their own equipment, draw conclusions and present their findings systematically.

p.20

In science, pupils do not have to have sufficient opportunities to plan, carry

30. In both the lessons observed at Key Stage 2, teachers had prepared their lessons about the function and structure of human teeth very carefully. They used an interesting range of resources effectively, including a model of a lower jaw and a dental record. However, teachers’ questioning was not always sufficiently open ended to promote the pupils’ scientific enquiry. For example, information was given about the function of enamel but there was no consideration or discussion about what pupils think would happen if it were damaged. A range of follow up tasks are planned for pupils of differing attainments and the activities are at different literacy levels but the scientific content remains the same. Thus, the more capable scientists in the class, although challenged in terms of their literacy skills, are not given the opportunity to extend their scientific thinking.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

31. The headteacher in partnership with the governing body and staff should now:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) At Key Stage 1, ensure that the pace of learning and pupils’ interest are maintained throughout art and design and design and technology lessons, by reducing the length of individual lesson in these subjects. (Paragraphs: 24-26)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the quality for provision for science by giving pupils regular opportunities to plan, carry out and record investigative and experimental activities. (Paragraphs: 27-30) St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 22

p.21

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 22

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

0 22 43 22 13 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 14 280

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 56 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 4 109

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 29

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 17

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 24

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 23 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 20 25 45

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 11 11 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 21 22

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 73 (78) 71 (78) 82 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 11 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 22

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 73 (81) 78 (84) 80 (78) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 15 24 39

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 13 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 15 23

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 79 (87) 72 (80) 95 (93) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 13 11 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 15 18

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 79 (87) 71 (84) 84 (93) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 24 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 1 0

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Any other minority ethnic group 18 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers and classes Financial information

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.4 Financial year 1999/2000

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.6

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 572 656

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 12 Expenditure per pupil 1 796

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 165 Balance brought forward from previous year 44 100

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 51 309

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 14

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 1

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per FTE adult 7 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Paul’s Church of England Primary School - 25 Results of the survey of parents and carers

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 48 2 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 41 50 6 1 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 38 20 3 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 55 8 0 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 58 41 1 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 51 46 1 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 39 51 6 0 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 55 43 2 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 43 4 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The range of activities outside lessons 45 46 4 1 4

p.25