Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School

MOUNT CARMEL RC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th – 7 th March 2001

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MOUNT CARMEL RC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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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MOUNT CARMEL RC 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. Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Little Ealing Lane Ealing London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr G Spinoza

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3 rd – 6 th March 1997 Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 2

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Team members

23034 Mrs S Whitehead Registered inspector 8919 Mr J Kerr Lay inspector 21988 Mrs G Roberts Team inspector 29979 Mrs S Rowan Team inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 8

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Mount Carmel RC Primary is much bigger than most schools. It is situated in The London Borough of Ealing and is the Parish School of St Peter’s and St Paul’s, Northfields. There are fourteen classes which contain single year groups and there are two parallel classes for each year. The school accommodates 420 pupils and there are 26 places in the nursery. There are currently 429 pupils on roll and the school is over-subscribed. Pupils are aged three to eleven and there are more boys than girls, particularly in the Foundation Stage. Pupils are admitted from the parish and although most pupils come from the local area, others travel a considerable distance to attend. Most pupils live in owner-occupied houses in a favourable socio-economic area. Children’s attainment on entry is above average. Thirty- seven pupils, a high number, come from homes where English is an additional language and their main

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

languages are Polish, followed by French. Sixteen pupils are entitled to free school meals which is below the national average. Sixty-five pupils are entered in the school’s register of special educational needs; this is below the national average. Ten pupils have statements of special educational needs which is above the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Although the school has been successful in maintaining the high standards attained by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2, it is not as effective as it should be. The headteacher has not monitored or evaluated the performance of the school sufficiently to ensure that a consistently good quality of education is provided for all pupils. The quality of teaching and learning and the standards attained by pupils are not good enough in Key Stage 1. However, the satisfactory progress made by pupils in the nursery and the very good progress made by the end of Key Stage 2 represent satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science that are well above the national average and those of similar schools. • The quality of teaching is good in Key Stage 2 and very good in Year 6. • The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils throughout the school. • Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and their behaviour is very good overall. • Pupils have very good social skills and a strong sense of moral responsibility.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are below national expectations at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. • Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of pupils in Key Stage 1. • The monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the school is not effectively undertaken. • The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is inconsistent and unsatisfactory overall. • The use of assessment. • Planning and support for pupils with special educational needs within classes. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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What could be improved

This school has significant areas for improvement in the leadership and management of the school and the quality of teaching and learning in Key Stage 1. However, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses due to the good teaching in Key Stage 2 and the high standards attained by pupils at the end of the key stage.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The improvements made since the last inspection in March 1997 have been sufficient to maintain the high standards attained by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. However, the lack of regular monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the school has resulted in insufficient improvements in the quality of Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 5 teaching and learning in Key Stage 1 which was identified as a key issue in the previous inspection. The length of the school day has been increased and improvements have been made in art, design and technology. National Curriculum requirements are met in these subjects. There have been good improvements in the provision for music and this is now a strength of the school. Although more computers have been provided, attainment in ICT remains below national expectations and the full requirements of the National Curriculum are not met. Governors have improved their involvement in and

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

knowledge of the school and they have an effective oversight of the school’s budget. However, they are not sufficiently involved in school improvement planning. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment have been improved but the data collected is not used effectively to inform curriculum planning. Overall satisfactory progress has been made.

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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

1998 1999 2000 2000 In the highest 5% nationally A*

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Key

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

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Key

Standards in the 2000 national tests, at the end of Key Stage 2, in English, mathematics and science were well above the national average and better than similar schools overall. Since 1997, standards have improved at a similar rate to the national trend but have been maintained well above this. The school has set realistic targets for pupils in the 2001 tests and they are likely to achieve these. The results of the national tests at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2000 show that standards in reading were well above the national average and above similar schools. Results in writing were above the national average but close to those attained by similar schools. However, in the mathematics tests and teacher assessments in science, results were below those attained by similar schools. However, mathematics results were above the national average and the teacher assessment results in science were in line with the national

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Key

average. Over the last four years, the trend has been of declining standards. Inspection findings reflect the results of national tests in both key stages. The standards seen in writing, mathematics and science in Key Stage 1 were not high enough for the abilities of the pupils. More able pupils could often do better given more challenging work. Standards in reading remain high throughout the school. Children in the Foundation Stage maintain the above average attainment on entry and make satisfactory progress. Standards in ICT are below national expectations at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 because pupils have too few opportunities to learn and apply their skills in other subjects. Throughout the school, pupils do well in music. Pupils with special educational needs do not do well enough in mainstream classes.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good; pupils are keen to learn, attentive and they work hard to complete tasks. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good; both in lessons and around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and These are very good. Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 6 relationships Attendance Satisfactory, in line with the national average. Children in the nursery settle quickly into school routines and behave well. Throughout the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, pupils take an interest in their work and behaviour remains good. Behaviour is usually very good in Key Stage 2. Occasionally, when they are not with their class teacher, a few boys in Year 5 display inappropriate behaviour.

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

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

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

Throughout the school, the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory or better in 89 per cent of lessons; it was good or better in 28 per cent and very good in 11 per cent. In 11 per cent it was unsatisfactory. In Key Stage 2, where most of the good teaching took place, the teaching of numeracy and literacy skills was usually good or better. In Year 6, the teaching of English, mathematics and science was very good. The quality of teaching and learning was variable in Key Stage 1, ranging from very good to unsatisfactory, but it was unsatisfactory overall. Good or very good teaching was seen in Year 1 classes but there were examples of unsatisfactory teaching in mathematics and English in Year 2. In some Key Stage 1 lessons, teachers did not have high enough expectations of their pupils and the work set was often not well matched to their abilities. These weaknesses were also apparent in the

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

scrutiny of pupils’ work where there was an over reliance on the use of work sheets. The difficulties with teacher recruitment and retention have disrupted the continuity of education, particularly in one Year 2 class. Throughout the school, teachers made too little use of ICT as an integral part of their teaching and pupils’ learning, although there was more use in Year 6. Satisfactory teaching and learning took place in the nursery. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs was good in withdrawal groups and they made good progress against the targets in their individual education plans. However, they were not usually sufficiently supported within classes and their needs were not identified in teachers’ plans. Pupils having English as an additional language made similar progress to their peers.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory; suitable priority is given to teaching numeracy and literacy skills and the national strategies are followed. However, not all of the National Curriculum for ICT is taught. There is a good range of extra- curricular activities including sports, music and foreign languages. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Unsatisfactory because these pupils are not sufficiently planned for or supported in most lessons. Gifted and talented pupils are not identified. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory; these pupils acquire English at a fast rate and make progress at the same pace as others in their class.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. The good role models of staff, strong Catholic values and clear codes of behaviour ensure that pupils develop a very good understanding of moral and social values. However, insufficient use is made of the diverse cultures within the school. How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection are good and, for ensuring pupils’ welfare, they are very good. Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 7 The curriculum places a suitable emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills. Lessons and planned activities enrich the curriculum, particularly in Key Stage 2, and these enable pupils to think about a wide range of issues. The school makes good provision for cultural development through subjects such as art and music but pupils have few opportunities to learn about cultures other than their own. There are

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Aspect Comment

satisfactory systems for recording the results of tests and other assessments but this information is not analysed or used sufficiently either in lesson or long-term plans.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory; the school runs smoothly and is a well ordered community. However, senior managers and curriculum co-ordinators do not work well enough as a team to ensure understanding of the needs of the whole school. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory; governors bring good skills and expertise to the school and have a clear understanding of a range of issues. However, they are not sufficiently included in the strategic plans for long-term developments. The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory; teaching and learning are not effectively monitored. The school has a general view of its work but does not make enough use of data analysis to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The strategic use of resources Good, staff generally make good use of time and learning resources. They cope well in the cramped conditions of many Key Stage 2

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Aspect Comment

The school is successful in providing a secure, caring environment for its pupils. However, there has not been a strong lead to encourage everyone to pull together and question their performance. The deputy headteacher provides a very good role model for teachers and has been instrumental in the high standards attained by pupils in Year 6. The Key Stage 2 building is unsatisfactory for the needs of pupils, although teachers make the best use that they can of the limited facilities. The hall is not adequate for the large number of pupils in the school and limits physical education (PE) activities during inclement weather. The school makes satisfactory use of the principles of best value and good use is made of financial resources. However, there is insufficient comparison of performance against similar schools and there are no formal procedures for gathering the views of staff and parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children are happy at school. • The standard of behaviour is good. • The quality of teaching is good. • The school has high expectations of its pupils. • The school enables their children to become more mature and responsible. • The quality of the communications between the school and parents. • Stability of staffing; parents are concerned about the high turnover of staff. • Information about their children’s progress, including strengths, weaknesses and comparisons with national levels. • Partnership between the school and the parents. • The quality of leadership and management. • Information about homework. • The range of activities outside lessons. • The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with most of the parents’ positive comments, although inspection findings are that teaching is not good throughout the school, only in Key Stage 2. They judge that communications with Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 8 parents should be improved; although the frequency of newsletters is adequate, the tone is insufficiently friendly and parents do not receive enough information about their main concerns, for example, changes to teachers or classes. Information about homework is sent home at the beginning of each academic year. There has been a high turnover of staff but the difficulty in recruiting teachers is a national one. The school does provide sufficient consultation opportunities for parents but annual reports do not include enough information about the strengths and weaknesses of pupils’ learning. The inspection judges that leadership and management are satisfactory and the areas for improvement are contained within the

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

summary. Inspectors share parents’ concerns about the provision for pupils with special educational needs but find that the range of extra-curricular activities is good. Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 9

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

that are well above the national average and those of similar schools.

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

1. The results of the 2000 national tests, at the end of Key Stage 2, are well above the national average in English, mathematics and science and well above the results attained by similar schools in English and science. Nearly all pupils attained the expected Level 4 and about half of the pupils attained high standards (Level 5). The school’s results have improved at a similar rate to national improvements over the last four years and standards have been maintained well above the national average.

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

2. In English, pupils make at least good progress in Key Stage 2 and usually very good progress in Year 6. Year 3 pupils begin to use punctuation such as speech marks accurately and their writing is becoming interesting because they use relevant adjectives and adverbs. Pupils use dictionaries confidently to support their spelling. By Year 5, pupils’ writing skills have developed well and they write in many different formats, making good use of bullet points and sub-headings where appropriate. They use punctuation well and their spelling is accurate. In Year 6, pupils write for many purposes using expressive vocabulary. Words are chosen imaginatively and used accurately. Pupils’ handwriting is well-formed in a pleasing joined style and work is neatly presented.

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

3. Throughout the school, pupils have very good speaking skills and, from the nursery on, most pupils listen well. Pupils speak very confidently and the range and use of vocabulary is often excellent for the ages of the pupils. They willingly offer their ideas in thoughtful clear sentences during lessons and pupils listen with interest to each other. Reading standards are also very good throughout the school. Pupils read with expression and fluency. Many of the younger pupils learn to decode words before they understand the meaning. Parents support their children’s learning in reading very well. Books are regularly shared at home and this makes a significant contribution to the standards attained, particularly in Key Stage 1. By Years 5 and 6, pupils have developed higher reading skills, scanning for information when reading texts and finding this quickly. Pupils use their literacy skills well to support work in other subjects, such

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

4. Pupils make good progress in mathematics in Key Stage 2. They are grouped by prior attainment throughout the key stage enabling teachers to plan and match the level of work to their needs. The strong leadership by the deputy headteacher, who is an enthusiast for mathematics, has resulted in a high profile for the subject at senior management level. Although mathematics test results are not as good as those in English, the co-ordinator is aware of areas for improvement and has plans to rectify these. Pupils’ mental arithmetic skills are good and they use their active minds to solve problems; for example, more able pupils in Year 6 used formulae to find the area of a variety of shapes. Pupils’ work shows that they have covered a good range of mathematical topics and many pupils are working at the higher Level 5. They are likely to achieve the targets that have been set for them by the end of the key stage.

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

5. In science, the legacy of the previous co-ordinator, who has left the school, is still evident in the high standards attained by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. Standards have improved significantly since the last inspection when they were judged satisfactory. Previous to the current year, standards were among the top five per cent nationally. The present co-ordinator, although less than two terms in post, is a very good practitioner which bodes well for the maintenance of high standards. Parents are impressed by standards in science in Key Stage 2. Pupils in Year 6 have a very good understanding of a fair test. They describe components, such as variables, with confidence. Pupils throughout Year 6 have covered a good range of scientific topics and show secure knowledge and understanding of the subject. Investigative science is given a suitable emphasis in the Key Stage 2 curriculum and pupils’ work shows that they draw

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 10 conclusions from their experiments, consistent with the evidence, and record results in a variety of formats including graphs. The quality of teaching is good in Key Stage 2 and very good in Year 6.

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

6. Most of the good teaching in the school occurs in Key Stage 2. The evidence of very good teaching in Year 6 is apparent not only in lessons but in the high standard of pupils’ recorded work and their confident explanations of their knowledge and understanding during discussions. Good use is made of teachers’ expertise in the mathematics sets in Years 5 and 6, and the teaching of science in Year 6. The special educational needs co-ordinator’s expertise is used well to teach pupils in small withdrawal groups and this very good teaching makes a significant contribution to the progress pupils make in literacy skills within these groups. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well throughout the key stage.

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

7. Teachers throughout the key stage show good subject knowledge in the important subjects of English, mathematics and science. Lesson planning is at least satisfactory and clear learning objectives are included in plans. These are shared with pupils, enabling them to gain a better knowledge of their own learning. Pupils are grouped so that the tasks are well-matched to their abilities and teachers choose a good variety of activities, selecting the best teaching methods to use. Lessons proceed at a good pace and questioning is used well by teachers to extend pupils’ thinking and check their gains in knowledge. Teachers manage pupils very well and share their high expectations of behaviour with the pupils who respond with very good standards.

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By the time pupils leave the school, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science

8. In the very good lessons in Year 6, teachers’ explanations are very clear and the expectations of what should be achieved during the lesson shared with the pupils and regularly checked. A real enthusiasm for the subjects taught inspires the pupils and motivates them to do their best. The very good pace of lessons is achieved by a well-planned structure and time targets, with reminders about when work must be completed. Pupils’ work is monitored well and there is very good interaction with individual pupils. In a mathematics lesson, the teacher had excellent subject knowledge and this was used to challenge the more able pupils in the top set through the use of probing questions. This enabled pupils to attain very high standards and work to the best of their abilities.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

9. The music co-ordinator is a good teacher. Although part-time, she has continued her professional development and improved her expertise in the subject. The scheme of work for music is good; it allows for the progressive building of pupils’ skills throughout the school and is well linked to other subjects; for example, a good range of Victorian or World War Two songs are planned when pupils study these eras in history. The co-ordinator teaches all of the music in Key Stage 2 and shares music teaching with one teacher in Key Stage 1. This good use of teachers' expertise and enthusiasm ensures that teaching is consistently good throughout the school. Pupils are provided with a good range of musical activities which involve them in all aspects of singing, playing, composing, listening and appraising. The co-ordinator broadens the musical opportunities for pupils by using teaching methods from, for example, ‘kindermusic’,

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

and utilises parts of several musical schemes to select a good variety of experiences for the pupils.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

10. Pupils make good progress in music throughout the school. In Year 1 most pupils sing tunefully. They are developing very good skills in pitch and more able pupils recognise simple tunes from the teacher’s hand signs. They know the names of many instruments, such as maracas and guiro, and handle them with care. They show a good sense of pulse when playing instruments and substitute instrumental sounds for words when singing “A Sailor went to Sea”. By Year 4, pupils make thoughtful use of instruments to create different effects. They listen well to “The Iron Man” and use this story as the inspiration for their compositions using metal instruments. In Year 5, pupils show well developed skills of holding a steady pulse in their heads while making a variety of body sounds in a wheel beat. Pupils explore combinations of sounds and express these during a ‘round’ activity. Different famous composers are focused on

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 11 each month and their music is played during assemblies to enhance pupils’ listening and appraising skills.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

11. A very good range of instrumental tuition, such as clarinet, flute, piano, violin, cello and recorder, enhances the curriculum. Although these lessons are paid for by parents, many pupils benefit from this extension to the music offered in classes. Instrumental players have the opportunity to take part in the school orchestra and there is a music club for recorder players. Pupils take part in Christmas concerts and they also play during services in school and in the church. Year 6 pupils sing for local elderly residents and the choir sings at the Summer Fair. The choir regularly takes part in concerts and festivals with other schools.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and their behaviour is very good overall.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

12. Pupils, throughout the school, are keen to learn and enjoy school. In the nursery, children undertake activities independently, for example, using their past observations and memory to draw a house with recognisable features. They also play well co-operatively, taking turns in the sand and sharing equipment in the water tray. In the Reception classes, children behave well and show interest in their work. They concentrate well on the tasks set, maintaining their interest even when the work is not demanding. The standard of behaviour for these youngest children is good and improving because their teachers have high expectations of them.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

13. In Key Stages 1 and 2, in the good lessons, teachers plan experiences which provide challenges for learning and motivate pupils. They respond well to good teaching and show enthusiasm for their work. They are eager to get started with the work set. Sometimes teachers have to remind pupils to listen to the end of their instructions because they are so keen to get started. They willingly answer teachers’ questions and are keen to offer their own ideas. Pupils work at a good rate and most pieces of work are completed. In most classes, there is a quiet ‘hum’ when pupils are concentrating on their work. They often verbalise their recordings quietly to themselves or discuss relevant topics with their class-mates when engaged in paired or group activities. Pupils’ attitudes to learning, reinforced by support for learning at home, are significant factors in the high standards achieved by the end of Key Stage 2.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

14. Behaviour is rarely less than good and it improves as pupils progress through the school. By Year 6, there are individual examples of excellent behaviour. Pupils work at a very fast rate, scanning the text in an English lesson in order to be the first to find the information and answer the teacher’s questions. They are keen to research topics at home and bring information to school that they have discovered in encyclopaedias or on the Internet to extend their learning, for example information about famous composers.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

15. Pupils behave very well around the school and they play well together during break times. Pupils behave very well in the dining hall and meals are eaten in an orderly fashion. Very few examples of inappropriate behaviour were seen. A few Year 5 boys did not behave well when teachers other than their own class teacher taught them. Pupils are courteous, friendly and their helpful manner gives a good impression of the school to visitors.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

Pupils have very good social skills and a strong sense of moral responsibility.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

16. Pupils help and support each other in lessons, for example confirming the spelling of a difficult word for a classmate during an English lesson in Year 6. They show highly developed social skills by the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils ensure that visitors are made to feel welcome. They open doors for adults and each other and wait patiently for teachers or other adults to finish speaking before asking questions. Pupils interact well with each other in groups; for example in a Year 4 music lesson they collaborated well in threes and fours, deciding which instruments to use and the best way to play them. Their residential visits add to the development of social skills.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

17. Pupils have a well-developed sense of right and wrong fostered within the Catholic traditions of Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 12 the school and the mission statement. Prefects are elected by their peers and they perform their responsibilities with pride. Other pupils respect the prefects and usually abide by the school rules showing good self-discipline when adults are not in sight. In Year 2, pupils show their moral values by developing their own class rules.

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The provision for music is good and standards are above expectations for the ages of pupils

18. The importance that the school places on life skills is emphasised by the headteacher in many aspects of the school’s work and is embedded in policies. A co-ordinator oversees all aspects of citizenship and has passed on skills learnt in her recent training to her colleagues. Teachers make good use of praise and encouragement to develop both social and moral skills. Acts of kindness and good behaviour, as well as academic achievements, are rewarded by house points, which are eagerly sought by pupils. Opportunities for discussion concerning moral and social values are provided during ‘Circle Time’ in Key Stage 2. Although there is no planned programme for this activity, teachers use the time well to discuss, in Year 4 for example, that insensitive use of words can hurt the feelings of others. Parents are proud of their children’s developing values and good behaviour, especially when it is remarked upon in the wider

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Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are below national

19. Standards in information and communication technology were judged as poor during the last inspection. The school has made some improvements since then, but not enough to raise standards to the level of national expectation. Pupils in the school have the abilities to reach above expected standards as can be seen by their work in other subjects. The number of computers has been increased significantly since the last inspection, funded by parents. There is one computer in each classroom. However, the school is not connected to an Internet service provider, therefore pupils cannot use computers for Internet research or use e-mail facilities in school as specified in the National Curriculum programme of study for Key Stage 2. Most pupils have their own computers at home and come to school with a variety of skills. However, these are not sufficiently built upon in lessons. ICT is rarely included in planning to support work in

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Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are below national

other subjects. Teachers have not had the benefit of sufficient training opportunities and the subject knowledge of most teachers is not good enough.

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Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are below national

20. Pupils in the Foundation Stage are learning to use a mouse with increasing accuracy. For example, they can click on images on the screen, drag and re-position. They use programs to enhance their mathematical skills and parents voluntarily support children’s learning in these classes. In Year 1, pupils use computers to improve their spelling and word-building abilities. However, skills are not systematically built upon during Key Stages 1 and 2 and pupils do not have enough planned opportunities to cover the requirements of the National Curriculum. The school does not have a portfolio of pupils’ work to exemplify achievements and the assessment of pupils’ progress and skills is not effective. Pupils in Year 6 have gained an understanding of the use of ICT in the wider world through their activities at home. Their work in school has been mainly centred on desk top publishing, for example, designing a front cover for their work about

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Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are below national

the Greeks and making posters about the environment. They have learnt the new skill of using spreadsheets and have had some tuition in touch-typing in the past. However, they have little knowledge of the use of control, monitoring or simulations and the breadth of their knowledge is too limited.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

21. The results of the 2000 national tests in mathematics and the teacher assessments in science were below those achieved by similar schools. Although the test results for writing were in line with the test results for similar schools overall, only eight per cent of pupils attained the higher level (Level 3) and this is not high enough for the abilities of the pupils. The results of the Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 13 national tests in writing and mathematics show a downward trend over the last four years and they do not match the picture of steady improvement seen nationally.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

22. Pupils enter the school with above average ability and this is evident in some lessons in Key Stage 1, for example in reading, speaking and listening, music and art. Their writing skills are well above average in Key Stage 2, showing the high abilities of pupils but their achievements in many lessons and recorded work are not high enough in Key Stage 1; too few pupils work at Level 3. 23. In mathematics, most pupils are working at the expected level for their age in Year 2 (Level 2) but pupils’ recorded work does not show above average standards. Most pupils work is at a similar level but higher attaining pupils complete work faster and, therefore, record more in their books. Insufficient opportunities are provided for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills. In science, pupils are secure in their knowledge of living processes and this is above average. However, their experimental and investigative skills are below average and this

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

important aspect of the subject is not given sufficient emphasis in lessons.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

The monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the school is not effectively undertaken.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

24. The headteacher does not have an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The school improvement plan does not identify some of the major areas for improvement, for example, teaching, learning and standards in Key Stage 1. The timescales of the plan are insufficiently precise and there is no separation of the important responsibilities of monitoring and evaluating tasks. Monitoring methods are not stated and success criteria do not include enough quantified targets or show the impact of the developments on standards sufficiently. Although this is a three year plan, there is no regular review of the curriculum included. The school has identified ICT as part of its performance management but this is not a target in the plan. Governors have a good understanding of the needs of the school but they are not sufficiently involved in school improvement planning.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

25. The monitoring of teaching and learning is weak. Records have not been kept of any classroom observations this academic year. This is poor, particularly in the light of the many staff changes that have taken place. Therefore, teachers do not have a culture of improvement embedded in their practice and some find it difficult to accept that there are areas for improvement in their work. Monitoring of learning this year has focused on literacy and numeracy. However, this has not been sufficiently rigorous and staff do not have the necessary skills to identify weaknesses. The monitoring of teachers’ plans, particularly in Key Stage 1, has not resulted in any significant changes and written evaluations and feedback are not provided.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

26. Test results are not carefully analysed to identify the strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning. Therefore, teachers do not have this information to aid their planning. There is insufficient use of comparisons with similar schools to ensure that standards are high enough.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is inconsistent and unsatisfactory overall.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

27. The quality of teaching ranged from very good to unsatisfactory in the lessons seen. In the few Year 1 lessons observed, teaching was at least good. However, evidence from the scrutiny of pupils’ work, standards in lessons and test results was used to judge teaching as unsatisfactory overall. The difficulties with teacher recruitment and retention have disrupted the continuity of education, particularly in one Year 2 class. Teachers display many good qualities in their teaching; for example, they manage pupils well, have very good relationships with pupils and organise classes effectively so that there is a secure, calm environment for learning.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

28. The main areas for improvement are that teachers’ expectations of pupils are not high enough, day-to-day assessment is not used effectively and assessment information is not used well enough to plan future work. Although the format of lesson plans is satisfactory, the learning objectives are often too general and do not include the needs of all the pupils in the class, especially the more able pupils and those with special educational needs. The work set for all pupils is often at a similar level; where it is at different levels it is often not matched to the right Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 14 pupils, being either too easy or too difficult for them. In a Year 2 mathematics lesson, for example, all pupils were recording a block graph in their books, copying from the board. The activity was closely directed by the teacher to ensure that their recording was neatly presented. This did not provide a satisfactory learning experience for those pupils who already knew how to

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

collect data and record a graph, more able pupils were not challenged and the experience of entering data on the computer was not offered.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

29. Teachers do not assess the acquisition of pupils’ knowledge and understanding sufficiently by referring to the learning objectives of the lesson. When they monitor pupils’ work in lessons, they usually ensure that pupils are concentrating on their tasks but do not make use of probing questions to check their understanding. More use could be made of good examples of pupils’ work to inspire others and show the teachers’ expectations.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

30. The school uses a range of national and other tests to gain a summary of pupils’ past achievements and this is satisfactory. However, the results of the tests are not sufficiently analysed to identify what needs to be done to improve pupils’ learning, identify gaps in knowledge or difficulties with particular aspects of their work. Individual teachers keep their own records of pupils’ achievements and sometimes these include steps for future learning. However, these are inconsistent, particularly in some classes in Reception and Key Stage 1, where teachers do not have a good enough understanding of their pupils’ abilities in order to match work to challenge their learning. Assessment is not consistently undertaken or results recorded throughout the school, although it is better in the nursery and Key Stage 2. Marking is not used effectively to improve pupils’ learning. Although teachers conscientiously mark most work and

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

make encouraging comments such as “well done” or “you have written a lot today”, they do not identify the next step in pupils’ learning or set more work at a similar level to consolidate concepts when there are difficulties.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

Planning and support for pupils with special educational needs within classes.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

31. The school’s pastoral provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and all staff are caring and supportive in relation to accommodating pupils’ emotional needs. However, the rigour with which their academic needs are met in mainstream classrooms is unsatisfactory. This is because, at present, the management of the school has not placed sufficient emphasis on ensuring that there is collective responsibility on behalf of the class teachers, the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and support staff so that the needs of these pupils are consistently met in mainstream lessons. On occasions, this slows down pupils’ rates of progress.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

32. All pupils make good progress when they are supported by the SENCO, part-time support teacher and support staff in withdrawal groups. This is because work set for these pupils is very closely linked to their needs. For example, withdrawn pupils in Year 2, who were experiencing difficulties in simple sentence construction, were given tasks supported by well prepared resources to enable them to put words into sentences that they had encountered in the text previously read. The teacher ensured that all pupils could read the words and effectively modelled how they could be used in sentences. This approach of using “small steps” to enable pupils to be successful ensured that pupils made good gains in their learning. However, this is not the case when pupils are taught in mainstream classes. Teachers’ planning does not clearly identify what these pupils will be learning, how they will access the tasks through different

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

resources and specific teaching methods.

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Standards in writing, mathematics and science are not high enough for the abilities of the

33. There is a culture throughout the school that places the responsibility for these pupils on the SENCO and support teacher. Senior managers have not effectively ensured that these pupils are the shared responsibility of all staff. For example, the SENCO’s expertise is not maximised, she is not on the senior management team and insufficient time has been allocated for her to monitor both provision and outcomes. Therefore, governors do not have sufficient information for monitoring the cost effectiveness of their spending decisions. The SENCO and part-time support Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 15 teacher have produced good, detailed individual education plans but these are not consistently used in mainstream lessons. Often tasks set for these pupils are not sufficiently challenging, resulting in inconsistent achievement. Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

33. In order to improve the quality of education in the school, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i. raise standards in information and communication technology in Key Stages 1 and 2 and ensure that the requirements of the National Curriculum are met;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii. raise standards in writing, mathematics and science in Key Stage 1;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iii. improve the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the school, particularly by the headteacher;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iv. improve the quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 by raising teachers’ expectations of pupils and the use of day-to day assessment;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

v. improve the use of assessment by identifying the strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning and using this information to plan future work;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

vi. ensure that there is a consistency of approach in the planning for pupils with special educational needs in mainstream classes. Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 19

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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

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 403

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 65

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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 37

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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 21

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

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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. Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 25 34 59

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 20 22 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 32 34 32

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 88 (96) 95 (98) 93 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 21 23 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 34 32 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (96) 93 (96) 93 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 30 22 52

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 27 23 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 22 18 21

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 94 (89) 79 (85) 96 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 27 23 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 22 18 21

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 94 (89) 79 (89) 96 (98) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 6 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 3 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 49 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 18.4 Financial year 1999/2000

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total expenditure 837856

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 15 Expenditure per pupil 1954

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 286 Balance brought forward from previous year 747

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 3715

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 38

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Mount Carmel RC Primary School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 40 46 8 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 46 47 4 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 25 46 16 6 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 22 38 27 10 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 38 39 13 9 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 48 45 4 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 26 38 19 14 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 23 45 13 11 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 44 49 3 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 18 38 20 8 15

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Other issues raised by parents

Many parents attended the meeting with the registered inspector and returned the parent questionnaires. In addition, about 40 individual letters were received, eight of which were supportive of the school.

p.22

Other issues raised by parents

Many parents are not satisfied with the communication between the school and themselves. They are concerned about the high turnover of teachers.

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