Leck St Peter's Church of England Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th -9 th October 2001

p.1

PRIMARY SCHOOL

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.

p.1

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. LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Leck Via Carnforth Lancashire Postcode: LA6 2JD

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 015242 71538 Fax number: 015242 71538

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs G Burrow

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 th March 1997 LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 4

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 8245 L A Furness Registered inspector Equal Opportunities Special Educational Needs Mathematics Music What sort of school is it? How high are standards? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9214 J Garland Lay inspector How high are standards? Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 16761 M Hemmings Team inspector English Science Information and Communication Technology Physical Education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well does the school care for its pupils?

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

18129 L Moran Team inspector Foundation Stage of Learning Art and Design Design and Technology Geography History

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Focus Education Services 113-115 High Street Uppermill Saddleworth OL3 6BD LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 5 Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 6

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

p.6

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Leck St Peter’s Church of England primary school is a small rural primary school situated in the village of Leck, approximately two and a half miles from Kirkby Lonsdale. Thirty-eight pupils, grouped into two classes, attend the school. One class consists of reception-aged children, and pupils aged 5 to 7. The other class consists of pupils aged 7 to 11. In order to teach the wide age range of older pupils more effectively, pupils are taught in two separate classes of Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6 for literacy and numeracy. The percentage of pupils being entitled to school meals free of charge is below the national average and the percentage of pupils having special educational needs and those having a statement of special educational need are also below the national average. When children first start school in the reception class (the Foundation Stage of Leaning) they mainly have academic and personal skills which are at least in line with those expected for their age. However,

p.7

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

with so few children in each cohort, it is difficult to anticipate accurately year upon year children’s attainment on entry.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

School effectiveness is satisfactory. Standards by the age of 11 usually match the national expectation in English and mathematics and pupils achieve at least satisfactorily. The headteacher provides clear educational direction and teaching overall is satisfactory with good teaching occurring in the reception and Years 1 and 2 class. The attitudes of pupils are good and the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well § The good teaching in the reception class ensures that children settle quickly into school and gives them a good start to their education. § Pupils have positive attitudes towards school. They are enthusiastic and interested in their lessons and try hard to complete their work. § The broad and balanced curriculum is successfully enriched and enhanced by numerous visits out of school and visitors to the school. § The personal, spiritual, moral and social development of pupils is good. § There is a strong sense of teamwork within the school ensuring that everyone works towards the common goal of raising standards.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved § Pupils’ awareness of what they need to do next to improve the quality of their work. § The tracking of pupils’ progress in order to ensure that the standards attained are good enough. § Standards of handwriting and presentation are often unsatisfactory, with words spelt incorrectly through carelessness. § Reports to parents providing more accurate information about how well their child is progressing. § The quality of interaction between one of the classroom assistants and the reception aged children. § Preparing pupils more satisfactorily for life in multi-cultural Britain. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 8 The school was last inspected in March 1997 and since then most of the key issues of the previous inspection have been satisfactorily resolved. Provision in the reception class has improved with an increased range of resources available. Children have an appropriate time involved in activities that will enable them to achieve the ‘early learning goals’ by the time they leave the reception class. However the work of one of the classroom assistants remains an issue, as she does not possess the necessary skills to support the children’s learning satisfactorily. The role of the subject co-ordinator has improved with the co- ordinators aware of strengths and areas requiring improvement in their subjects. The teachers plan carefully to meet the needs of pupils of different ages and abilities in their classes. They are mainly successful but addressing the needs of more able pupils is still an

p.8

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

area for improvement. The school appropriately recognises this area for development and has satisfactory plans in place to address the issue. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been satisfactorily introduced and the school has made satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection.

p.8

STANDARDS

The school has very small numbers of pupils taking the national tests for 7 and 11 year olds and it is therefore not appropriate to make comparisons with the national statistics as each pupil accounts for a significant proportion of the overall distribution of levels within the school. However, the work seen in classrooms indicate that the standards of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 mainly match national expectations in English, mathematics and science and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. On entry to the reception class, children have at least average skills in communication, language and literacy, mathematics and personal, social and emotional development. They make good progress whilst in this class and by the time they enter Year 1 they attain at least the requirements of the ‘early learning goals’ for the six areas of learning recommended for children of this age. The targets set for literacy and numeracy were achieved well in 2000 but from the evidence seen the 2002

p.8

STANDARDS

targets are very challenging for this very small cohort of Year 6 pupils.

p.8

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and have positive attitudes to learning.

p.8

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good behaviour is a characteristic of this school. Pupils work and play harmoniously together at lunch-times and break-times.

p.8

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils carry out responsibilities well and are pleased when they are selected to be helpers within the school. Relationships are good and pupils are willing to discuss their work and answer questions.

p.8

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good. Attendance is well above the national average. Pupils are punctual and lessons start promptly.

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Good Good Satisfactory LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 9 Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching overall is satisfactory. It is good in the Foundation Stage of Learning and in the class of pupils aged 5-7. All of the lessons seen in the Foundation Stage of Learning and in the Class of Years 1 and 2 pupils were good. The teaching of pupils aged 7-11 is satisfactory. Although there were no unsatisfactory lessons seen occasionally learning was unsatisfactory. For example, the inappropriate interventions made by one of the classroom assistants and her inability to manage effectively the reception-aged children meant that they lost interest in their work and very little learning took place. Another example occurred when pupils were unable to access the Internet through technical problems, and the specialist teacher did not appropriately address the situation. Consequently time was wasted. The teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory. Teachers satisfactorily use the introductions to lessons to find out what pupils know and

p.9

TEACHING AND LEARNING

can do before they start the planned activities and these sessions are used well to develop pupils’ speaking skills. However, although teachers are following the recommended three- part lesson structure, the plenary or lesson review sessions are often rushed and are not used effectively to assess the learning of the pupils. Questioning although satisfactory occasionally lacks focus and clarity resulting in pupils not always being sure about what is expected of them. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The work presented to them is mainly appropriate to their needs and they make satisfactory progress. It was not possible in the shortness of the inspection to observe teaching in both classes in all subjects. However, the teaching of art and design and history for pupils aged 5-7 is good. In science throughout the school and in geography for pupils aged 7-11, teaching is satisfactory.

p.9

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils are good, with all pupils having access to a wide range of interesting learning experiences.

p.9

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The school appropriately follows the recommendations of the special educational needs Code of Practice.

p.9

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is good. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory because although many opportunities are provided for pupils to study their own and different European cultures the opportunities for them to learn about the range and diversity of the cultures that exist in Britain today are limited. How well the school cares for its pupils Child protection and health and safety procedures are good. Systems for assessing pupils and checking on the progress they make are satisfactory. The parents’ and carers’ views of the school are good. They have good praise for the ethos and the friendly atmosphere that is within the school.

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED?

LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 10 Aspect Comment

p.10

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED?

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides clear leadership and management and is well supported by the staff. The aims of the school are met well and all staff have a satisfactory shared commitment to improvement.

p.10

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED?

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors have a satisfactory understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and fulfil all of their statutory responsibilities well.

p.10

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED?

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school analyses its test results well and is beginning to use the information to track pupils’ progress. The monitoring and evaluating of teaching and learning by subject co-ordinators is satisfactory.

p.10

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED?

The strategic use of resources The school plans ahead and appropriately allocates finances to identified agreed priorities.

p.10

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED?

There is good staffing for this small school. The accommodation is good and the children in the Foundation Stage of Learning benefit from having a good outside play area. Resources are good in all subjects apart from in physical education. However, despite the difficulties of the lack of a school hall for indoor physical education lessons, the school ensures that in the school year the pupils experience all aspects of the physical education curriculum. Although governors are becoming more aware of the principles of best value as yet they do not assess the likely effect of spending on standards and achievement.

p.10

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children like school. • The school expects children to work hard. • The school is helping children to become mature. A minority of parents do not think that: • they are kept well informed about how their child is progressing. • the school provides an interesting range of after-school activities

p.10

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The parents are accurate in their belief that most pupils enjoy coming to school and the school expects the pupils to work hard. Good provision for the pupils’ personal, social and health education is helping pupils to become mature and responsible. With regards to the points for improvement the inspection team agrees that the quality of school reports do not satisfactorily inform parents of how well pupils are progressing. However the inspection team disagree with the issue regarding after-school activities. The school provides very good provision for outside of school activities, which includes all pupils having opportunity to take part in a wide range of educational visits that enrich the curriculum. LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 11

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Evaluation of the school’s results needs great care, as Years 2 and 6 are very small cohorts. Therefore it is not appropriate to make comparisons with the national statistics as each pupil accounts for a significant proportion of the overall distribution of levels within the school. However, the work seen in classrooms indicate that the standards of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 mainly match national expectations in English, mathematics and science and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. The school does however recognises the need to provide more challenge to pupils with the potential for higher attainment as on the basis of the prior attainment of pupils at the age of 7 too few pupils are attaining the higher levels by the age of 11.

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. On entry to the school in the reception class children mainly have at least average skills in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and personal, social and emotional skills. However, with such small numbers on entry, this is difficult to anticipate accurately year upon year. Because of good teaching these children make good progress and achieve well. By the time they enter Year 1 they have usually attained at least the ‘early learning goals’ expected for children of this age in all six areas of learning.

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in developing their speaking and listening skills, which match that expected for the pupils’ age throughout the school. All pupils are able to discuss and explain their ideas clearly, and the majority of pupils ask and answer questions well. By the age of 11, pupils demonstrate satisfactory listening skills, appropriately listening to the views and ideas of adults and other pupils. The standards in reading mainly match that expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils in Year 2 use competently a wide range of strategies, including the use of phonics to determine unfamiliar words. They read aloud with expression, accuracy and fluency. By the age of 11 pupil show a good understanding of books and their ability to read for meaning is evident. The majority of pupils have good research skills and use books and the Internet appropriately to research information. Pupils’ writing skills also match that

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

expected for their age and at the ages of 7 and 11 they achieve appropriately. Pupils in Year 2 write sequences of sentences and punctuate them accurately, with simple words spelt correctly. By the age of 11, pupils show an appropriate ability to write in a variety of forms across the curriculum. They know the difference between biographical and autobiographical writing and how to change their writing from active to past tense. However, their standards of handwriting and presentation are unsatisfactory, with words often spelt incorrectly often through carelessness. There is at least satisfactory use made of information and communication technology (ICT) by pupils to word-process their stories and poems. In Years 5 and 6 pupils effectively use ICT to support their learning, for example when using a thesaurus to change adjectives for synonyms to alter the mood of a piece of writing.

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Pupils use their literacy skills in a satisfactory way in other subjects. In mathematics lessons, the pupils develop satisfactorily their reading skills when reading and interpreting questions and their speaking and listening skills when discussing and explaining their strategies for finding solutions to problems. Pupils use subject vocabulary correctly, as was seen in science and mathematics lessons. Pupils use different forms of writing appropriately for example, they label diagrams in science and LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 12 design and technology, and in geography and history, they record their ideas in a variety of written formats including lists, charts and descriptive writing.

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In mathematics, pupils attain standards that are appropriate for their age and their achievement is satisfactory. Effective mental mathematics sessions enable pupils to understand the sequence of numbers and they can count accurately forwards and backwards from different starting points. Year 2 pupils carry out addition problems to 20 and have satisfactory knowledge of a variety of mental calculation strategies. For example pupils are aware of the importance of starting with the largest number and then using the ‘counting on’ strategy when adding numbers together. The majority of Year 2 pupils have a good knowledge of mathematical vocabulary. By the age of 11, pupils are able to explain their methods of calculation clearly. They have a good understanding of place value and are aware of the relationship between numbers. For example they are able to write numbers as fractions, improper fractions and decimals –

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 3/4 = 7/4 = 1.75. Pupils make satisfactory use of their numeracy skills, in other subjects, for example in science when making a series of measurements to see how the size of a shadow can be changed. There is satisfactory use of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve learning but there is a recognised need to better use ICT to improve pupils’ skills in the use of data handling and spreadsheets.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Pupils’ achievements in science are satisfactory and pupils mainly achieve standards appropriate to their age throughout the school. By the age of 7, pupils develop a satisfactory scientific understanding of the world around them. They know the main stages of life from baby to adulthood and can label correctly the major external parts of the human body. Pupils handle simple scientific equipment carefully and safely and confidently take part in discussions about scientific ideas using scientific vocabulary appropriately. Pupils have the necessary skills to carry out an investigation, and record their findings in a variety of ways. They make predictions sensibly and carry out a simple, fair test with help from their teacher. By the age of 11, pupils have good observation skills and can independently record their findings Most pupils can identify the need for a fair test and then plan and carry one out independently of the teacher.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

However pupils’ skills in making evaluations and conclusions, based on prior scientific knowledge are under developed. Pupils find difficulty in interpreting data when presented as a line graph and then in identifying any emerging patterns and trends. The school is aware of the need to challenge more able pupils and to develop their investigative skills further. It is reviewing its planning in order to resolve this issue.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in art and design at the end of Years 2 and 6 are above national expectations and pupils achieve well. Work on display shows good skill development from Years 1 to 6 in painting, drawing and using different media including chalk, pastels, charcoal and water-colour. Standards in design and technology match national expectations and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Pupils are able to work competently with a variety of different tools and equipment. Good skill progression can be seen in the work on puppets for example. The younger pupils competently make simple shadow puppets and explore ways to attach sticks. The older pupils make papier-mâché puppets complete with clothes and experiment with string attachments as well as simple glove puppets.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In geography, history, information and communication technology standards of attainment at least match national expectations by the ages of 7 and 11 and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement on standards or pupils’ achievement in either music or physical education. LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 13 9. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress throughout the school and towards the targets set in their individual educational plans. Pupils receive satisfactory support from teachers and classroom assistants and they achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment when working with adults in group situations.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The targets set for literacy and numeracy were achieved well in 2000 but from the evidence seen the 2002 targets are very challenging for this very small cohort of Year 6 pupils.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes to school and learning including those with special educational needs are good. In the previous inspection, pupils were well motivated and had positive attitudes to learning. These positive attitudes are observed in this inspection and in the majority of lessons pupils are involved in their work and show a good level of interest. They listen attentively and respond readily to questions from the teacher. They show good levels of concentration and this is particularly evident in the first part of the ‘literacy hour’ and the mental mathematics sessions during numeracy lessons. They settle quickly to the tasks they are given and share resources sensibly. They concentrate well on tasks and when given the opportunity, show they can work well with each other.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The attitudes of children aged under five are good. They have settled into school quickly and obviously feel safe and secure. They are interested in their activities, they answer questions enthusiastically and try hard to succeed with their tasks. This is particularly evident during a role-play activity in the ‘baby clinic.’ The scenario of the lost pills particularly engaged their interest as these reception-aged children considered carefully what should be done next. However, there are times when these children become frustrated and lose interest through the inappropriate interventions of one of the classroom assistants. When this happens, the children drift off task and limited learning takes place as seen during a mathematics session.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour in the classroom, outside in the playground and during assemblies is good. There are few instances of inappropriate behaviour occurring and when they do occur they are dealt with appropriately by the majority of adults. The routines and expectations of the school are well understood by all pupils and they work and play together well at lunch-times and break-times. A good range of playground equipment is available to ensure that pupils are fully engaged in interesting activities. There is no oppressive behaviour in the school and there have been no permanent or fixed-term exclusions from the school in the past year.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Relationships between staff and pupils are good. Teachers and other staff show a great deal of interest in pupils and their response to this is positive. Pupils respect their teachers and have positive attitudes to each other. The majority of older pupils take responsibility for younger pupils with a clear sense that they ought to set a good example.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils’ personal and social development is good. Pupils are given opportunities to make choices and use their initiative. This first begins in the reception class. Children in this class work together well and share resources willingly. Older pupils have enjoyed the LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 14 responsibility of applying for jobs and roles in the school and are pleased when they are selected to be library assistants, lunch-time helpers, or club organisers. They carry out these responsibilities sensibly. Pupils are polite and articulate, displaying considerable conversational skills. They are willing to discuss their work and answer questions. They are happy to talk about their feelings and show respect for those of others. Assemblies are used effectively to promote care and consideration towards others and the school regularly raises money for charities, which further helps to develop pupils’ personal and

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. As in the previous inspection pupils’ attendance is very good. The level of unauthorised absence matches the national average. Punctuality is good, registers are taken promptly and lessons start on time.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching overall is satisfactory. It is good in the Foundation Stage of Learning and in the class of pupils aged 5-7. All of the lessons seen in the Foundation Stage and in the class of Years 1 and 2 pupils were good. The teaching of pupils aged 7-11 is satisfactory. The teaching of art and design and history for pupils aged 5-7 is good. In science throughout the school and in geography for pupils aged 7-11 teaching is satisfactory. It was not possible to make a judgement on teaching in design and technology, music and physical education throughout the school and in art and design and history for pupils aged 7-11 and in geography for pupils aged 5-7.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Although no unsatisfactory lessons were seen there were times when learning was unsatisfactory. For example, when reception aged children were working with one of the classroom assistants and the inappropriate interventions made meant that the children lost interest and learnt very little during a mathematical game activity. Another example was when Years 5 and 6 pupils were unable to gain Internet access through technical problems and therefore were unable to complete their task, which required this facility. Time was then wasted as the specialist teacher was unable to quickly modify the lesson so that the pupils continued to learn in a satisfactory way. Th questioning asked by the teachers of pupils aged 7-11 although satisfactory are sometimes lacking in clarity. Pupils are then unsure what is expected of them and consequently time is wasted. Pupils often guess rather than making informed answers to the teachers’ questions as

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

was seen in both numeracy and literacy lessons.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching is good in the Foundation Stage of Learning. A strength of teaching is the very good relationship between the teacher and the children, which has the effect of creating a climate where children are happy, stimulated and eager to learn. Lessons are well planned, have a clear focus and stimulating and exciting activities produce good and sometimes very good learning from the children. One of the classroom assistants works well alongside the teacher. Together they are an effective team, creating good examples for the children. However, the other classroom assistant is less effective and this is an issue from the previous inspection that has not been satisfactorily resolved.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been appropriately implemented and the three-part lesson structure is being used satisfactorily in other subjects of the curriculum. In English, the teachers plan thoroughly and are carefully following the structure of the ‘literacy hour’. LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 15 However the plenary session is occasionally rushed and is not used effectively to assess the learning of the pupils. Teachers use the introductions to lessons effectively to find out what pupils know and can do before they start the activities. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are developed well during these sessions. In mathematics, although the introductory part of the lesson focuses on mental and oral work it is often too short or insufficiently lively and engaging. This means that in some lessons pupils are not yet

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

learning how to solve number problems both quickly and accurately. Nevertheless, satisfactory teaching in lessons engages the interest of the pupils appropriately. Pupils enjoy mathematics lessons and respond interestedly as teachers satisfactorily use a range of resources such as white boards and practical equipment. The rushed plenary is also an unsatisfactory feature of mathematics lessons.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Satisfactory emphasis is given to teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, and teachers satisfactorily plan to use the pupils’ developing skills in other subjects. Whole class discussions at the start and end of the majority of lessons aim to develop the pupils’ vocabulary and encourages them to listen to others. Through the use of non- fiction texts that support other areas of the curriculum, pupils are taught satisfactorily to use information retrieval skills to promote their investigative skills. Satisfactory opportunities to develop numeracy skills are also provided, for example, in science and in music.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The teachers mark work conscientiously. However, the remarks or comments made, which are often concise and evaluative, do not have the necessary impact on pupils’ learning. Too often when a comment is made about issues such as ‘punctuation’ or ‘presentation’ there is little evidence that the comment is having an impact on future pieces of work. The pupils themselves have limited knowledge of what they need to do next in order raise their own attainment.

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The curricular and other opportunities offered are good, with all pupils having access to a wide range of interesting learning experiences. There has been much improvement in the curricular provision for children aged under five since the last inspection, when it was judged to be too narrow. An effective learning environment has been created for these children in the Foundation Stage of Learning, which leads to all of them making good academic and personal progress in the areas of learning expected for this age range. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are being appropriately implemented for pupils aged 7 to 11 and this is enabling them to achieve in a satisfactory way in English and mathematics. There are many opportunities for pupils to use their information communication technology (ICT) skills to enhance their work in other subjects. The lack of appropriate internal space for pupils to be involved in

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

physical education activities restricts this aspect of the curriculum. However, throughout the year the school ensures that pupils have opportunities to access all aspects of the physical education curriculum. There are swimming lessons provided for pupils aged 7 to 11 and, by the time that they leave school, the majority of them can swim a minimum of 25 metres. All statutory requirements are met, as are the recommendations of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education.

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. Within a broad and balanced curriculum, the school strives to develop the pupils’ creativity. There have been art and music workshops, visits to the theatre and musical productions, while a wide range of visitors, including artists and musicians, have worked with the pupils to develop a variety of artistic skills. Following work with a local artist, the LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 16 school is planning a joint exhibition in a public art gallery. The provision for music is enhanced by all pupils having opportunity to take part in the annual Lancashire Schools’ Music Festival. A French club has been run on an informal basis at lunchtimes but the school is now introducing the formal teaching of French for pupils aged 7-11, using the nationally produced guidelines.

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. There is good provision for the pupils’ personal, social and health education and they have many opportunities to relate to others in a variety of situations. Social development is effectively supported by an extensive range of visits, including residential stays, during which they learn a variety of social skills, such as working together and caring for others. There are opportunities, in and out of classrooms, for them to show initiative and to take responsibility, which effectively supports their personal development. There is appropriate provision for sex education with the help of the school nurse, which stresses the importance of warm and caring family relationships. Health issues, including smoking and drugs awareness are successfully addressed through the school’s science and health education policy and practice. The school subscribes to the Life Education Skills project and all pupils attend annual

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

teaching sessions in the mobile ‘Life Bus’. There are also planned theme weeks on various aspects of health education, which play an important role in promoting this part of pupils’ learning.

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The school is successful in ensuring that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. Planning procedures have been improved since the last inspection so that they take better account of the specific needs of pupils of different abilities. These procedures effectively incorporate nationally produced curricular schemes and provide teachers with clear information about the key learning objectives and skills to be taught. However, the school recognises the need to plan more challenging work for the more able pupils, so that they achieve to their full potential. There are satisfactory systems in place to support pupils with special educational needs, which enables them to make appropriate progress towards the targets in their individual education plans.

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. There is very good provision for extra curricular activities, which includes all pupils having opportunity to take part in a wide range of educational visits that enrich the curriculum by providing further significant learning experiences. Parents make a good contribution to these activities, as is seen in the way two of them run the Saturday morning football club. Pupils have been on city visits and have made trips to theatres, musical productions and to St. Peter’s Church as a way of extending their knowledge and understanding of a range of issues. The residential experience at one of Lancashire’s Outdoor Education Centres effectively supports the pupils’ personal and social development. The school arranges for numerous visitors to come to school, including authors, artists, musicians and drama groups, to work with pupils to develop their skills across a range of areas.

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. There are strong links with the community, especially St. Peter’s Church, which make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. Pupils visit the church to take part in various services that help develop their understanding of Christian faith and to support the spiritual development. Pupils have sung carols for local residents at Christmas, and members of the community are invited to join in the school’s special services at various times of the year. The community police come in to give ‘Stranger Danger’ talks, and the local fire brigade visits to give advice on fire safety. There are opportunities for pupils to raise money for a range of charities, including the ‘Tear Fund’ and the ‘Bishop’s Appeal’, in which they gain a good understanding of the needs of others. LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 17 There are links with a variety of local businesses that enable the pupils to gain an awareness of the world of work and also provide sponsorship for educational resources.

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

There are effective links with partner primary schools and also with the local Secondary School. There are also close links with a nearby teacher training college, whose students come into school to work with the pupils.

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The school has been able to maintain the strong provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development since the last inspection and this effectively enriches the quality of the school’s life as a community.

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The pupils’ spiritual development is good. Spiritual development is fostered through the curriculum and the close links with St. Peter’s Church. There are services in the church at Easter and Christmas and the vicar comes into school to lead assemblies and work with pupils. In whole school assemblies, there is effective use of music to heighten the mood of spirituality, and pupils have opportunity for quiet, personal reflection. All teachers value pupils’ ideas and efforts and this is shown by the way that all pupils are encouraged to make contributions during lessons and by the attractive displays of pupils’ work in the school. The development of pupils’ creative ability feature highly in the curriculum, especially in art and music, and successfully reflects moods such as happiness or sadness. In a reception, Year1 and Year 2 class assembly the pupils talked about what made them happy or sad and then the teacher skilfully linked their

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

ideas to a song about God who will always look after them.

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. Moral development is good. It is positively promoted through the school’s approach to encouraging good behaviour. There is strong emphasis placed on the understanding of the difference between right and wrong and the school successfully raises awareness that an individual’s behaviour affects others. Moral themes feature in many aspects of the curriculum and are an integral part of the school’s ethos. The majority of staff provide good examples and value pupils in their care, acknowledging and praising their efforts and achievements.

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. From the start of their time in school, pupils are provided with good social development opportunities and they are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and to work and play together with respect and tolerance. There are good relationships underpinning all of the school's work, being based on mutual trust and respect between staff and pupils. Pupils are given opportunity to work collaboratively in pairs and small groups, and this plays an important part in developing their social skills. The very good range of extra-curricular activities offered to pupils, including visits and a residential stay, also very effectively support the development of their personal and social skills.

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. Cultural development is satisfactory and work in art and design, music, history and geography promotes pupils’ development. This is supplemented effectively through the provision of a very good range of extra curricular activities, including visits and visitors. Many opportunities are given for pupils to visit places of interest and the school makes good use of the library and museum services. In religious education, there is emphasis placed on learning about the beliefs and traditions of other faiths and cultures. The school sees pupils growing up as European Citizens and teaches them an awareness of European countries and relevant issues. The school recognises the need to prepare pupils more effectively for the nature of society, or the richness and diversity of cultures that exist in Britain today.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 18 34. There are good procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils' welfare. The head teacher is the designated person for child protection and the headteacher ensures that there are effective procedures in place that meet the requirements of those agreed locally. She liases well with local agencies and attends any necessary meetings. All staff are aware of current practices and procedures and have good personal knowledge of the pupils that they work with. As a result they are able to cater well for individual needs. There are effective procedures to deal with accidents and emergencies, with equipment being regularly checked and maintained and a record of fire practice kept. Access to the playground is convenient and pupils are able to vacate the building quickly and safely. All accidents are recorded in the accident book and a particular note is made of head

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

injuries. There is good use made of the school nurse to support pupils' health and welfare as part of the school’s personal, social and health education provision.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Pupils with special educational needs are appropriately cared for, enabling them to participate in all activities, and there are satisfactory procedures for monitoring their progress.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school has good procedures for monitoring and improving attendance and, over the last few years, the rate of attendance has been well above the national average. The daily register of pupils is conscientiously maintained in each class and parents send absence notes or telephone if pupils are absent. Any concerns regarding a pupil’s absence are followed up immediately. There is close liaison with pupils, parents and the Educational Welfare service, to encourage pupils to attend regularly and on time.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for monitoring and promoting behaviour are good, with the system of sanctions and rewards promoted well and being understood and accepted by all pupils. The procedures for eliminating oppressive behaviour are good, and it is made apparent to everyone in the school that bullying is taken seriously and is not acceptable. There are well-established policies for behaviour and bullying, with staff being aware of their content and of procedures to follow.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The procedures for monitoring and supporting the personal development of pupils are good. Pupils are expected to behave well and to relate well to one another and teachers praise and reward systems are used effectively. The time given by members of staff to developing positive relationships with pupils contributes significantly to the promotion of good behaviour.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. There are appropriate systems for assessing and recording individual pupils' attainment and the progress that they make in English, mathematics and science, which show improvement since the last inspection. However, in other subjects they are not as extensive, showing mainly coverage of the National Curriculum rather than the progress made by individual pupils as they grow older. The school monitors pupils’ academic development in a satisfactory way, and the use of the information gained is used satisfactorily to improve curricular planning. It is beginning to use its analysis of end of key stage tests to set targets for improvement in English, mathematics and science for groups and individual pupils, but this is in its infancy and not yet having a positive affect on standards attained, especially for the more able pupils. The school is aware of the need to make its tracking and target setting arrangements more focussed, so that

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

teachers are clearer about what the pupils need to do next to improve. Assessment information for pupils with special educational needs is used in a satisfactory way to plan future work. Systems for the assessment of pupils when they start school are in place and the information from these assessments is used appropriately to plan subsequent learning experiences. The school has satisfactory procedures in place to evaluate the LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 19 achievements of different groups of pupils but again, the information from these evaluations are not always used effectively to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The parents’ views of the school are positive, with good praise for the ethos and the friendly atmosphere that is in the school. Parents know their children are happy in school and say that new children quickly become integrated into school life. This is evident from the attitudes of the reception-aged children who already are well integrated and content in the school. Several parents praised the school’s family approach. The majority of parents find the school approachable and the head teacher makes herself appropriately available for parents if they have any worries and deals promptly with any complaints. This was praised by some parents in the comments made on the back of the returned parents’ questionnaires. Some parents would like to see extra-curricular provision improved. However, the inspection team disagrees with this viewpoint as very good extra curricular activities provision is offered with all pupils

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

having the opportunity to take part in a wide range of educational visits.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. Links with parents are good and there have been several improvements in partnership with parents since the last inspection. Practical curriculum evenings are taking place. These have addressed issues such as science, numeracy and literacy teaching and information sessions about National Curriculum tests. Most of these evenings have been successful in attracting parents. Families come into school for performances and attend church services for major festivals. They appreciate the importance given to such events as the annual leavers’ ceremony, which are always followed by a buffet supper at the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Parents provide good support for pupils’ learning both at home and at school. Parents and grandparents provide valuable help, for example with reading, and there is a great deal of home support for projects and research. The trips, which the school undertakes, to broaden the opportunities for the pupils of this small rural school are often supported by practical parental help. The Friends Association meets regularly and has provided attractive playground equipment, which has made playtimes much more interesting for the pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The teacher of the reception-aged children has good links with the parents. The teacher by making home visits, sending out newsletters and having a small number of evening meetings overcomes the difficulty of access to the small rural school. The parents value meeting the teacher in their home and hearing first-hand about how well their child has settled into school. Parents show their support by sending in materials and objects to support current work. For example, the ‘baby clinic’ was very well equipped with a range of leaflets and posters sent in by parents.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The quality of information available to parents is satisfactory. Week by week information for parents about school is regular and informative. Some parents said that although they are told that they can come in at any time and discuss their children’s work they did not have sufficient early opportunities to discuss progress, since the consultation evening is not held until the end of each year. Some also said that annual reports were too bland. The inspection agrees that the reports, although thorough on details of social and personal development, lack good precise information about how well pupils are progressing and the targets set are often too vague for parents to be able to help. LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 20 There is not enough information about whether specific improvement has taken place since the previous report.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher are satisfactory. The headteacher knows the school and provides clear educational direction. The school development plan appropriately identifies the main priorities for the school. A strength is the strong team approach, which is essential in a small school. The headteacher has a heavy teaching commitment and there is no deputy headteacher in post. Therefore the headteacher is very reliant upon her staff and she has successfully created a team who work well together and who share leadership and management responsibilities willingly. The aims of the school are reflected well in its work. Staff have satisfactory shared commitment towards improvement of standards and provision.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The governing body meet all statutory requirements and is supportive of the headteacher and staff. Although the governors perceive their role to be one of support, they know they must ask appropriate questions about why things are happening in the school. Consequently they have a satisfactory understanding of strengths and areas for development through regular headteacher reports, and their visits to the school.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The majority of the key issues of the previous inspection have been satisfactorily resolved. Provision in the Foundation Stage of Learning has improved with an increased range of resources now available particularly in the area of outdoor play equipment. The children have an appropriate time involved in activities that will enable them to achieve the ‘early learning goals’ by the time they leave the reception class. However the issue regarding the classroom assistant has not been satisfactorily addressed. The classroom assistant still does not possess the necessary skills to support the children’s learning satisfactorily. The role of the subject co-ordinator has been improved and the staff are satisfactorily aware of strengths and areas requiring improvement in their subject responsibilities. The teachers plan carefully to meet the needs of pupils of different ages and abilities within their classes. They are mainly

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

successful but addressing the needs of more able pupils is still an area for improvement. The school recognises that this is an issue for development. Overall there has been satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance are satisfactory. The headteacher and co-ordinators check and evaluate teaching and are supported from time to time by the Local Education Authority adviser. The same member of staff throughout the school teaches science and music and therefore this makes it possible to self-evaluate work and monitor the progress of the pupils. The analysis of assessment data is satisfactory and the results of any analysis are used appropriately to make any necessary adjustments to curriculum planning. A simple tracking system is in place but it is not yet rigorous enough to check if the progress that pupils are making is good enough. Although the staff has a satisfactory understanding of what pupils have to do to attain a National Curriculum level, they are not as secure about measuring the progress of pupils within a level. This information would help the school to set more

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

specific learning targets for pupils. It would also enable the school to measure progress more accurately and make a more positive impact on raising standards.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The leadership of the special educational needs co-ordinator is satisfactory. The recommendations of the Code of Practice are fully met and the co-ordinator and staff LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 21 meet regularly to review pupils’ progress. The funding available for special educational needs is carefully managed and spent appropriately

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Financial management is satisfactory. Financial planning is linked clearly to the school development plan and spending is monitored and evaluated. The finance committee meets regularly to check spending decisions. The governors are satisfactorily aware of the principles of best value but as yet to do not evaluate the effect of spending on standards and achievement. Day-to-day administration is effective and satisfactory use is made of information and communication technology in this work and to manage the budget and monitor attendance.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Staffing levels are good and both teaching and support staff are well deployed. The accommodation is good and is used satisfactorily. There is also good library provision. Standards of cleanliness are consistently good throughout the school, reflecting the commitment of the school caretaker and other premises staff. All staff have worked very hard to produce good quality displays. There is a broad range of work on display from the bold mark-making activities of younger pupils to the more detailed drawings and paintings of older pupils. All work is well mounted and attractively displayed.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Resources are good in English, mathematics, science, art and design and information and communication technology. In design and technology, history and geography resources are satisfactory. Resources are well stored, easily accessible and effectively used to support pupils’ learning. In physical education resources are unsatisfactory as there is very limited equipment available for gymnastics due to the lack of a school hall.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

53. In order to improve further, the gover4nores, headteacher and staff should:

p.21

(1) Ensure that pupils are more aware of how to improve their work by:

§ developing pupils’ self assessment skills by providing pupils with learning targets which relate to National Curriculum levels and indicate clearly what pupils must do to move through a level § using written marking as a tool for improving pupils’ work; § ensuring that pupils have the time and the support to address the issues identified by the written marking comments. (paragraphs: 22, 74, 86, 91, 103 &105)

p.21

(2) Introduce more rigorous tracking and target setting systems by:

§ developing the existing pupil tracking system in English, mathematics and science, so that year by year progress is able to be measured more accurately; § providing training for teachers so that they are more familiar with the key learning targets that pupils need to achieve to move through a National Curriculum Level. § regularly monitoring and evaluating pupils’ progress and from this information then set subsequent targets for pupils ensuring each pupil makes at least satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment. § ensuring that assessment and record keeping systems in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology and physical education identify clearly what pupils need to do next to improve. (paragraphs:39, 48, 86, 91, 95, 99, 103, 105, 109 & 113)

p.21

(3) Raise standards of handwriting and presentation by:

LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 22 § raising teachers’ expectations of what is acceptable with regards to pupils’ handwriting; § ensuring that pupils write legibly and clearly and take more care with their spellings; § encouraging pupils to take more pride in the presentation of their work. (paragraphs: 3, 22, 73, 76, 91, 100 & 104)

p.22

well their child is progressing by reports:

§ clearly identifying what pupils know, understand and can do; § informing parents if the learning and the progress made is good enough. § providing information as to how pupils might improve their work; (paragraph: 44)

p.22

reception aged children by:

§ providing training for the classroom assistant to improve her questioning skills and management of children’s behaviour; § ensuring the classroom assistant is clear about her role with regards to supporting children’s learning. (paragraphs:12, 18, 19, 64 & 71)

p.22

(6) Prepare pupils more satisfactorily for life in multi-cultural Britain by:

§ developing pupils’ understanding of other people’s religious convictions and cultural traditions within Britain. (paragraph: 33 )

p.22

(6) Prepare pupils more satisfactorily for life in multi-cultural Britain by:

In addition to the main issues identified the school needs to ensure that:

p.22

(6) Prepare pupils more satisfactorily for life in multi-cultural Britain by:

More able pupils are appropriately challenged (paragraphs:1, 6, 26, 39, 47, 80, 87 & 91) Plenary sessions are used more effectively to review and assess pupils’ learning (paragraphs: 20. 74 & 81) Teachers’ questioning skills are improved (paragraphs: 18, 74 & 83) LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 0 60 40 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than six percentage points

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) n/a 38

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals n/a 1 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs n/a 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register n/a 8

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 2 2 4

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys [n/a] [n/a] [n/a] Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls [n/a] [n/a] [n/a]

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School [n/a] [n/a] [n/a] at NC level 2 or above National 83 (820 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys [n/a] [n/a] [n/a] Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls [n/a] [n/a] [n/a]

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School [n/a] [n/a] [n/a] at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

This table is not completed as there are fewer than 10 pupils in the Year 2 cohort.

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 3 5 8

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys [n/a] [n/a] [n/a] Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls [n/a] [n/a] [n/a]

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School [n/a] [n/a] [n/a] at NC level 4 or above National 75 (700 72 (69) 79 (78)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys [n/a] [n/a] [n/a] Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls [n/a] [n/a] [n/a]

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School [n/a] [n/a] [n/a] 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. This table is not completed as there are fewer than 10 pupils in the Year 6 cohort. LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 25

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage n/a n/a

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage n/a n/a

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups n/a n/a 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.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.6 Financial year 2000-2001

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 14.6

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 136106

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Total expenditure 125404

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 13 Expenditure per pupil 3215

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 28329

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) n/a Balance carried forward to next year 39031

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher n/a

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff n/a

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week n/a

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult n/a FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 26

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 66 28 3 0 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 31 62 3 0 4

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 48 0 0 7

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 31 10 0 10

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 24 7 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 83 17 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 66 21 10 0 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 59 28 3 0 10

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 72 21 7 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 45 31 7 3 14 LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 27

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. There are currently 3 reception-aged children who have been attending school full time for three weeks. They are taught in the same classroom as pupils in Years 1 and 2. Two classroom assistants who work on different days provide support for four mornings a week. The three children have had pre-school experience provided by the school’s ‘Flying Start’ initiative which enables them to work and play in the school on three mornings a week before they start school in the September. The class teacher plans appropriate activities for these sessions and these pre-reception class children are then supported in their work by the classroom assistants. This valuable pre-school experience has a positive impact on the children. At the time of the inspection, the children had only attended a relatively short time and yet were confident, settled and happy.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Children are assessed on entry to the reception class using a range of procedures including the school’s nationally approved assessment scheme. At the time of the inspection, this assessment was only just taking place and so no official data was available. The inspection findings and the view of the school, are that children generally enter the school with levels of attainment that are expected for children of this age in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and personal, social and emotional development. However, with such small numbers on entry to the school, this is difficult to anticipate accurately year-upon-year. The teacher uses appropriately the information gained from the initial assessments to plan work for the children. All three children are making good progress.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

56. The children enter the school confidently with a keen interest in learning and are making good progress. By the end of their reception year they are on line to exceed the ‘early learning goals’ in this area. The children take part in whole class sessions with the Years 1 and 2 pupils for extended periods of time. They sit, listen and concentrate on what the teacher and other pupils are saying. They take turns to offer their views and opinions. Their behaviour is very good. In play situations, two of the children tend to play more closely together. They share the toys and make up little stories for each other as they play. All three children shared the excitement of lost ‘pills’ in the ‘baby clinic’ and carefully considered what should be done next – the teacher needed to be told! They handled the carefully structured ‘incident’ very thoughtfully, applying lessons learned earlier in the whole class session about the dangers of tablets and pills. They

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

find independently their games kit and manage to change their clothing for physical education lessons with limited support. Teaching is good. The teacher plans carefully for this area of learning. She structures her sessions very skilfully to include all of the class. The needs of these very young children are not ignored when she works with the older ones. This was shown very clearly when she staged the ‘pill incident’ in the ‘baby clinic’.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

57. The children have above expected levels in communication. They are confident speakers, and make their needs and feelings known clearly. They are making good LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 28 progress and will exceed the early learning goal’ by the time they leave reception and enter Year1. In language and literacy, the standards are appropriate for children of this age, although one child is of higher ability. Progress is good and all the children should reach, and in some areas, exceed the ‘early learning goals’ by the end of the reception year.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

58. The children speak clearly in a group setting. They told the rest of the class when they felt sad or happy and in some cases, can explain why they felt as they did. In the ‘baby clinic’, one child very confidently played the role of ‘receptionist’ imitating speech patterns she had heard previously, informing the adult visitor that she must wait in a particular place and then telling her “you may go in now, it’s your turn”. In the whole class reading session, the children join in by turning over pages at the appropriate time and pointing to the first words on the page. They think of words beginning with a particular letter and are recognising some letters. When practising their handwriting skills using large movements in the sand or salt for example, they show good control and accuracy. However, when asked to copy smaller letters in their books, their handwriting is less accurate and controlled. The children need more practice with the

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

large-scale movements rather than recording in their books. The more able child is the exception and he is developing good control over his handwriting and is able to form letters correctly. He is also able to identify and write the initial letter of the words he wishes to write. The teacher is carefully considering his progress in order to include him with older children when appropriate.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

59. The teaching is good. The class teacher plans comprehensively for these children so that they make good progress in this class of children of three age groups. A classroom assistant also supports the children in the mornings in their work. One of the classroom assistants is good and her support although quiet and unobtrusive is effective. The teacher plans for this support and includes a range of questions to be put to the children recognising that one higher ability child needs more probing questions. The teacher and this assistant form a good team and in their relationship and interactions with one another, offer good examples to the children.

p.28

Mathematical development

60. The children have above expected levels of mathematical skill and are making satisfactory progress. They are expected to exceed the ‘early learning goals’ by the end of the reception year.

p.28

Mathematical development

61. In the play setting of the ‘baby clinic’, the children are using an old computer keyboard to type commands and press the number keys to indicate whose turn it is to see the doctor. The children name the numbers in sequence and point correctly to each number key. Through the opportunities to weigh and measure the ‘babies’ the children are becoming aware that the largest in height is not always the heaviest. When making the morning snack, two of the children were discussing with the classroom assistant whether to cut the toast into quarters or not. They knew that quarters meant cutting the toast into four parts.

p.28

Mathematical development

62. The teaching is good. The planned play situations do much to develop the children’s mathematical thinking as children are able to apply their skills and understanding in practical ways. For example, the teacher planned for the children to investigate water moving through different lengths and widths of piping. Through this work they are developing an early understanding of capacity and volume in a very enjoyable way. However, during times when these children are directed by one of the classroom LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 29 assistants very limited learning takes place. Although clear instructions were given by the teacher, the classroom assistant was unable to manage the children appropriately. Her questioning skills were unsatisfactory resulting in children paying very little attention to her. During a mathematical game activity the children became frustrated, lost interest and drifted off task. Consequently very little learning took place. This is in sharp

p.28

Mathematical development

contrast to when the children are working with the other classroom assistant.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

63. The children start school with a general knowledge in line with that expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress and are expected to achieve the ‘early learning goals’ for this area of learning, by the time they enter Year 1.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

64. The teaching is good and the experiences provided for the children are very good. When joining in a history lesson with Years 1 and 2, the children correctly sequenced photographs into a time line. By being in a class with older pupils, they take part in a wider range of activities than would be expected. For example, they go on trips to estate agents, building sites and the village shop developing early geography and history skills. The play areas within the classroom provide very good opportunities for role-play, which is an improvement since the last inspection. The teacher is very imaginative in her approach and sensitive to the needs of her children. The tasks for them are always appropriate. One good example, seen in photographs, was of large blocks of ice in the water tray for the children to observe and handle and record what happened. Another photograph showed the play area converted to a Sea Life Centre

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

where the children had to handle living creatures carefully. In the construction area, there are prompts for the children to plan, make and then review their work. Photographs again show opportunities for the children to build large-scale models outside, using the fixed play equipment and bricks. Although not observed being used by the children, during the inspection, information and communication technology resources are readily available and the child ‘receptionist’ in the clinic was very familiar with her computer and keyboard. Through their work on the topic of ‘food’ the children have opportunities to study the culture and habits of African people.

p.29

Physical development

65. The children have physical skills appropriate for their age. They make satisfactory progress and by the end of the reception year, they will have achieved the ‘early learning goals’ for this area of learning.

p.29

Physical development

66. Since the last inspection, the school has invested in a range of outdoor play equipment. There are fixed climbing frames and scrambling nets for all children to use as well as tricycles and pedal toys for the reception-aged children. Because there are no facilities for indoor games and physical education, children are quite used to working outside except in very poor weather. The children were observed happily and competently playing with the wheeled vehicles and playing imaginatively in the outdoor playhouse. They also joined in confidently with a lesson with Years 1 and 2 pupils showing that their developing awareness of space and their physical skills are improving also. Two of the children skip competently and during an indoor session, could stamp in time to the music. When using the small equipment, the children show the necessary control and skill to fix small parts to each other. One child concentrated and persevered until he

p.29

Physical development

had fixed the roof back onto the toy ambulance. It was a tricky business but he succeeded! LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 30 67. The teaching is good. There are many obstacles in the way to develop this area of learning in this small school. There are no facilities inside and no covered area outside but the teacher makes the best use of what she does have, to plan a range of activities. She incorporates action songs and some movement into her lessons when appropriate which impacts positively on the children’s learning.

p.29

Creative development

68. The children have the creative skills expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress and will achieve the expected ‘early learning goals’ for this area of learning by the end of their reception year.

p.30

Creative development

69. The children play particularly well together in the imaginative play areas. When Joe the doll was ill, all three children took on different roles in the clinic area to treat and cure him. The classroom assistant quietly supports this imaginative play when she is there. In an incidental singing time, the children joined in, attempting to learn the words and the tune with some success. During another song, they moved in time with the music to stamp their feet.

p.30

Creative development

70. The children are introduced to a wide range of creative techniques in art. They have access to a variety of materials. No art teaching was seen during the inspection but there are examples of past artwork and photographs of creative sessions. The work produced is of a good standard.

p.30

Teaching and provision

71. The quality of teaching is good. The teacher has very comprehensive plans for her class of children from three age groups. She has been part of a Local Education Authority working party to plan for small schools and is very knowledgeable about this stage of children’s learning. Her relationship with the children is very good and she effectively creates a climate where children are happy, stimulated and eager to learn. In the good lessons, the clear focus for the lesson was combined with the stimulating and exciting activities to produce good and sometimes very good learning from the children. One of the classroom assistant works well alongside the teacher, creating good examples for the children. However, the other classroom assistant is less effective as she is unable to manage the children appropriately and her questioning skills are unsatisfactory. This is an issue from the previous inspection that has not been

p.30

Teaching and provision

72. The organisation and management of the Foundation Stage of Learning are good. There are real challenges faced by the school to cater for the needs of reception aged children working within a Years 1 and 2 class. These challenges have been successfully and effectively met. The class teacher, who is also the co-ordinator, has good knowledge of this stage in children’s learning. Her plans are very thorough and have clear details of what children will learn in the activities and experiences she provides. The needs of children of higher ability are also clearly catered for by the use of more searching questions to develop and challenge their thinking. The teacher assesses the children’s progress, particularly in literacy in order to plan more effectively. Although, she does not use the ‘stepping stones’ for learning for this stage, she is aware satisfactorily of the children’s progress, towards the ‘early learning goals’.

p.30

ENGLISH

73. It is inappropriate to compare pupils’ results in English with national statistics, or with the statistics of similar schools, as there are too few pupils in the Year 2 and Year 6 classes to enable comparisons to be meaningful. However, the standards of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 mainly match the expected levels for 7 and 11-year-olds with a few pupils mainly in Year 2, attaining higher than the expected levels. When pupils enter Year 1 their basic skills in language and literacy are at least similar to those expected for their age. Thereafter, pupils’ achievement in speaking and listening reading and writing is satisfactory. Standards are unsatisfactory in handwriting and presentation. Pupils do not take pride in their work and their presentation is often untidy. The older pupils in particular, make too many careless spelling mistakes in written work. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in

p.31

ENGLISH

relation to their prior attainment and achieve appropriately.

p.31

ENGLISH

74. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, with teachers planning thoroughly to follow the structure of the ‘literacy hour’ and preparing and resourcing their lessons in an appropriate way. They use questioning satisfactorily to find out what pupils know and can do before they start the activities. There is effective use of the beginnings of lessons to develop pupils’ speaking skills, which are good throughout the school. There are good opportunities for pupils to discuss and explain their ideas, as was seen in a literacy lesson for pupils in Years 5 and 6 when learning about how an author can change the mood of a story as it moves towards a crisis. The expertise of the teacher gave the pupils the opportunity and confidence to take full part in a class discussion that effectively developed their communication skills. The plenary sessions are not used effectively to assess pupils’ learning and are sometimes too brief. The listening skills of

p.31

ENGLISH

most pupils are mainly good, which helps them to give relevant answers to the teachers’ questions and to gain a suitable understanding of the work that they are to do. The pupils have positive attitudes to their work, being well behaved and having good powers of concentration. They show interest and enjoyment in whet they are doing and have a good work rate. However, there are times when the questions asked by the teachers of the pupils aged 7-11 lack clarity and time is wasted as pupils are unsure of what is expected of them. All teachers ensure that there are many opportunities for pupils to listen to the views and ideas of adults and other pupils and consequently, there is good development of their listening skills. A good example of this was in a class assembly for pupils aged 5-7, when they were talking about what made them sad or happy. Pupils are willing to listen to and appreciate the views and ideas of other pupils and can work

p.31

ENGLISH

well collaboratively in small groups. The marking of pupils’ work is satisfactory, with constructive and encouraging comments made by teachers. It is beginning to inform pupils about how to improve the quality of their writing. However, older pupils do not know what it is necessary for them to do to move onto the next stage of learning and therefore improve the standard of their work.

p.31

ENGLISH

75. Pupils’ achievement in reading is satisfactory. Pupils aged 5 to 7 read accurately and confidently from texts appropriate for their age. By the time that they are 7, pupils use a wide range of strategies to determine unfamiliar words, including the use of phonics. This was evident in a lesson when pupils in Year 2 were finding rhyming words in a story and in so doing, showed good ability to read aloud to others. Pupils who are aged 7 to 11 also demonstrate appropriate reading skills, being able to recount stories, express preferences in reading matter and to talk in an informed way about famous authors. This was evident when pupils in Years 5 and 6 were discussing the books of Michael Morpurgo. They showed a good understanding of how an author can base characters on real life people and base a novel on real, emotive events. This session LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 32 was also used effectively to develop pupils’ ability to answer complex comprehension

p.31

ENGLISH

questions, which the school has identified as an area for improvement.

p.32

ENGLISH

76. Pupils’ achievement in writing is satisfactory. Pupils aged 5 to 7 use an interesting range of vocabulary and show an increasing awareness of the reader in their writing. Many pupils confidently write a sequence of sentences and punctuate them accurately, with simple words spelt correctly. There is also an emphasis on developing the story writing skills of pupils aged 7 to 11, as was seen when pupils in Years 3 and 4 learnt how to build up the main features of a story. By the end of the lesson they showed an improved understanding of how to identify settings and characters and how to write an interesting opening sentence to capture the reader’s interest. Pupils in Year 6 can identify the difference between biographical and autobiographical writing and know how to change from active to past tense. Pupils write in a variety of forms across the curriculum but their standards of handwriting and presentation are unsatisfactory, with words often spelt

p.32

ENGLISH

incorrectly through carelessness. Teachers realise the need to have greater expectations of what pupils can do and to ensure that pupils take more pride in their work.

p.32

ENGLISH

77. Pupils use their literacy skills in a satisfactory way in other subjects. In mathematics lessons, the pupils have opportunities to develop these skills when reading and interpreting questions and then discussing and explaining their strategies for finding solutions. Teachers insist on the use of accurate subject vocabulary, as was seen in science and mathematics lessons. Pupils label diagrams in science, and in geography and history record their ideas in a variety of written formats, for example, lists, charts and descriptions. There is at least satisfactory use made of information and communication technology (ICT) by pupils to word-process their stories and poems. A good example of how ICT can enhance their work was when pupils in Years 5 and 6 were using the thesaurus on the computer to change adjectives for synonyms to alter the mood of a piece of writing.

p.32

ENGLISH

78. The long and medium-term planning for English follows the framework of the National Literacy Strategy and is effective in supporting progression and continuity of pupils’ learning through the school, which shows improvement since the last inspection. There are appropriate systems for recording individual pupils' attainment and the progress that they make. The school monitors pupils’ academic development in a satisfactory way and the information gained is used satisfactorily to improve curricular planning. The school is aware of the need to make assessment arrangements more focussed so that teachers are clearer about what the pupils need to do next to improve, especially in terms of developing their writing skills. The school has identified writing as a priority area for development, especially in terms of improving pupils’ story writing skills.

p.32

ENGLISH

79. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory, with the subject co- ordinator having a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject, which has enabled her to prioritise improvements in provision. The school is planning to make the library areas a more stimulating environment in which to develop pupils’ library and independent research skills. There is a good range of fiction and non-fiction books in classrooms and shared areas for pupils to foster an enjoyment of reading. The curriculum is effectively enhanced by pupils having the opportunity to work with poets. Pupils go on trips to theatrical and film productions, which have provided further significant learning experiences.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

80. It is inappropriate to compare pupils’ results in mathematics with national statistics or with the statistics of similar schools, as there are too few pupils in the Year 2 and Year LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 33 6 classes to enable comparisons to be meaningful. The standards of work of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 mainly match the expected levels for 7 and 11-year-olds with a few pupils mainly in Year 2 attaining higher than the expected levels. Pupils’ achievement throughout the school is satisfactory although the school has identified the need to provide more challenge to pupils with the potential for higher attainment. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment and achieve appropriately.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

81. The school has implemented the National Numeracy Strategy satisfactorily and the Numeracy Framework is used as the basis for planning to ensure that learning is continuous throughout the school. All teachers have adopted the structure and format of a numeracy lesson as suggested by the National Strategy and a mental mathematics session has become an integral part of every lesson. In the majority of lessons, pupils have good attitudes to their learning. They are keen to answer in the mental mathematics sessions and show particular enthusiasm for this part of the lesson. They listen attentively to their teachers and to each other. A weakness of the numeracy lesson is the use of the review session at the end of the lesson. This is often rushed and is not used effectively in one class in particular, to assess the pupils’ learning.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

82. The majority of pupils attain at least the expected level for their age by the end of Year 2 because the work that they are given to do builds effectively on the good experiences they have had in the Foundation Stage of Learning. Pupils aged 5-7 make good progress because of good teaching. In this class, Years 1 and 2 pupils become confident in dealing with numbers to 20 then to 100. Effective mental mathematics sessions enable them to understand the sequence of numbers and they can count competently forwards and backwards from different starting points. Year 1 pupils confidently add together three one digit numbers to 10 whilst Year 2 pupils accurately carry out additions to 20. All pupils are aware of the importance of starting with the largest number and then using the ‘counting on’ strategy. One more able Year 1 pupil works with the Year 2 pupils and realises the importance of finding pairs of numbers to

p.33

MATHEMATICS

make 10 when adding three numbers together. For example, when adding together 6+7+ 4, it is easier to add together 6 and 4 then add 7. Good teaching reinforces mathematical vocabulary and pupils are encouraged to use their reading skills when asked to read aloud and interpret the learning intention of the lesson and the lists of key vocabulary. The teacher is very aware of the prior learning of individual pupils and asks them direct and specific questions to assess their learning in a tactful and sensitive manner. This teacher assesses the learning of the pupils well to find out which strategies pupils use to carry out addition problems.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

83. Progress for pupils aged 7-11 is satisfactory because teaching is satisfactory for this age group of pupils. These pupils are taught in two classes for mathematics. There is one class of Years 3 and 4 pupils and one class of Years 5 and 6 pupils. In Year 3 and 4, thorough planning ensures that work successfully matches the range of ability within the class. The teacher has a good knowledge of the Strategy and uses the whiteboard well to involve the pupils in sharing their ideas. In Years 5 and 6 again the teacher has good knowledge of the Strategy and continually asks pupils to explain their methods of calculation so that other pupils benefit from their ideas. The learning intention of the lesson is shared with the pupils so they know what they should be able to achieve by the end of the lesson. Questioning in both classes although satisfactory is sometimes confused, and pupils are occasionally unsure of what is required of them. Pupils often

p.33

MATHEMATICS

guess rather than making informed answers to teachers’ questions. In one lesson the mental mathematics session and introduction were overlong and did not effectively LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 34 engage the interest of all the pupils. The plenary was not used effectively to find out if the learning intention had been achieved. By the time pupils are in Year 6, they are able to write accurately numbers as fractions, improper fractions and decimals, for example, 3 6/10 = 36/10 = 3.6.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

84. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall, as a result of the support that they are given. In one lesson for Years 5 and 6 pupils however, a pupil with special needs was appropriately supported during the mental mathematics session but the work given in the main teaching activity was inappropriate resulting in limited learning taking place.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

85. There is satisfactory use of literacy skills by pupils for example, in reading problems and interpreting and understanding specific mathematical vocabulary. Pupils also show that they make satisfactory use of their numeracy skills, in other subjects, such as science when making a series of measurements to see how the size of a shadow can be changed. The use of information and communication technology is satisfactory but there is a recognised need to better use information and communication technology to improve pupils’ skills in the use of data handling and spreadsheets.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

86. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory with the co-ordinator having satisfactory knowledge of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses, which has enabled her to plan satisfactorily to improve provision. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory. The school keeps satisfactory records of pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics and National Curriculum test results are analysed appropriately by the subject co-ordinator to explore reasons for individual and group achievement. However, the information resulting from the assessments is not shared effectively with the pupils to enable them to know what they need to do to raise their own attainment from one level to another. Teachers’ written comments about pupils’ work are often linked to the pupils’ effort or presentation and do not always inform the pupil of the next step in the learning process. Resource provision is good

p.34

MATHEMATICS

and allows for a wide range of practical activities to be carried out. The current provision in the subject shows satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.

p.34

SCIENCE

87. It is inappropriate to compare pupils’ results in science with national statistics, or with the statistics of similar schools, as there are too few pupils in the Year 2 and Year 6 classes to enable comparisons to be meaningful. However, the standards of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 mainly match the expected levels for 7 and 11-year-olds. Pupils’ achievement throughout the school is satisfactory and pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment and achieve appropriately.

p.34

SCIENCE

88. Lessons are taught by the same teacher throughout the school and are of satisfactory quality. She prepares thoroughly, has secure subject knowledge and emphasises the importance of learning through structured practical activities. The attitudes of pupils are good and they work well together, listen attentively to the teacher and show much interest in their activities. They show curiosity and enjoyment when involved in practical work and are keen to answer questions. There are many opportunities for pupils in Years 1 and 2 to be involved in practical activities to develop their scientific knowledge and understanding of their senses, and how they can be used to find out about the world around them. As a result, they show appropriate ability to sequence photographs to show the main stages of life from baby to adulthood and correctly label the major LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 35 external parts of the human body. As pupils pass through Year 2, they learn how to

p.34

SCIENCE

handle a variety of simple scientific equipment carefully and safely and can satisfactorily take part in discussions about scientific ideas. This was evident when pupils were discussing how similar were sweets and pills, in order to develop their understanding of the dangers of drugs. There is appropriate emphasis given to teaching pupils the basic skills of carrying out an investigation, and of recording their findings in a variety of ways. As a result, by the time that they are 7, most pupils show appropriate skills in making sensible predictions and then carrying out a simple, fair test with help from their teacher. More able pupils are not always suitably challenged and the school is currently reviewing ways of improving this.

p.35

SCIENCE

89. Pupils aged 7-11 are given sufficient opportunities to learn how to handle a wider variety of scientific equipment and resources, to develop effectively their scientific knowledge and understanding. There is continued emphasis on the basic skills of investigations and the different ways pupils record their results. The pupils are provided with opportunities to work collaboratively, in structured practical activities and to find out information for themselves, which enables them to make satisfactory progress in their investigative skills. This was seen when pupils in Years 5 and 6 were making close observations of a variety of seeds and then recording their findings in a chart. Throughout the school, there is satisfactory use of pupils’ skills of using information and communication technology to enhance their work. A good example of its use was the way pupils in Years 3 to 6 were using a microscope linked to a computer, to observe

p.35

SCIENCE

and take pictures of a variety of seeds. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to be involved in activities that develop the investigative skills of making evaluations and conclusions, based on prior scientific knowledge. Pupils find difficulty in interpreting data when presented as a line graph and in identifying patterns and trends. However, by the time that they are 11, most pupils show satisfactory ability to identify when there is a need for a fair test and to be able to plan and carry one out independently of the teacher.

p.35

SCIENCE

90. There are opportunities for spiritual development, such as in a lesson focusing on observing seeds, for Years 3 to 6 when the teacher encouraged pupils to think about the seeds as being a miracle of life. There is appropriate use of literacy skills by pupils in their report writing and in their labelled scientific drawings and diagrams, such as the major parts of a flowering plant. Pupils also show that they are able to make satisfactory use of their numeracy skills, as was seen in Year 6 science work on making a series of measurements to see how the size of a shadow can be changed.

p.35

SCIENCE

91. There is satisfactory leadership and management, with the co-ordinator having a clear view of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses, which has enabled her to plan satisfactorily to improve provision. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory, as a result of the support that they are given. The curriculum is broad and relevant, and enables pupils to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills, through carefully structured investigative activities. The planning procedures incorporate national guidance and provide teachers with clear information about the key learning objectives and skills to be taught. The assessment procedures do not effectively track the progress that pupils make and consequently, there is not enough reliable information to enable the school to set manageable targets for improvement for individual pupils. It is beginning to use its analysis of end of key stage tests to set

p.35

SCIENCE

targets for improvement in science for groups and individual pupils, but this is in its infancy and not yet having a positive affect on standards attained, especially for the more able pupils. The marking of work is constructive and encouraging but does not have a high enough expectation of the quality of pupils’ presentation. Neither does it LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 36 indicate clearly what pupils must do to improve the standard of their work. Resource provision is good and allows for a wide range of practical activities to be carried out. There is satisfactory use made of the school grounds to find out about life processes and living things. The current provision in the subject shows satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.

p.35

ART AND DESIGN

92. Although only one lesson was observed during the inspection it was apparent from the scrutiny of pupils’ work that standards in art and design at the end of Years 2 and 6 are above national expectations. There is secure evidence of good progression of skill development from Years 1 to 6. An improvement since the last inspection is that sketchbooks are used more now throughout the school to develop the pupils’ skills in drawing and planning their work. At the time of the last inspection, it was felt that the school over-directed the pupils in their artwork and again this has improved. The school has addressed this by having ‘theme’ days where pupils can choose to work with different media. The teachers also provide a variety of materials for pupils to use, when a starting point has been given. For example, following a visit to Half-Moon Bay, stuffed gulls were borrowed to enable the pupils to look closely and draw or paint them.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

The pupils could choose from chalk, pastels, charcoal or water- colour and they produced good quality pictures.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

93. The teaching of pupils aged 5-7 is good. In the lesson the teacher was well planned with a range of resources ready for use. The brightly coloured fabric and extensive range of buttons, bows and sequins available effectively engaged the pupils’ interest. The importance of design was encouraged as pupils set about their task. Good subject knowledge was shown as the teacher carefully explained various techniques to use when working with clay. Work is often appropriately planned to link with other curriculum areas. For example, following a topic on the Victorians, the pupils aged 7-11 planned and produced embroidered samplers of a high standard.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

94. The pupils are introduced to a range of techniques from Year 1 to 6. The school often invites artists into school to enhance the opportunities for the pupils. Sometimes starting points are the work of a famous artist and some beautiful stencil and paint-work has been based on the work of Gustav Klimt. Pupils aged 7-11 have been inspired by the work of William Morris.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

95. Subject leadership and management are satisfactory. The subject co-ordinator for art and design is very enthusiastic about the subject. She is committed to offering a wide range of opportunities to develop the pupils’ art through the ‘theme’ days, visits from artists and visits to galleries. The programme of work for art and design effectively ensures that learning is continuous throughout the school. Recording and assessment procedures are underdeveloped, however, which means that teachers do not yet have a clear view of pupils’ attainment and progress in the subject. Information and communication technology skills are developed through art and design programs and also using the digital camera to experiment in placing and framing their work. Resource provision is good and resources are used well by the staff.

p.36

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 37 96. Design and Technology was not taught during the inspection. However, after looking at the planning and the pupils’ work there is sufficient evidence to judge that standards at the ages of 7 and 11 at least match national expectations.

p.37

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have clear guidelines provided for them when they make their models. They are encouraged to plan carefully before they make their model and then pupils talk confidently about how to improve it. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 progress to working with tools and other materials such as wood. They plan, make and finish model houses in wood at a local college, making use of the specialist equipment. The models produced are of a good quality. Further evidence of a progression in skills can be seen in work on puppets. The younger pupils make simple shadow puppets satisfactorily and have explored ways to attach sticks. The older pupils make papier-mâché puppets complete with clothes and experiment with string attachments as well as simple glove puppets. The work produced shows that pupils’ achievement is at least satisfactory.

p.37

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. The younger pupils work on a range of activities related to food and through this work they know the rules of hygiene and food handling. They use food from nearby, for example blackberries to make jam and also investigate foods from far away places, such as African food. This work has strong links to other curriculum areas particularly maths, literacy and geography. It encourages effectively the pupils to work together, sharing and collaborating and enables them to explore different cultures through the study of food so promoting pupils’ social and cultural development.

p.37

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has satisfactory overview of the subject. Recording and assessment procedures are underdeveloped, which means that teachers do not yet have a clear view of pupils’ attainment and progress in the subject. Resources are good and are used appropriately by staff and pupils.

p.37

GEOGRAPHY

100. It was only possible to observe one lesson during the inspection but other evidence seen indicates that attainment at least matches national expectations at the ages of 7and 11 and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. However, the presentation of pupils’ work is sometimes untidy, handwriting is not clear and spelling mistakes are made through carelessness.

p.37

GEOGRAPHY

101. The work of the pupils in Years 1 and 2 shows how well they are able to research and apply their increasing range of geography skills. They use their newly acquired mapping skills appropriately to draw a map and plan a route for Percy, a storybook character. They investigate where and why houses are being built near by, visiting the site and talking to builders and estate agents. They use their knowledge and understanding to write, draw and talk confidently about how places affect people’s lives, looking at house styles in Cowan Bridge and St. Lucia. In a link with their history work on the life of Grace Darling, they visited a lifeboat station, which enabled them to understand how living near the sea affected people’s lives and necessitated a lifeboat team.

p.37

GEOGRAPHY

102. The older pupils in Years 3 to 6 have many opportunities to undertake fieldwork activities. They have visited coastal areas to investigate rock strata and tides and archaeological sites to study settlements. Their geographical work is further enriched through ‘theme’ days. A recent theme was ‘European Day’ and all the pupils joined together to investigate features of life in other European countries. The positive impact LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 38 that this had on pupils’ learning was demonstrated when the Years 3 to 6 lesson was observed and the pupils readily located the countries of Europe and could talk knowledgeably about typical foods of the countries. The teacher effectively made the lesson more enjoyable and challenging, by having an assortment of foods, which she asked the pupils to match to the country of origin. This then effectively led to an informed discussion about weather and climate.

p.37

GEOGRAPHY

103. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Since the time of the last inspection, the co-ordinator has devised a teaching pack for teachers to use, which makes sure that pupils make progress in their learning. She is now able to monitor planning of the subject more closely. Recording and assessment procedures are underdeveloped, which means that teachers do not yet have a clear view of pupils’ attainment and progress in the subject. Pupils are not always given the necessary advice of how to improve their work through the teachers’ written marking. Resources are good and information and communication technology is used to good effect for research for example. However during the inspection, work on the Internet was halted because of technical problems and pupils were unable to find the information, which they needed to complete their task successfully.

p.38

HISTORY

104. Standards by the ages of 7 and 11 at least match national expectations and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. As only one lesson was observed it is not possible to give a secure judgement on teaching overall but the teaching of pupils aged 5-7 is good. In the lesson seen in the Years 1 and 2 class the teacher was very well prepared with a good range of resources used to engage the interest of the pupils. Through effective planning the varied needs of the pupils in the class were taken into account. Pupils concentrated well, learning to place photographs, objects and events into correct chronological order. Year 2 pupils were able to sequence the decades into 1960s 1970s etc. The teacher made effective use of homework to support the lesson by asking all the pupils to make up a memory box. Evidence from the work of the older pupils in Years 3-6, shows that their work is often enriched by relevant field trips. For example,

p.38

HISTORY

when studying the Victorian era, they visit Lancaster to investigate Victorian influences. On another occasion, they visit an archaeological dig to see for themselves, direct evidence of historical enquiry. History is often linked to other areas of the curriculum particularly art, which enhances the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils’ presentation of work is not always as good as it should be, with untidy handwriting and careless spelling mistakes evident.

p.38

HISTORY

105. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator for history has produced plans for the teachers, which will make sure that pupils make progress in their learning of history. This is an improved position from the last inspection. Recording and assessment procedures are underdeveloped, which means that teachers do not yet have a clear view of pupils’ attainment and progress in the subject. Written marking does not clearly help pupils to raise the standard of their work. There are good resources available for the teachers and the pupils, which are used well.

p.38

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

106. There was limited opportunity to see direct teaching of the subject but evidence indicates that, by the age of 11, the attainment of most pupils at least match the LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 39 national expectations, which shows that the school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.

p.38

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. It is not possible to make a secure judgement on the quality of teaching, but information and communication technology provision is supported by the use of a specialist teacher as part of the joint small schools’ cluster project. Pupils aged 5-7 show an appropriate ability to change the type and size of text, and to retrieve, process and display information. These skills were used well when pupils used pictograms of the eye and hair colours of different pupils that they had produced, to answer simple questions. Older pupils’ word processing skills are at least satisfactory and they use data handling programmes appropriately. By the time that they are 11, pupils use information and communication technology to support their work in English, mathematics, science, history, geography and art. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 use a microscope linked to a computer, to observe and take pictures of a variety of

p.39

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

seeds during a science lesson. There is also good use made of the school’s digital camera to record activities, as was seen in the work of pupils in an art and writing project. Evidence on the wall indicates that pupils are able to use the Internet for research purposes, prepare web materials and carry out power-point presentations. However, in the one lesson seen learning was unsatisfactory and time was wasted. This was when Internet access was denied due to technical problems and pupils were unable to complete a task, which required this facility. The specialist teacher working with the group did not adopt appropriate intervention strategies and consequently pupils ‘sat around’ frustrated and chatting about other issues.

p.39

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and when working in pairs on the computer they collaborate well. They treat equipment carefully, show interest and are well behaved. There is at least satisfactory use of information and communication technology to support work in English, as is seen in the use of word processing to present their work. There is a recognised need to better use information and communication technology to support work in mathematics by the improving pupils’ skills in the use of data handling and spreadsheets.

p.39

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. The curriculum offered to the pupils is satisfactory, being broad and balanced with suitable opportunities for them to be involved in working at computers. Leadership and management are satisfactory and enables weaknesses to be identified and targeted for improvement. All teaching staff have worked very hard to improve their expertise in this area and appropriately see information and communication technology as an important tool to extend learning. Assessment procedures are not effective in letting pupils know what they need to do next to improve. The scheme of work is effective in ensuring that pupils’ learning is continuous throughout the school. There is good resource provision, both in terms of hardware and software.

p.39

MUSIC

110. No judgement is made on standards or the quality of teaching in this subject, as it was not possible to see music taught during the inspection.

p.39

MUSIC

111. Curriculum provision is enhanced by the use of a specialist teacher for the subject who is also the named subject co-ordinator. Written planning indicates that pupils are introduced to an appropriate breadth and balance of musical experience with pupils having the opportunities for singing, performance and composition. Every year the pupils have the opportunity to take part in a musical festival as well as the Christmas music and drama production held in the local church. A concert is also held in the LECK ST PETER’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 40 summer term. Instrumental teaching is available to pupils in the school. Visits and visitors are used appropriately to extend further pupils’ musical experience. Literacy skills are used well to read and remember the words of songs as well as pupil discussion of the meanings of words of songs from different countries, for example, Jamaica and St Lucia. Numeracy skills are also used appropriately, particularly

p.39

MUSIC

developing pupils’ counting skills and understanding of pattern. Information and communication technology is used satisfactorily although the evidence provided develops pupils’ word processing and research skills rather than their musical skills. A weakness of the previous inspection was identified as the need to widen the curriculum to include more multi-cultural instruments and music from around the world. This weakness has been addressed well and pupils now experience music from all over the world. The subject effectively enhances pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Resources are good and are used well.

p.40

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. As no lessons were seen, it is not possible to make a secure judgement on the standards attained or the quality of teaching in this subject.

p.40

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. There are weaknesses in curricular provision, caused by the lack of an appropriate school hall, which restricts physical education activities, especially in gymnastics and dance. However, there are extensive hard and grassed outdoor areas available, which the school uses appropriately and thus ensures that over the year pupils experience all aspects of the physical education curriculum. There are swimming lessons provided for pupils aged 7-11 and, by the time that they leave the school, the majority of them can swim a minimum of 25 metres. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory, allowing the co-ordinator an overview of the quality of education through the school. Recording and assessment procedures are underdeveloped, which means that teachers do not have a clear view of pupils’ attainment and progress in the subject. Parents make a good contribution to extra curricular activities, as is seen in the way two

p.40

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

parents run the Saturday morning football club.

p.40