Carleton St Hilda's Church of England Primary School

CARLETON ST HILDA’S PRIMARY SCHOOL

Bispham Road Carleton Poulton-Le-Fylde Lancashire. FY6 7PE

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CARLETON ST HILDA’S PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number:192959 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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CARLETON ST HILDA’S 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. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bispham Road Carleton Poulton-le-Fylde Lancashire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: The Reverend M Keighley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3-6 March 1997 Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

M Lewis Registered inspector English Art Music English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? G Stockley Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? J Clarke Team inspector Science Geography History Foundation Stage How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

A McLean Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education Equal Opportunities Special educational needs Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Quality in Focus Thresher House Lea Hall Park Demage Lane Lea By Backford Chester. CH1 611P

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 9

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Carleton St Hilda’s is a Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary school for pupils aged four to 11. It is of average size with 201 pupils, 114 boys and 87 girls. A high proportion of pupils (25 per cent) joins and leaves the school during the school year. The school is situated near the town of Poulton-le Fylde in an area of mainly private housing. About 40 per cent of pupils come from outside the immediate area and from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds. The number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average at 6 per cent. Most pupils are white and the 1.5 per cent of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds learn English as an additional language. This is below average. The school has 13.9 per cent of pupils on the register for special educational needs. This is below the national average. A higher number of pupils than average (2.5 per cent) have statements of special educational needs. Children in the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

reception class start school with levels of attainment that are average for their age although there is a wide spread of ability amongst them.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school has many good features and the overall effectiveness of the school is good. At the age of 11, nearly all pupils reached the national average in English and mathematics. The school cares well for the intellectual and emotional needs of its pupils, including pupils with special educational needs. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Teaching is good throughout the school and it is often very good. The youngest children make a good start to their education. • Standards in history, geography and design technology at eleven are above those expected nationally for their age. • Pupils are very enthusiastic about school and behaviour is very good. • Pupils have a good range of opportunities for learning and provision for extra- curricular activities is good. • Provision for pupils’ personal development including spiritual and social development is good. Moral development is very good • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and pupils learn well. • The headteacher provides strong leadership and management and is well-supported by the governing body. The school reflects its aims and values well.

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What could be improved

• Standards in science at the age of eleven. • The checking of pupils’ work to move their learning forward. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in March 1997. It has made good improvement since the last inspection. The overall leadership, management and efficiency of the school have improved significantly. The recently appointed headteacher has dealt well with issues still outstanding when he came into post. There are now schemes of work in place for all subjects of the National Curriculum. Standards in mathematics, English and science are not as high as they were at the previous inspection although at times since they have been as Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 5 high. Standards in geography are higher than at the time of the previous inspection. The quality of teaching has improved greatly. There is now no unsatisfactory teaching and a substantial proportion of teaching is very good. The school has introduced more effective procedures for checking and marking pupils’ work and for matching tasks to pupils’ abilities.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

However, these checks are not yet consistently used to move pupils on in their learning. The provision for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is improved. The school now has good links with parents.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Standards are improving overall. Results for 11-year-old pupils have improved more consistently in English and mathematics than in science where they have been more variable. Results for pupils aged seven, in 2000, show that pupils did better in reading and writing than mathematics where results were well below the average expected nationally. The inspection shows that pupils in Year 6 attain at the national average overall in English and mathematics and below the national average in science. Pupils in Year 2 attain standards in mathematics and science that are at the national average, but below average overall in English. This below average standard in English is due to a significant proportion of pupils (18 per cent) who have special educational needs in reading and writing. Throughout the school, most pupils’ skills in speaking and listening are above those usually found. Pupils at the ages of seven and eleven achieve at the levels similar to those

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STANDARDS

expected for their age in all other subjects except in history and geography and design technology, where standards are above the expectations for their age. Children starting in the reception class have a wide range of ability but overall their attainment is average for their age. They make steady progress and most reach the expected level of attainment in all areas of learning by the time they begin the infant stage.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils work hard in their lessons; they are very enthusiastic and show good levels of concentration.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Behaviour in lessons is nearly always at least good and often very good. Pupils act responsibly when moving around the school and in the playground. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 6 Aspect Comment

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Relationships with each other, adults and visitors are good. Pupils work and play together well. This reflects the school’s mission statement well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. It is above the national average. Pupils are punctual and this allows lessons to start on time.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The school has high expectation of pupils’ behaviour and all staff apply the school procedures very consistently and fairly.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Thirty- four lessons were seen. The school has a high proportion of good and very good teaching. Teaching was very good in 18 per cent of these lessons, good in 70 per cent, and satisfactory in a further 12 per cent. There was no unsatisfactory or poor teaching. There is a balance at both key stages of good and very good teaching. The pace of lessons is generally good. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well in all classes and in some classes they are taught very well. Teachers make lessons interesting for pupils and are enthusiastic, which increases pupils’ motivation and promotes their learning. The management of pupils is very good and teachers organise the groups of pupils of different abilities within the class well. They use support staff very well ensuring that all pupils receive the help they need to make progress. Pupils with special educational need benefit from good teaching and from the help that they receive in lessons. This ensures they learn

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

well. Teachers check pupils’ progress regularly although they do not always use the results of checking pupils’ learning well enough.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school meets statutory requirements and gives pupils a wide range of experiences.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils receive good quality help from teachers and classroom assistants which results in good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils who have English as an additional language have good provision and make good progress. None are in the early stages of learning English. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The school emphasises pupils’ personal development very well. The provision for moral development is very good, spiritual and social development is good and cultural development is satisfactory overall.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school cares for and values its pupils well. Procedures for checking and promoting behaviour are very good. Methods for checking pupils’ attainment and overall progress are satisfactory although the information gained is not always used consistently to move pupils forwards in all subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The school works well with parents and this has a good impact on the work of the school. It provides good information from before the children begin school and onwards. Most parents make good contributions at home to their children’s learning and they are encouraged to help in school. The school runs courses for parents.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff The new headteacher provides strong leadership and management of the school. He is supported effectively by the acting deputy head and other senior staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors take their responsibilities very seriously and fulfil their duties and roles well. They have a good understanding of areas of strength and development in the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The headteacher and governors evaluate aspects of the school well and are closely involved in planning for future developments.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. The school uses its funds well for improving pupils’ education and raising standards of teaching and pupils’ learning. This has had particularly good effect for boosting pupils’ attainments in mathematics and in information and communication technology.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school is fully staffed. Teachers have appropriate qualifications and are well experienced. Support staff make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. The accommodation is adequate. The school actively seeks best value for money. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 8

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school • The school expects the children to work hard • Behaviour is good • Teaching is good • They feel comfortable to approach the school with questions and problems • The school is well led and managed • Some parents would like more information about how their children are getting on • Some parents think the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside of lessons

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with all the positive views expressed by parents but do not agree with their criticisms. Parents are kept well informed of their children’s progress and the school provides a good range of interesting activities outside lessons including clubs, educational visits and a residential visit for the oldest pupils. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 9

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Most children begin in the reception class with levels of attainment that are at the nationally expected level for their age. Assessment of children’s abilities when they first begin in the reception class show that there is a wide spread of ability. Some have had pre-school experiences before they start and some none. Generally skills are higher in language and literacy than in mathematics. As a result of good teaching, they make good progress. The majority of the children in the reception class are in line to reach the early learning goals by the time they begin Year 1 and a small proportion to exceed.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. In March 1997, the previous report judged that at the age of 11, pupils attained at the average levels in English, mathematics and science. At the age of seven, pupils achieved above average levels for reading and writing, and mathematics and at the average science.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Over the four years up to 2000, test results for 11- year olds show that, apart from a drop in 1999 in English and science, there has been an upward trend in pupils’ results in line with the national trend. Pupils’ performance in mathematics for 2000 was above the national average and at the national average in English and science. The school has recently received a School Achievement Award for substantial improvement in their results between 1997 and 2000. In comparison with similar schools having the same number of free school meals (8-20 per cent) in 2000, pupils’ performance in mathematics was well above average, in English average and in science below the average.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Results for seven-year-old pupils over the three years since 1997 show that standards of attainment in reading have varied although they have been mostly at the national average apart from in 1999 when they were well below. Results in writing for both 1998 and 1999 were well below the national average. Mathematics has been consistently below the national average. Results in 2000 showed an improvement in standards of reading and writing as pupils’ performance rose to the national average against all schools nationally but standards in mathematics dropped to well below the national average. In comparison with similar schools in 2000, standards in reading were average, in writing below average and in mathematics well below the average.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Overall standards in the infants have fallen since the previous inspection. This is due to significant levels of movement of pupils in the infants. Of the pupils in Year 2 who sat the tests in 2000, there was 43 per cent of movement in the class that year. In the current class of Year 2, there is a significant number of pupils (18 per cent) with special educational needs and of the total number in the class, 25 per cent did not start in the reception class. More pupils joining the school part way through their education arrive with below average levels of attainment and this tends to depress standards.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. The school has recently worked hard and with success to raise standards particularly in English and mathematics across the school. It has given priority to numeracy and writing. In the 2000 test results, standards rose the most effectively in mathematics in the juniors. More pupils reached the higher levels (level 5) in mathematics than in Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 10 English and science. In the infants, results in reading and writing rose to be at the national average, although results in mathematics were well below the national average.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Current inspection findings show that by the age of 11, standards of attainment in English and mathematics are at the national average and in science standards are below the national average. Pupils in the present Year 6 class do not attain as highly as last year’s 11-year-olds in mathematics and their knowledge and understanding of science is below average overall. The school attributes this to unfortunate past educational experience of last year’s Year 5 class when they were taught by an inexperienced exchange teacher followed by several changes of teachers. The arrangement had been set up prior to the headteacher coming into post. It adversely affected pupils’ progress in Year 5. At the age of seven, overall standards in reading, mathematics and science are at the national average, although they are below the average in writing. A significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs in

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The school’s results and achievements

the current Year 2 class do not reach the expected level in reading comprehension and writing. Even against this background standards in reading and writing are improving.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. In English, pupils’ skills in speaking and listening are above average at the ages of both seven and eleven. Pupils listen well to their teachers in lessons and make good contributions to discussions in all area of the curriculum. Pupils make sound progress with their reading as they move through the school. Able and more able pupils achieve well in reading in both the infants and the juniors. In the Year 2 class, although pupils read and decipher words accurately, almost a third have difficulty in concentrating on what they are reading. They find it hard to talk about characters in the story and to explain the meaning of what they read. Standards of writing for a third of pupils in Year 2 are below those usually found, although able and more able pupils attain at the expected level and above. These groups of pupils have made sound progress over the year. A third of pupils have exceeded the targets set for

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The school’s results and achievements

them as a result of their school tests in Year 1. The school has had a priority to raise standards of pupils’ writing. This is proving effective and pupils’ compositional skills in writing are improving. Many pupils in Year 5 are already working close to the national average in writing expected for 11-year-olds and are on line to exceed this level by the end of Year 6. Pupils in the current Year 6 attain standards in writing at the national average but few in this class attain at the higher levels. Handwriting and presentation of work shows an improvement earlier in the school but this is not the case for pupils in Year 6.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. The standards of pupils’ skills in mental arithmetic and numeracy are improving in the infants and the juniors. This is as a result of the increased emphasis the school has given to the National Numeracy Strategy and the good quality teaching in the daily mathematics lessons. Teaching of the oral and mental sessions in lessons is good and moves at a good pace. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in other areas of mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. In 2000 the school reached its targets set in English and in mathematics for the number of pupils reaching the expected level (level 4). Both targets were above those reached by schools nationally. It has set challenging targets for pupils in the current Year 6. Target setting is affected by the high rate of movement of pupils in and out of the school. Targets set early in the year have to be adjusted to accommodate pupils who arrive with lower attainment. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 11 11. In science standards of attainment at seven are at the national average but below the average for pupils aged eleven. As a result of good teaching, infant pupils use their observational and prediction skills well. They record the results of their investigations successfully. In the junior classes pupils continue to develop their skills of scientific enquiry successfully. Pupils achieve at the level expected for their ages up to the end

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The school’s results and achievements

of Year 5. However, this is not the case in the present Year 6 class. This is attributed by the school to the unfortunate experiences in science when pupils were in their fifth year and as a consequence they do not achieve as well as they should. The recording of pupils’ work in scientific enquiry is not systematic and careful enough. The lack of assessment in science results in fewer pupils achieving at the higher level than is usually found nationally.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. In history, geography and design technology pupils at the end of the infant and the junior stage attain above the levels expected for pupils of their age. In all other National Curriculum subjects pupils attain at the expected level for their ages at seven and 11. At the last inspection no judgement was made on standards of pupils’ attainments in information and communication technology (ICT). The school has worked hard in this subject since then and has successfully raised its profile in the school. Standards are as expected at the end of each key stage. ICT is used well in some subjects of the curriculum but is not fully extended in others such as science and mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. Pupils on the register of special educational needs attain below the national average but make good progress relative to their previous attainment. Effective support for these pupils is always available during the literacy and numeracy lessons and frequently in other lessons. Pupils with statements of special educational needs are very well supported and make good progress. Some with statements of care, sustain their concentration and cope well with their work although they have difficulty in their presentation. The few pupils who speak English as an additional language are not in the early stages of learning English and do as well as other pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. This is an area of strength throughout the school. The attitude of all pupils to their school and learning is very good, as is their behaviour. The good standards seen in the last inspection have been maintained and developed further.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils show interest in their learning and commence work immediately. In the reception class, children use equipment carefully and tidy it away after use. They help each other with their work and activities. For instance, children playing in the post office help each other fill the post office sack. Behaviour in and around the school is very good, reflecting the school’s Christian ethos and mission statement. Teachers and support staff manage any minor problems quickly and professionally.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. During the inspection, no evidence of bullying, sexism and racism was observed. Parents rightly have very positive views about standards of behaviour in the school. Within lessons, behaviour was consistently good and sometimes very good. This ethos of good behaviour has a positive impact upon pupils’ learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Relationships between pupils and with all adults in the school are good. Pupils co- operate very well in class and in school. For instance, pupils in Year 3 did this very well when sharing the digital camera in an ICT lesson. Pupils in a music lesson in Year 5 showed mature attitudes when collaborating in their composition work. They Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 12 are respectful and polite in all their dealings with staff and visitors. Their positive relationships create an atmosphere conducive to improving pupils’ learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils take responsibilities throughout the school, by acting as class monitors, assisting with younger pupils and carrying out roles that assist in the day-to-day running of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. As at the time of the previous inspection, attendance is good. It is above the national average for primary schools and there is very little unauthorised absence. Registers are marked correctly and registration is completed quickly and efficiently so that a prompt start is made to lessons. Pupils are very respectful and polite when responding to their teacher. Some teachers make good use of registration time by combining it with a learning activity such as reading or mental mathematics. There have been no exclusions in the year prior to the inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The school has raised the quality of teaching since the previous inspection. Teaching is now good overall throughout the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The school has experienced staff changes in the reception class, the infants and junior classes since the previous inspection and the overall quality of teaching and learning has improved. The best improvements have been made in the juniors where, at the time of the previous inspection, the quality of teaching was variable and included a significant proportion of unsatisfactory teaching. This is no longer the case.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The school now has a high proportion of good and very good teaching. During the inspection, teaching was very good in 18 per cent of the lessons seen, good in 70 per cent and satisfactory in 12 per cent. Very good teaching was evident in the reception class, both infant classes and in the Year 4 class. It was seen in some lessons in English, mathematics, and geography and in activities in the areas of learning for the Foundation Stage.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Children in the reception class make a good start to their education and are taught well. The reception class teacher came new to the school recently. Children in reception are achieving well and nearly all are in line to reach and a small proportion to exceed the early learning goals by the time they start in Year 1.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching of English is good in 67 per cent of lessons and it is very good in 33 per cent. This is improving the standards of pupils’ work overall. The teaching in the reception class and in Years 2 and 4 is very good. Pupils are taught the basic skills of literacy, such as letter sounds, very well in the reception class and this continues into Years 1 and 2. The school’s emphasis on improving pupils’ skills in writing throughout the school is having a good effect. As a result standards are beginning to rise both the infants and the juniors. For instance, able and more able pupils in Year 2 write well-structured stories at length such as when they write about The River in the Jungle . However, despite good teaching, a significant number of pupils with special educational needs and those who have joined the school late, in Year 2 find difficulty with the punctuation of their written work. Even against this background standards

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

are improving. Throughout the school, teachers, classroom assistants and parents help pupils in their reading. Teachers use classroom assistants well to help develop Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 13 pupils’ reading skills. Reading development and pupils’ understanding of their reading is not checked consistently in all classes particularly as pupils become more proficient with their reading in the juniors. The literacy hour is planned and taught well across the school. Teachers have good subject knowledge, plan the sessions well and use time and resources efficiently. They generally develop pupils’ vocabulary successfully across other curriculum subjects, for instance, in science and art lessons. Teachers give good opportunities for discussions and the development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills. The improvement of handwriting and presentation has been an area of development. From the beginning children in reception have begun to learn to form

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and join their letters carefully. This has had a good effect in all classes apart from Year 6, where presentation and writing is not neat enough.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The teaching is good in 83 per cent of lessons in mathematics and very good in 17 per cent. The mental arithmetic sessions at the beginning of the daily mathematics lessons are taught particularly well and this has had a good effect on pupils’ learning. These sessions invariably have good pace and teachers use their skills of questioning skilfully to ensure that all pupils are involved of this part of the lesson. Pupils are given time to think and to explain how they reached their answers. Teachers use a range of teaching methods to motivate and interest pupils. Planning is thorough and this is strength of the teachers’ work. Other aspects of mathematics such as shape and measures, data handling and the use of ICT are satisfactory overall. Careful assessment of all pupils’ learning to identify where they need to improve and move forward is an area for development.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers’ knowledge across other subjects of the National Curriculum is sound and for some subjects such as, history, geography and design technology, it is good. Teachers’ knowledge of ICT is improving and developing well. In science, teachers have a good knowledge of the subject but they do not use assessment and checking of pupils’ work carefully enough to ensure that work is closely matched to different pupils’ levels of attainment. The scheme of work in science is under review and development of the subject has been slow.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Since the previous inspection the school has produced a policy on teaching and learning and staff have had further training. Strengths of the teaching in the school include the very good management and organisation of pupils. Teachers ensure that they provide work for pupils of all levels of attainment in English and mathematics although this is not always the case in science and some other subjects. Teachers have good relationships with pupils and have high expectations of their work and behaviour. Pupils respond to this very well and have good attitudes to school and behave very well. This helps their learning and increases their pace and interest in their work. Teachers use effective and interesting methods to help pupils learn. For instance, in a challenging art activity, pupils in Year 6 were helped to understand the drawing of people in action by trying out poses and capturing the images with a digital

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

camera. They were then able to review them on screen, before printing out the ones to help them the most in their drawings. Teachers plan effectively and organise their lessons well. Teachers give clear explanations to pupils at the beginning of lessons. When teachers bring pupils together at the end of lessons, they do not always review what pupils have learnt and they often miss opportunities to move pupils forward to what they are to learn next.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Teachers make good use of time and resources in lessons. Classroom assistants and support staff who work with pupils with special educational needs are well deployed and briefed by teachers. They relate well to the pupils and ensure that they receive the best possible attention and care in and out of lessons to access the curriculum Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 14 and other aspects of school life. Individual education plans are used to identify what pupils are to learn. The targets identified in plans and statements of educational need are clear, concise and measurable. Staff communicate these to parents well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Pupils who have English as an additional language are fully included in all aspects of school life. None were at the early stages of English language acquisition during the inspection. They improve their English quickly through interaction with teachers, other staff and pupils. The school does not identify gifted and talented pupils in the school. Although teachers group pupils by ability for activities and work within lessons in English and mathematics, it does not yet have systems in place for the support of more able pupils as a separate group as they move through the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Assessment is not yet in place for all subjects. It is more developed in English and mathematics but has not begun in other subjects. Teachers’ marking is encouraging for pupils and is used well in some classes for moving pupils on in their learning. The quality of marking varies across the school. The best example of quality marking is in Year 5, where marking is useful and informative for the pupils. In the infants, marking tends to be encouraging and rewards pupils’ efforts. It does not always indicate what pupils need to do to improve their written work. Teachers’ reading records are variable across the school. They are better in the infants than in the juniors where some records are merely a list of books read and do not indicate where pupils need to improve.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. Teachers make good use of resources and displays as an aid for learning. Pupils’ work is valued and displayed imaginatively across the school. For instance, in the Year 2 class, a good display of the local environment supported pupils’ learning in geography.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Teachers give homework according to the school policy. Additional booster classes for older pupils support pupils’ learning well.

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PUPILS?

33. The curriculum is broad and balanced and relevant to the pupils. The quality and range of learning experiences provided by the school for pupils is good. Statutory requirements are met in all subjects. In the previous inspection, the school was asked to ensure that there were schemes of work in place for all the subjects of the National Curriculum. The school has made good progress with this key issue. The school has implemented the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy and uses the recommended guidance closely. The school has also adopted the nationally recommended schemes of work for all the other subjects of the curriculum. These schemes of work are in the process of being reviewed and amended to fit the requirements of the school. The curriculum for the children who are taught in the reception class is good. The school has endeavoured to maintain a good curriculum, which will excite and stimulate the pupils. Subjects such as art, design and

p.16

PUPILS?

technology, geography, history, music and physical education have maintained their place within the curriculum securely. The curriculum is planned to ensure the pupils have a good range of first-hand educational experiences. Visitors are encouraged to come into school to talk to the pupils and pupils visit places of educational interest in the immediate and wider community. The length of the school day is appropriate. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 15 34. The school has enthusiastically and successfully embraced the National Literacy Strategy. It has ensured that there is sufficient emphasis on developing pupils’ writing and has also focused on improving the presentation of the pupils’ work which is beginning to have an impact especially in the infant classes. The adoption of the National Numeracy Strategy has produced good results in the mental mathematical ability of the pupils.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. Statutory requirements for the assessment and review of pupils with special educational needs are met effectively. At the time of the last inspection, procedures for the early identification of such pupils relied greatly upon teachers’ observations and conversations with the co-ordinator for special educational needs. However, greater use is now being made of regular assessments of pupils upon entry and subsequent regular reviews.

p.17

PUPILS?

36. There is equality of access and opportunities for all pupils. The pupils who have English as an additional language are well catered for in the school and they have the same opportunities as others. All staff make strenuous effort to include pupils of all abilities and backgrounds into every activity. Pupils with statements of special educational needs have the same opportunities as the other pupils in the school.

p.17

PUPILS?

37. St Hilda’s aims to provide a caring Christian environment in which the school provides a high quality education which enables the pupils to fulfil their intellectual and spiritual potential. Pupils are encouraged positively in an environment where each individual maintains a high standard of discipline, courtesy, respect and co-operation with others. Pupils’ personal development is addressed through a sound programme that includes personal and health education, and sex education. This helps to prepare pupils to play an active role as citizens in the immediate and wider world. Pupils learn about healthy eating, the health implications of smoking and the dangers of taking drugs. Pupils in Year 6 take part in a health education programme, which includes discussions about growing up, adolescence and sex education. The school nurse plays an active part in this programme by talking to pupils and answering questions.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. There are satisfactory links with the local community and with other local education providers. Links with the Church are strong; pupils attend the Church for services such as Ascension Day, and the Vicar and Curate regularly lead assemblies in school. Articles about school life are published monthly in the Parish Magazine. Pupils distribute harvest gifts to local elderly and infirm people each year and these are much appreciated by those who receive them.

p.17

PUPILS?

39. There are good relationships with the main partner secondary schools and these help pupils to make the move from Year 6 to Year 7. A member of staff from one of the secondary schools visits St Hilda’s regularly to help Year 6 pupils to develop their computing skills. Links with the other secondary schools, to which some pupils transfer, are not as strong, although overall relationships are satisfactory. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 compete against other schools in the area in physical education and sporting activities such as, swimming and football.

p.17

PUPILS?

40. Extra-curricular provision is good. It includes a range of sporting activities such as football, netball, tennis, kwik cricket and athletics as well as a chess club, and recorders. There is also a popular after-school club operated by a member of the school staff, which parents find very helpful. Pupils in Year 6 are taken on a residential visit where they take part in outdoor adventure activities and have the opportunity to develop their personal and social skills. There are educational visits to Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 16 museums and places of educational interest. Visitors such as authors and theatre groups are encouraged to the school. This increases pupils’ learning well. Booster classes are also held for pupils in Year 6.

p.17

PUPILS?

41. Provision to promote pupils’ spiritual education is good. Pupils explore their thoughts and feelings during school assemblies in prayer and reflection. There are also occasions built into the school day for pupils to consider their own feelings and thoughts. For example, at the end of the day pupils are chosen by the class teachers to lead the class as they pray. These still moments give pupils time in a busy day to think of others and consider special ideas. There are opportunities in the school where they have a chance to write about their feelings on world issues as they respond to articles on the Internet news service. In conversation, pupils are pleased to talk about their work and their likes and dislikes. In the school hall, pupils’ artwork, which takes the symbolic use of light and the cross as a theme, is well-displayed. Pupils from all classes completed an impressive tapestry quilt to celebrate the

p.18

PUPILS?

42. Moral development is very well promoted throughout the school. The school code asks pupils to Be patient, polite, honest and show respect to everyone. Play in a friendly manner, include others and care for each other. This code provides a clear, caring framework for a whole-school approach that is applied consistently throughout the school. This means that pupils are very clear about the expectations of all members of staff. In turn, the staff set good examples to the pupils and the secure relationships within the school provide a firm basis for the development of moral understanding. Pupils are taught right from wrong, with the very youngest children in the school having a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

p.18

PUPILS?

43. Social development is well promoted. Parents applaud the way the school develops the social aspect of their children’s lives. They feel that the school helps the pupils to develop as caring rounded people and not just in encouraging the pupils to strive for high academic standards. Social values are well promoted by adults throughout the school and pupils are encouraged to care and take responsibility for others. Pupils willingly accept responsibility, for example, when distributing and collecting materials during lessons. They help in the organisation of school assemblies and take an active part by reading stories and playing the recorder. There are many contributions from visitors such as the local clergy and members of the governing body. The school successfully promotes an atmosphere in which pupils are able to discuss important questions and concerns. The educational and social inclusion of pupils with

p.18

PUPILS?

statements of special educational need supports all pupils’ social development and promotes very positive attitudes amongst them.

p.18

PUPILS?

44. Provision for cultural education is satisfactory. The pupils have a good understanding of the immediate locality and nearby Blackpool in the past and present. They study the work of some famous artists. There is only a limited coverage of issues to prepare pupils for living in a multi-cultural society and at present this aspect of the curriculum is underdeveloped. Items from the news on the Internet are prominently displayed to broaden pupils’ knowledge of recent happenings and world-wide issues. These news items give pupils opportunities to air their views on world issues. The pupils have opportunities to visit places of historical interest, for example, Turton Towers. They study a wide range of ancient civilisations and gain a good understanding of the life and times of the Ancient Greeks. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 17 45. The school has built on the strong base at the time of the previous inspection and

p.18

PUPILS?

has further improved the provision for the pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school offers a warm, welcoming environment where pupils are safe, well cared for and valued. There are good procedures for ensuring pupils’ health, safety and welfare, and all staff have a genuine concern for the well-being of all the children, whatever their needs. The headteacher is the designated person for child protection and the procedures are good, although it is some time since the majority of staff received any training. There is an appropriate health and safety policy and risk assessments have been carried out. All the necessary routine safety checks and fire drills are carried out on a regular basis. The conservation area contains a small pond and, although pupils are warned not to go near, the pond is not secure and safe.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school has satisfactory procedures for monitoring and improving attendance and good support is available from the education welfare officer. The school’s procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good and are a strength of the school. The behaviour policy states that the behaviour of everyone at the school should reflect its Christian ethos and the school should provide opportunities for pupils and staff to develop a Christian understanding of behaviour and morals. There is an appropriate code of conduct, supplemented by class rules agreed by the children. Good behaviour and kindness to others are recognised and rewarded by stickers, house points and certificates, and celebrated in the Friday assembly each week. These procedures are very effective, making the school an orderly and pleasant community, and having a positive effect on the quality of learning. There is

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are good and are enhanced by teachers’ good knowledge of pupils. Pupils’ achievements are recognised and rewarded, and this has a positive effect on their attitudes. The school’s personal, social and health education programme contributes to pupils’ personal development. The thorough knowledge that teachers have of pupils’ academic and personal development helps them to provide sound support and guidance for pupils. However, assessment procedures are not in place in all subject areas and teachers do not always use the results of checking pupils work well enough to move them forward.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school has good links with parents and this is an improvement since the previous inspection. Parents have positive views of the school and the vast majority are pleased with the way that the school is led and managed and the quality of education that their children receive. They feel that the school has a genuine open door policy and that their questions and concerns are dealt with well. They consider that the pupils’ behaviour is good and almost all those who responded to the questionnaire reported that their children enjoyed coming to school. The findings of the inspection support parents’ views. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 18 50. An active Friends Association organises fund-raising and social events that are well attended by parents. The Association has raised considerable extra money for the school, which has been used to provide additional books, equipment and facilities such as the junior library and the infant outdoor play equipment. The social events, in

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

addition to raising money, help to promote and strengthen the links between parents and teachers.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The quality of information provided for parents is good. The prospectus is attractive and informative, and regular newsletters keep parents well-informed about school life and events. Prior to joining the reception class, pupils have the opportunity to visit on several occasions so that they become familiar with the school and its routines. This helps them to settle quickly. An informative booklet is provided for new parents and there is a range of attractive packs containing story books, tapes, number games and colouring books that the children can borrow to use at home. This helps children’s learning. The school organises curriculum events for parents and provides helpful written information about numeracy and reading strategies. At the start of each term, parents are given a very good document setting out the work to be covered in each subject of the curriculum. It also explains the weekly homework arrangements. The

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

school surveys parents from time to time about the quality and range of its provision.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents are welcomed into school at any reasonable time. There are three formal opportunities each year for parents to meet the teachers, including an opportunity during the autumn term to find out how well their children have settled in to their new class. Pupils’ written reports are informative, giving information about what they have learned. However, at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, apart from the statutory test results the reports do not give parents enough information about how well their children have achieved in relation to the national expectation.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. A number of parents provide regular help in school and this is much appreciated by the teachers, particularly during practical lessons such as science and food technology. Parents also provide valuable assistance in football and netball coaching. A number of parents benefited from attending a parental involvement course organised by the school in the autumn of 2000, and there are plans to offer this on a regular basis. An examination of reading record books and discussions with teachers and parents indicate that the majority of parents make a good contribution to their children’s learning at home.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. There has been a change in the leadership of the school since the previous inspection and the leadership and management of the school has improved. The experienced headteacher provides strong and very effective leadership. This is coupled with a very clear sense of educational direction for the school. Since his appointment less than two years ago he has moved the school forward and it has made good improvements. He has ensured that all outstanding areas for improvement identified for improvement in the previous inspection report have been dealt with and has a good grasp of what is still to be done. The headteacher, with the support of the governing body, has made well-considered new staff appointments which have resulted in raising the overall quality of teaching since the previous inspection. He fosters very good relationships throughout the school and this results in a good climate for pupils’ learning. Standards of English and mathematics at the

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

age of eleven rose in 2000. Inspection findings show that they are continuing to rise. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 19 The school has recently received an achievement award for rising standards overall.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher is well-supported by the acting deputy headteacher and the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 co-ordinators. These key members of staff take a full part in developing the school’s priorities for improvement and have worked particularly hard in developing all phases of the curriculum and an assessment policy for the school. The co-ordinators along with the headteacher and visiting consultants check planning and observe teaching regularly in English and mathematics, although this has not yet taken place in science or in other subjects. This is just beginning in accordance with the school improvement plan. A deputy headteacher has been appointed for the coming term.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The roles of subject co-ordinators have been well-defined and are developing. This role is in the early stages for several of the more recently qualified and newly appointed co-ordinators. The role has been taken on more enthusiastically and effectively in some subjects than in others. Where this is the case, such as in literacy, numeracy, history, geography and ICT and special educational needs, there has been a good impact on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress and attainment. Science development has been slower. Although the present co-ordinator has been in post for just two terms, developments of reviewing the scheme of work and procedures of assessment in the subject have nevertheless been slow at getting underway.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. As at the time of the previous inspection, the governing body fulfils its responsibilities well. Governors are dedicated to the success of the school and above all to the development and achievements of pupils. They are very supportive of the headteacher and work with him and the staff well. Governors are very involved in the life of the school and visit regularly. For instance, they attend and lead collective worship each week and they take part in staff in-service training. They attend curriculum presentations given by staff. They have a good shared understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the school. They have well-established committees to carry out their roles effectively and form governor working parties to consider developments such as homework, home-school agreements, and performance management. They have a good level of involvement in school development planning although there are no formal procedures in place for governors

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to monitor the success of school priorities. The school promotes a high level of inclusion in keeping with its mission statement and Christian ethos. It meets its aims successfully.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The headteacher, acting deputy headteacher, literacy and numeracy co-ordinators and consultants and local authority advisors monitor pupils’ and teachers’ work effectively. A programme of further monitoring of subjects is planned. Analysis of pupils’ results from statutory and non-statutory tests has been undertaken in mathematics and English and areas for improvement have been identified. The school compares its performance with other schools locally and nationally. It analyses results of statutory and non-statutory tests and sets target indicators for each pupil in English and mathematics but not in science.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school development plan is now much improved since the previous inspection. It is a working document and is readily accessible for staff, governors and advisors. The overview spans a three-year period. It deals clearly with defined school priorities and targets, detailing responsibilities and resources, monitoring, success criteria and the time frame. It is well-focussed on raising standards of pupils’ achievements as well as Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 20 the inclusion of national initiatives.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Financial planning is good. The school manages its budget well, works within it and maintains the recommended amount for any contingencies. It uses its funds appropriately for improving pupils’ education. It spends money wisely on education support staff to boost pupils’ attainments. The school endeavours to obtain value for money when placing orders for goods and services and the governors seek advice from the headteacher when contracts need to be reconsidered. The school has sought parents’ views on what it provides but does not as yet consult parents about spending proposals or curriculum changes.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Although only in post for a few weeks, the new secretary has already established herself well in the role and is providing good support. Routine administration and school organisation are efficient and systems are dealt with efficiently on the computer. The school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Since the appointment of the new headteacher there have been major staff changes in the juniors, infants and the reception class. This has improved the overall quality of teaching in the school since the previous inspection. The school took part in a year’s teacher exchange programme with Australia from January 2000. This was unsuccessful and later recognised as such by the local education authority who assisted with an extra teacher for the latter part of the period. As a result, pupils in Year 5 did not achieve as well as they should have. The school has very good induction procedures for new staff. These are carried through conscientiously and thoroughly by the school and with the full co-operation of the local education authority. The school takes part in an effective programme provided by the authority for the induction of new headteachers and deputy headteachers. In the past it has supported the school very well with additional staffing. The school provides well for

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

initial teacher training. During the inspection it gave good support and mentoring to a student teacher on a final teaching practice. The headteacher appraises and supports all staff very effectively and ensures that a range of training opportunities is available to improve their skills. For instance, as well as newly qualified teachers, one experienced teacher has been particularly well supported by the school on his return from working overseas.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The accommodation is adequate. Classrooms are bright and cheerful, although some are small for the number of pupils in them. Two halls provide flexibility for teaching and dining. There are two small libraries, but neither has the space nor facilities to encourage independent research or private study. The toilet areas have recently been refurbished and classrooms have been carpeted and re-decorated. The whole building is cleaned and maintained to a high standard by conscientious cleaning staff. The school grounds are extensive and a real asset. Outdoor play areas for children in the reception class are good and readily accessible. There are two play areas so that infants and juniors can play separately. The large grassed area includes a wild garden and a small pond, used to help learning in environmental science. This has been developed by the school and has won an award in a local competition.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Resources have been improved since the previous inspection for pupils with special educational needs, in the Foundation Stage, music, science and design technology. Resources are now good in the Foundation Stage, mathematics, design technology and music. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 21

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

65. In order to build on the school’s improvements since the previous inspection , to

p.23

(1) raise the standards of attainment in science by the age of eleven by

• reviewing the scheme of work to ensure that it is balanced to meet the needs of all pupils • implementing and using assessment procedures in order to provide a closer match of work to pupils’ capabilities • increasing the sense of urgency to tackle the shortcomings in the subject (See paragraphs 7, 11, 26, 56, 106, 107, 111, 112, 142)

p.23

(1) raise the standards of attainment in science by the age of eleven by

( The school has already identified science as a priority area for development)

p.23

(2) improve the rate of progress for each pupil further by

• extending assessment procedures further to include all subjects of the curriculum

p.23

(2) improve the rate of progress for each pupil further by

(See paragraphs 11, 30, 48, 94, 107, 119, 129, 134, 149,154)

p.23

important issues

• updating the training for staff at all levels, including the midday supervisors and support staff, in child protection procedures • completing the fencing around the school pond • improve the facilities of the libraries Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 22

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 42

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0% 18% 70% 12% 0% 0% 0% The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 201

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 12 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 28

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 29

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 21

p.24

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. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 23

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 11 17 28

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 11 8 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 16 14

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 89 (74) 86 (67) 89 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 11 10 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 14 17

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 89 (74) 86 (96) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 15 17 32

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 12 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 14 15

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 84 (61) 84 (78) 91 (72) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 12 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 13 14

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 84 (75) 78 (81) 84 (81) 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. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 24

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.0 Financial year 2000/2001

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.1

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 368717

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Expenditure per pupil 1808

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 136 Balance brought forward from previous year 11844

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 20011

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/A

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult N/A FTE means full-time equivalent. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 25

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Number of questionnaires returned 64 (31.4%)

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 52 41 6 0 1

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 44 4 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 47 9 2 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 45 38 14 2 1

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 22 5 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 58 39 3 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 48 41 8 3 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 56 38 6 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 44 0 0 1

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 39 13 3 3

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Four per cent of parents made additional comments. The strongest points they made, in order were; The school could provide more communication about children’s welfare and progress. The after- school care club is much appreciated by parents. The school does its best for its pupils.

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The majority of parents are satisfied with the school, the values it promotes and the standards their children achieve. They think the school has improved over the last two years in the way it deals with behaviour and the needs of more able pupils. The school involves parents more than it used to. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 26

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Children start school in the reception class in September of the year in which they are five. Some have had some pre-school experience before they start school but others have had none. Records of assessments of children’s abilities when they start school show that children’s attainment is average overall but that there is a wide spread of ability. At the time of the inspection there were 16 children in the reception class. The majority began school with attainment in areas of learning that were just above that expected for children of their age. However, significant movement of pupils has taken place in the reception class since the beginning of the school year. Already three have joined and two have left. This makes an impact on the overall levels of attainment by the end of the reception class. Three pupils are on the register of special educational needs and one has a statement of needs. Children make good

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

progress throughout their time in the reception class. Most are in line to reach the early learning goals in all areas of learning by the time they begin in Year 1 and a small proportion to exceed. The teacher has very good systems in place to help the children and their parents and carers to have a happy and secure start in school. The good provision for children under five at the time of the previous inspection has been maintained and improved still further.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. The policy and programme of work have recently been reviewed in accordance with the Foundation Stage and the recommended Early Learning Goals. The teacher places emphasis on developing the whole child and on learning through interesting, stimulating activities and play. Planning is thorough and checking of what pupils know and can do is used effectively by the class teacher to plan the children’s work. Children who have special educational needs are identified early and specific work and help is planned for these children. The school helps children with statements of special educational needs make good progress in the reception class.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. The accommodation for the Foundation Stage is good. The classroom is large and allows space for work, play and practical activities. There is a suitable area for the children to use for outdoor play. Resources are good overall.

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

69. By the time they are six, most children achieve the expectations in their personal, social and emotional development. Children make good progress in this area of their work because they receive patient, caring supportive teaching. The children are sociable; they sit and talk about their activities. They explain what is expected of them and try hard with the tasks set. They sit on the carpet and listen to the teacher as they work out the value of different coins. They are helped to learn through being carefully encouraged to share resources and to take turns. Children undress themselves for physical education and manage well. The class teacher and support assistant encourage the children to dress themselves, helping occasionally when children have problems, for example, with shoelaces. Children use equipment properly and replace it carefully after use. They talk to each other and help each other with their work responding well to staff. They listen carefully and follow

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Personal, social and emotional development

instructions and guidance well. Children show a clear knowledge of school routines. They line up to come into school and move to the hall sensibly. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 27 70. The teaching of personal and social education is particularly good. All staff are patient and consistent with the children and this promotes a calm working atmosphere that enables the children to learn and develop their social awareness. Children are helped to join in the class activities and all have opportunities to take part in all areas of school life. They are encouraged to play in sociable groups and to listen and care for one another. Staff set good examples for children and give children clear ideas of what they expect including the difference between right and wrong.

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Communication, language and literacy

71. By the time they are six, most children make good progress in communication, language and literacy. This is as a result of the very good teaching they receive. Most achieve the levels expected of them. Children enjoy singing rhymes. They talked about the party that was to be held at the end of the week for the class teddy bear, Ginger, and decided where and when they would like to hold it. Children enjoy looking at a wide range of books. They are confident as they read and talk about what might happen next. A group of able children looked at the postcards in The Jolly Postman and although they recognised that capital letters are harder to read they do so confidently. They handle books well. By the end of the reception year, the majority of children read simple texts. They learn to look carefully at the pictures for clues to the sequence of the story. For instance, they ordered a number of pictures and made the

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Communication, language and literacy

story of Humpty Dumpty successfully. Children enjoy reading books, which they take home to share with their parents and carers and they make sound progress with their reading skills. Joined writing is displayed in all areas of the classroom. Children make satisfactory progress in writing, forming their letters correctly and writing in a joined – up style. The more able children write simple sentences unaided.

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Communication, language and literacy

72. The teaching of language and literacy is very good. Staff work hard to improve the fluency of all the children by constant discussions and conversations. This has a very high priority in the class. No opportunities are lost in discussing work and play. Reading is promoted in the class by the careful choice of books, which are stimulating and interesting. This ensures that learning is exciting and fun. The development of a joined style of writing is a strong feature of the work in the reception class and is an example of the high expectations the class teacher places upon the children.

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Mathematical development

73. Most children achieve the standards expected in this area of learning by the time they enter Year 1. They make good progress through the good and practically based teaching they receive. They sang Seven days a week, which reminded them of the sequence of the days in the week and consolidated their counting skills. Children count along with the teacher and identify odd and even numbers to 20. Some more able children recognise and name the value of a range of coins. They make up given amounts of money and are beginning to recognise that five pence can be made in a number of ways. Some of the children use coins in the class Post Office as they buy stamps and send parcels through the post. Most children identify and know the names of simple shapes, for example, circles, triangles and squares. They recognised the terms long and short and apply them in their work. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 28

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Mathematical development

74. The teaching of mathematical understanding is good. The teacher and support assistant both take every opportunity to develop the children’s understanding of number through practical activities and play. This ensures that all the children are fully involved in their learning and keen to contribute. Children’s learning is developed well and builds securely lesson after lesson.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

75. Most children achieve the standards expected for this area of learning by the time they finish the reception year. The staff provide a wide range of activities, which are planned to extend children’s early concepts in science, design and technology, history, geography and information technology. Children sort postage stamps with the teacher and recognise that those with the Queen’s head were British stamps. They make recognisable models of wheeled vehicles using recycled materials and also construction kits. They also construct musical instruments to use at Ginger’s birthday party for an accompaniment to Happy Birthday . Children have the opportunity to use a wide range of construction kits and these are used well to create a variety of models, which are then displayed. They experiment with a range of materials and cut, glue and stick making interesting pictures, for example, the colourful parrots children

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

made when they were studying pirates. They use the computer to make pictures of butterflies and flowers.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

76. The teaching of knowledge and understanding of the world is good. Planning includes a large range of activities so that the children are fully engaged in their learning. The theme of Ginger’s party, for instance, gave a purpose to the children’s creation of party invitations, musical instruments and wrapping paper. Children are given a good reason to practise their skills in writing.

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Physical development

77. In physical development, most children attain the standards expected by the time the end of the reception year. They make good progress. Children use a range of equipment and materials in their work. Their skills develop well. For example, they are shown how to hold their scissors correctly when cutting out when making their musical instruments. They use a range of equipment as they draw and write. They use construction toys and paint brushes with good levels of dexterity. Their wavy brush strokes paintings show careful painting with the colours remaining clear. In physical education lessons children develop and improve their catching skills. They enjoy working with the outdoor equipment. They work together and collaborate as they play. Two children delivered the register to the school office, one cycling on the postman’s bicycle, the other carrying the register carefully in the post-bag!

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Physical development

78. The teaching of physical development is good. The teacher provides a wide range of activities and good levels of individual support to help children extend and develop their movement skills. As a result of good teaching, children work hard during their physical education lessons and strive to improve and develop their work. The teacher and the support assistant work alongside the children and encourage and help them to succeed in their activities.

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Creative development

79. Most children attain the standard expected in this area of learning by the time they enter Year 1. The children make good progress as they are taught well. They use Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 29 paint expressively. They paint pictures of bright red post vans, which are displayed on the street scene created by the children. They print birthday wrapping paper and show good levels of care and concentration in their work. Children show particularly good skills in painting and cutting curvy red snakes. In the imaginative role-play areas the children develop their skills of co-operation and communication as they play with one another in the Post Office. They dress up in the appropriate clothes and act out the roles they have take on.

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Creative development

80. The teaching of creative development is good. The teacher provides a variety of opportunities for the children to develop their creative ideas through painting, drawing, and music. Good lessons stimulate children’s interest. They are encouraged to express their feelings creatively. The teacher values the children’s work by displaying it effectively. The result is an attractive, colourful and stimulating classroom.

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ENGLISH

81. Standards are at the national average for pupils aged 11. A significant proportion (18 per cent) of pupils aged seven in the Year 2 class have special educational needs, many for literacy. They attain below the national average for their age in reading and writing. Even against this background standards for seven year-olds are improving. Since the previous report, standards have been maintained for 11 year olds although they have dropped and are no longer above the national average for seven-year- olds.

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ENGLISH

82. Inspection findings are similar to the most recent test results (2000) for pupils at the age of 11. In comparison with schools nationally, test results showed that apart from a drop in 1999, results for 11- year- olds have been maintained at the national average for the past four years. Compared with schools with a similar number of free school meals, results are also at the national average.

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ENGLISH

83. At the age of seven, pupils performed at the national average for reading and writing in comparison with schools nationally in the year 2000. Results showed a significant improvement for reading and writing from the previous year (1999); in comparison with the two preceding years, standards in writing rose significantly. Compared with similar schools, pupils performed better in reading, attaining the average standard, than in writing where results were below the average.

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ENGLISH

84. Pupils make good progress with their skills of speaking and listening throughout the school and most pupils by the ages of seven and 11 achieve standards above those usually found. As a result of high expectations by teachers and clear instructions, pupils generally listen to their teachers well and follow directions carefully. Pupils speak clearly. They are generally confident when explaining their tasks. Although some younger pupils use short phrases, others express themselves clearly in class discussions. For instance, in a Year 2 art lesson, as a result of encouragement from the teacher, pupils were able to explain well to the whole class the different techniques they had used to produce their finished collages. Most understand the need to take it in turns in these discussions and know not to call out. In a Year 1 lesson, a group of pupils, including one with English as an additional language,

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ENGLISH

successfully acted out a story during the literacy hour. In the juniors, teachers ensure that all pupils are involved in discussion work. As a result of effective questioning directed to pupils of all abilities, pupils listen carefully and answer sensibly often Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 30 making good contributions. This successfully increases pupils’ confidence to speak in front of an audience and by Years 5 and 6 they show good ability to pose questions and discuss vocabulary and tenses. Pupils in Year 6 argue their point and express their opinions in a comprehensive manner including suitable facts to support their ideas. This was evident when comparing the different styles of texts in a literacy lesson and when expressing their own opinions on news from the Internet World News network. Listening skills were also good, as pupils gave due attention to previous speakers in their comments.

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ENGLISH

85. Overall, standards of reading by the age of seven and 11 are at the expected levels for pupils’ ages. At the age of seven, nearly all pupils read aloud with reasonable accuracy and correct their own errors when reading. More able and able readers read very well, they explain and discuss confidently what is happening in a story. A sound foundation for reading skills is established by teachers. This allows all pupils to work out unfamiliar words accurately by using a range of different methods. For instance, pupils acquire and learn a sight vocabulary of frequently used words and they use clues in pictures to help them. They develop their knowledge of sounds and parts of words as a result of good teaching during the literacy hour. Pupils with special educational needs who are less proficient with reading, find it more difficult to explain the meaning of words and read with less understanding. Two thirds of the pupils who

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ENGLISH

read to the inspectors knew how to locate information using both contents and index pages and had a good knowledge of the alphabet. They could explain the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. Reading skills are further extended throughout the school and most pupils benefit from individual support from adults in the school and from parents and other adults at home.

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ENGLISH

86. By the end of Year 6, most pupils read independently with good expression and have a good understanding of the text. This was most apparent in a good lesson when, together with the teacher, pupils compared two characters written in the first person of two different styles of text. Pupils discuss the characters in reading books confidently. During the literacy hour, pupils in the Year 6 class read aloud together fluently and with a liveliness of expression. Pupils are taught and understand how to locate information in books. They are able to read silently and then explain the main points in their own words. Throughout the juniors pupils are confident with the use of dictionaries and glossaries to help them in their understanding of the meaning of words. They talk animatedly about their favourite books and authors such as, Roald Dahl and JK Rowling although they have less experiences of longer established and

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ENGLISH

recognised children’s authors and stories from a wide variety of cultures.

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ENGLISH

87. Throughout the school, pupils choose from a range of texts, including scheme reading books, good quality children’s fiction, poetry and non-fiction in their classrooms libraries. They also use computers well for finding information but, although appropriately classified, the range of non-fiction information books in the library is barely adequate. The junior library is too small and cramped to allow pupils to work comfortably and develop library skills independently.

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ENGLISH

88. Writing is weaker in the infants, although there are notable signs of rising standards. In the current Year 2 class, only a few pupils attain at the higher level (level 3) in writing. This was the case at the time of the previous inspection. The school is addressing this issue. However, standards of writing for a significant minority of pupils are below those expected for their age, despite the good quality help and teaching and the provision of work which is matched to their ability. More able pupils write stories at length with a good understanding and use of story structure and include a Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 31 suitable ending. Others are beginning to mark the beginnings and endings of sentences correctly with capital letters and full stops. This leads to most pupils having a good understanding about the use of basic punctuation although many still need prompting to use it correctly. More recent work shows evidence of better progress

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ENGLISH

and a gain in confidence in writing as a result of a good range of writing opportunities. Pupils have written poems, letters, animal stories, and retold fairy stories such as Red Riding Hood.

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ENGLISH

89. In the juniors, the range of writing extends and teachers are effective in promoting these skills in other lessons. For example, in history, pupils in Year 5 have made good written accounts of the Tudor period. In all classes areas of the National Literacy Strategy are taught thoroughly and pupils produce a good quantity and wide range of written work. This is particularly the case in Years 5 and 6. Pupils learn to write from different points of view and perspectives. Pupils in Year 5 write their own fables with a moral such as, Stop Bullying . They write on items of topical interest such as the Foot and Mouth Crisis . As a result of good teaching, pupils in Year 6 learn to write stories which have episodes of flashback and a time slip. More able pupils in Year 6 use more advanced punctuation and have a good understanding of planning stories. However, many pupils do not punctuate their work with consistent accuracy.

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ENGLISH

This is especially the case when they first draft their work and indicates that basic punctuation and correct sentence structure is not embedded in their thinking and consistently used . Spelling towards and at the end of the juniors is appropriate. At all stages of their writing most pupils check their work for accuracy with competent use of dictionaries.

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ENGLISH

90. Teachers begin to teach a joined-up style of writing from the reception onwards. In the older classes, some teachers fail to use this in their own writing and older pupils do not consistently transfer the standard of work shown in their writing exercises to their daily work. This means that by the end of Year 6, many pupils do not have a fluent style of joined-up writing and presentation is not as good as in some classes earlier in the school.

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ENGLISH

91. When pupils start in the reception class, standards in language are average overall although writing is weaker. Overall, the majority of pupils responds well to good teaching and make steady and often good progress as they move through the school. The current group of pupils in Year 6 had an upset in their educational experiences in Year 5 due to staff circumstances which has affected their rate of progress. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets in their individual educational plans. The help they have from teachers and learning assistants is effective in enabling them to learn well. The pupils with formal statements of special educational needs receive effective support from assigned classroom assistants and this helps towards their good rate of progress.

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ENGLISH

92. The quality of teaching and learning in lessons is never less than good. In one third of lessons it is very good. Very good teaching is evident in both the infants and the juniors. However, this is not always the case for all pupils. Pupils in Year 2, who began in the reception class, had a poor start to their education and many have joined the school since then. 93. Throughout the school, teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the subject and are confident teaching the National Literacy Strategy. They use questioning very effectively in whole-class sessions and in group work; this results in pupils giving well-thought out responses. The imaginative way letters and sounds are taught in Year 2 captures the pupils’ interest and they learn these skills well and this Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 32 means that able and more able pupils read accurately by the age of seven. The teaching of writing has been a priority area over the past year and this is having a

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ENGLISH

good effect on raising the standards of pupils’ work with teachers demonstrating good practice across the school. Teachers choose interesting texts in the literacy hour and this enables the pupils to become really engaged, to listen carefully and develop their learning with enjoyment. This was evident in a Year 2 class when the teacher focussed on the use of alliteration in writing sentences and used an appropriate text, One Wobbly Wheelbarrow. In a lesson at Year 6, texts for older pupils were well- matched to pupils’ interests and used very effectively to demonstrate and achieve a comparison of the different styles used by authors. This challenged pupils of all abilities.

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ENGLISH

94. Planning follows the National Literacy Strategy guidelines and is sound overall. Teachers mark pupils’ work consistently but in the infants it does not always help them improve their work. Teachers evaluate their lessons as to how the pupils achieved. These are used to inform the future planning of lessons and leads to most tasks being set at an appropriate level for pupils’ overall abilities. However, this assessment does not always result in pupils extending their learning sufficiently. A common weakness is the lack of assessment of pupils’ individual and independent group work lessons to move pupils on. Teachers use time well in lessons. In the juniors, pupils are often given short timed tasks to complete. This is good practice and motivates pupils well and increases the rate of their learning.

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ENGLISH

95. Classroom assistants work well with teachers and are deployed well. Their time is managed well to support several groups of pupils with special educational needs from different classes effectively. The time when pupils come together at the end of the lesson is generally used merely to review what pupils have done in their activities. In some lessons teachers often missed the opportunity to move pupils forwards to thinking about how they could improve their work and what they needed to learn next. Management of pupils is very good overall. Pupils behave well in lessons and most lessons are carried out in a busy, working atmosphere. Homework is generally satisfactory and the support parents give has a significant impact upon the reading standards in the school.

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ENGLISH

96. The co-ordination of English is good. The experienced co-ordinator leads the subject very efficiently. She keeps governors and parents informed, supports individual teachers and leads staff meetings and organises in-service training. The school has successfully analysed areas for improvement in the literacy curriculum and is dealing with these effectively. An on-going record details current initiatives and comments on progress and this has led to adjustments in the curriculum when a weakness has been identified. This has been effective in improving standards in writing. Methods of keeping reading records are inconsistent and some are ineffective in showing what pupils know and can do. There is evidence of good practice for checking group reading but this is not used consistently by all teachers. The junior non-fiction library is not used sufficiently well to promote pupils’ independent work.

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MATHEMATICS

97. The proportion of pupils attaining the nationally expected levels is at the national average for pupils at the ages of seven and 11. This is similar to those found at the previous inspection for pupils aged eleven but is not as high for seven-year-olds. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 33 98. The tests for 11- year-olds in 2000, showed standards of attainment to be above the national average and the number of pupils attaining at the higher level (level 5) in mathematics was higher than is the case for the current group of Year 6 pupils. The school attributes the difference in the standards for this group of pupils to disruption in staffing which affected their progress last year. Although pupils are reaching the national average, as a result of the lack of detailed assessment of pupils’ learning and understanding of their work, pupils are not reaching the higher levels. The 2000 results showed a steady improvement for 11-year -olds which can be attributed to the

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MATHEMATICS

successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy.

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MATHEMATICS

99. Test results for pupils aged seven in 2000 were well below the national average. There was a high level of movement of pupils into and out of the school for that age group. However, inspection findings show that standards have improved. There is now a larger percentage of pupils attaining at the expected and higher levels although because of the high number of pupils with special educational needs in the Year 2 class, almost a quarter of pupils attain at the lower levels.

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MATHEMATICS

100. Most pupils in Key Stage 2 make good progress and there are signs that pupils in Key Stage 1 are benefiting from the greater emphasis on the basic skills of numeracy as a result of new teaching styles.

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MATHEMATICS

101. Teachers have placed great emphasis upon improving pupils’ mental mathematics skills, the application of numeracy skills and a demand that pupils explain their mathematical reasoning. For instance, pupils in Year 1 offer many and varied explanations of addition and subtraction of numbers up to 10. They identify common shapes and number patterns and read and write numbers. Teachers build well upon pupils’ knowledge in Year 2, and they increase their understanding of place value up to 100. Pupils experience the use of standard measures of time and length. As a result of good and very good teaching, junior pupils make good progress in their learning. Pupils in Year 3, for instance, learn to add and subtract two digit numbers, use money confidently and have experience of two and three-dimensional shapes. By the end of Year 4, most pupils are confident with the four basic rules of number. They handle data well and display this in simple graphs and pie charts. Teachers plan the

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MATHEMATICS

daily mathematics lessons well to a standard format. They provide challenging work such as seen in Years 5 and 6 when pupils worked successfully on fractions, decimals and percentages. Towards and at the end of the juniors, most pupils use the four rules of number with up to three digit numbers confidently. Pupils make good progress in their understanding of number calculations and by the end of Year 6, most have good skills with the four rules of number up to 1000, can interpret data from graphs and charts and have a good knowledge of angles and degrees, and area and perimeter.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and is judged to be good overall. Good teaching was seen in all classes and very good teaching was seen in Year 4. The good or better teaching is as a result of the good relationships between teachers and pupils. This gives pupils confidence and enables them to learn and tackle new work. Teachers give clear explanations and answer pupils’ questions well. They make sure that pupils know what they are expected to learn and this gives pupils responsibility for their own learning. Most mathematics lessons have a good brisk pace throughout and in particular during the whole-class start to the beginning. This keeps pupils well- motivated and ensures that they apply themselves to their tasks for the whole lesson. In oral starts to lessons, teachers use their skills of questioning well and direct questioning appropriately to pupils of different abilities. This helps the involvement of

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MATHEMATICS

Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 34 all pupils. Teachers give pupils sufficient thinking time to arrive at an answer and insist pupils explain their mathematical reasoning.

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MATHEMATICS

103. Although teachers place more emphasis on the skills of numeracy in the mathematics curriculum, other areas of mathematics such as, data handling, the use of mathematics in real-life situations and space, shape and measures are satisfactory. The use of ICT and sufficient opportunities to use computers is limited within mathematics lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

104. Pupils enjoy mathematics, are keen to participate and show their knowledge, skills and understanding. There are no significant differences in performances of boys and girls across the school. Pupils with special educational needs are given good support in lessons. They receive work that is at a level to enable them to progress satisfactorily.

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MATHEMATICS

105. Since the last inspection, as a result of good leadership and successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, mathematics has been given a high priority in the school’s curriculum. There is now less reliance upon published material than at the time of the last inspection and a greater range of teaching styles is used to develop pupils’ learning. Pupils’ mental skills have improved. Particular strengths are the teaching of mental mathematics, the use of correct mathematical vocabulary and questioning skills to all pupils. School analysis in mathematics is beginning to be used more effectively to inform future planning and priorities for development. Future plans show the school to be well aware of the direction needed to improve standards, particularly in the infants. Resources are good, although software for mathematics is underused.

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SCIENCE

106. Pupil’s attainment in science is in line with the national average at the age of seven and below the national average at the age of eleven. This is a broadly similar position to that in the 2000 national test and task results. At the time of the previous inspection, standards in science were average for the seven and 11- year-olds. Standards have been maintained for the infant pupils and in other classes in the juniors but not for the pupils in the current Year 6 class.

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SCIENCE

107. The school has evaluated its science curriculum and recognises quite rightly that pupils could do better at both the ages of seven and 11. It attributes pupils’ low standards of attainment in Year 6 to unsatisfactory past educational experiences and teaching. The school has decided to change the scheme of work and to introduce a new assessment procedure. Although teachers are beginning to use the nationally recommended guidelines in science, these have not yet been reviewed to ensure that they are tailored to match the thematic planning in the school. Assessment procedures, although planned, are not yet in place. The attainment of pupils in science is rising but it is clear that more work needs to be done to help more able pupils to achieve at the higher levels. The checking of pupils’ attainments is not done carefully enough to enable teachers to target lessons well enough.

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SCIENCE

108. In all classes, there is no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs are helped effectively by their class teachers and classroom assistants. Pupils with special educational needs work alongside the other pupils in the class and make good progress in developing their scientific skills in Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 35 relation to their abilities. The science curriculum is planned to ensure that pupils have many opportunities to plan, predict, observe and consider what has happened during their investigations. All areas of science are given appropriate coverage and the pupils are given opportunities to consolidate and extend their learning.

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SCIENCE

109. Pupils make steady progress in Years 1 and 2 and achieve satisfactory standards overall. In each year group teachers promote good observational skills and practical activities. For example, pupils in Year 1 studied a range of musical instruments to decide whether the sounds they made were by plucking, banging or blowing the instruments. They study the forces of pushing and pulling and decide whether when they are riding their bicycles they are pushing or pulling the pedals. Pupils in Year 2, study the different habitats on the school field. They predict which particular plants and animals they might find in the conservation area after considering information they had found in their previous studies of the different locations. They record their findings in a variety of ways and demonstrate their knowledge of living things and the requirements for life successfully.

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SCIENCE

110. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection when some lessons were unsatisfactory. Teachers generally plan their lessons well and ensure that pupils are fully involved in their learning. This happened, for example, when pupils in a Year 2 class sustained observations of plants and insects in an outside area most carefully. Teachers enable pupils to understand some of the implications of the different areas they study. For instance, pupils learn how to make an electrical circuit and recognise which circuits are complete and which are not. From this experience they understand that electricity can be very dangerous and they draw posters to warn of the potential hazards.

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SCIENCE

111. In the junior classes, pupils develop their skills in observing, recording, measuring accurately and in explaining their observations. They extend their scientific knowledge through a range of interesting contexts. In an experiment with celery, pupils in Year 3 watched carefully as the stem took up the coloured water. At the beginning of the investigation, they considered what might happen and then examined what had happened. They learnt that plants take in water to live. Teachers encourage pupils to use the correct scientific terms and vocabulary in their work. In a lesson at Year 3, pupil’ used the terms attract and repel confidently as they experimented with magnets. They predicted which metals were likely to be magnetic and which were not, and then tested their hypotheses. They recorded their findings carefully. Pupils continue to predict and test their predictions in their science investigations as they move through the juniors. The pupils in Year 5 are at present

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SCIENCE

busy studying the Earth in Space. This topic appealed to pupils’ curiosity and resulted in many of them raising questions. The teacher developed the pupils’ understanding of the movements of the Earth, moon and sun in relation to each other well by taking the pupils out onto the school field so that they could observe the orbits and rotations. Teachers help the pupils to use a wide variety of methods of recording their experiments and results. Sometimes pupils do not record their scientific enquiries carefully enough. This means that charts are not always easy to read and a sense of order and systematic experimentation is not promoted. Tighter assessment procedures by teachers would enable them to further focus pupils’ learning and extend the work of some of the more able pupils. Investigations are generally used well by teachers to ensure that the pupils achieve well, the teachers provide a wide range of interesting experiments. ICT is used to support of the curriculum for

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SCIENCE

manipulating data and gaining specific information. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 36 112. The co-ordinator is newly in place; nevertheless development in the subject has not been quick enough. The new scheme of work has been in place for nearly a year and has not been evaluated. An assessment procedure is still to be developed and implemented throughout the school and further resources may be needed to match to the new scheme. No checking of pupils’ standards of work across the school or of the quality of teachers’ planning has been carried out. There is a satisfactory range of resources and the school has many opportunities available in the school grounds for investigation and enquiry.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. The school has maintained satisfactory standards in art since the previous inspection. Improvements have been made in the curriculum and pupils are now taught art skills more systematically as a result of the use of the nationally recommended guidelines for the subject.

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ART AND DESIGN

114. Pupils learn at a steady rate. They enjoy and concentrate well on a range of experiences in art lessons. Where these are linked well to learning in other subjects, such as history and geography, pupils achieve good results. Pupils develop skills and as a result of good opportunities provided by teachers practise and work successfully in a variety of media such as pencil, charcoal, pastels, paint, and collage using textiles. They learn to represent what they observe in the environment using a range of materials and tools including work with a digital camera. For instance, as a result of a series of well- planned lessons and first - hand observations of still objects, pupils in Year 2, learn successfully to make individual collages representing Mother Nature as designer. They work carefully with concentration and give good attention to detail choosing their materials from a wide range of fabrics and embellishments.

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ART AND DESIGN

Teachers encourage them to explain clearly the techniques they chose and this is successful. We chose our materials and we could staple them, glue or sew. I chose sewing and stapling. They evaluate their own and others’ work and are able to say what they like or dislike about their results. I like mine because, it feels soft like velvet… or crunchy like dry leaves … it reminds me of a face.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. Throughout the juniors, pupils develop their drawing and observational skills further as a result of good help from teachers and learning assistants. They develop a sound understanding of the work of artists, craft and design. They study famous artists, sculptors and craftspeople such as Clarice Cliff and her pottery designs. They transfer their observations of famous people’s work to their own. The pupils benefit from visits to museums and art galleries in Manchester and this contributes well to their cultural development and helps them use and practise elements of different artists’ styles in their own paintings and drawings. Pupils in Year 4 extend their work in history on The Tudors to produce effective portraits of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

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ART AND DESIGN

116. In a good lesson at Year 6, pupils were helped to develop their observational and recording skills to include ideas of movement in their drawings with the use of action photographs they had taken of each other using a digital camera. They worked and helped each other well in pairs and succeed in incorporating movement into their pictures. They use charcoal and develop techniques such as smudging to improve their work. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 37 117. Older pupils learn to compare and evaluate each other’s work well. Pupils with special educational needs and statements of special needs have the same experiences as other pupils. They sustain good concentration and learn at a steady rate.

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ART AND DESIGN

118. Teaching is satisfactory overall. In the lessons seen it was balanced between satisfactory and good. Staff are confident in their teaching and have satisfactory and, for some teachers, good knowledge of teaching art. Teachers plan, prepare and organise their lessons well and ensure that pupils have sufficient time for their practical activities. They provide a variety of tools and resources for pupils to use and explore. They give good opportunities for pupils to evaluate their own and each other’s work ensuring that pupils use appropriate vocabulary such as, texture, design, line and shape. They plan and use the help from classroom assistants and other adults well in lessons. This ensures that all pupils develop confidence in their own learning and achieve well. Teachers ensure that the pupils know what they are to learn and give clear explanations and instructions. They make good use of praise and

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ART AND DESIGN

encouragement and this assists pupils to improve and take care with their work. The school values pupils’ work. It is well-displayed in classrooms and in the hall, where there were impressive displays of pupils’ work linked to religious education during the inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

119. The school has no co-ordinator of art at present although the subject is temporarily co-ordinated successfully by the headteacher who has a personal interest in art and ensures the quality of display throughout the school. He has introduced the new scheme of work and national guidelines and ensures staff with strengths in art give help to others if needed. Whole-school procedure for assessing and recording pupils’ progress are beginning in accordance with the nationally recommended guidelines, although they are not yet used consistently throughout the school. The school plans to improve teaching resources for art when it becomes a priority area of school development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. Standards of attainment are above the expectations for pupils at the ages of seven and 11. Since the last inspection the school has introduced a scheme of work and, as a consequence, teaching is better and pupils are learning more. Pupils make a good start and acquire basic skills that they use and refine as they grow older.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. By the age of seven, pupils build models from different materials following their own plans. They use a variety of materials and tools with confidence and talk about what they have made. For instance, when making individual glove puppets, they work with a variety of materials and show care in their use, as well as imagination in design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. By the age of 11, pupils have a wide range of experiences in design technology. They have made bookmarks, sewn and produced samplers, designed and made child sized chairs. They work in connection with themes in other subjects such as, homes in geography, and the Ancient Egyptians in history. This enables them to construct models of kitchen utensils, and Egyptian masks. Throughout the school, pupils are given opportunities to modify their original designs to learn from their experiences. This improves their work. All pupils in the school contributed to a patchwork Millennium quilt collage for the Year 2000. This is impressive and serves as a permanent display in the main school hall. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 38 123. Teaching was good in the lesson observed at Year 1. The lesson was planned well in accordance with the scheme of work. The teacher had very clear ideas of what she expected the pupils to learn and this was conveyed clearly to them at the beginning

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

of the lesson. A high level of questioning of pupils took place as they worked. This enabled the pupils to evaluate their work and to concentrate on their skills for making improvements. Classroom assistants worked patiently with pupils who have difficulty in managing their own behaviour, enabling them to make good progress with their work. Consequently all pupils learned well and were fully involved in their practical activities. Resources were very well prepared and organised for the lesson.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. Although there is no co-ordinator at present, the subject is managed well temporarily by the headteacher. Pupils achieve well in lessons although there are no procedures in place for checking what they know and can do. This scheme provides good support to enable design and technology to support many other areas of the curriculum. Resources are good with materials being readily available in each class.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. Standards in geography are above average at the ages of seven and 11. This represents an improvement from the time of the previous inspection. Pupils have a wide variety of opportunities and geography is planned carefully throughout the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

126. By the age of seven, the pupils have a good understanding of local places. Pupils in Year 1 have looked at the roads around the school in response to a safety problem caused by the busy roads. During a tour of the immediate locality, they examined the road markings and were clear where people are allowed to park and not to park. The pupils positioned the yellow lines correctly on their maps. They demonstrated a good understanding of the maps of their locality and they were keen to listen carefully to the class teacher and track the length of the lines. Their behaviour along the busy road was exemplary. Pupils surveyed the two main roads outside the school and decided that Blackpool Road was definitely the busiest. Pupils in Year 2 learn about other areas of Britain through a study of Katie Morag and the locality of the Isles of Struay in Scotland.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. By the age of 11, pupils study the news downloaded from the Internet. News items are displayed in the corridor so that they are available for all junior pupils to see. They consider the impact that various news items have on them as individuals. They have the opportunity to respond with their own perceptions and opinions. In Year 4 the pupils draw their own maps successfully and study the River Ribble from source to estuary. They recognise that as soon as the river reaches the town of Clitheroe it passes through an industrial landscape and this causes some pollution. They learn that at the estuary the plants and wildlife suffer as the result of this pollution. Pupils in Year 5 study different river stages with the use of photographs from the Internet. They recognise that as the river leaves the hills it becomes wider and slower. The good use of the ICT equipment in this lesson and the clear use of technical

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GEOGRAPHY

geographical terms ensure that the pupils learn well and achieve high standards. Map work is a strong feature of geography lessons throughout the school with the pupils developing good skills to read maps and locate different places of the locality, British Isles, Europe and the World. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 39 128. During the inspection it was only possible to observe a limited number of geography lessons but from these lessons and the work in pupils’ books, it is clear that teaching is generally good. Teachers are clearly very interested in their geography teaching and the range and quality of displays in the school shows that geography is well promoted. In the infants, pupils have the opportunity to take Barnaby Bear on holiday with their family. He is a much-travelled bear and pupils send postcards to school from the various holiday resorts he visits. This is an effective way of introducing the

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GEOGRAPHY

129. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and is keen to promote the subject throughout the school. She provides good leadership and has a clear picture of the strengths of the subject throughout the school. She has plans to develop the environmental aspects of the subject. The new scheme of work is being monitored and adjusted to suit the needs of the school. The use of assessment is the next stage in the development of geography.

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HISTORY

130. Standards are above average at the ages of seven and eleven. This is a similar situation to that at the time of the previous inspection. The maintenance of good standards reflects the importance the school places on the pupils’ learning about people from the past and how they lived. The standards achieved by the pupils have been judged on discussions with pupils and an examination of their work, as no lessons were observed during the inspection.

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HISTORY

131. By the age of seven, pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of people in the past and how they lived. Pupils in Year 1 have looked at a range of old toys deciding which were similar and which different from toys of today. They looked at the toys carefully and decided how they were used. In the Year 2 class, pupils looked at pictures of Florence Nightingale and thought about her life as a nurse a long time ago. They recognised that nurses today wear uniforms that are very different and that they work under very different conditions. Pupils have also studied a number of picture postcards of Blackpool, including Blackpool Tower. They looked at the postcards and decided in which ways they were different and which the same.

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HISTORY

132. By the age of 11, pupils have a good knowledge of different periods of British history. They develop an understanding of life during Tudor times and think carefully about the character of King Henry VIII. They found out that he enjoyed playing tennis, hunting and music. Pupils in the Year 4 class, drew pictures of the Tudor monarchs to reflect the richness of their clothing. Good illustrations and careful questioning guided the pupils to observations and well considered thoughts of Henry and the reasons why he divorced his wives. The pupils learn about the past in a variety of interesting ways. For example, the Year 4 pupils played a board game, which followed the route Christopher Columbus took as he circumnavigated the world. The teacher had organised this effective way of learning about the life-threatening problems encountered by the intrepid sailors in these distant times. The pupils also had an

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HISTORY

opportunity to visit Turton Towers, to study its architecture and gardens. Pupils in Year 6 study artefacts from the past. They have visited a museum where they examined pots from Ancient Greece. At present they are observing a toy collection from the Victorian era. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 40 133. Teaching throughout the school is effective and rooted in historical enquiry with the pupils using artefacts from the past or gaining ideas of life in the past by close observation of documents from relevant periods. Teachers have a good understanding of the subject and organise their lessons well. The use of timelines to fix the pupils’ learning in the correct sequence gives the pupils a clear understanding of the life and times they are studying. The teachers use ICT effectively to support the subject. For instance, in the juniors pupils have the opportunity to interrogate a number of programs to find out specific historical information.

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HISTORY

134. The subject co-ordinator is enthusiastic and has good ideas for the further development of the subject. She is at present evaluating the scheme of work and matching resources and artefacts to these areas. Assessment procedures for history are planned to be developed further.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

135. The school has made good progress since the last inspection in this subject. Through development planning, the school has spent a large amount of money on hardware, new software and training for all staff. No judgement was made on the standards of pupils’ attainment and progress at the last inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

136. Standards achieved at the age of seven are in line with the levels expected for pupils of this age. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. They use a range of equipment including a digital camera and a microscope linked to the computer to photograph and enlarge objects for display. Pupils are familiar with sending e-mail. In discussion with Year 2 pupils, they were confident in describing the process by which they had sent recent e-mails to an exchange teacher in Australia and were able to access the replies.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

137. Attainment in the subject is also in line with levels expected for 11-year-olds. Pupils are familiar with the workings of e-mail; they process and send not only text messages but also photographs from their digital camera to a sister school. Pupils in all classes in the juniors have access to the Internet and use it on a regular basis to obtain information to assist them with project work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

138. Through very supportive links with two nearby City Technology Colleges, the older pupils complete an individual programme of help each week. A teacher from the nearby college gives pupils in Year 6 guidance in how to use laptops. They use software to enhance their text with artwork and make good use of the Internet. The school also benefits from good technical support provided on a regular basis by one of the colleges.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

139. Pupils enjoy their lessons in the subject and display good knowledge and maturity of understanding. Discussions with pupils at Year 2 and Year 6 show that pupils are eager to display their skills and understanding and that the school has shown good progress in the recent past in moving the subject forward.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

140. During the inspection, one lesson was seen and pupils were observed working in classrooms on computers. Good teaching was due to good expertise and knowledge of the subject. The teacher clearly communicated to pupils what they were expected to learn and ensured that all the equipment was functioning correctly. Expectations of pupils’ learning were high. There is an abundance of finished work displayed such as Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 41 data in mathematics and science, and use of the digital camera and e-mail.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

141. The school has a recent and dynamic policy statement outlining where the direction for the subject lies. Teachers are seeing the benefit of the scheme of work being implemented across the school. The co-ordinator provides very good support for all colleagues as well as having good ideas as to what the next steps the school needs to take to improve pupil’s standards further. The school has begun to monitor the results of teaching of ICT and keeps a portfolio of pupils’ work extending from Year 1 to Year 6.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

142. The school is aware that ICT is not used to the extent that it could be across the range of the curriculum. This is due to the fact that further training of staff is necessary to enhance their skills. Plans for this are in hand and further training is planned for the next year.

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MUSIC

143. The school has maintained standards in music since the previous inspection. Pupils have worthwhile experiences in their music lessons. Standards of attainment in singing playing and performing music, creating and developing musical ideas in composition work and in responding and reviewing are typical of those expected for pupils at the age of seven and 11.

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MUSIC

144. Good standards are achieved by a significant proportion of pupils as a result of individual instrumental tuition in strings, brass, and woodwind by visiting music teachers. Extra-curricular lessons in recorder are taught well to a large group of older pupils by the acting deputy headteacher. These groups of instrumentalists have regular opportunities to perform for others in school assemblies.

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MUSIC

145. Planning of teachers’ work in music shows that pupils are given regular opportunities to explore all the required elements of music and that they receive the full breadth of study. However, music chosen for study is mainly based within a Western culture.

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MUSIC

146. Pupils throughout the school develop a repertoire of songs and hymns and sing and tunefully with clear diction. Pupils in Year 1 learn new songs readily and sing together tunefully to a type. They clap the beat accurately. By the time they reach the end of Year 2, as a result of good teaching, pupils are able to make a class composition of weather sounds for a storm. They have a good knowledge of the sounds made by different percussion instruments and are able to select their instruments appropriately and independently to achieve the required sounds for instance for rain, wind and thunder. They show their knowledge of the names of instruments such as, Indian bells, triangles and wood blocks . Pupils make good use of their voices to produce suitable sounds. They follow the teacher as conductor well and play their instruments accordingly. They play together in a group, concentrating and controlling their playing

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MUSIC

very well for getting louder and softer. They handle their instruments sensibly and with care. Teachers encourage pupils to evaluate their work. They record class compositions for pupils to appraise and encourage them to give reasons for their views. This is good teaching and elicits good responses and discussion from pupils. One pupil says, it doesn’t sound like a storm because instruments like bells and chime bars are not storm like enough, another commented that, it does sound like a storm because it got louder and louder. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 42 147. Older pupils sing enthusiastically and tunefully with attention to phrasing and duration of melodies and to the dynamics of loud and soft. Diction is good and all pupils are fully involved in singing. In Year 3 lessons, pupils follow a graphic score carefully, playing a rhythm with reasonable accuracy. They learn to listen to each other well

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MUSIC

and are able to recognise when an error is made in playing. This helps them to appreciate and understand the need for accuracy when playing rhythmic patterns together. Towards the end of Key Stage 2, pupils show confidence in their composition work and tackle it enthusiastically. With good teacher direction and help, pupils work hard during Year 5 lessons, to convey different feelings and moods in their composition work for a Journey into Space . They work well together in a group to explore and compose a section of the journey, using tuned and un-tuned instruments such as brass, violins and flutes. They practise and refine their work to improve it and in their discussions show that they have a sound understanding of how the use of contrasting pitch, volume and speed affects their compositions. They are able to explain their thinking behind their final compositions, which they perform with pride.

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MUSIC

148. Teaching of music is satisfactory overall. Although there are few teachers with expertise of music, in the lessons and assemblies seen, all teachers showed confidence and sound knowledge of teaching music. Teachers plan lessons carefully with clear learning objectives. Lessons build well on previous work. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They manage pupils very well and this encourages pupils to collaborate. Teachers give praise and confidence to pupils ensuring that lessons are enjoyable and successful for pupils of all abilities. Pupils are given opportunities to practise and refine their skills and to appraise their own work. This gives pupils a sense of accomplishment and promotes good attitudes and learning in lessons.

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MUSIC

149. The subject is led and managed well. The overview of the scheme of work for music shows a clear sequence of skills development. The school has recently begun to use the nationally recommended guidelines for music and this is well-supported by good instrumental and taped resources readily available for all classes. No assessment procedures are in place for music.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. Pupils’ standards in physical education are at the expected level at the ages of seven and 11. Since the last inspection the school has made good progress and raised the standards of pupils’ work at the age of 11. This is as a result of the implementation of a new scheme of work and recent in-service training for staff. Pupils have opportunities to learn a wide range of skills in activities such as dance, gymnastics, games and swimming. During the inspection, the only lessons seen were in games. Pupils enjoy opportunities in sport and are keen to play a part in extra-curricular activities such as, inter school football matches, netball, tennis coaching, athletics and kwik cricket. In the juniors all pupils have regular swimming lessons. By the time they reach the end of Year 6, the majority are able to swim at least 25 metres unaided. The school enters the local swimming gala and pupils are well supported by

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

their families and friends. On residential visits older pupils in Year 6 have opportunities to take part in outdoor activities such as walking and orienteering. Carleton St. Hilda’s Primary School - 43 151. In games lessons, teachers take care to develop pupils’ skills in sequence. For instance, they ensure successfully that pupils develop greater accuracy as they progress through the school in their learning of ball skills. Pupils in Year 2 make good progress in learning the skills of catching and throwing with a variety of different sized balls. With practice and additional coaching tips from the teacher such as, make sure you are not too far apart and watch the ball carefully, pupils learn to develop greater accuracy as the lesson progresses. Pupils develop their skills in games systematically and learn to evaluate their own skills and those of others. By the time pupils reach Year 6, they are competent at devising rules for their own small-sided games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Teachers ensure that they have sufficient time to practise the game using their rules and to evaluate whether their rules are sensible or not.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. The teaching of physical education is good overall. This is as a result of clear planning and the good preparation of resources before lessons. Teachers give clear explanations to pupils of what they are expected to learn and check with pupils what they have learnt at the end of lessons. As a result of good reminders from teachers, pupils become aware of the need for safety during lessons and take part in the warm- up sessions with enthusiasm but sensibly. Although most pupils handle apparatus safely and sensibly, teachers need to reinforce this frequently, for instance, when pupils use bats in close proximity to other pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. Pupils develop a good understanding of health and fitness and how important it is to have a healthy life style. Teachers set good examples of appropriate dress for lessons and as a result all pupils change for lessons and understand why this is necessary. All pupils take part and enjoy their lessons. They consistently behave and co-operate well. This results in good learning. Teachers and classroom assistants make a particular effort to ensure pupils with special educational needs are included in lessons and in enabling them to take part in activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. The co-ordinator gives sound support and direction to the subject. He has prepared a scheme of work that is now in place across the whole school. Resources are good and well-managed. The school is aware that further in-service training is necessary to build upon recent courses to enhance teachers’ subject knowledge and their awareness of what the expectations should be for particular year groups of pupils. No assessment of pupils’ attainments is in place. There is no programme to monitor pupils’ work in the subject. The school would benefit from evaluation of the progress in the subject for its future development.

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