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Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Roehampton
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Special Educational
- URN verified
101050
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Strengths
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- Good progress evident in some physical education lessons is associated with very effective teaching. p.40
- Other features of the best teaching were good use of assessment information, the very effective use of demonstration by pupils and well planned use of resources, such as music. p.40
- The school’s commitment to providing a caring supportive Christian environment in which pupils are able to learn and make good progress, is confirmed by parents and well reflected in its ethos. p.23
- Children who are under five are very well taught and make good progress. p.6
- Pupils whose first language is not English and those with special educational needs make good progress in their reading and writing as they are very well supported in class by support teachers and classroom assistants. p.29
Concerns
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- At other times progress is limited because of ineffective use of resources and limited teaching of how to improve skills. p.40
- The weakness identified in the previous report relating to standards in information technology has not yet been successfully addressed. p.14
- Weaknesses are most evident in information technology where the majority of teachers lack the confidence to develop the subject across the whole curriculum. p.17
- Some weaknesses in the teachers’ planning mean that higher attaining pupils do not consistently make the advances they are capable of. p.36
- This is reflected in English, mathematics, science and information technology where, because of this lack of high expectations, fewer pupils achieve higher levels. p.19
Next steps
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- The school has made good progress since the previous inspection. p.6
- Good schemes of work have been developed for all subjects; these ensure gradual progression and help teachers match work to the needs of individual pupils. p.6
- This is assisted by the appropriate use of the Deputy Headteacher to support the works of different groups of pupils, especially in mixed age classes. p.6
- The rate of children's progress has improved in art, geography and history, and standards are rising. p.6
- Although there is a helpful scheme of work for information technology, it has only recently been implemented fully and standards in this area are not yet high enough. p.6
- The governors' annual report now includes all relevant information related to attendance. p.6
- The Headteacher, in particular, monitors and evaluates the quality of teaching in order to identify strengths and weaknesses. p.6
- However, co-ordinators have fewer opportunities to observe the teaching of their subjects and they do not scrutinise pupils' work sufficiently to gain information about aspects such as marking. p.6
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Full report text
SACRED HEART CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Reporting inspector : Dr Melvyn Bradshaw - 6169
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SACRED HEART CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Dates of inspection : 15th - 18th November 1999
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SACRED HEART CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Under OFSTED contract number: 706562 OFSTED inspection number: 193321
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SACRED HEART CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 and the Education Act 1993, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
School address : Roehampton Lane London SW15 5NX
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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 : Mr Michael Gibbon
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Date of previous inspection : 29th April - 2nd May 1996 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities
Melvyn Bradshaw - Registered Inspector Mathematics; Geography; Physical Education Attainment and progress; Teaching; Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; The efficiency of the school Pamela Goldsack - Lay Inspector Attitudes, behaviour and personal development; Attendance; Support, guidance and pupils' welfare; Partnership with parents and the community Sandra Teacher - Team Inspector Equal Opportunities; Science; Design and Technology; Information Technology The curriculum and assessment
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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities
Brenda Barnard - Team Inspector Under Fives; History; Art; Music Staffing, accommodation and learning resources Glenys McDougall - Core Inspector Special Educational Needs; English Leadership and management
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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities
Salter Baker & Associates (Education) Limited Drayton House Oving Chichester West Sussex PO20 6EW Tel: 01243 780805
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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities
Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints which are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:
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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities
Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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MAIN FINDINGS
What the school does well Where the school has weaknesses How the school has improved since the last inspection Standards in subjects Quality of teaching Other aspects of the school The parents' views of the school
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INTRODUCTION
Characteristics of the school 1 - 3 Key indicators
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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school
Attainment and progress 4 - 11 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 12 - 15 Attendance 16
p.4
Quality of education provided
Teaching 17 - 21 The curriculum and assessment 22 - 31 Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 32 - 36 Support, guidance and pupils' welfare 37 - 40 Partnership with parents and the community 41 - 43
p.4
The management and efficiency of the school
Leadership and management 44 - 49 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 50 - 53 The efficiency of the school 54 - 58
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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS
Areas of learning for children under five 59 - 70 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 English, mathematics and science 71 - 99 Other subjects or courses 100 - 139
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PART C: INSPECTION DATA
Summary of inspection evidence 140 - 141
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Data and indicators
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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What the school does well
• . During their time in the school pupils make very good progress overall. • . Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress, owing to good support and well planned provision. • . Pupils' attitudes to work are very good, relationships, including racial harmony, are excellent. • . Children who are under five are very well taught and make good progress. • . The quality of teaching is good. • . The Headteacher provides good leadership and a clear educational direction. • . The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. • . Procedures for monitoring personal development and progress, and for monitoring and promoting discipline, good behaviour and attendance are very good. • . Parents receive very good information about the school and their children's progress. • . Financial control and school administration are very good. • . The school implements its aims and values very well and there is a very good ethos.
p.6
Where the school has weaknesses
I. Standards of attainment in information technology are not high enough. II. The involvement of co-ordinators and governors in monitoring and evaluating the curriculum taught and pupils’ attainment are not sufficiently systematic.
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How the school has improved since the last inspection
The school has made good progress since the previous inspection. Good schemes of work have been developed for all subjects; these ensure gradual progression and help teachers match work to the needs of individual pupils. This is assisted by the appropriate use of the Deputy Headteacher to support the works of different groups of pupils, especially in mixed age classes. The rate of children's progress has improved in art, geography and history, and standards are rising. Although there is a helpful scheme of work for information technology, it has only recently been implemented fully and standards in this area are not yet high enough.
p.6
How the school has improved since the last inspection
The governors' annual report now includes all relevant information related to attendance.
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How the school has improved since the last inspection
The Headteacher, in particular, monitors and evaluates the quality of teaching in order to identify strengths and weaknesses. However, co-ordinators have fewer opportunities to observe the teaching of their subjects and they do not scrutinise pupils' work sufficiently to gain information about aspects such as marking. The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection. The amount of unsatisfactory teaching has fallen from 27 per cent to under seven per cent. At the time of the last inspection the school provided "reasonable value for money", it now provides very good value.
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How the school has improved since the last inspection
The school is well placed to maintain the improvements made and to make further progress. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Standards in subjects
The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1999 based on the National Curriculum tests:
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Key
Well above average A Above average B English C A Average C
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Key
The information shows that standards were well below the national average in mathematics and science, and similar to the average in English. In comparison with similar schools attainment was well above average in English, similar to the average in mathematics, but below average in science. Standards are improving and attainment is now close to the average in English, mathematics and science. Attainment in information technology is below average throughout the school.
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Key
Children who are under five make good progress but do not reach the expected standard in English and mathematics by the age of five. By the age of seven pupils achieve broadly average standards in reading, writing and science, but they are a little below average in mathematics. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 make good progress in swimming.
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Key
During their time in the school, pupils are making very good progress overall.
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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 – 11 years
English Very Good Satisfactory Satisfactory Mathematics Very Good Good Good Science Satisfactory Good Information technology Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Religious education Other subjects Very Good Satisfactory Good
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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 – 11 years
The quality of teaching is good overall. It is very good for children under five, satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. It is especially good in Reception, Year 3 and Year 4/5. In lessons observed, over a quarter featured very good or better teaching. Less than seven per cent were unsatisfactory. Since the last inspection teaching has improved significantly. Teaching is unsatisfactory for information technology because the time spent is insufficient.
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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 – 11 years
Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Aspect Comment
Behaviour Pupils' behaviour is good. The school is an orderly community and pupils know that good behaviour is expected. Attendance Attendance is good. Despite some lateness, lessons start on time. Very good procedures are in place to promote regular attendance. Ethos* The school has a very good ethos. Pupils are keen and interested in their work. Relationships and racial tolerance are excellent. Staff are committed to raising standards further. Leadership and management The Headteacher provides good leadership and a clear educational direction for the school. The systems to enable teachers and governors to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and pupils' standards of attainment are not fully developed. Curriculum The curriculum is good. It is broad and balanced and promotes pupils' academic and personal development effectively. The curriculum is enriched well by many visits and visitors.
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Aspect Comment
Assessment is good overall. Particularly good records are kept by the school; the results are analysed effectively and appropriate targets set in mathematics and English. Assessment procedures are not sufficiently developed in information technology. Pupils with special educational needs The school's good provision for pupils with special educational needs and the very good support given to their learning ensures that they make very good progress during their time in the school. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is very good overall. The promotion of pupils' spiritual development is excellent. Moral and cultural development are very well promoted. Pupils' social development is effectively promoted although there are few opportunities for pupils to exercise independence in their learning. Staffing, resources and accommodation There are sufficient, well qualified teachers and support staff to deliver
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Aspect Comment
the curriculum. Accommodation and learning resources are adequate. Outdoor facilities, including the field and environmental area, are good. Value for money The school provides very good value for money. During their time in the school pupils make very good progress because of well-organised teaching and support. Financial control and school administration are very good.
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Aspect Comment
*Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
III. The school encourages parents to play an active part in its life. IV. The school is approachable. V. They are given a clear understanding of what is taught and kept well informed about their children's progress. VI. The school enables children to achieve a good standard in their work. VII. Homework set is sufficient. VIII. The school has a positive effect on children's values and attitudes, and achieves good standards of behaviour. IX. The children enjoy going to school. X. Few parents expressed any concerns about
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
Inspectors' judgements support parents' positive views. They are encouraged to play an active part in the school's life and the school is approachable. Information provided to parents about what is taught and children's progress is very good. Children's progress during their time in the school is very good, although standards in information technology are not high enough. Children do enjoy school and their attitudes and values are very effectively promoted. The school provides sufficient homework and children's behaviour is good. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION
In order to improve standards further the Headteacher, governors and staff should:
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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION
XI. raise standards of attainment in information technology by:
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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION
• . ensuring the recently developed scheme of work is implemented fully throughout the school; • . identifying how information technology can be used to support learning in other subjects; • . ensuring that information technology is regularly taught to all pupils; • . introducing a systematic procedure for assessing pupils’ attainment and using the information to plan appropriate work. (paragraphs 100-110)
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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION
• . extend procedures for the monitoring and evaluation of the school’s work by co-ordinators and the Governing Body by:
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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION
• . continuing to develop systems which allow co-ordinators to monitor teaching and pupils’ standards in each subject; • . developing a systematic procedure by which the Governing Body receives information from co- ordinators and keeps up-to-date with the development of new initiatives. (paragraphs 44, 45)
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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION
In addition to the key issues identified above the following less important weaknesses should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:
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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION
• . extending opportunities for the development of pupils’ independence especially in aspects of their own learning. (paragraphs 15, 35) • . improving the consistency and usefulness of teachers’ marking. (paragraphs 21, 30) Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Characteristics of the school
1. Sacred Heart RC (Voluntary Aided) Primary School is situated near Roehampton, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south west London. Pupils come mainly from the local area, although from two quite distinct wards. The school is about average in size and there are currently 238 full- time pupils in Reception to Year 6, and 19 full-time and 13 part-time children in the Nursery class. The numbers of boys and girls are almost equal. The majority of pupils (about 60 per cent) are of white ethnic origin. Other pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, particularly black-African and black-Caribbean. The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is about 22 per cent, higher than most schools. About 41 per cent of full-time pupils are eligible for free school meals, this figure is above the national average, although not all pupils claim their entitlement. The socio-economic background of pupils is below average, with many
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Characteristics of the school
living in local authority housing, including tower blocks.
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Characteristics of the school
2. The school is organised into 11 classes, two for Reception, one each for Nursery and Years 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, together with three mixed age classes for each of Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4 and Years 4 and 5. Six pupils (over two per cent) have local education authority Statements of Special Educational Needs. A total of 80 pupils (about 30 per cent) has been identified as having learning difficulties on the school’s register of special educational needs, which is above the national average. Attainment on entry into the Nursery is well below average, especially in the areas of language and social development. Assessment of children shortly after they enter Reception confirms this low attainment and over recent years children’s scores have tended to drift lower. The impact of the recently introduced Nursery provision is evident in the improved Reception assessments this year. Children enter the Reception classes full-time at the beginning of
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Characteristics of the school
the autumn term of the school year in which they are five. Younger children start part-time in the Nursery when they are three and can become full-time after their fourth birthday. At the time of the inspection all children in the Nursery and 25 in Reception were under five. However, because of their stage of development and attainment all children in Reception were appropriately following a curriculum based on the nationally recommended areas of learning.
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Characteristics of the school
3. The school’s aims reflect its Christian foundation and are summarised by the mission statement which refers to providing all pupils with a broad education to a high standard of excellence in a happy, caring and stimulating environment. Further the school will enable all to achieve their own potential in the context of ‘the spirit of Jesus’ and ‘the Catholic Christian tradition’. The previous inspection took place in June, 1996. The key issues of the previous report have been addressed, although not all areas have been completed. The school development plan identifies a wide range of priorities. Current developments include the curricular areas of English, with a particular focus on literacy, mathematics, science, information technology and the foundation subjects. Additionally, target setting; a review of special educational needs and the provision for pupils for whom English is an additional language; staff, site and premises development are highlighted.
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Characteristics of the school
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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for latest reporting year: 1999 14 (22) 25 (16) 39 (38)
National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics Number of pupils Boys 11 (17) 10 (16) 12 (18) at NC Level 2 or Girls 21 (14) 21 (14) 21 (11) above Total 32 (31) 31 (30) 33 (29) Percentage at NC School 82 (82) 79 (79) 85 (76) Level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)
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for latest reporting year: 1999 14 (22) 25 (16) 39 (38)
Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 11 (17) 10 (17) 13 (21) at NC Level 2 or Girls 21 (15) 21 (15) 25 (15) above Total 32 (32) 31 (32) 38 (36) Percentage at NC School 82 (84) 79 (84) 97 (95) Level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)
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for latest reporting year: 1999 11 (18) 18 (21) 29 (39)
National Curriculum Test Results English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 7 (11) 6 (8) 8 (9) at NC Level 4 or Girls 14 (18) 10 (9) 9 (15) above Total 21 (29) 16 (17) 17 (24) Percentage at NC School 72 (74) 55 (44) 59 (62) Level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)
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for latest reporting year: 1999 11 (18) 18 (21) 29 (39)
Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 10 (13) 7 (12) 8 (15) at NC Level 4 or Girls 12 (19) 11 (17) 11 (19) above Total 22 (32) 18 (29) 19 (34) Percentage at NC School 76 (82) 62 (74) 66 (87) Level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72)
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Attendance
Percentage of half days (sessions) % missed through absence for the Authorised School 5.8 latest complete reporting year Absence National comparative data 5.7
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Attendance
Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 Unauthorised School 0.0 Absence National comparative data 0.5
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Exclusions
Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during the previous year: Number
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Quality of teaching
Percentage of teaching observed which is : % Very good or better 25.6 Satisfactory or better 93.6 Less than satisfactory 6.4 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Attainment and progress
1. Standards of attainment when pupils left the school in July 1999, at the end of Year 6, were similar to the average in English, but well below average in mathematics and science. Pupils in the current Year 6 show higher attainment, and should achieve broadly average standards in English, mathematics and science when they leave the school in 2000. There have been no consistent trends in attainment since the last inspection, except for a significant improvement in English in Key Stage 2. The weakness identified in the previous report relating to standards in information technology has not yet been successfully addressed. Pupils’ progress in art, geography and history, other areas of weakness, has improved.
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Attainment and progress
2. In 1999, in National Curriculum tests, at the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion of pupils achieving Level 4 or above was close to the national average in English, but well below the national average in mathematics and science. Similarly, the proportion of pupils achieving Level 5 was well below the average in English, mathematics and science. In comparison with similar schools, results in English were well above the average, in mathematics they were similar to the average, while in science they were below the average. Results in mathematics were better than in 1998, while those in English and science were a little lower.
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Attainment and progress
3. In 1999, in National Curriculum tests, at the end of Key Stage 1, the proportion of pupils achieving Level 2 or above was similar to the national average in reading, and below the average in writing and mathematics. Similarly, the proportion achieving Level 3 was similar to the average in reading, but well below the average in writing and mathematics. Overall, the results were similar to the national average in reading, below the average in writing and well below in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, results in reading were well above average, above in writing and similar to the average in mathematics. Teacher assessments in science indicated that 97 per cent of pupils achieved Level 2, well above the national average, and 13 per cent of pupils were recorded as attaining Level 3, similar to the average.
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Attainment and progress
4. Children join the Nursery class with attainment that is well below average, particularly in language and social development. Assessment of children shortly after entry to Reception confirms this low attainment, although most recent results suggest that the recently opened Nursery has helped to improve them this year. Over recent years the school has noted a decline in attainment as measured in 'baseline tests'. Children make good progress during their time in Nursery and Reception, but do not achieve the expected levels of attainment by the age of five. Progress in language development is good, and about half achieve close to the expected standard by five. Their listening skills in particular are good and many show a love of books. Most know that text carries meaning and retell stories from pictures. Writing skills improve with most children able to write their own names and form letters correctly. Progress in the mathematical area of learning is good,
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Attainment and progress
but attainment is below the expected level by five. Children count up to ten and match and order numbers correctly. The rate of progress in children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is good, and most achieve the expected standard. They know about healthy diets, and the importance of looking after their teeth. They identify some of the buildings they see on their way to school. Progress in the creative area of learning is good and children achieve the expected standard. They use a wide range of media, mix paint well, produce colourful, careful paintings of themselves or their friends. Children use construction toys well and produce large towers using building bricks. Progress in physical development is good. They move well in time to music and balance carefully when walking across a bench. 5. Pupils in Year 2 are achieving broadly average standards in English and science. They are below Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Attainment and progress
average in mathematics and information technology. Most pupils read satisfactorily and about a third read well; attainment in this area is about average. Writing skills of current pupils are less well developed and, although attainment is about average, few pupils achieve higher standards. Handwriting is usually neat and letters are well formed. Pupils are confident speakers and most listen well, although a proportion of pupils, especially boys, do not listen with sufficient attention. Pupils’ literacy skills are improving and they are used well in geography and history. Pupils’ mathematical knowledge is below average. Few pupils attain high standards, although the majority accurately add and subtract numbers to 100. Mental mathematical skills are improving but pupils are not yet quick enough with their answers. Pupils’ numeracy skills are used satisfactorily across the curriculum. In science pupils’ attainment is average by the end of Year 2. They have a broad
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Attainment and progress
knowledge across all areas of science. They describe the properties of different materials and suggest possible uses. Pupils’ skills also develop well, except for recording their work using a variety of methods. In information technology, most pupils use the keyboard to input text, however they are not confident or accurate when using the mouse.
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Attainment and progress
6. Pupils in Year 6 are demonstrating attainment that is close to the average in English, mathematics and science, but below the expected standard in information technology. Pupils read with accuracy and have a satisfactory understanding of what they have read. Handwriting is generally neat and joined. Pupils write using correct punctuation and reasonably accurate spelling. They rarely write at length. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are satisfactory. They are confident to share their ideas and explain them well. Most pupils locate books in a library and they understand the principles of using research skills, including contents, index and glossary. Pupils’ literacy skills are satisfactory. Effective use is made of pupils’ literacy skills, especially writing, in subjects such as science, geography and history. Pupils’ mathematical knowledge is about average. Pupils have sound number skills, and apply these well when solving problems. Pupils’ mental mathematical
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Attainment and progress
skills are also satisfactory, although they do not give answers with sufficient speed. They draw block graphs with reasonable accuracy but do not mark co-ordinates with sufficient care. Pupils’ numeracy skills are average and used effectively to support learning in science and geography. Their knowledge of science is satisfactory. Pupils use scientific vocabulary well and display satisfactory skills associated with practical science. In information technology attainment is below average. Pupils use word processing facilities to communicate information and find out about different topics using CD-ROM. They cannot yet combine text and other forms of information. There continues to be a lack of accuracy and control when using the computer mouse.
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Attainment and progress
7. Children who are under five and pupils in Key Stage 2 make good progress. This, together with progress that is at least satisfactory, and sometimes good, in Key Stage 1, result in pupils making very good progress overall during their time in the school. In Key Stage 1, in the core subjects of English and science, pupils make good progress, building effectively on the knowledge and skills developed in Reception. In mathematics progress is satisfactory, but the limited amount of direct teaching and use of information technology means that progress in this area is insufficient. For the same reasons, progress in information technology continues to be too slow in Key Stage 2. Progress in English, mathematics and science in Key Stage 2 is now good, with work designed to challenge suitably all pupils. In the mixed age classes, progress is also assisted by the use of additional teaching support. Throughout the school, pupils make generally satisfactory or good
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Attainment and progress
progress in other subjects. In geography, progress is often good and this is assisted by the contribution of staff and students from a local higher education institution. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 make good progress in swimming.
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Attainment and progress
8. Pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress throughout each stage in the school, and hence very good progress overall. This is particularly evident in their English and mathematics, which then helps support learning in other Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 subjects. Their progress in science is similar. The amount of progress is illustrated by the fact that, apart from one pupil in English, all Year 6 pupils in 1999 gained at least Level 3 in English, mathematics and science. This very good progress is associated with well organised support provided by the special educational needs co-ordinator, other teachers and classroom assistants who help pupils in the classroom and in withdrawal groups. There is little significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls, or of different ethnic groups, by the end of Key Stage 2. The
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Attainment and progress
school sets appropriate targets in relation to attainment in English and mathematics for each year group. The process begins following an analysis of ‘baseline’ assessment data. These targets are monitored and reviewed annually and identify individual pupils rather than general results. As a result overall targets fluctuate according to the prior attainment of individual pupils.
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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development
1. Children under five have very good attitudes to school, their teachers and their learning. They show eagerness and enthusiasm to their tasks. They bond well with each other and with their teachers. They feel secure and valued. Pupils throughout the school display very good attitudes toward their work and are very willing learners. They are very interested in lessons and, overall, maintain very good levels of concentration. There were many good examples throughout the inspection when pupils were observed listening carefully and working diligently. This was seen most consistently among the youngest pupils and those at Key Stage 2. Pupils’ very good attitudes contribute to attainment and have been maintained since the last inspection.
p.16
Attitudes, behaviour and personal development
1. Pupils’ behaviour is good and this, too, is consistent with the last inspection. They support the rules in place and respond well to the school’s high standards and positive approach to discipline. The school has a calm atmosphere for learning. Pupils are trustworthy and treat resources carefully. The many attractive displays seen throughout the school remain undisturbed. There was no unsatisfactory behaviour observed during the inspection. Sometimes pupils, particularly boys, are restless or inattentive but this is usually because they are seated on the carpet for too long or because the aim of the lesson is not made clear. Bullying is a rare occurrence. There have been no exclusions during recent years.
p.16
Attitudes, behaviour and personal development
2. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and adults are excellent and this was noted in the last inspection. Pupils share ideas and opinions productively and this helps to support attainment. Their ability to work successfully in pairs or small groups supports progress in literacy and numeracy lessons. Pupils are very friendly and respectful towards visitors to the school. In Year 6, pupils were enthralled when a former evacuee recounted her experiences and helped to support their study of the war years. The quality of racial harmony is outstanding and is a strength of the school.
p.16
Attitudes, behaviour and personal development
3. Personal development is satisfactory. Homework contributes positively to attainment and progress. They follow directions and conduct successful experiments in science and solve problems in mathematics. Pupils take turns as monitors responsible for different chores in classrooms. Year 6 pupils set up equipment for assemblies, help care for younger pupils when breaks are held indoors on rainy days and organise their own discussion groups in assemblies. However, there is little provision for independent use of the library and not enough opportunities for pupils to display initiative and assume more responsibilities as they move from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2. This was noted in the last inspection and has remained unchanged.
p.16
Attendance
1. Pupils’ attendance is good and has improved since the last inspection. The current rate is over 94 per cent and this is slightly better than the national average. Registers are called at the beginning of each session and comply fully with legal requirements. There is some lateness among a few Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 pupils but this does not delay the start of lessons. The rate of unauthorised absence is below the national average. Pupils’ prompt, regular attendance has a positive effect on attainment.
p.16
Teaching
2. The quality of teaching in the school is good overall. It is very good for children under five and good in Key Stage 2. Teaching is especially good in Reception, Year 3 and the mixed Year 4/5 class. Almost 94 per cent of teaching is satisfactory or better, with almost 60 per cent being at least good. Very good or excellent teaching is a feature of 26 per cent of lessons. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection report when about 27 per cent of lessons featured unsatisfactory teaching. This figure has dropped to less than seven per cent. Previously weaknesses were most evident in early Key Stage 2; they are far less evident now.
p.17
Teaching
3. The teaching of children under five is very good. The class teachers and support staff co-operate well and this helps to deliver a challenging curriculum to the children. Planning is particularly good; whole school schemes of work for different subjects are used to inform planning based on the recommended areas of learning for this age group. The teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the needs of young children and of the areas of learning are very good. In Reception, in particular, the stimulating delivery of lessons helps to enthuse children and promotes good progress. Activities are well structured and good account is taken of the need to develop children’s language and social skills. There are occasions in the Nursery, however, when children would benefit from greater support and questioning from adults in the classroom. The careful use of vocabulary to extend children’s language experiences is particularly effective in Reception, such
p.17
Teaching
as when children engaged in construction activities were encouraged to consider mathematical terms such as smallest, longest and highest.
p.17
Teaching
4. The quality of teaching is good in Key Stage 2 and satisfactory in Key Stage 1. Good teaching is evident in mathematics throughout the school, and in Key Stage 2 it is good in science, art, history and physical education, especially swimming. Insufficient evidence is available to make a secure judgement about the quality of teaching in history in Key Stage 1, and in geography and design and technology throughout the school. Teaching of information technology is often good in individual lessons, but is unsatisfactory overall because few specific information technology lessons are taught and pupils have too little time to consolidate or use their skills. As a result, pupils make insufficient progress in this area. In other areas teaching is satisfactory. The strengths and weaknesses are similar throughout the school, although minor weaknesses are most evident in Key Stage 1. Strengths are particularly evident in Key Stage 2. Teachers’ subject knowledge is
p.17
Teaching
usually at least satisfactory, and often good in Key Stage 2. Weaknesses are most evident in information technology where the majority of teachers lack the confidence to develop the subject across the whole curriculum. Literacy is generally satisfactorily taught, and the sound use of the literacy hour is helping to maintain average standards. Pupils’ literacy skills are developed and used well in other subjects. Teachers use questions well to help develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills, although in some cases these require only a few words for answers. Teachers plan a wide range of writing activities in subjects such as science, history and geography. Mathematics is taught well. The current emphasis is on the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy and, as a result, much of the planned work relates to number and mental mathematics. Mathematics is used effectively to support learning in other subjects, especially science and geography.
p.17
Teaching
Expectations of pupils are appropriately high, except in information technology. Teachers plan well to meet the needs of the wide range of pupils in class, especially in English, mathematics and science. Pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, receive good teaching when withdrawn for support by teachers or support staff. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 Classroom assistants also provide good support within the class, including during practical activities such as physical education.
p.17
Teaching
5. Lesson planning is good throughout the school and based on good whole school plans. The best plans identify clearly what pupils are to learn, and take account of previous work; in other lessons the detail included is less specific. In almost all lessons, a wide range of methods is used well. Teachers encourage discussion but too few opportunities are provided for pupils to work as part of a group or to develop independence. Pupils are usually managed well, but an occasional weakness occurs when instructions about behaviour or paying attention are not made sufficiently clear. This is especially evident in physical education, but also occurs in some classroom lessons. Relationships between staff and pupils are very good, although occasionally, especially in Key Stage 1, the loud voice of the teacher contributes to the noise and is an ineffective strategy for gaining pupils’ attention.
p.18
Teaching
6. Within most lessons, time is used effectively. Lessons are conducted at a good pace and in the best lessons pupils are given clear time targets. Resources are well used to support learning, except that little use is made of information technology. Insufficient use is made of practical mathematics apparatus to support lower attaining pupils develop and consolidate counting skills. Satisfactory day-to-day assessment procedures are used by all teachers. The quality of marking is very variable. All work is marked, but in many classes consists merely of a series of ticks, with few comments used to help pupils improve. Occasionally marking is not precise enough and does not correct pupils’ work that is not sufficiently accurate. The best marking, usually in Key Stage 2, includes helpful comments, encourages improvement and acknowledges when this has been achieved. Homework is used effectively to support pupils’ learning, is referred to during lessons,
p.18
Teaching
begins in the Nursery and gradually increases as pupils move through the school.
p.18
The curriculum and assessment
1. The curriculum for under-fives fully meets the nationally recommended areas and prepares children successfully for the National Curriculum. It appropriately puts a high priority on personal and social education and language and literacy. This is reflected in the provision, which is very good and a noteworthy feature. Planning is effective for all areas of the curriculum and there is a good balance between focused activities with the teacher and the children having free choice in their learning.
p.18
The curriculum and assessment
2. The curriculum is broad and balanced and there are schemes in place for all subjects, as well as sex education, health and drugs awareness. These are implemented well throughout the school and support pupils’ personal development effectively. The programme for "Education In Personal Relationships" is a strength within the school and it is integrated into the curriculum as a whole. The use of educational visits to Dorset and of visitors, such as a Dental Health Advisor, helps to raise the attainment of the pupils. The core subjects of English, mathematics and science have appropriate priority in the curriculum and basic statutory requirements are met in all subjects. However, insufficient time is spent on teaching the required skills in information technology and this has a detrimental impact on attainment and progress in this subject.
p.18
The curriculum and assessment
3. The structure and organisation of the curriculum is appropriate to the age and increasing maturity of the pupils. The use of support teaching and the small groupings has an impact on improving the quality of both teaching and learning. The curriculum effectively promotes the pupils’ intellectual, physical and personal development. It makes a sound contribution to the educational standards achieved by boys and girls of all abilities and backgrounds. The school provides equality of opportunity and access to the curriculum, enabling all pupils to make very good progress. The curriculum also provides the oldest pupils with a firm foundation in the required concepts and skills necessary to cope with their next stage of education. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 4. The last inspection highlighted issues in the balance of the curriculum, the lack of schemes of work and the planning. All schemes of work are now in place. The process of formulating the schemes
p.18
The curriculum and assessment
of work has promoted more awareness about progression throughout the school and the necessity to build on previous knowledge and understanding. The school follows closely the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies for planning in English and mathematics. The school has successfully reviewed planning so that tasks are better matched to pupils’ needs in the different key stages. The schemes in physical education and geography have been particularly successful. However, the planning does not always take into account more challenging work for the high attaining pupils. This is reflected in English, mathematics, science and information technology where, because of this lack of high expectations, fewer pupils achieve higher levels.
p.19
The curriculum and assessment
5. Good systems are in place to identify and provide for pupils with special educational needs, in accordance with the school's policy and the Code of Practice. Baseline assessments are used effectively as part of the identification process. Support is mainly given to literacy and behaviour, with targets on individual education plans drawn up by class teachers with support from the special educational needs co-ordinator and support staff. Provision for pupils with special educational needs, and for those for whom English is an additional language, is good. The very good support given to their learning helps to ensure that they make very good progress overall during their time in the school.
p.19
The curriculum and assessment
6. The curriculum is enriched by a suitable range of extra - curricular activities in sport and music. In sport these include football, for both boys and girls, netball and cricket. In music, there is a recorder group. There is also Irish dancing and computing. There are educational visits both to museums, around the local environment and a residential journey. This extra provision enhances the pupils’ learning and is a strength of the school.
p.19
The curriculum and assessment
7. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are good and meet statutory requirements. The information gathered from the baseline assessment carried out as the pupils enter Reception is used effectively to enable the school to make sound judgements in relation to national standards. Clear assessments are made and records kept in English, mathematics and, to a lesser extent, in science. These are passed on as pupils move through the school and there is a consistent whole school approach to keeping a regular and frequent record of individual progress. Provision for assessment for pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is good. Teachers complete termly evaluations of time spent and programmes of study covered so that coverage can be checked. These are not always sufficiently linked to the National Curriculum level descriptors.
p.19
The curriculum and assessment
8. The results of the National Curriculum and other tests are analysed with particular reference to equality of opportunity and the differences between the performances of boys and girls. The analysis, together with evidence from the monitoring of folders of pupils’ work, is used to set targets, for example, improvements in reading and writing during the current year. The intention is that monitoring will be more closely tied into assessment practice to ensure that individuals are on track to make the expected progress in learning and thus the targets will be realised. However, apart from literacy and numeracy, the samples of work are not annotated against a whole school set of criteria. Currently, there is not an overall effective system used across the whole school in all subjects which enables teachers to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses amongst individuals throughout the year and adjust the curricular planning accordingly.
p.19
The curriculum and assessment
9. There is no marking policy and the quality of marking varies in different classes. However, in general, marking is not used effectively as a way of raising standards and does not always show pupils how they can improve their work. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 10. Annual reports sent home to parents give a clear account of the work that pupils have covered and include some target setting for future development shared with both pupils and parents. Homework links the curriculum between home and school. Reading and research are set regularly and checked by all the teachers.
p.19
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
1. The school provides very well for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its pupils. At the time of the previous inspection there were too few opportunities to enhance pupils’ cultural development. In this respect the school has made very good progress. The parents who responded to the questionnaire considered that the school effectively promoted positive attitudes and values. The school’s documentation refers to the need to promote aspects of personal development, and teachers’ termly planning identifies opportunities for developing each area within the subjects taught.
p.20
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
2. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is excellent. The aims of this Roman Catholic school pervade all that it does and as a result opportunities to enhance spiritual development are used well. The many good displays around the school are designed to foster values and respect. Plans for assemblies and religious education suggest a well planned development of spirituality. Reflection opportunities are taken and developed well in assemblies and also in prayers said at the end of sessions. Pupils’ work and the resulting displays encourage pupils to reflect about who they are and how they feel. Pupils in the Year 1/2 class considered that it was special to be part of a family, and also God’s family. Year 3 pupils were sensitively led through the life of humans, from birth, childhood, adulthood and old age, to death. Pupils in the first half of Key Stage 2 reflect on ‘ourselves’ as being special and about positive and negative emotions. During a Year 3 physical
p.20
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
education lesson pupils listened to part of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite and were then encouraged to express how it made them feel, before trying to interpret the music in dance. In literacy, older pupils are encouraged reflect on what happens during autumn to produce thoughtful poems. During a visit to Richmond Park, pupils were encouraged to think about the wonder of God’s creatures when observing the deer.
p.20
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
3. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ moral development. Good standards of behaviour are expected in and around the classroom, together with respect for others. Class rules are displayed and they emphasise good behaviour and responsibility, summarised in one class by the phrase ‘be kind to one another’. The school’s behaviour code is implemented consistently by the majority of teachers and staff act as good role models in their contact with children. In particular they value the contributions that children make. Responsibility to others is emphasised, for instance in discussions about World War II. This was further promoted through a sensitive display commemorating ‘Remembrance Sunday’. Pupils are encouraged to consider right and wrong, and moral questions are raised in geography and science when discussing the environment. Teachers emphasise that they will be fair when asking pupils to answer questions and that calling
p.20
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
out is not fair as it prevents opportunities for other children. Moral development is well supported in assembly themes forming part of the ‘Education in Personal Relationships’ programme.
p.20
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
4. Good provision is made for pupils’ social development. The consideration by pupils of how they could support each other is a strength. Pupils collect for various charities at home and overseas, and they also realise that they should help and support other children in the school should the need arise. Pupils receive encouragement to relate positively to each other in lessons, and are consistently encouraged to be polite to other children or adults. The need to consider the safety of others is emphasised in physical education lessons. Staff usually ensure that pupils work in different groups, which reflect a mix of gender and attainment. However, group work does not always encourage co-operation sufficiently. An adequate range of opportunities is provided for pupils to develop roles of responsibility around the school. These opportunities are mainly for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
p.20
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
Year 6 pupils, and include acting as wet play monitors, supporting Reception children at lunch time, organising the return of library books, leading assembly discussion groups, and acting as register, message and letter monitors around the whole school. Few opportunities are provided to encourage pupils organise aspects of their own learning. Through the topic about the new millennium, and the associated displays, pupils are encouraged to consider how society has changed, especially over the past 200 years.
p.21
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
5. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Posters and pictures around the school help provide positive images of a wide range of cultures, for instance in the displays in the area for children under five. The range of cultures within the school is valued and celebrated. This was promoted well in geography, when a parent talked to a Year 2 class about life in Africa. Pupils were fascinated by the clothes displayed and how African women carry items on their heads, but they also reflected on how life differed in this country. Displays linked to the geography work included many artefacts from Africa, including musical instruments. Pupils’ cultural development is enhanced through the study of the work of famous artists, such as Botticelli, Holbein, Acrimboldo and Henry Moore. Pupils also visit museums and art galleries, and theatre groups visits the school. Pupils listened to a wide range of music, such as from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite
p.21
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
and also from the African continent. Displays associated with the religious education programme introduce pupils to Judaism. The topic related to the theme ‘We are Children of the next Millennium’ effectively introduced pupils to the wide range of achievements of cultures from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These included flight, from Montgolfier’s balloon to Concorde and the Moon landing, telephones and computers and the invention of the infant incubator.
p.21
Support, guidance and pupils' welfare
1. Overall, the support and guidance given to pupils and the arrangements to ensure their well being are good and have been maintained since the last inspection. The procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic progress and personal development are very good. The data from test results are used effectively to set targets in English and mathematics. Members of the staff are very responsive to pupils’ needs. Pupils are happy and confident and like coming to school.
p.21
Support, guidance and pupils' welfare
2. There are very good arrangements in place to support discipline. The behaviour and anti-bullying policies have clear guidance and are used consistently. All members of staff have high expectations of behaviour and make good use of the merit awards and system of sanctions as necessary. The school’s positive approach to behaviour is well suited to the needs of the pupils. The monitoring of attendance and punctuality is very good and has improved since the last inspection.
p.21
Support, guidance and pupils' welfare
3. The school’s arrangements for child protection are sound. The Headteacher is the designated child protection liaison teacher; she is supported in this role by the Deputy Headteacher. The members of the teaching staff are aware of the school’s policy on child protection. However, not all members of the staff have been informed about procedures in this area and there are no regular training updates provided.
p.21
Support, guidance and pupils' welfare
4. Procedures for identifying and correcting health and safety issues within the school are sound. Fire drills and checks on safety equipment are up to date. The health and safety policy provides clear information. A number of staff has been trained to administer first aid. Arrangements to care for pupils who have allergies or chronic ailments are effective. However, the governors are not taking the lead in carrying out risk assessments. The school is relying too heavily on the expertise of the premises manager who completes risk assessment on his own each term. There are no routines in place to ensure that repairs that are identified are corrected systematically. An accurate account of adult visitors to the school is not maintained during the day and this is a potential danger should the building have to be evacuated. The uneven surfaces on the playground still remain and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
p.21
Partnership with parents and the community
1. The school has maintained its good partnership with parents and the community since the last inspection. The quality of information provided for parents continues to be very good. The school provides regular newsletters. Open evenings and meetings are held each term for parents and teachers to discuss pupils’ progress. Teachers are friendly and easy to approach. The prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents are informative. However, the information about the arrangements for pupils with special educational needs is too brief in each document. The pupils’ end of year reports are well written and clearly inform parents what their children have achieved in each subject. Parents are also given information about the curriculum that their children will be studying each term. The school has appropriately informed parents about the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies.
p.22
Partnership with parents and the community
2. Parents provide good support for their children’s learning. Parents, grandparents and friends of the school volunteer to help in classrooms and on class trips on a regular basis. Parents also run the after school football club. The Friends of the Sacred Heart School is an active support group of dedicated volunteers. They organise a range of fundraising activities over the year and the main event is the Summer Barbecue. Funds are used to provide extra resources. Parents support homework and those who read regularly with their children at home help to support attainment and progress.
p.22
Partnership with parents and the community
3. The school maintains a good link with the local community. There is an exciting range of educational visits for all year groups to enrich the curriculum. School trips include The Science Museum, Wandsworth Museum and the National Gallery. Year 6 pupils take part in an annual residential trip. The school makes good use of the local environment as a learning resource. The school enjoys a close link with St. Joseph’s Church and the parish priest visits regularly to say Mass and support religious education. Its association with nearby Roehampton Institute enriches the school. Students training to be teachers work regularly in school and this association also helps to support the teaching of geography, religious education and information technology.
p.22
Leadership and management
1. The Headteacher provides effective leadership and leads the school firmly and purposefully in a direction that is well judged to achieve good standards. The school is supported by a committed Governing Body, which is developing its role in the oversight and monitoring of the curriculum. Governors have begun to monitor standards through the analysis of statutory test and assessment data, involvement in training for literacy and numeracy, and through informal observations of English by the relevant governor. Although governors’ committees and the Governing Body meet regularly to fulfil their responsibilities, a system has yet to be developed that will enable co- ordinators to report to governors on developments in their subject areas.
p.22
Leadership and management
2. In the last inspection the report identified the need to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching in order to identify weaknesses and to spread good practice in the school and ensure greater consistency. The school has made a sound start in addressing this key issue through the regular monitoring of teachers’ plans and the involvement of the management team in the observation of Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 literacy and numeracy sessions. A useful policy has been developed to support co-ordinators in their monitoring.
p.22
Leadership and management
3. The school has clearly identified aims and values that underpin school life and its mission statement, which expresses a shared vision, is the result of consultation with staff, governors and parents. The school’s commitment to providing a caring supportive Christian environment in which pupils are able to learn and make good progress, is confirmed by parents and well reflected in its ethos.
p.23
Leadership and management
4. School development planning is sound. All co-ordinators contribute to the process by determining priorities for future action in their areas and governors are consulted on the formulation of the plan. The plan for the current year identifies targets, action, time and success criteria for all areas of the curriculum and premises but does not clearly identify major priorities and costs.
p.23
Leadership and management
5. The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The co-ordinator updates the register and consults with staff on the formulation and review of pupils’ individual education plans, maintaining an overview of pupils’ progress. A clear policy meets the requirements of the Code of Practice. All staff are made aware of this policy and apply it in their classrooms. The newly appointed governor for special educational needs is a member of the non- teaching staff, involved in the teaching of pupils with special educational needs. He is keen to fulfil his governor’s role.
p.23
Leadership and management
6. The school has made good progress in addressing the key issues identified in the last inspection and now meets all statutory requirements. Through the leadership of the Headteacher and commitment of staff and governors, the school is well placed to make further progress.
p.23
Staffing, accommodation and learning resources
1. The school has a good number of staff with suitable qualifications and a mix of experience to meet the demands of the curriculum. The Deputy Headteacher does not have a class but works with groups and individuals supporting their learning. The school has a parish worker who is also a trained teacher and comes in to teach music to the older pupils and to teach singing to all of Key Stage 2. In addition, a part time teacher withdraws pupils for extra support for English as an additional language. Within the last year the staff turnover has been very considerable with a third of the staff leaving and being replaced. This has led to the school having two temporary teachers and one on a fixed term contract for a year. One of the two key stage co-ordinators is temporarily taking responsibility pending a new appointment. The teaching staff work well together and those with the same year groups also plan together. Several parents help with extra-curricular football
p.23
Staffing, accommodation and learning resources
sessions on a regular basis voluntarily and the school has a dedicated caretaker and do-it-yourself specialist. All teachers work well with support staff to teach and record pupils’ progress. Overall, the number, experience and qualifications of staff are good.
p.23
Staffing, accommodation and learning resources
2. The provision for in-service training is mainly good with some co-ordinators working with colleagues to raise expertise in subject knowledge and skills. The staff have in the past taken advantage of the facilities at Wandsworth Museum in using artefacts, as in history to gather evidence about the past. The National Gallery has also helped to extend teachers’ knowledge and expertise. Each teacher has an individual job description clearly defining their role and their responsibilities for providing support for other teachers within a given time scale.
p.23
Staffing, accommodation and learning resources
3. The accommodation is extensive, indoors and out, but some of it is unsatisfactory such as the corrugated hut for Year 3. This is spacious; it has its own heating boiler and suffers significant heat losses. The older part of school accommodates Year 1, Reception and Nursery classes with upstairs storage and a special educational needs withdrawal room. Years 1/2 and Year 2 are in Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 mobile accommodation and Key Stage 2 pupils are in the main building on two floors with the dining/assembly hall and a small library area, which is not used much by pupils during the day. Outside, the school has a good sized playing field and two tarmacademed play areas with some well used climbing apparatus. There is an environmental area with a pond for scientific study. The toilets and cloakrooms are sufficient and there is a second small hall in the early years block.
p.23
Staffing, accommodation and learning resources
The most unsatisfactory accommodation is the newly converted Nursery area with its inadequate heating and easily overloaded electrical systems. The school grounds are free of litter and graffiti and the premises officer and his staff take great pride in the cleanliness and good order of the school.
p.24
Staffing, accommodation and learning resources
4. Learning resources are satisfactory overall. In information technology some resources are under used and therefore not cost effective. Co-ordinators are clear on the resources they need to purchase for effective delivery of their subjects and most plan effectively given similar amounts to spend. The number of books in the library, although well organised, is relatively small and stocks of books are kept in classrooms. Overall resources are sensibly used and stored.
p.24
The efficiency of the school
1. Financial planning is good. The annual budget allocation process is well organised to support the work of the school and identifies those areas requiring financial support, although not all areas are costed fully in the initial stages of school development planning. The expertise of a member of the Governing Body is used well to provide detailed financial plans. Reliable financial information available during the year helps the school to ensure that new targets can be supported. The Nursery development has been supported following a well planned programme to use a proportion of the accumulated surplus. The Finance Committee is fully involved in monitoring the school’s expenditure against the yearly plans, and appropriate adjustments made during the year. The school’s income has been spent wisely to provide sufficient teachers to keep average class sizes to around 25 and to help pupils in the mixed age classes. As a result, pupils in all classes receive
p.24
The efficiency of the school
good support and this promotes progress. The provision of sufficient learning support staff has also helped to ensure pupils make good progress. The school carries an adequate balance forward each year. This has been reduced recently to an appropriate level.
p.24
The efficiency of the school
2. Financial administration and budgetary control are very good. The school has very reliable procedures to provide the Headteacher and governors with suitable monitoring information of expenditure compared with predictions based on the annual agreed budget. The Finance Committee benefits from the levels of expertise of its members. The most recent audit report suggested that procedures in the school were comprehensive and efficient. It identified only minor issues, which have been addressed. The administrative staff provide very good support in ensuring the smooth running of the school, allowing the Headteacher and other staff to carry out their professional duties. They are also effective in promoting the school’s ethos in their dealings with pupils, parents and visitors. The Governing Body monitors the progress of pupils, mainly through the Headteacher’s report and an analysis of assessment data. Procedures are not yet sufficiently
p.24
The efficiency of the school
systematic, especially for subjects where there is no National Curriculum test data or where there has been a significant investment of finance, such as in information technology. Co-ordinators do not systematically report to governors about their subjects and the progress made by pupils.
p.24
The efficiency of the school
3. Teaching and support staff are well deployed throughout the school, particularly in relation to pupils who have special educational needs or for whom English is an additional language. Teaching time is usually used well, little time is wasted during the school day, despite the difficult accommodation. The school receives a satisfactory level of funding to support pupils with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language. This money is used to very good effect, especially in the provision of good support in class and opportunities for pupils to be withdrawn for group or individual support. The effectiveness of this provision is evident in the fact Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 that few pupils fail to achieve Level 3 in English, mathematics or science at the end of Key Stage 2.
p.24
The efficiency of the school
4. Staff development funding, including specific grants, is used effectively to support a programme which ensures national needs are met, particularly literacy and numeracy. Standards of numeracy are improving, especially in the area of mental arithmetic, suggesting a success in the training of staff. Staff training in the area of information technology has not yet resulted in sufficient progress in this area of the curriculum. Satisfactory use is made of available resources and accommodation, except for the limited use of information technology and practical counting aids in some mathematics lessons. The school’s grounds and the locality are used very effectively to promote pupils’ progress. The nature of the site, with four distinct buildings, results in above average occupancy costs related to heating and cleaning. The heating of the Nursery class is not efficient and as a result two days were lost last year during very cold weather.
p.25
The efficiency of the school
5. After allowing for funding for special educational needs, pupils for whom English is an additional language and London allowances, the school’s level of funding is a little above average. This is used effectively to ensure pupils, who enter the school with well below average attainment, make very good progress by the provision of good teaching and a broad curriculum. Significant successes of the school relate to the average standards of attainment, the very good attitudes and values pupils have when they leave the school and the excellent relationships, including racial harmony, between all staff and pupils, and between pupils themselves. The school therefore provides very good value for money. This is an improvement over the previous inspection when the school was judged to ‘provide reasonable value for money’. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
p.25
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
1. Children are admitted to the recently opened Nursery soon after their third birthday. They transfer to the two Reception classes soon after their fourth birthday. The Nursery opened in September 1998 and can accommodate up to twenty six children each session. Nineteen of those children are currently full-time. They are joined by part-time children in the morning and in the afternoon.
p.26
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
2. There is a good induction programme and the children and parents make a few visits before entry. Before transferring to the Reception classes, children join the class at story time, and the class teacher visits them in the Nursery. Comprehensive records about the children’s development are provided for the receiving teacher. As the Reception classes and a Year 1 class are in the same teaching block as the Nursery the children remain in a known and secure environment.
p.26
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
3. Attainment on entry is well below average. The Nursery staff do their own version of baseline assessment which consists of an interview to obtain parents’ perceptions and to ascertain whether there are any medical problems. Teachers also assess through their own observations and interactions. Progress is good, and often rapid, and pupils who do not speak English on entry make themselves understood at a basic level a few months later. At the age of five attainment is still below average although children are working well towards the standards set nationally for this age group. Pupils continue to make good and sometimes very good progress in all areas of learning.
p.26
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
4. The quality of teaching is good and some is very good. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. Where it was very good the skills of the teacher captivated her class who worked hard and enthusiastically. The scheme of work for the Nursery is based on the Desirable Learning Outcomes by the age of five and the teacher in charge of the Nursery was trained for that age group. She is ably assisted by a trained nursery nurse and a classroom assistant for most of the week. The teachers in the Reception classes are also infant and primary trained and continue to work along similar lines with the National Curriculum programmes of study dovetailed into the planning. The comprehensiveness of the record keeping ensures gradual progression in the children’s learning.
p.26
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
5. The children have very good attitudes to school, their teachers and their learning. They show eagerness and enthusiasm to their tasks. They bond well with each other and with their teachers. They feel secure and valued.
p.26
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
6. The Key Stage 1 co-ordinator is based in one of the Reception classes and liaises on a regular basis with her colleagues. Teachers plan their spending on resources together and a central bank of equipment provides variety. The Nursery is well equipped and has a small range of outdoor resources with storage. The hall is used for assemblies, music and movement and physical education by the Reception staff. It is however, not presently used by the Nursery and stands empty for a considerable amount of time. The Nursery endeavours to use too small a space in the story corner for action songs such as ‘Round the Mulberry Bush’ when the hall would be more suitable. The outside play area for the Nursery is partly covered, which is useful in inclement weather. Part of it has a safety surface which is ideal for climbing activities. The grassed area adjoining this is currently not used; not just because of the season but because metal and slate
p.26
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
appear on its surface, working their way through the grass continuously. The temperature inside the Nursery is not adequate when the temperature drops outside. The heating system does not cope and temporary heating serves to make the area even more congested and because of the position of sockets prevents use of the computer if additional heaters are brought in. The windows have condensation on them all day in low temperatures thus raising the humidity to a dampness. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 Fuses also blow when the circuits becomes overloaded.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
1. The children start school with a very limited vocabulary and there is a strong commitment to developing communication skills. Books are readily available in all rooms and pupils in the Nursery have two story sessions daily. In addition all classes have a social play area which is sometimes a café, as in the Nursery when the skills of placing an order are being developed. ‘Circle time’, when children sit and eat their fruit provided by parents, is a time for chatting about the different fruits, their smells and tastes and for reading the names on individual mugs at drinks time. They discuss how many goldfish might fit happily into the tank and all of the other activities on offer are designed to develop specific vocabulary. Two pupils for whom English is not their first language operate the computer using the arrow keys to match a letter to a picture. When told they are to have a regular visit from a librarian one child remarks ‘I can see her in my head!’.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
Several of the children still do not know their colours and planning takes into account this omission. The most able in the Nursery recognise their name and other children's, recognise a few letters from the alphabet but do not know letter sounds. In Reception classes children identify some words in the text of their big books and enjoy reading and discussing the story with their teachers. They learn cause and effect when discussing why you should never walk in front of a swing. They link their story to the work in knowledge and understanding the world when they look at healthy diets and how to look after your teeth. This is linked to a visit from the dental nurse who teaches them how to clean their teeth effectively. The characters from the reading scheme are used in children’s early information technology work using a programmable robotic toy. The Reception teacher has made several tracks that require children to read the word on a flashcard,
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
locate it on the track, count the number of moves and program the robot to move backwards and forwards to land in the appropriate circle. Children make good progress, but only a few achieve the expected standards at the age of five. The quality of teaching is very good. 65. 65. Mathematics
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
2. Children are taught to count, identify and write numbers. In the Nursery this is linked to number jingles and rhymes and is an integral part of many activities throughout the day. Children in Reception classes learn to recognise numbers and match a card with the same number of items. They do this without teacher intervention in some cases and this is developing independence. They recognise, and in some cases name, two dimensional shapes including a circle, square, rectangle, triangle and hexagon and a track for the robotic toy is used to reinforce these concepts. They all know how many teeth they should have at the top and bottom and this is reinforcing work in other subject areas. Progress in the mathematical area of learning is good, but attainment is below the expected level by five. The quality of teaching is very good.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
66. Knowledge and understanding of the World
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
3. The rate of progress in children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is good, and most achieve the expected standard. There are many activities chosen to develop and extend the children’s knowledge of the world around them. They not only experience the properties of water and sand, but also that of pasta, dough, cornflower and water, and participate in preparing and cooking rock cakes, which they later eat. Different materials and papers are used to produce collage pictures and spools are used to make rockets to depict fireworks. Children identify some of the buildings they see on their way to school. In the Reception classes children learn about which foods are good for your teeth and experience the taste of carrot, celery and apple. Pupils in Reception classes made models of their own houses at half term and a few were quite articulate in describing the rooms. A photographic record is kept of children’s progress and their ways of
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
working. The quality of teaching is very good. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 Creative development
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
4. Progress in the creative area of learning is good and children achieve the expected standard. They use a wide range of media, mix paint well, produce colourful, careful paintings of themselves or their friends. Children use construction toys well and produce large towers using building bricks. All classrooms are alive with colour and life and the children are in a stimulating environment. The youngest children have opportunities to make sound in their outside play when instruments are fastened to the fence for accessibility and ease of use. There are lots of opportunities to paint, draw, write, stick and paste, and to play musical instruments. The quality of teaching is very good.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
5. Progress in physical development is good, but attainment is a little below the expected level. They move well in time to music and balance carefully when walking across a bench. The Nursery children are not as yet using the hall for physical activities and are largely dependent on fine weather to allow them access to outside facilities. This could easily result in restricted physical activity as the Nursery is not large enough for further equipment. The children in Reception demonstrate marching to music, moving backwards with good control, and hopping competently. They are confident and careful when using larger pieces of apparatus and make good progress in developing balancing skills. They hold a pencil and paint brush correctly. The quality of teaching is very good.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
6. The quality of the planning, assessing and preparing appropriate activities, which build well on previous work, by dedicated teaching and non-teaching staff ensure that all children have a good start and form positive attitudes towards school and learning.
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English
7. The results of the 1999 Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests show standards in English to be close to the national average, with 72 per cent of pupils attaining Level 4 and above. The results for seven year olds show that whilst standards in reading are close to the national average, with 82 per cent achieving Level 2 and above, standards in writing are below the national average. In comparison with similar schools attainment is well above average at the end of Key Stage 2, and at the end of Key Stage 1 it is above average in writing and well above in reading. Over the past three years, there has been a slight decline in results at the end of Key Stage 1, but they have improved by the end of Key Stage 2. The inspection findings confirm that at the end of Key Stage 1 standards in writing are below those in reading but that by the age of eleven most pupils attain the nationally expected levels.
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English
8. All pupils have good listening skills. They listen attentively to their teachers and to the views of others and answer questions thoughtfully. Speaking skills develop well as pupils become more confident. Although many younger pupils have a limited vocabulary to express their views and ideas, they think about what they want to say and teachers assist them in formulating sentences. They talk about stories they have heard and read, and know how to give simple instructions to others in the class. By the time they leave the school most pupils speak confidently and respond clearly to questions and in discussion. When reading extracts from books they adopt suitable and interesting voice tones.
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English
9. Pupils make good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills. The whole-class Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 introductions to literacy lessons particularly encourage them to develop and use these skills and their developing vocabulary is supported by discussion of a wide range of carefully chosen texts. For example, pupils in Year 6 used an enlarged text of a report on Tadesse Assefa from ‘Children just like me’ when discussing the features of report writing during the literacy session.
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English
10. Standards in reading are in line with those expected nationally by the end of both key stages. Younger pupils read an appropriate range of material and read for enjoyment. Most have a good vocabulary of words that they know by sight and phonic skills are developing satisfactorily. They talk about the characters and main points in the story and sometimes predict what may happen next. In Year 2 higher attaining pupils locate information using the ‘contents’ in a non-fiction text. By the end of Key Stage 2 most pupils read fluently and expressively and employ a range of strategies to tackle unfamiliar words and correct their mistakes. Many have developed preferences and discuss their favourite author. They have a good understanding of the significant ideas, themes and events in the story. Most can use the library to select non-fiction texts and locate and make use of information in the text, but they are given insufficient opportunities to use and
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English
11. Pupils make good progress in reading. They enjoy reading and their positive attitudes help their progress. Progress is consolidated through the use of shared and guided reading in literacy sessions. The good progress in reading is supported by the home-school reading scheme and by parent volunteers who help with reading in school.
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English
12. At the end of Key Stage 1, standards in writing are below average but by the time pupils reach the end of Year 6 they are in line with the national average. Younger pupils begin to communicate meaning in their writing and write for different purposes and audiences, including letters, invitations and instructions. However, by the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ writing generally lacks fluency and the correct use of sentence structure. The oldest pupils in the school structure and organise their writing well and write in a range of different forms. They write story plans that include setting and characters and use a good range of vocabulary to add interest to their work. Many use adjectives and grammatical conventions such as speech marks and apostrophes correctly. Handwriting is generally neat and legible and words spelt correctly. However, there is a limited use of information technology in writing and insufficient opportunities for pupils to
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English
13. Pupils make good progress in their writing throughout both key stages. As their ability to write for different purposes develops, pupils use their writing skills effectively in other areas of the curriculum. They retell Bible stories and write prayers in religious education, they record the results of their investigations in science and write about contrasting localities in geography.
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English
14. Pupils whose first language is not English and those with special educational needs make good progress in their reading and writing as they are very well supported in class by support teachers and classroom assistants. In Years 3 and 4 pupils receive valuable ‘Additional Literacy Support’ from a trained classroom assistant during the group work sessions of the literacy hour and this contributes to their good progress in literacy.
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English
15. The pupils’ attitudes to English are always satisfactory and often good. They enjoy their work in the literacy hour and show enthusiasm for reading. They listen attentively to the teacher, contribute to discussion and concentrate well on their work. However, in some classes, during the group sessions they are slow to settle down and work independently.
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English
16. Overall, the quality of teaching is sound or better. On the rare occasions, where teaching is weak, pupils make slow progress in their learning. In two lessons the pace was slow and pupils were unclear about the teacher’s expectations. In the best sessions, teachers have high expectations for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 work and behaviour and plan carefully for all pupils including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is not the first language. They question pupils skilfully, use resources well and the pace is brisk. Their effective organisation of the different parts of the literacy hour enables all pupils to be fully involved. Teachers manage pupils well so that they work independently during the group session and use the final section of the hour to assess children’s understanding and plan future work.
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English
17. The English co-ordinator gives sound support to colleagues and ensures that teachers plan according to the National Literacy Strategy, which the school is implementing very effectively. However, there is at present no system in place for the regular monitoring of literacy teaching or for sharing the good practice that exists in some classes.
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English
18. Classroom book corners are adequate but in Key Stage 2 classes would benefit from the addition of new and interesting fiction titles. In one classroom the dictionaries and non-fiction books are tattered and need renewal. The library lacks a range of suitable fiction for older and more able readers and is under used.
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Mathematics
19. In 1999, at the end of Key Stage 2, attainment in the National Curriculum tests was well below the national average. Fifty five per cent of pupils achieved the expected Level 4 or above, well below the national average figure of 69 per cent. Ten per cent achieved the higher Level 5, also well below the national average. These results are well below the national average but similar to the results of similar schools, and represent an improvement over those of 1998. Over the period 1996 to 1998 pupils’ results were close to the national average, although there was a decline in 1998. Results in 1999 improved, the amount being similar to the national improvement.
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Mathematics
20. In 1999, at the end of Key Stage 1, attainment in the National Curriculum tests was well below the national average. Eighty five per cent of pupils achieved the expected Level 2 or above, a little below the national average of 87 per cent. Five per cent achieved the higher Level 3, well below the national average. Overall, the results are well below the national average, but in line with those of similar schools. Over the period 1996 to 1998 pupils’ results fluctuated, but were below the national average overall. The 1999 results are not significantly different. There is no consistent, significant difference between the performance of boys and girls, or of pupils from different backgrounds, in either key stage.
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Mathematics
21. The attainment of current Year 2 pupils is below average. The majority of pupils have a sound knowledge of tens and units. They add and subtract accurately numbers up to 20. The few higher attaining pupils correctly complete simple algebraic equations involving a missing number and work accurately with numbers above 100. They draw simple bar charts well and know a range of two-dimensional shapes, including square, rectangle, triangle and hexagon. The work of average attaining pupils is very similar to that of higher attainers. Very few pupils are working at a level above that expected, the vast majority are close to the average. Lower attaining pupils understand simple addition and subtraction and also know a range of two-dimensional shapes. Numeracy skills are below average overall. Mental skills are improving, but pupils are not quick enough giving a response. Pupils’ enter the school with below average mathematical skills and make at
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Mathematics
least satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1. This satisfactory progress is evident in Year 1, with pupils building soundly from their work in Reception. About half the pupils in Year 1 are confident with numbers above ten. During Year 1, pupils add two single digit numbers correctly, progress to working in tens and units, and recognise simple patterns. During the inspection, progress during lessons was better than indicated in some of the pupils’ work, due to some well organised teaching. In the best lessons, in the Year 1/2 and Year 2 classes, pupils are consistently challenged and helped to progress well. Special educational needs pupils make good progress, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 especially when well supported in the classroom. Pupils for whom English is an additional language also make good progress.
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Mathematics
22. Attainment of current Year 6 pupils is similar to the average and is likely to show at improvement over 1999 when they leave the school in July. Average and higher attaining pupils in Year 6 have a sound understanding of number. They use the four rules of number correctly, and work confidently with numbers above 100. They complete simple division problems accurately. Most pupils understand the link between simple fractions, such as one tenth, and decimal fractions. Higher attaining pupils in particular apply their number knowledge well to new problems and numeracy skills generally are about average. Pupils draw accurate bar charts and histograms from data they have collected. They complete jagged-line graphs correctly, interpreting the information displayed well. Mental skills are about average, although the majority of pupils lack speed when answering.
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Mathematics
23. In relation to their attainment at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ progress is good in Key Stage 2. The majority of teaching is good and this helps to ensure that pupils make very good progress overall during their time in the school. The demanding nature of the work and high expectations in some classes, such as Year 4/5, helps to speed progress. In Year 3, higher and average pupils accurately add and subtract numbers above 100, and apply their knowledge to solving simple problems. They complete simple multiplication, identify a wide range of two- and three- dimensional shapes and understand lines of reflective symmetry. By Year 4, higher attaining pupils in particular complete addition and subtraction problems involving thousands correctly. They apply their knowledge of number to creating problems to identify an ‘unknown’ number with reasonable accuracy. In the Year 4/5 class pupils apply their knowledge well to solving a range of
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Mathematics
two-step problems. Pupils in Year 5 use multiplication and division accurately and understand fractions. They correctly convert equivalent and improper fractions to a suitable form. They are not always accurate enough when using co-ordinates. Generally all pupils, including those who have special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language, make similar progress.
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Mathematics
24. Most pupils in the school enjoy their mathematics. They particularly enjoy solving problems by applying their number knowledge. The vast majority of pupils listen well and confidently answer questions, although not always accurately. They concentrate well on problems they have been set, persevering and working hard without continual teacher support. Some of the younger pupils’ responses are not as positive as elsewhere in the school. Too often they are noisy and do not listen well. This limits their own progress, but other pupils ignore the disturbances. This weakness relates mainly to younger boys. Throughout the school, pupils begin to fidget and lose attention when the mental mathematics session and whole class introduction take too long. Presentation of pupils’ work is good, with care being taken in completing bar charts in mathematics and other subjects. Pupils respond well to teachers’ requests to correct work marked wrong.
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Mathematics
25. The quality of teaching is good in both key stages. The best lessons, for instance in a Year 4/5 class investigating solving two-step problems, are very well organised, carefully prepared with a good emphasis on the relevant mathematical vocabulary. Throughout the school teachers make good use of the correct terminology. Most lessons move on at a good pace, except for some rather lengthy mental and introductory sessions, during which lower attaining pupils lose interest. Resources are generally used satisfactorily, but lower attaining pupils would benefit from greater use of practical counting aids. Marking is mostly complete, but too often is merely ticks. Occasionally marking does not raise expectations enough. For instance the lack of accuracy shown by some pupils when completing co-ordinates was not noted or corrected, as a result errors were perpetuated. The best marking is clear and helpful, and notes areas requiring improvement. The
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Mathematics
best lesson planning identifies clearly how the needs of different pupils are to be met. Only in the best lessons do teachers use specific time targets to encourage pupils to complete work quicker. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 Satisfactory use is made of homework, especially in supporting basic numeracy skills.
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Mathematics
26. The school is placing an appropriate emphasis on numeracy and the development of other mathematical skills. The delivery of mathematics is well planned, there is a good, broad curriculum, with a suitable emphasis on applying the knowledge gained, together with an adequate time allocation. The school has based its work on the National Numeracy Strategy, and the current policy is now in need of updating. The school uses an appropriate range of commercial resources to support the delivery of the National Numeracy Strategy, linked to its own scheme of work. Plans for other subjects do not identify how aspects of numeracy can be developed or used within them. Very extensive assessment systems, using standard tests, are in place. These are very good, and are used effectively to inform the setting of individual targets for each pupil in the school. This process begins with an analysis of ‘baseline’ data and progress towards the targets is reviewed
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Mathematics
annually. Satisfactory use of numeracy skills occurs in recording weather data, using simple co- ordinates in geography, and in measurement in science. Limited use is made of information technology to develop pupils’ basic number skills, although younger pupils use it to improve multiplication skills and older ones produce simple bar and pie charts. Where relevant, teachers’ plans indicate how aspects of pupils’ personal development can be promoted through mathematics. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership, but does not have the expertise to assist staff sufficiently. Appropriate guidance has been given to help staff in the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. Planning is carefully checked and but the monitoring of the standards of attainment and teaching reflected in pupils’ work is not sufficiently extensive or systematic.
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Science
27. The school has maintained the average standards in science achieved at the time of the last inspection. Inspection findings show that attainment in science is average at the end of both key stages. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress in science as they move on through the school. This good progress is directly related to the quality of teaching, especially at Key Stage 2. There is no significant variation in the attainment between boys and girls.
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Science
28. The results of the 1999 National Curriculum tests for Key Stage 2 were well below the national average and below the results of similar schools. These low results were related to staffing difficulties and although the National Curriculum test results have declined in recent years, the present stable staffing situation, coupled with the good progress the pupils are making, should result in higher standards being reached by the end of this academic year. The school is working hard to improve the results. They have set clear targets and are using the support staff to work with small groups and thus raise standards.
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Science
29. At Key Stage 1, the pupils observe with attention to detail, and describe what they see using simple but appropriate language. They know about the life cycles of tadpoles and caterpillars and experience awe and wonder when observing these minibeasts, and the beauty of nature in their walks around the local environment. They work with enthusiasm on experiments with electricity and they know how to complete an electrical circuit. The pupils know about the properties of materials. They know that forces can change the shape of materials and they understand how water freezes. They raise their own questions and make predictions. A few pupils make good use of books for reference to find out the answers to their questions. However, their recording skills are still under-developed and there is only a small amount of written work in some of the science folders.
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Science
30. At Key Stage 2, in the study of life processes and living things, pupils recognise relationships in the food chain, explain the importance of health and diet in animals and use observable features to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 classify plants and animals. Older pupils name parts of plants and flowers and identify the major organs and functions of the body. Pupils identify the properties of common materials and describe similarities and differences. They know that some materials come from living things. They begin to understand the process of photosynthesis. Through the study of physical processes pupils recognise the need for a battery and a complete circuit for electrical devices to work, that light travels in a straight line and shadows are caused by objects through which light is unable to pass. Pupils record work accurately and respond in lessons with appropriate ideas and show they have a
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Science
grasp of the topic being taught. They display sound knowledge and understanding in current work and have good recall of previous work.
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Science
31. In experimental and investigative science, pupils work with the equipment provided to explore different conditions for filtration and saturation. They predict what might happen with a good degree of accuracy and suggest how they might test and record their ideas with appropriate controls. In general, practical science skills are insufficiently advanced to support independent planning and organisation of experiments. Pupils make observations related to the task set and use tables and charts to record and present their results. They begin to recognise conditions for a fair test, although some pupils' ideas are confused in experiments with more than one variable. Pupils draw on the observations made to decide if the results support their original prediction and they are learning to compare their conclusions to scientific knowledge or generalise a rule.
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Science
32. By the time the pupils reach Year 6, they have made good progress in science. They develop a good vocabulary which they use both in oral discussions and in their writing. For example, in Years 3 and 4, they describe what makes a balanced diet, or how to care for your teeth with good use of adjectives. In Years 5 and 6, their detailed recording on a circuit diagram makes a contribution to their literacy skills. They make progress in learning about the classification of plants and animals, and their place in the food chain. They use their mathematical skills to draw relevant graphs, charts and tables. Those with learning difficulties or those for whom English is an additional language make satisfactory progress when they are supported by a learning assistant. Pupils of higher ability, however, do not always make the progress that might be expected, as there is little difference in the work set within the mixed aged classes and extension material is not
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Science
often available for higher attainers. Although some pupils use the CD-ROMs to access information on science topics, such as animals or the planets, the use of the computer to broaden science skills and knowledge, and for data handling, is not well developed throughout the school.
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Science
33. All pupils have positive attitudes towards the subject. They enjoy science, follow instructions carefully, work well in small groups or paired work and discuss their work constructively. In most classes good routines have been established for approaching science work. Where teaching is good pupils respond accordingly and work at a good pace. They compare their ideas and results with those of others in the class, checking the outcomes of their experiments.
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Science
34. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, and generally good at Key Stage 2. Planning and preparation are secure. In investigative lessons, the organisation and management of resources for the experiments enables the pupils to make good progress, for instance in their development of understanding “A Balanced Diet” or “Dissolving Materials”. Teachers explain tasks clearly. They intervene well to challenge and extend individual pupils’ thinking and to encourage greater accuracy of observation during practical work. Class control is good. There are, however, some instances where teachers dominate investigations, allowing insufficient pupil participation. Marking is regular, but does not take pupils’ understanding forward. The support staff are at times well used in the science activities to give more individual attention and to support behaviour. However, when whole class teaching takes place, support staff often sit unoccupied.
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Science
35. The displays of science in the school are lively and add to the quality of learning but are insufficiently interactive and “hands on.” Frequent visits and visitors and good integration with the Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 Education and Personal Relationships programme raise the attainment of the pupils by adding an extra dimension to the teaching and learning in science. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Information technology
36. The previous inspection highlighted information technology as a key issue for action. The requirements as laid down in the National Curriculum were not being met. The school has gone some way to addressing this issue but pupils’ attainment, by the end of Key Stage 2, is still below national expectations. The scheme of work is now in place and if followed by all teachers should ensure improvement. All classes now have multi - media facilities in their rooms. All teachers have yet to make sure that the required concepts and skills are taught to all the pupils on a regular basis.
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Information technology
37. Generally, pupils have had too few opportunities to develop and consolidate skills throughout the school. Consequently, they are unable to achieve sufficiently high standards in all the areas of learning. Standards in communicating through text are better than those in handling data, control, developing simulations and in monitoring environmental variables. These areas of the programmes of study have not yet been adequately covered in the information technology curriculum.
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Information technology
38. Most pupils are gaining in confidence and enjoy using the keyboard and the mouse. However, they lack an appreciation of the value of information technology and, in particular, are unaware of the impact of technology upon our every day lives. They usually have only a limited knowledge of the facilities within the programs they are using, except in the case of the word processing package or information retrieval programs.
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Information technology
39. Pupils in Key Stage 1 communicate information by making good use of the word-processing program, for example when redrafting work in English. They change the colour and size of the font to enhance the appearance of the text. Most pupils use the keys and the mouse successfully to direct the cursor around the screen, and create attractive pictures using a variety of tools on an art program. With the help of an adult they save, access and print their work. They successfully program a toy robot to move along the floor on a particular route, and turn through 90 degrees to the left and right. Pupils have opportunities to use tape players to listen to stories and some use tape recorders.
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Information technology
40. Pupils in Key Stage 2 communicate information by making banners and calendars using a desktop publishing program. They are learning to mix text with graphics and to input images from a digital camera. They are familiar with the word processing package but generally copy-type their work rather than drafting straight onto the machine.
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Information technology
41. Not all the aspects of each programme of study are taught formally but elements often appear in other curriculum areas. In history, pupils use an encyclopaedia to research information about the Second World War, or in science, they find out about plants and animals. They use mathematics programs to reinforce their learning and write their own programs to enable the computer to draw mathematical shapes. Pupils use a word processing package in their English work. They show competence in calling up the program from the “contents” screen. They use the centre, space and back space keys appropriately and use the mouse competently and switch between upper and lower case letters with ease. However, opportunities for pupils to use information technology for the purposes of data - handling, control, monitoring and modelling are not provided to a satisfactory level. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Information technology
42. Pupils make insufficient progress throughout the school. Older pupils have not made as much progress as the younger ones. This is because they have only recently been able to work with the current computers and software. There is often little difference between the work in the different year groups and because the scheme of work is still in the early stages, it is difficult to see progress year on year. Some weaknesses in the teachers’ planning mean that higher attaining pupils do not consistently make the advances they are capable of. Pupils with special educational needs do not always use information technology sufficiently as an additional aid to learning.
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Information technology
43. Pupils are enthusiastic about information technology. They become excited when they find and retrieve information from the CD-ROMs. There is a clear appreciation of the recently purchased hardware and supporting software and pupils are keen to exploit every opportunity to use it. They work sensibly at the machines, and more able pupils help and support the less able.
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Information technology
44. Teaching throughout the school is unsatisfactory. There are weaknesses in the organisation and planning and this affects the pupils’ learning. Work at the computer is organised as one of a number of activities within the classrooms. During the week of the inspection, small groups of pupils were observed working at the computers in English, mathematics and history and science lessons. Often groups receive only a brief introduction to the task and are then left to experiment. Consequently, progress is limited and the pupils' experiences are somewhat haphazard.
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Information technology
45. In other situations, where there is whole class teaching or classroom support, adults explain and introduce new concepts and there is a marked improvement within a short time-span. Teachers introduce new software and give careful demonstrations using appropriate terminology and step by step instructions, as for example how to edit their language work, or how to print out pictures taken with the digital camera. However, the absence of a systematic rota-system in every class, fails to ensure that all pupils have sufficient or effective access to computers.
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Information technology
46. There is little monitoring of attainment of individual pupils to assist the planning of activities to match their needs. The co-ordinator has clear plans for information technology. These should be addressed by the Governing Body as an immediate priority.
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Art
47. Very few lessons of art were seen, none in Key Stage 1. There was a representative sample of work for scrutiny which indicated that progress was at least satisfactory, and in some cases in Key Stage 2 good. Pupils have had a good range of experiences. In the early years pupils have more opportunities to express themselves through art and in Year 1 children have painted portraits of their friends in the style of Holbein and Botticelli. They learn to create shades of red and blue by adding white and make collages, patterns and prints. From Year 3 upwards pupils use sketchbooks to good effect. They record their experiments with line tone and colour. In the past they have created pictures using wool and card weaving with ribbons. In the Year 3/4 class, pupils do observational drawings of fruits, and sketch and then reproduce in pastels faces in the style of Arcimoldo’s ‘The Gardener’ to very good effect. In the same class pupils display there
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Art
versions of the Willow Pattern plate. They link their history work on the Romans with clay pots in the Roman style and mosaic tiles. Older pupils in Years 4/5 make mummies from clay and bandages before making caskets from card cut, folded and joined. In lessons pupils describe what a landscape is and name the contrasting colours in a painting and the effect it has in making objects stand out. They recognise colours that harmonise and which are calm colours and associate mood with colour. Their sketchbooks are used partly to evaluate current work and earlier work. Through videotape clips and posters pupils develop an understanding of how and why an artist uses colour.
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Art
48. Pupils are interested and keen. They show an eagerness to get started with practical work and a Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 maturity when discussing artists’ work. Even when tasks are quite difficult, as in sewing, they persevere well and behave sensibly.
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Art
49. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding is good throughout the school and a brisk pace is evident in the teaching. The use of carefully chosen videotape clips enhances teaching, as do the posters of artists’ work. Sketchbooks allow pupils to experiment with line and colour without being inhibited, and serve as a reference for later work. The teacher assesses work with the pupils but no further formal assessment takes place. There are good quality displays of work in every room and corridor and most teachers have high expectations of high standards.
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Art
50. The art policy was written in 1997 and a scheme of work was produced by a working party of teachers earlier this year. The scheme is very detailed and explicit and starts in the Nursery and progresses through to Year 6. However, as the timetable allocation is shared with design and technology for one hour weekly the coverage will fall short of that planned. All aspects of art are covered by the scheme but three-dimensional work features mainly clay and very little sculpture has yet been tackled. Teachers are prescriptive in their choice of media and leave little to pupils’ decisions. Self-assessment and evaluation are encouraged.
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Art
51. Spiritual and cultural development are provided for effectively through the work of world famous artists including some female artists. The co-ordinator took over the post in 1998 and built upon the established foundations. Staff training on colour mixing, drawing and painting had already been done and resources, such as examples of artists’ work, have been extended. She intends to review the scheme shortly in the light of the proposed revisions to art and design. All age groups visit art galleries and provision is good. Teachers are confident, partly from the in-service training received previously. Resources are satisfactory and being built upon steadily. The school has improved since the last inspection by extending the range of artists studied, regular use of visits to art galleries and by the use of sketchbooks to develop themes and evaluate progress.
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Design and technology
52. During the week of the inspection no lessons in design and technology were observed. Activities were included in the long and medium term plans and some elements of both design and make were included in other subject areas. For example, the pupils designed and made healthy sandwiches and flapjacks related to their science project on healthy living. In their textile work they design and make purses in the shape of a cube. Pupils persevere although some find threading a needle very difficult. Others design fastenings that will be hard to reproduce in practice. The finished product will be assessed as to its match to purpose. There are good links with religious education, where pupils design and make cards for Christmas and Easter.
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Design and technology
53. There has been good improvement since the last inspection. A scheme of work is now in place and the pupils are being given access to a wider range of materials.
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Geography
54. Throughout the school pupils make good progress, particularly in extending their knowledge of the local environment and locations overseas. This is an improvement over the last inspection when pupils’ standards were too low and progress insufficient. Progress in both key stages is assisted by the effective involvement of students from a local teacher training institution. Pupils in Key Stage 1 understand the use of simple keys to identify rivers, ponds, forest, trees and tracks on a map. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 They identify specific locations using simple letter and number co-ordinates. They record observations well following a visit to Richmond Park. Pupils in Year 2 understand that life in Ghana differs from that in Roehampton. Early in Key Stage 2, pupils record weather data in a table and display how the lengths of shadows vary during the day using a bar chart. Higher
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Geography
attaining and average pupils know that countries near the equator are hot and those close to the poles are cold. In the Year 4/5 class, pupils know the location of St. Lucia and locate the main settlements on a map. They compare the land use in different localities and understand that St. Lucia experiences storms more violent than those in the United Kingdom.
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Geography
55. Pupils take care in the presentation of their work, show interest and are often enthusiastic. They answer questions fluently during discussion. Year 2 pupils were attentive when a parent talked about life in Ghana, and had prepared interesting questions. They were fascinated by the clothes worn and the way women carried items on their heads. They think about and identify differences in their lives and those of people living in Ghana. Pupils in a Year 4/5 class listened very carefully to a tape about growing bananas in St. Lucia. They concentrated very well and answered questions prepared by the teacher.
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Geography
56. Only three lessons were observed during the period of the inspection. The lessons in Key Stage 1 were satisfactorily taught. In Year 2, a range of resources was effectively used to interest pupils, and the teacher supported the parent effectively. The Year 4/5 lesson featured very good teaching. Especially effective was the preparation of a worksheet to help pupils listen for important information while a tape was being played. The tape was used very effectively. Discussion after the programme supported good progress, and activities planned matched the needs of different groups of pupils well. Teachers make effective use of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills.
p.38
Geography
57. The Headteacher is acting as co-ordinator for geography. The previous co-ordinator, who left recently, produced a clear policy, which provides helpful guidance. The scheme of work gives good detail and the planned curriculum covers a wide range of geographical areas, including comparative studies of Godstone in England, and Ghana, St. Lucia and Peru overseas. Good use is made of the locality to provide a wide range of opportunities to develop geographical skills. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are promoted effectively. Especially good is the way pupils’ awareness about cultures around the world is raised.
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History
58. History is taught for half of the school year and alternates with the teaching of geography. The standard of work seen was at least satisfactory, and mainly good. During the inspection history was taught in the latter half of Key Stage 2. In Year 5 pupils were studying the ancient Greeks and had knowledge of the characteristic features, including their ideas and beliefs. The subject clearly fascinated them and pupils could relate facts about the myths and legends of Gods and Goddesses. They copy the patterns from Grecian pots and try to understand the lifestyle of the earlier civilisation. Year 6 were studying Britons at War and had a sound grasp of the facts that lead to World War 2. Photographs, newspaper cuttings, diaries, pictures and videotape clips were all used as historical evidence and pupils were fairly secure in being able to categorise evidence into primary and secondary sources, and which were fact and which opinion. They were fortunate
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History
to have one of the governors of the school, now in her mid sixties, to come to relate her experiences as an evacuee during the war. She explained how confused she was by the move and how, with her name and religion on her label, she heard someone ask ‘Who wants a Roman?’ (meaning Roman Catholic). The pupils were enthralled by this talk and it gave them a firsthand insight into what it must have been like. They were appalled at the thought of no sweets or toys and been spirited away from parents and family. Written accounts reflected the depth of feeling and empathy and even when the quality of writing was not high, as with some of the less able, the feeling of being able to relate to the situation was clearly there. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 59. Pupils’ attitudes to their work were very positive and their work was well researched and documented. Facts are interpreted in their own style. Younger pupils demonstrate their interest by
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History
being able to recall a considerable amount of knowledge about Greek gods.
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History
60. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and they plan effectively for learning outcomes. The wide variety of activities is designed to motivate, interest and develop skills of enquiry and evaluation. The use of human resources brings the subject to life. Although the intention to use information technology is in the planning it is not used in lessons sufficiently, even for word processing. Work is assessed for content and writing skills.
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History
61. Only one hour per week is allocated for the subject for half of the school year. The topics are based on the National Curriculum programmes of study and the key elements are being developed. The pupils with special educational needs are supported by the class teachers.
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History
62. Reflecting on the events that took place post 1930 in Britain and the effect it had on people helps with pupils’ spiritual development. Moral issues, such as the war itself, the effects of bombing and evacuation along with the social issues of being taken from one’s home and transplanted into a different culture often far away help to deepen understanding. Through the topic on ancient Greeks the pupils learn about other cultures, beliefs and values.
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History
63. The previous co-ordinator worked hard to raise the profile of history to provide a coherent policy, and a working party of interested teachers wrote the scheme of work. At present the Deputy Headteacher is responsible for the subject and monitors the teachers’ termly planning. The history being taught reflects the school’s aims as stated in the brochure. Displays around school depict inventions of the century and an impressive model of the Millennium Dome dominates the hall wall. Timelines in the corridors identify civilisations from the past 4000 years and help pupils develop an understanding of chronology.
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Music
64. Music is satisfactory at both key stages. Singing is enjoyed by many pupils, but most especially by the younger ones. However, when the whole key stage have singing lessons about a fifth of the pupils do not bother singing and off task behaviour occurs. Discipline is good and most conform and join in as the lesson progresses. Pupils in Key Stage 2 sing London’s Burning as a round and Year 6 sing the descant parts of religious music. They are tuneful and words are audible. In Key Stage 1 pupils sing simple tunes which they accompany with untuned percussion. Although they enjoy this, there is no challenge to the work nor to their choice of instruments. They do not always have good control or clear rhythm and pattern. At the beginning of Key Stage 2 pupils interpret and copy a clapped rhythm into ta’s and teys and half of them are successful. They compose a piece using hand and voice and have devised ways to record soft/loud, high/low sounds on to strips
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Music
of paper using positioning and boldness of pencil to denote this. In upper Key Stage 2 pupils listen to Handel’s ‘For unto us’ and Britten’s ‘Cuckoo’ and identify similarities, whether vocal or instrumental and which instruments are playing, although they find this hard. During the lesson they try to interpret the intentions of the composer and the mood of the music. Music notebooks contain instrument families and feelings linked to the sounds made by instruments likening a drum roll to thunder. Pupils learn about crotchets and other beats and compose rhythms such as Frère Jâcque. Some year groups play patterns of their own making and invent graphic notices such as vertical lines to represent an aeroplane and the letter ‘m’ to represent walking.
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Music
65. Younger pupils are interested and keen. They work collaboratively when performing. There is a small amount of challenging behaviour in some classes, but this is effectively dealt with. Although pupils are keen to play the instruments and one girl made her own shaker from an egg box at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 home, there was no time allowed for exploratory work.
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Music
66. Several teachers are secure in their subject knowledge and the school has the benefit of a parish worker who is also a music teacher and comes in one day each week. However the teaching is not demanding enough of the younger pupils and not enough progress is made.
p.40
Music
67. The school was without a co-ordinator for a considerable time and a commercial scheme has been purchased to assist staff. The present co-ordinator has worked hard to raise standards to the present level.
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Physical education
68. The physical education curriculum covers all areas identified in the National Curriculum programmes of study. All pupils in Years 4 and 5 go swimming. Pupils in both key stages make satisfactory progress in the various areas, except for swimming where progress is very good. In some lessons, the rate of progress is limited because teachers do not spend enough time teaching particular skills, or because they make inefficient use of available resources. In Year 1, pupils improve their movement to music depicting clocks, but insufficient intervention by the teacher limits the development of specific skills. Older Year 1 and Year 2 pupils balance well on a bench when moving forwards or backwards and improve their ability to perform forward rolls. In Year 2, pupils devise and improve movements to African music, recognising the need to change after eight or sixteen beats. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress overall. The best progress
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Physical education
occurs when good use is made of resources and pupils are encouraged to reflect on the work of other groups. This was illustrated in the Year 3 class where pupils devised dance movements to part of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite. At other times progress is limited because of ineffective use of resources and limited teaching of how to improve skills. Pupils with special educational needs, including those with disabilities, are fully involved in physical education lessons and make similar progress as others in the class. They enjoy the activities and are well supported by adults and other pupils.
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Physical education
69. The teaching of physical education is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and is good overall in Key Stage 2, although here it is very variable, ranging from excellent to poor. Good progress evident in some physical education lessons is associated with very effective teaching. These lessons feature a good level of expertise and clear instructions. Other features of the best teaching were good use of assessment information, the very effective use of demonstration by pupils and well planned use of resources, such as music. In most other lessons teaching was at least satisfactory. The most common weaknesses were too little direct teaching to improve specific skills and limited resources resulting in pupils being inactive for too long. Teachers were not always strict enough in gaining pupils’ attention, especially in Key Stage 1, and as a result noise levels rose and time was wasted. Only in the best lessons were pupils encouraged to observe and evaluate the performance of
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Physical education
others. 70. Most pupils enjoy physical education and concentrate well, although a minority is inattentive and noisy, especially in Key Stage 1. Pupils do not always enter the hall quietly or sensibly. In most lessons, however, they find space without fuss and work sensibly, most with an awareness of the safety of others. Occasionally, however, a few pupils, usually boys, run wildly around the hall, not completing the set exercise and bumping into other children. In dance, in Year 3, pupils co- operated very well and concentrated hard to refine their performance.
p.40
Physical education
71. Physical education makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, in Year 3, pupils were encouraged to reflect on the Peer Gynt music and express how it made them feel. However, in some classes not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to evaluate each other or work co-operatively. The curriculum in physical education is broad and balanced and supported by a clear policy and subject guidance. All areas of Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999 the National Curriculum are covered during pupils’ time in the school. The co-ordinator was absent during the inspection owing to illness. She has produced helpful guidance in the form of policy and scheme of work. Assessment procedures for swimming are good. Teachers’ plans are effectively monitored but there is no opportunity to monitor how well these are implemented or pupils’ standard of work. Extra-curricular provision includes a wide range of activities, such as
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Physical education
football, rounders and athletics. The school has gained considerable success in competitive sport, such as athletics. One of the halls is rather small and cramped but, with this exception, the accommodation, grounds and equipment available enable the curriculum to be taught effectively.
p.41
Swimming
72. The inspection of this school included a focused view of swimming, which is reported below.
p.41
Swimming
73. Three lessons were observed; two for Year 4/5 pupils, and one for Year 5 only. About 75 per cent of the Year 5 pupils could swim 25 metres unaided, and about 30 per cent more than this. There were few non-swimmers in Year 5, although almost half of those in Year 4 could not swim. Very good progress was made within the lessons, including an improvement in technique as well as an understanding of the principles of water safety. Virtually all Year 5 pupils are on target to swim 25 metres by the end of the year and more than half will exceed this distance. Most already swim competently unaided on their front. The majority of Year 5 pupils are confident in the water and know how to rest or float. Pupils use both arms and legs for propulsion, and are developing effective strokes on their front. Fewer pupils are swimming on their backs, although this was an area of significant progress during the lessons observed. The higher attaining pupils, about 30 per
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Swimming
cent, understand the principles and skills of water safety and survival, and have begun to practice these. All pupils make very good progress. They enjoy their swimming lessons and are attentive throughout. Year 5 pupils who have not yet achieved 25 metres on both front and back are keen to do so, in order to be promoted to the ‘good swimmers’ group.
p.41
Swimming
74. The quality of teaching by instructors and class teachers is very good. The swimming instructors and teachers from the school worked effectively as a team. All have very good subject knowledge, although teachers were not qualified in the teaching of swimming. All give clear instructions, observe closely and use their analysis of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses to inform teaching points. Teachers assess pupils’ skills carefully during each session. The lessons are very well organised and suitable attention given to water safety. Expectations are high, and the teaching is effectively organised to promote success and enable pupils to develop their skills. Pupils are organised into attainment groups. Provision for poor swimmers is good. Transfer from the school to the swimming pool and changing arrangements were carefully supervised.
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Swimming
75. The swimming curriculum is very good. Swimming is a major part of the physical education programme in Years 4 and 5. However, non-swimmers at the end of Year 5 do not have the opportunity to attend additional lessons during Year 6. Planning, time allocation and assessment procedures are all good. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE
1. The inspection of Sacred Heart RC (Aided) School was undertaken by five inspectors who spent a total of 19 inspector days in the school. The evidence in the report is based upon a total of 49.1 hours observation from 78 lessons or part lessons distributed across the thirteen classes, together with 23.6 hours of other direct observation activities.
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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE
• . inspection of a range of other school activities, including lunch time, play time, assemblies and registration; • . listening to the reading of pupils from each year group, selected by teachers to represent the full range of ability and attainment; • . inspection of books and other work of at least three pupils in each age group, in each class, selected by teachers to represent the full range of attainment; • . inspection of books and other work from last year, including pupils from Year 6; • . inspection of samples of written reports to parents; • . discussions with children in each age group; • . discussions with governors, parents, members of teaching, learning support and non-teaching staff; • . discussions held at a meeting, prior to the inspection, attended by 28 parents; • . scrutiny of policy documents, attendance registers, records kept of pupils, teachers’ planning documents, the previous inspection report and action plan;
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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE
• . analysis of school development planning and budget figures; • . analysis of 61 parents’ questionnaires. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Pupil data
Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school's register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals YR - Y6 238 6 73 103 Nursery Unit/School 25.5 0 7 6
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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)
Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 13.1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.2 : 1
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Education support staff (YR - Y6)
Total number of education support staff 13 Total aggregate hours worked each week 152.0
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Qualified teachers (Nursery school, classes or unit)
Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.5
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Education support staff (Nursery school, classes or unit)
Total number of education support staff 3 Total aggregate hours worked each week 76.5
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Education support staff (Nursery school, classes or unit)
Average class size: 24.0 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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Financial data
£ Total Income 606243 Total Expenditure 590901 Expenditure per pupil 2229.82 Balance brought forward from previous year 23271 Balance carried forward to next year 38613 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, November 1999
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PARENTAL SURVEY
Number of questionnaires sent out: 270 Number of questionnaires returned: 61
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PARENTAL SURVEY
Responses (percentage of answers in each category) :
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PARENTAL SURVEY
Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 45.9 49.2 4.9 0 0 I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 37.7 59.0 3.3 0 0 The school handles complaints from parents well 19.7 55.7 23.0 1.6 0 The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 39.3 52.5 3.3 4.9 0 The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)'s progress 41.0 47.5 6.6 4.9 0 The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 27.9 57.4 13.1 1.6 0 The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 23.0 55.7 18.0 3.3 0 I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 29.5 57.4 9.8 3.3 0 The school's values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 45.9 49.2 4.9 0 0 The school achieves high standards of good
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PARENTAL SURVEY
behaviour 31.1 57.4 8.2 1.6 1.6 My child(ren) like(s) school 59.0 37.7 3.3 0 0
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