St Paul's CofE Primary School

NURSERY

Dates of inspection: 14 th – 16 th January 2002

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NURSERY

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

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NURSERY

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery, Infant and Junior

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Voluntary Aided Church of England

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: St Nicholas Road Brighton Postcode: BN1 3LP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 6 th – 9 th May 1997 St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 2

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Team members

20782 Mrs A M Grainger Registered inspector 19664 Mr J Bayliss Lay inspector 24216 Mrs M Roberts Team inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 8

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 16 - 19

St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Paul’s is a Church of England Voluntary Aided primary school with a nursery, situated in the centre of Brighton. The school’s pupils are drawn from almost every area of the city and come from a wide range of backgrounds. With 158 boys and girls attending the school full-time, and a further 30 children in the reception year and 26 in the nursery who are part-time, the school is smaller than many other primary schools. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (19 per cent) is broadly average. Eleven per cent of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Five per cent of pupils have English as an additional language, which is higher than in most schools. The percentage of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register (35 per cent) is above average. No pupil has a statement of special educational need. Most of the pupils on the special needs register have learning difficulties. The

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

attainment of children on entry to the nursery varies from year to year and is normally average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a satisfactory education for its pupils and has many good features, such as in the all-round development of pupils as individuals and in the care provided for their wellbeing. The overall standards achieved by pupils presently in Year 6 are average in English, mathematics and science. This represents satisfactory progress in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and their behaviour and relationships are very good. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, with consistently good teaching in the nursery and reception classes. There are also some good aspects to the teaching of English in Years 1 to 6. The overall leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to their education in the nursery and reception classes. • Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening so that they are confident and articulate communicators. • Pupils respond very well to the school’s high expectations of their behaviour. They have good attitudes to school, work and play together very amicably and get on very well with the adults in school. • There is good attention to the all-round development of pupils as individuals. They gain a sense of citizenship and know that their opinions are valued. • There is very good care for pupils’ wellbeing. As a result they feel happy, safe and confident at school.

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What could be improved

• Pupils are not achieving as well in writing as in other aspects of English. • Lesson planning does not always meet the full range of pupils’ needs well enough, particularly those of the most able pupils in mathematics. • Planning for improvement and checking of the school’s performance are not sharply enough focused. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory progress since its last inspection in 1997. It has successfully dealt with the main areas identified at that time as needing attention. There has been good progress in extending the opportunities for play and exploration in the nursery outdoor area. Appropriate policies and schemes of work are now in place for all subjects. Satisfactory progress has been made in devising a school development plan with clear priorities and related costings. The school development plan is not, however, sharply enough focused on key priorities, and the links with financial planning are not St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 5 sufficiently clear. The involvement of the governing body in shaping the direction of the school and in checking how well it is doing has improved and is now satisfactory.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The standards achieved by pupils are better now than when the school was last inspected. Many of the strengths found at the last inspection have been maintained, especially in the care for pupils as individuals. There is a purposeful team spirit among the staff, which provides a good basis for further improvement.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

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

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Key

The above table shows that pupils did well in the National Curriculum tests in Year 6 in 2001. Their results were well above the national average in English and science and they were close to the national average in mathematics. The same picture is seen when the results are compared with those achieved by schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The results in 2001 were considerably better than at the last inspection. The overall trend of improvement in the school’s results since the last inspection has been similar to that found nationally. The school is setting appropriate targets for improvement in the English and mathematics results and is making satisfactory progress towards them. Last year, the school exceeded its targets. The evidence from the inspection of pupils’ school work is that standards in the present Year 6 are average in English, mathematics and science at this point. Pupils in Year 6 have

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Key

made satisfactory progress since the start of Year 3 in these three key subjects. The variation between the standards now and those seen in the 2001 tests is largely due to natural differences to be found in small year groups of pupils.

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Key

Pupils in Year 2 also did well in the National Curriculum tests in 2001. Their results were well above the national average in reading, above average in mathematics and average in writing. The standards of the present Year 2 at this point are average in English, mathematics and science. Throughout the school, standards of speaking and listening are above average. Pupils make good progress in this aspect of English and are particularly competent by the time they reach Year 6. Pupils do not do as well in writing as in other aspects of English. This is because their skills in writing at length are not developed well enough. Not enough information was gathered to make firm judgements on standards in other subjects.

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Key

Pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language make good progress as they move up through the school. This is because they are given the support they require and teachers and support assistants are sensitive to their needs. While the most able pupils make satisfactory progress overall, they do not always do as well as they should in mathematics. This is because they are not always well enough challenged in the work set for them.

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Key

Children in the nursery and reception year make good progress because they are well taught. Almost all children now in the reception class are on course to achieve the nationally expected standards at the end of the reception year. Many are likely to exceed these standards. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 6

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and are keen to learn. They respond well to challenging tasks and opportunities to research for themselves.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are very sensibly behaved in lessons and around the school. They pay good attention on occasions such as assemblies. Lunch times are pleasant social occasions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils get on very well with each other and with the adults in school. They are friendly, polite and helpful. They have a good awareness of how their actions affect others.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Poor. Attendance is well below the national average. Punctuality is also a concern to the school.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ good attitudes and their very good behaviour and relationships all create an environment supportive of learning. The poor attendance of the few pupils involved restricts their progress and the standards achieved.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The judgements on teaching and learning are based on the evidence of the work in pupils’ books for the whole of this school year as well as on lessons seen. During the inspection, 19 lessons were observed. Half of these were good and a very good lesson was seen in the reception class. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. Teachers meet children’s needs well in the nursery and reception class, where teaching and learning are consistently good. Pupils’ needs are met satisfactorily overall in Years 1 to 6.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The overall quality of teaching and learning in English is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and the basic skills of literacy are well taught. In Years 3 to 6, teaching and learning in English, including in the basic skills of literacy, are good overall. Throughout the school, teachers are particularly effective in developing pupils’ skills and confidence in speaking and listening. Although there are many good features to the teaching of English throughout the school, teaching of the skill of producing longer pieces of writing is an area for further development. This is because teachers are not giving enough time and emphasis to this. Throughout Years 1 to 6, teaching and learning in mathematics, including in the basic skills of numeracy, are satisfactory.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teachers ensure that pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language have suitable work and are given the necessary support. As a result, these pupils learn well. Lesson planning does not always take enough account of the needs of all pupils, especially the most able pupils in mathematics. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 7

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. There is a good and stimulating range of learning opportunities for children in the nursery and reception class. The curriculum appropriately covers all the required subjects in Years 1 to 6. There is good enrichment through additional activities, such as club days, visits to places of interest and visitors to school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ needs are identified and they are given effective support in lessons. Their progress towards the targets set for them is checked regularly.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The school is sensitive to the needs of these pupils and ensures that they have full access to all learning opportunities. Additional help is provided as required.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The school places an emphasis on the all-round development of its pupils. It helps them to gain confidence, to understand the difference between right and wrong and to reflect both on their own experiences and on wider moral and social issues.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. The school has very good procedures for ensuring the wellbeing of its pupils. The school is doing all that it can to improve attendance.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s partnership with parents is good. It reaches out to parents to involve them and provides them with good information.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The headteacher ensures that the school runs smoothly and that the aims of the school, especially those relating to the all-round development of pupils, are at the heart of its work.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactorily. The governing body is aware of the school’s main strengths and weaknesses and is keen to support the staff as they work for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. There is adequate checking of the work of the school. This is not, however, sharply enough focused and there is scope for more detailed analysis of data.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school ensures that the funds and other resources available to it are used to target educational priorities. There is satisfactory consideration of whether the school provides the best value for pupils and parents.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a satisfactory number of teachers and support staff and enough accommodation and resources to support the delivery of the curriculum. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 8

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The school is approachable and keeps them well informed. • Their children are expected to work hard and make progress. • The quality of teaching. • The range of activities outside lessons. • The amount of homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views. They find that the school provides a good range of activities additional to lessons and that the amount of homework is satisfactory. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 9

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

their education in the nursery and reception classes.

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

1. The effective provision in both the nursery and reception class helps children to make good progress in all areas of learning. Children’s overall attainment, taking the intake as a whole, moves from being broadly as expected for their age when they enter the nursery to being above average by the end of the reception year. Almost all children now in the reception year are on course to achieve the nationally expected standards by the end of the school year. About a third of the children are likely to exceed them. Children with special educational needs or English as an additional language also make good progress. This is because the teachers and other adults are effective in meeting the needs of all groups of pupils.

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

2. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is promoted well through well-established routines and the use of praise for good behaviour and responses. An environment is created in which children can understand what is expected of them. In the reception class, for example, children are taught to sit and pay attention when gathered on the carpet. The teacher constantly reinforces this by referring to a picture of how to sit with the words ‘I can sit still on the carpet’. All adults have a very gentle manner when reinforcing expectations of behaviour but also show the necessary firmness. There are high expectations of children’s independence, such as in making sure that they have their lunch boxes and that they put on their coats themselves at the end of the day. Many opportunities are provided in both classes for children to choose and to take control of their learning.

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

3. Adults are very skilled in getting children to talk, so increasing their vocabulary and communication skills. As children in the reception class made a fruit salad, they learnt the names of the fruit and developed their use of correct language; for example, the teacher asked them for the name for a ‘group’ of grapes. Children then confidently referred to a ‘bunch’ of grapes. Communication skills were also extended as the classroom assistant pretended that she did not know how to make a fruit salad. The children were then encouraged to explain precisely how a fruit salad would be made. There are constant opportunities for talk in both classes. In the nursery, for instance, as children pretend to buy tickets and to travel on a bus, they not only speak to each other, but there is also good involvement of adults. This helps to sustain ‘make believe’ situations and opportunities for purposeful speaking. Children with special educational needs or English as

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

an additional language develop their vocabulary well through these opportunities.

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

4. Children’s early skills in reading and writing are developed well. In the reception class, as children ‘read’ a big book together in story time, the teacher asks probing questions. In this way, children make good progress in reading comprehension as the teacher checks their understanding not only of the narrative but also of how characters feel in particular situations. Books are also used well in the nursery. Small groups of children, for example, focus on nursery rhymes as the nursery nurse encourages them to discuss the pictures and rhymes. Many interesting activities encourage early writing in the nursery on the writing table. Children are helped to copy their name cards as they learn to write their names independently. In the reception class meaningful situations are created for writing, such as when a group of children help the teacher to write down the process of making a fruit salad. There is good teaching of letter sounds to support early reading and writing.

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

5. Many interesting and stimulating practical activities develop children’s competence with numbers and their understanding of mathematical concepts and language. Problem solving in mathematics is well promoted. In the nursery, children increase their understanding of terms such as ‘taller than’ and ‘shorter’ as they look at how tall they are, using large bricks as a measure. Play with sand and water is used successfully to develop a simple understanding of volume and capacity. Everyday activities, such as taking the dinner register, are used to emphasise the sequence of days and dates. In the nursery there is an emphasis, for example, on how many children can St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 10 undertake a particular activity at the same time. There are good opportunities in both classes for sorting, counting and matching.

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

6. Many activities extend children’s knowledge and understanding of the world and their creative and physical development. In the nursery, both the indoor and outdoor environments are used well for this. Children increase their knowledge of transport as well as developing their imagination as they participate in role-play. This is also seen in activities such as making sandwiches in the home corner, where knowledge and understanding are developed through imaginative play. As they undertake work related to the story ‘Handa’s Surprise’ in the reception class, children develop their awareness of different fruits, including the difference between oranges, tangerines and clementines. Visitors are used well, such as a policeman who visited the nursery during the inspection.

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

7. The use of the outside environment in the nursery is a feature that has developed well since the last inspection. The external environment is now much better with the development of a pagoda. There has been a good improvement in the resources for outdoor play. Not only is children’s physical development no longer dependent on lessons in the hall, but the external environment is also used well for all aspects of learning, including mathematical development and communication, language and literacy. Children’s physical skills are better now.

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Good teaching and stimulating learning opportunities give children a strong start to

8. All the strengths found at the last inspection in the provision for the nursery and reception children have been maintained, including the close teamwork of the two teachers and the other adults working in these classes. There is comprehensive planning for all areas of learning so that the work in the reception class builds effectively on that undertaken in the nursery. Children are assessed on entry to the school and good use is made of the information gained to match work to their differing needs. This is extended well through twice termly assessments of children in literacy and numeracy. The school has made good use of external advice and support, such as that provided by the local education authority early years adviser, to ensure that its provision is successful in meeting children’s needs. All these factors contribute to children’s good progress and the standards they achieve.

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Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening so that they are confident and

9. Throughout the school, pupils have good speaking and listening skills. Many are mature and confident communicators in a range of situations, including one-to-one conversations, small group discussions and speaking in front of the whole school. All staff give emphasis to pupils expressing themselves orally and to developing their understanding through discussion. This was seen, for example, as Year 3 pupils discussed the life of children in Victorian times. Teachers use questions well to get pupils to explain and to reflect. This emphasis on oral communication contributes much to the development of pupils’ understanding of the subject matter in many lessons and to their personal and social development. In assemblies there is an emphasis on pupils contributing ideas and responding to questions. During the inspection, a reception class child answered a question in a whole-school assembly, speaking very clearly and confidently. The

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Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening so that they are confident and

focus on speaking and listening makes an effective contribution to the learning of pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language.

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Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening so that they are confident and

10. By Year 2 many pupils give extended explanations, such as about where they live and how they travel to school. They show a good awareness of the listener and readily enter into lengthy conversations. They listen very attentively to their teachers, to the other adults who help them and to each other. This was seen, for example, as they worked for a considerable amount of time on a spelling activity and then discussed a poem during the Literacy Hour.

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Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening so that they are confident and

11. Year 6 pupils, including those with special educational needs, give clear answers to questions, such as about the work they have undertaken this school year. Many pupils listen critically and communicate very well in small group discussions. This was apparent as a group of pupils shared their views of school. Higher attaining pupils explain carefully and in detail what they like about the St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 11 school’s approach to learning. Almost all pupils are able to give considered responses to questions, for instance, about what they like about school and what might be made better. They also explain clearly why they have chosen a particular book to read. Many pupils draw on a very extensive vocabulary. At the last inspection it was also found that the quality of speaking and listening supported learning across many subjects.

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have good attitudes to school, work and play together very amicably and get on very

12. From their early stages of education in the nursery and reception class, children respond positively to school and behave well. These young children are keen to learn and enjoy the many interesting activities provided for them. They take turns and share well, for example, when using large wheeled or push-and-pull toys outdoors and when playing together in role-play areas indoors or when using the sand and water trays. They behave very well about the school. Reception class children move very sensibly to the hall for assembly and sit still throughout it.

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have good attitudes to school, work and play together very amicably and get on very

13. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 have good attitudes to learning. They appreciate the efforts their teachers make to provide interesting learning opportunities. They welcome challenges and are pleased to take responsibility for their learning. One higher attaining pupil in Year 6 explained that pupils like to undertake research and that they are curious about topics covered in subjects such as history. In a Year 3 mathematics lesson, higher attaining pupils concentrated well and persevered as they dealt with the challenge of choosing presents from catalogues of toys for four friends within a set budget. The lower attaining pupils enthusiastically participated in an activity with the classroom assistant in which they bought items in a ‘shop’, working out what they could purchase to total a specific amount.

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have good attitudes to school, work and play together very amicably and get on very

14. Pupils’ behaviour is very good in lessons and about the school. No instances of untoward behaviour were seen during the inspection. Pupils move about the school sensibly, such as when going to the hall for physical education or when going to work in a small group in the library. Lunch times are very pleasant social occasions. Behaviour in the playground is very good. When it is time to go back into school, pupils line up quickly and enter the building in an orderly manner. Pupils’ behaviour is better now than when the school was last inspected. There have been no exclusions since the last inspection.

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have good attitudes to school, work and play together very amicably and get on very

15. Relationships are very good among pupils and between pupils and adults. All groups of pupils mix well in lessons and when at play. Pupils readily help each other, especially those with special educational needs. They are proud of each other’s achievements and celebrate them in ‘good work’ assemblies. Pupils are helpful, courteous and polite. The school is a well-ordered and well- integrated community. Pupils joining the school other than at the usual time are welcomed and quickly become part of the school community.

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There is good attention to the all-round development of pupils as individuals. They

gain a sense of citizenship and know that their opinions are valued.

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There is good attention to the all-round development of pupils as individuals. They

16. The school places considerable emphasis on pupils’ personal development and on preparing them to be responsible citizens who show good awareness of the needs of others. There are many opportunities for pupils to reflect on issues of importance to themselves and those that are of wider significance. In a very good assembly taken by the headteacher pupils were helped to reflect at a mature level on the Christmas story. They considered Mary and Joseph’s flight from Herod with the baby Jesus and related this to the present-day plight of asylum seekers and refugees. They thought of the many countries from which pupils have come to their school and of the reasons why they may have had to leave their countries of origin.

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There is good attention to the all-round development of pupils as individuals. They

17. There are good opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and to help the school to function as a strong community. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 act as school council representatives, with all pupils having a voice through their representatives. School council members talk to younger pupils in St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 12 Years 1 and 2 to canvass their opinions and ensure that their needs and views are considered. The forum for Year 3 to 6 pupils also allows all pupils in these year groups opportunities to discuss issues of importance to them with the headteacher and their class teachers collectively. Pupils express views and raise issues, for example, about the learning opportunities they have in school, relationships within the school community and other matters concerning the day-to-day running of the school. They are also able to share their outside interests. Pupils are introduced to the world

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There is good attention to the all-round development of pupils as individuals. They

of work and citizenship by a variety of visiting speakers. During the inspection an airline pilot spoke to pupils about what his work involved, including both the good and not so good features. Pupils were encouraged to think for themselves about the qualities that an airline pilot would need. Older pupils have responsibilities within the school and help to make the school community work. They oversee younger pupils, for instance, going from assembly to their classes.

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There is good attention to the all-round development of pupils as individuals. They

18. All pupils in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to go on a residential visit. This gives them the chance to live, work and play together outside the normal school environment. The last school residential visit was to Osmington Bay in Dorset and allowed pupils to participate in outward bound activities, which in themselves made an effective contribution to personal development. A good range of clubs takes place outside lessons and is enhanced by termly club days in which pupils from Years 3 to 6 mix together. These activities provide additional opportunities for pupils to co- operate, other than through the usual lessons. Many visits out of school broaden pupils’ horizons.

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There is good attention to the all-round development of pupils as individuals. They

19. The school clearly teaches pupils the difference between right and wrong. The headteacher and all other staff provide effective role models for behaviour towards others. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to work together in lessons and to interact socially. All the strengths found in the provision for pupils’ personal development at the last inspection have been maintained. There has been improvement since then, especially in the introduction of the school council.

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There is very good care for pupils’ wellbeing. As a result they feel happy, safe and

20. The headteacher regards it as being of paramount importance that all pupils are made welcome and cared for in school. The procedures for child protection and ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils are very good. Staff know pupils well. They are vigilant and trained to be alert to any signs that a pupil may be vulnerable or finding school difficult. Pupils about whom there is a particular concern are identified in the ‘alert register’ as needing special care. Where appropriate, the school uses the resources of professional agencies to help meet the needs of individual pupils. Clergy are available to support pupils and their families. The governing body takes seriously its responsibilities for the regular inspection of the site and buildings. The site manager makes sure that the standard of maintenance and cleanliness is good, so that pupils have a safe environment in which to learn.

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There is very good care for pupils’ wellbeing. As a result they feel happy, safe and

21. The consistent implementation of the behaviour management policy successfully creates a secure and stable environment in which pupils are able to learn. All staff have high expectations of pupils’ attitudes and behaviour and do much to make the school a harmonious community in which relationships are very good at all levels. Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties are successfully incorporated into the school community. There is a suitable range of rewards, with success and progress given a high status.

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There is very good care for pupils’ wellbeing. As a result they feel happy, safe and

22. Even though the rate of attendance is low, the school does all that it can to promote good attendance. Absence and lateness are rigorously and very comprehensively recorded. Any pupil arriving after 9.10 am is deemed to be late. The school’s liaises well with parents on attendance and the educational welfare officer is involved where necessary to follow up specific cases.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Pupils are not achieving as well in writing as in other aspects of English.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

23. Analysis of the National Curriculum test results for pupils in Years 2 and 6 last year, as well as St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 13 the evidence of the school work of pupils now in Years 2 and 6, shows that they are not doing as well in writing as in speaking, listening and reading. In Year 2, very few pupils reach the higher levels in the National Curriculum tests in writing. In the present Year 6, weaknesses in writing are depressing the overall English standards. There are many good features to the teaching of English throughout Years 1 to 6 and the school has already focused on improving writing standards. Nevertheless, further action is needed to teach the skill of producing longer pieces of writing.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

24. In Years 1 and 2, not enough attention is given to developing pupils’ skills in writing at length. There are some instances of suitable writing, for example, as pupils retell the Christmas story or write an extended story, but they do not do this often enough. Pupils are not sufficiently developing their awareness of story structure or of the use of language to create atmosphere and to describe. This is because teachers do not give enough time and emphasis to these aspects of writing. Teachers pay good attention to developing pupils’ basic skills, such as in spelling and handwriting. They also help them to understand the format of writing for different purposes, such as when writing instructions.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

25. In order to raise writing standards, pupils in Years 3 to 6 have weekly extended writing lessons. They have drafting books and, once their work has been edited, they rewrite it neatly for their writing folders. These are good initiatives, which have broadened the range of pupils’ writing and their planning of writing. They give pupils the chance to write at good length. Nevertheless, there are weaknesses in how writing is taught that prevent pupils from making better progress. Teachers do not give enough attention to helping pupils to draft and redraft their writing for style and content. They do not focus enough on how pupils might use language imaginatively.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

26. Not enough use is made of marking to help pupils to think more carefully about the style and content of their writing and how they use language. At the last inspection, the marking of pupils’ writing was also identified as an area for development. In Year 3, marking helps pupils to improve their punctuation and spelling. It does not tell them how, for example, to be better at writing stories. In the Year 4 and 5 class, there is some better feedback to pupils, such as on the use of description, with comments such as ‘nicely written’. There is not enough guidance, however, on how to use language to describe and create atmosphere. Pupils in the Year 5 and 6 class have not made enough progress in writing this school year because there has been a temporary staffing arrangement. This term, with the appointment of a new teacher and extra challenge in the work set, there are signs that they are starting to catch up and make much better progress.

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Lesson planning does not always meet the full range of pupils’ needs well enough,

particularly those of the most able pupils in mathematics.

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Lesson planning does not always meet the full range of pupils’ needs well enough,

27. The planning of lessons does not always ensure that the full range of pupils’ needs is met well enough. This is particularly so in mathematics. Not all teachers plan to work with a focus group in mathematics lessons. This means that there is no direct teaching matched to the specific needs of different groups, even though the tasks pupils do may be varied. This is even so in lessons that are otherwise good. In a mathematics lesson for Year 5 and 6 pupils, the lack of planned, focused teaching resulted in missed opportunities to raise the attainment of the most able pupils to a higher level. In planning this lesson, as in a Year 3 mathematics lesson, the teacher had not clearly enough identified what additional things the most able pupils should know and understand by the end.

p.15

Lesson planning does not always meet the full range of pupils’ needs well enough,

28. In the Year 3 mathematics lesson, the needs of lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs were met well. These pupils were supported effectively by the classroom assistant as they worked on a carefully planned practical activity. The teacher gave the average and more able pupils individual help as required. However, there was no planned group teaching to challenge them. Although they had more difficult tasks, the lack of planned, focused teaching prevented them from achieving more highly.

p.15

Lesson planning does not always meet the full range of pupils’ needs well enough,

29. In the Year 1 class, there was no additional and more demanding activity for the most able pupils in a mathematics lesson seen. While the planned activities were challenging for average and lower St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 14 attaining pupils, the most able ones found them too easy. This meant that the most able pupils were not given the opportunity to achieve more highly. In a history topic lesson in the same class, all pupils were expected to learn the same things. Hence, once a worksheet that was the same for all pupils was introduced, those with potential for higher attainment made little progress. A few lower attaining pupils struggled in this lesson because the task was difficult for them without additional adult support. In a Year 3 geography lesson, while pupils made satisfactory progress overall, it was also the case that the more able pupils were not given extra challenge to achieve

p.15

Lesson planning does not always meet the full range of pupils’ needs well enough,

more highly. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 15

p.16

Planning for improvement and checking of the school’s performance are not sharply

30. The school has made satisfactory progress on the key issue from the last inspection that required it to devise a school development plan with detailed priorities and clear and related costings. However, further work is necessary to make the development plan a fully effective tool to support focused action for school improvement. The plan is not precise enough about the detail of what it is that the school wants to achieve and specifically how it will set about it. It does not have sufficiently clear and measurable outcomes for all developments, against which success can be judged. It does not show clearly enough how spending is linked to developments. Instead of having one cohesive document, the school has several separate ones. This is one of the main reasons for the shortcomings. While the headteacher knows how they relate to each other, there is not a clear enough single document for staff and governors to use when checking how well the school is

p.17

Planning for improvement and checking of the school’s performance are not sharply

31. The checking of the school’s effectiveness is not focused well enough on specific areas for improvement. While strategies such as lesson observation and the scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning take place, this is not always with a sufficiently specific purpose. The school knows, for example, that it needs to improve the way it teaches writing so that it can raise standards. It has not identified precisely what it needs to do to raise writing standards. This is because the analysis of what the school is doing now has not been carried out rigorously enough. The same is true of mathematics in Years 3 to 6, another area in which the school knows improvement is needed to help the more able pupils to do better. The school has identified some of the key elements in need of improvement but is not checking thoroughly enough whether the action being taken is effective.

p.17

Planning for improvement and checking of the school’s performance are not sharply

32. The analysis of data is not thorough enough to identify specific areas for improvement. While some broad conclusions are drawn from the data available, not enough attention is given to looking at the detail of what it tells the headteacher, governing body and staff about how well the school is doing. This also prevents action for improvement, including that documented on the school development plan, from being more detailed and sharply focused. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 16

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

To maintain the strengths of the school and to rectify the weaknesses, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(a) Improve pupils’ achievement in writing by:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• in Years 1 and 2, developing pupils’ skills in writing at length, and increasing their awareness of the use of story structure and of how language is used to describe and create atmosphere; and

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• in Years 3 to 6, developing pupils’ independence in drafting and redrafting for style and content and for the use of language; increasing the use of marking to help individual pupils to know how they might improve in these areas.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(b) Ensure that lesson planning meets the full range of pupils’ needs well enough, particularly those of the most able pupils in mathematics. This includes ensuring that what pupils are to learn is challenging enough for all and that, where appropriate, there is planned, focused teaching for a group.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(c) Give a sharper focus to planning for improvement and the checking of the school’s performance by:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• creating a cohesive school development plan which clearly identifies what improvements are needed and how they are to be achieved, and includes success criteria against which progress can be measured; and

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that checking of the school’s performance through lesson observation, the scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work, and data analysis, is undertaken with a clearly defined purpose and enough rigour.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs 30 – 32) St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 17

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 13

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 13 161

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals - 29

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 6 69

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 14

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 15

p.19

Attendance

School data 6.9 School data 3.2 St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 18 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.19

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 19

p.20

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 15 13 28

p.21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.21

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

Boys 15 14 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 11

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (70) 93 (78) 93 (87) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.21

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

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

Boys 15 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 11 12

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (65) 93 (83) 96 (74) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.21

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

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

p.21

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 12 8 20

p.21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.21

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

Boys 11 10 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 8 8

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (84) 90 (64) 100 (72) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.21

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

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

Boys 11 10 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 8 8

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (84) 90 (80) 100 (84) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.21

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 20

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 13 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.2 Financial year 2000/2001

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.7

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 398335

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 396244

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 104 Expenditure per pupil 2290

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 0

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0.5 Balance carried forward to next year 2091

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 32

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 21 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery - 22

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 52 43 5 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 41 0 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 41 14 5 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 45 50 5 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 41 0 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 48 47 2 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 28 60 10 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 55 34 5 0 5

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 33 3 0 5

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 17 29 26 12 14

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Not all parents or carers responded to all questions. In some cases responses may not total 100 per cent because of rounding.

p.24