Harting CofE Primary School

St Mary and St Paul First School

Dates of inspection: 3 rd -7 th April 2000

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St Mary and St Paul First School

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

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St Mary and St Paul First School

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Tipper Lane South Harting Petersfield West Sussex

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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: Selina Thistleton-Smith

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1996 St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school ii

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Chris Warner Registered inspector Mathematics; Science; Information technology; Music; Geography; History; Equal opportunities. How well pupils are taught? Standards, results and pupils’ achievements; How well the school is led and managed; What the school should do to improve further? Gavin Jones Lay inspector English; Religious education; Design and technology; Art; Physical education. Curricular and other opportunities; Special educational needs; Provision for children under five. Linda Callaghan Team inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development; How well the school cares for its pupils; How well the school works in partnership with parents?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Westminster Education Consultants Old Garden House The Lanterns Bridge Lane London SW11 3AD

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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 that 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

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school iii

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 7

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Mary and St Paul School, Harting, is a voluntary controlled Church of England first school for boys and girls of four to ten years old. At the time of the inspection, there were 87 pupils, of whom 14 were under the age of five. Overall, pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is typical of that found nationally. Currently less than 4 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is far lower than the national average. Eighteen pupils (about 21 per cent) have special educational needs, a figure slightly below the national average. One pupil has a statement of special educational needs which is well below the national average. There are no pupils for whom English is an additional language. As at the time of the last inspection, as many as one in four pupils leave the school before the end of Year 5, of whom many are more able pupils.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school achieves high standards in most aspects of its work. Nearly all pupils are keen to learn. Almost all the teaching is at least satisfactory and much is good or better, and pupils are learning well. The staff are always seeking ways to improve their contribution. The school has developed a curriculum that meets the needs of individual pupils and provides opportunities that benefit them all. There are good arrangements for the support and care of all pupils, and the school has a strong partnership with parents and carers. The school is well managed. It is aware of its strengths and where its weaknesses are and how to improve them. It has made a significant improvement since the last inspection.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• Pupils make at least good, and often very good progress throughout the school in English, mathematics and science. • The overall quality of teaching is good. • The headteacher gives a clear educational direction to the work of the school, and is strongly supported by the staff and governing body. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs and the progress they make are good. • Pupils are keen to learn, behave well and relationships are very good. • Pupils’ moral and spiritual development is good and their social and cultural development is very good. • The school’s close partnership with parents and the local community promotes pupils’ learning. • All staff work very hard and are committed to the further improvement of the school. • The school provides good value for money. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• Day-to-day assessments of pupils’ learning are not used effectively to help teachers plan for future work. • The school does not make enough use of the results of tests and assessments to check on the progress of different groups of pupils and to see how effectively it meets their needs. • The recently extended role of subject managers is yet to include a systematic approach to monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching, standards and the curriculum. • Standards in some aspects of information and communication technology, religious education and design and technology are not high enough. • The role of teaching assistants could be enhanced if they were given relevant training in how to develop their skills. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1996. It has responded well to the key issues for improvement noted in the last report:

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

* Standards in writing, reading, history and geography at Key Stage 2 have significantly improved, including those of the more able pupils; * The high standard of provision, noted in the last report for the more able in mathematics, has been sustained, and has been extended to other subjects; * Standards in the presentation of work at Key Stage 2 have been improved; * The quality of planning has been improved to better meet the needs of pupils of all abilities and to include assessment opportunities within each lesson; * The weaknesses in teaching noted in Key Stage 2 have been overcome; * The school has successfully implemented a whole-school marking policy; * Schemes of work are effectively in place, although some aspects of information and communication technology, religious education and design and technology are not given enough attention; * Overall, the school makes better use of its computers during lessons, although not

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

enough emphasis is given to control and modelling aspects of information and communication technology; * The governing body has increased its involvement in developing the curriculum and, following recent training is well placed to extend its monitoring role.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

In addition to the above points, the school has significantly improved:

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

* the overall quality of teaching; * the provision for pupils with special educational needs; * standards in music.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Overall, the school is well placed to achieve further improvement. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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STANDARDS

The table is intended to show the standards achieved by seven year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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1997 1998 1999 1999

Reading A A A B Writing A A* A B Mathematics A A A B

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Key

excellent A* well above average A above average B average C below average D well below average E

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Key

The results of the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum tests in 1999 show that standards in reading, writing and mathematics were well above the national average and above the average compared with similar schools. In the science assessments, above average numbers gained Level 2 and average numbers reached Level 3.

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Key

The school’s results at the end of Key Stage 1 have remained consistently high over the last four years. When taken together, the school’s results between 1996 and 1999 in reading, writing and mathematics are well above the national average. This is true for both boys and girls.

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Key

The inspection evidence shows that the high standards of reading, writing and mathematics, noted at Key Stage 1 in the last inspection, have been maintained. The previously satisfactory standards in science have improved, so that seven year olds now achieve above the national expectations.

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Key

The pupils continue to make good progress and, by the time they are ten years old, they reach standards above those expected nationally for their age in reading, writing, mathematics and science.

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Key

Throughout the school, pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology is stronger in communication and handling data than it is in control and modelling.

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Key

Standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. However, because not enough emphasis is given to the study of different world religions, pupils have a limited knowledge and understanding of different faiths and beliefs.

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Key

In art, history, geography, music and physical education, pupils make good progress throughout the school. However, progress in design and technology is unsatisfactory because the subject is not given enough emphasis.

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Key

Children under the age of five make at least good progress and, by the time they are five, most of them are likely to reach the nationally recommended ‘Desirable Outcomes for Children’s Learning’ in all areas of learning. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress overall. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy coming to school. Attitudes to learning are good and all but a few pupils concentrate well and are keen to learn. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good. With a few exceptions, pupils’ behaviour on the playground and around the school is good. Most behave well in lessons, although a few pupils easily become restless and lose concentration. Personal development and relationships Relationships among pupils and staff are very good. Most pupils are keen to take up the many opportunities for their personal development and, as a result grow in confidence and responsibility. Attendance Authorised absence is below the national average, and unauthorised absence is zero. Pupils arrive on time and lessons start punctually.

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Teaching of pupils Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years Aged 7-10 years

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

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Teaching of pupils Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years Aged 7-10 years

The quality of teaching throughout the school is good overall. It is at least satisfactory in 97 per cent of lessons and over 75 per cent of teaching is judged good or better. It is satisfactory in 20 per cent of lessons, good in 49 per cent and very good or better in 28 per cent. It was less than satisfactory in one lesson seen.

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Teaching of pupils Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years Aged 7-10 years

The teaching of the under-fives in the reception classes is at least satisfactory, with over half the lessons judged good or better. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory or better in all but one lesson in the Year 2 and 3 class. It is good or better in over 75 per cent of lessons. In Key Stage 2, ninety per cent of lessons are good or better.

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Teaching of pupils Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years Aged 7-10 years

The focus on learning basic skills properly is seen in different subjects, often supporting literacy and numeracy. At the same time, a strong feature of teaching throughout the school, is the emphasis given to developing pupils’ thinking, creativity and imagination. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum shows satisfactory breadth, in both key stages, as it covers all subjects required. However, the balance of the curriculum gives too little emphasis to some aspects of information and communication technology, design and technology and religious education. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they are supported well in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. Provision for spiritual and moral development is good, and for social and cultural development it is very good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are good arrangements for the support and care of all pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The recently appointed headteacher provides strong leadership and a clear direction for the development of the school. The staff work well as a team and have done well to develop their management roles.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is very effective in fulfilling its statutory duties in helping to shape the direction of the school. The governors are active and keep themselves well informed about what is going on in the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Governors are aware of the need to refine and structure their monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance, particularly in relation to pupils’ achievement. The strategic use of resources The school makes effective use of its resources and has made a good start in developing ways to judge effectiveness in relation to pupils’ performance. St Mary and St Paul First School provides good value for money. It has recently considered how to check best value in terms of measurable performance, especially in relation to pupils’ achievements.

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Aspect Comment

There are good resources for learning. The good level of accommodation is well used to enhance learning. The teaching staff are suitably qualified to meet the needs of the pupils and of the curriculum with the exception of some aspects of information and communication technology. However, the effectiveness of the hardworking teaching assistants could be improved by relevant training to develop their skills. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like going to school. • Behaviour in the school is good. • The school is well led and managed. • The school works closely with parents. • Expectations and arrangements for homework. • Information about how their child is getting on at school. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection agrees with parents about the positive features of the school. In the main, parents are well informed about their child’s progress, although the quality of reports on pupil’s progress is variable: they tend not to highlight pupil’s weaknesses or areas for further development; some are too descriptive rather than evaluative; too few show any targets for improvements.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The concerns of some parents that there is not a clear and easily understood approach to homework are well founded. The school is aware that the present arrangements can be improved, and, as part of a review of provision in the near future, intends to include a survey of parents’ views. The school offers a good range and quality of extra curricular activities, which include tennis, football, cricket and dance drama clubs held after school. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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The school’s results and achievements

1. When children enter the school into the reception class, their overall attainment is broadly in line with that expected for their age nationally. Children under the age of five make at least good progress and, by the time they are five, most of them are likely to exceed the nationally recommended ‘Desirable Outcomes for Children’s Learning’ in all areas of learning. Boys and girls achieve similar standards. The inspection found that children make similar overall progress in the reception class to that noted in the previous report of 1996.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The results of the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum tests and assessments in 1999 were, overall, slightly lower than in previous years. The small number of pupils at the end of the key stage and the increased percentage of pupils with special educational needs contribute to a variation in results from year to year, and the dip should be treated with caution. The results in reading, writing and mathematics were well above the national average and above the average compared with similar schools. In science, the results were above the national average gaining Level 2 and in line with the average for those reaching the higher level, Level 3.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. The school’s results at the end of Key Stage 1 have remained consistently high over the last four years, broadly in line with national trends. When the results of National Curriculum tests for seven year olds between 1996 and 1999 are taken together, the school’s performance in reading, writing and mathematics is well above the national average. This is true for both boys and girls.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. The inspection evidence shows that the high standards of reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, reported by the last inspection, have been maintained. In science, the previously satisfactory standards have improved, and seven year olds now achieve above the national expectations.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Pupils spend just three years in Key Stage 2, so that their final year is Year 5, when they become ten year olds. For this reason, there are no National Curriculum test results available relating to Key Stage 2 pupils. The inspection evidence shows that, by the time the pupils are ten years old, they have continued to make good progress and they reach standards above those expected nationally for their age in reading, writing, mathematics and science. However, a notable feature of the school in Key Stage 2 is the high proportion of pupils, including many of the more able, leaving the school before the end of the key stage. The main reason for this movement is for parents to send their children to various alternative schools in the secondary phase of their education. This feature accounts for the seeming ‘drop’ from well above average standards for seven year olds, to above standards for ten year

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The school’s results and achievements

olds. When Key Stage 2 pupils are considered individually, it is clear that they make good progress in relation to their prior achievements as seven year olds. The progress made by gifted and talented pupils is good so that they achieve standards well above those expected for seven and ten year olds. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 6. The previous report found standards in writing and aspects of reading in Key Stage 2 to be unsatisfactory, particularly for the above average and more able pupils. The evidence of the current inspection shows a significant improvement in standards achieved by pupils of all abilities in reading and writing.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Inspection findings are consistent with the National Curriculum tests and assessments for seven year olds, and show that standards in English and mathematics are well above the national average, and in science they are above average, at the end of Key Stage 1.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. The children get off to a good start in the reception class. The children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and sometimes better. Most pupils enter with broadly average attainment in language and literacy, mathematics, personal and social development, knowledge and understanding of the world and in creative and physical development. By the time they are five, they are likely to reach the national expectations in all areas of learning. There are three main reasons for children’s good progress in the reception class:

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The school’s results and achievements

* The quality of teaching is good; * The curriculum is well planned, with an appropriate emphasis on learning through activity and talk; * The positive relationship between parents and the school promotes learning.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. The good progress made by children in the under fives prepares them well for the National Curriculum, where they make equally good gains in terms of concepts, skills, knowledge and attitudes.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. By the age of seven, at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are often above the national average. Nearly all pupils listen and respond well to their teacher and to one another. They express themselves with considerable confidence and fluency. However, a few pupils find it difficult to listen carefully and to contribute to a discussion.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. Nearly all seven year olds read with fluency and understanding. They enjoy reading and listening to stories. These pupils have gained a good knowledge of letter sounds and a wide sight vocabulary. The more able pupils use a range of reading strategies that helps them to tackle each new text with confidence. Nearly all pupils talk about the book, its plot and characters, and say what they liked and disliked about it.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. By the age of seven, nearly all pupils write legibly and with good standards of grammar, spelling and punctuation. When writing a story, they do so with a clear sequence, and in an organised way.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. The inspection shows that, by the age of ten, standards in speaking and listening and in reading and writing are above the national expectations for pupils of this age. Pupils speak clearly and with growing confidence, and often with considerable expression and a good awareness of their audience. In turn, the emphasis given to enquiry, particularly in history, geography, science and mathematics, presents opportunities for pupils to talk, discuss their work, explain their findings and to ask each other questions. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 14. Standards in reading among ten year olds are good. Nearly all pupils read with fluency, understanding and expression. Many are confident, independent readers who enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction.

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The school’s results and achievements

15. There are several reasons for the school’s high standards in reading and writing, and why standards in Key Stage 2 have improved since the last inspection:

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The school’s results and achievements

* The school adopts a clear and consistent approach to the teaching of reading and writing; * The quality of teaching in English has improved since the last inspection; * There is a systematic approach to the teaching of phonic skills; * The National Literacy Strategy has been successfully implemented and is having a positive impact on learning; * The progress of individual pupils is regularly checked; * Many parents encourage and extend their children’s learning at home; * There are good opportunities for writing in work for other subjects, especially in history and geography.

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The school’s results and achievements

16. By the time pupils are seven, their attainment in mathematics is well above the national average. Nearly all pupils handle numbers with confidence. They count up and down in twos, fives and tens, and most of them understand the relationship between multiplication and equal addition. More able pupils relate division to multiplication. Most can describe the properties of common two and three dimensional shapes using appropriate mathematical language. They collect information using tally numbers and accurately present their findings on bar charts.

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The school’s results and achievements

17. Ten year olds achieve standards in mathematics above those expected nationally for their age. They quickly and accurately recall number facts mentally, and use this knowledge to work with larger numbers. They have developed a range of strategies, such as searching for patterns, and reducing a difficult sum to a manageable size, to help them solve more complex problems

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The school’s results and achievements

18. They can estimate, measure and check, and have a good sense of whether an answer is ‘reasonable’. They use bar and line graphs to compare results.

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The school’s results and achievements

19. The main reasons for the high standards in mathematics and why pupils, including the more able, are making good progress are:

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The school’s results and achievements

* The overall standard of teaching is good; * The National Numeracy Strategy has been effectively implemented; * There is strong emphasis on encouraging pupils to talk and think mathematically, and to tackle problems.

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The school’s results and achievements

20. Overall, the numeracy session is helping pupils to develop their mental mathematics and to learn with understanding, through an emphasis on practical activities and discussion. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 21. Inspection findings show that pupils’ attainment in science at the end of Key Stage 1 is above the national average for seven year olds. They make good progress throughout the key stage. Pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of science, and their skills are developing well. They predict on the basis of their experience, describe what happened and offer explanations. Often, their recording of results in the form of simple graphs and charts contributes to their mathematical development in handling data.

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The school’s results and achievements

22. Ten-year-olds reach standards above those expected nationally for their age. They have a good understanding of human circulation and a good knowledge of the main human organs and of the skeleton. Their understanding of a ‘fair test’ has developed so that they are aware of more than one variable affecting a result.

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The school’s results and achievements

23. Standards in science have improved since the last inspection for four main reasons:

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The school’s results and achievements

* The quality of teaching is good; * A well-constructed curriculum is in place; * There is an appropriate emphasis on enquiry in which pupils are encouraged to think about and discuss their ideas; * Learning in science is supported by activities in other subjects, including geography and physical education.

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The school’s results and achievements

24. Throughout the school, pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology is stronger in communication and handling data than it is in control and modelling. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make sound progress in developing their word-processing and in learning how to find and use information, for example, from a CD-ROM. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 use the computer in activities related to other subjects, such as generating data and researching for historical and other topics. They create pictures and write stories, and most pupils can change, save and print their work. However, there are not enough opportunities to use information technology to control events, such as programming a screen turtle or plotting a route for a floor robot. Similarly, there are too few opportunities for pupils, especially in Key Stage 2, to develop their modelling skills, for example, to develop problem-solving skills using specific programs.

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The school’s results and achievements

25. The unsatisfactory standards in the control and modelling elements of information and communication technology are due to an insufficient emphasis given to these elements in the information and communication technology curriculum.

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The school’s results and achievements

26. The inspection shows that standards in religious education at the end of Key Stage 1 remain, as at the last inspection, in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. However, because not enough emphasis is given to the study of different world religions, pupils have a limited knowledge and understanding of faiths and beliefs.

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The school’s results and achievements

27. In design and technology, pupils make unsatisfactory progress because insufficient emphasis is given to the subject, and because the curriculum does not ensure a clear progression of learning between classes and key stages. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 28. In art, history, geography, music and physical education, pupils make good progress throughout the school. In the previous inspection, standards in history and geography were judged unsatisfactory in Key Stage 2, particularly in relation to more able pupils. Standards in both subjects have significantly improved because:

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The school’s results and achievements

* Clear management of the subjects is well-established and has had time to influence and improve the quality of provision; * Resources, including those out of school, are well-used to add interest and to involve pupils in their learning; * Overall, the curriculum has been strengthened to place greater emphasis on learning through enquiry and this helps pupils’ understanding.

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The school’s results and achievements

29. Pupils of different abilities, including those with special educational needs, make similar progress throughout the school. In all subjects, standards are nearly always promoted by teaching that is often good, and never less than satisfactory.

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The school’s results and achievements

30. The school carefully monitors the achievements of individual pupils. It carries out a range of assessments, in addition to the end of Key Stage 1 national tests. However, it has only recently begun to analyse and make use of results and other performance data in relation to specific groups of pupils, such as year or gender groups. This is particularly relevant in Key Stage 2 given the movement of pupils and the fact that the oldest year group leaves the school before the end of key stage national tests. The school recognises this weakness and has recently begun to obtain and use a detailed breakdown of the results of the key stage assessments to help them check how well the curriculum is working However, information is yet to be gathered and presented in a form that is easily accessible and useful to staff or governors. In English, mathematics and science, each pupil is ‘tracked’, but this does not

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The school’s results and achievements

lead to the setting of realistic and sufficiently challenging targets. The school is aware that this is an area for development and recently started to use the information to explore features among groups of pupils, for example an apparent fall in the percentage of pupils gaining the higher level in science compared with English and mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

31. Overall, pupils achieve well throughout the school in relation to their prior attainment on entry to the reception classes. However, in aspects of information and communication technology, religious education and design and technology, pupils do not make satisfactory progress. With these exceptions, pupils make gains in understanding equivalent to their development of skills and knowledge. This is because, in most instances, pupils are encouraged to think and to talk about their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

32. Pupils enjoy coming to school and have positive attitudes to their learning. In classrooms, pupils are keen to learn, concentrate on their work and listen well to teachers. Pupils are co-operative when directed to do something, and they support one another both in group work and socially. Pupils show concern for one another, both in class and around the school. Older pupils look after younger ones and all pupils show understanding for those pupils who need extra support. Pupils are proud of their school and of their own cultural heritage; they willingly offer to talk about their school and their village, and each day they raise their country’s flag with pride. There is a strong pastoral system in the school which supports and underpins the family atmosphere of village life. This is a strength of the school. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 33. Behaviour in and around the school is good. Pupils are well behaved in the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

playgrounds, during breaks and while participating in extra curricular activities, such as the dance club. Lunchtime is a pleasant experience, where pupils behave sensibly and courteously, offering to share and to help one another. Pupils show a pride in their school and a growing self-esteem and confidence. However, a very few examples of distracting behaviour were seen during the week of the inspection, for example, during a physical education lesson, the unsettled behaviour of a few pupils hindered learning for the whole class.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

34. No examples of oppressive behaviour round the school or of bullying or racism were observed during the inspection. No pupils have been excluded from the school since the last inspection. Relationships among pupils and between staff and pupils are good, mainly because teachers’ expectations are high.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

35. Good support from the parents has helped to maintain the attendance rate at 97 per cent, which is above the national average. Registration periods are conducted promptly at the start of the morning and afternoon sessions, and pupils quickly settle to their lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

36. Children under the age of five settle well into the routines of the reception class, helped by a positive relationship between the school and parents. Parents rightly feel pleased in the way their children grow in confidence and independence. At the same time, the children work well as members of a class or small group; they listen to each other, share resources and take responsibility for clearing away at the end of a session.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

37. The quality of teaching throughout the school is good overall. It is at least satisfactory in 97 per cent of lessons and over 75 per cent of teaching is judged good or better. It is satisfactory in 20 per cent of lessons, good in 49 per cent and very good or better in 28 per cent. It is less than satisfactory in three per cent of lessons seen. These figures indicate an improvement on the quality of teaching noted in the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

38. The teaching of the under fives in the reception class is at least satisfactory, with over half the lessons judged good or better. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory or better, apart from one unsatisfactory lesson in the Year 2 and 3 class. It is good or better in over 75 per cent of lessons. In Key Stage 2, all lessons are at least satisfactory, and 90 per cent are good or better. One lesson, in music, was judged excellent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

39. The previous inspection noted shortcomings in teaching in Key Stage 2, especially in relation to teachers’ planning to meet the needs of different abilities in writing, reading for information, history and geography. To its credit, the school has taken this on board, and teaching has significantly improved in these subjects. The schools own initiatives to improve provision in reading and writing have been supported by the effective introduction of the National Literacy Strategy. A review of the curriculum for history and geography has led to a greater emphasis being placed on enquiry, and the benefit of this is seen in the way teachers involve pupils in their learning, through practical activities and discussion. In turn, pupils are encouraged to think, question and explain what they are doing. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 40. A strong feature of much of the teaching throughout the school is the attention given to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

developing pupils’ thinking, creativity and imagination through enquiry. This is particularly apparent in history, geography, science and mathematics. At the same time, pupils receive a good grounding in basic skills that helps them tackle new learning. This is most clearly seen in reading, where pupils are systematically introduced to phonics, and also in mathematics, where they acquire a good stock of number facts to help them tackle harder problems.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

41. The good teaching of the under-fives in the reception class gives them a very good start to their full-time education. The teacher and classroom assistant promote personal and social development well through a consistent and encouraging approach to learning. The adults know how and when to intervene in children’s learning. For example, they know when to ask a question, make a suggestion or join in as a character in imaginative play. The teacher gets to know the children well through a good working partnership with their parents, and a helpful induction programme, and by being involved in the children’s learning. The teacher successfully adapts the format of the literacy and numeracy strategies. The quality of teaching is at least satisfactory in all areas of the curriculum for under fives, contributing to a secure and positive learning environment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

42. The special needs co-ordinator is well qualified and gives a strong lead to the work of the school. The Alexander team, of well-qualified support workers, give excellent support and show very good teaching skills. For the remainder of the pupils with special educational needs, the teaching they receive varies in quality according to the knowledge and ability of the teaching support staff. Those who have good teaching skills and an understanding of the learning process, make good contributions to the pupils’ learning. Other support adults would benefit from specific training opportunities to make the best use of their enthusiasm and commitment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

43. Overall, teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of most aspects of the National Curriculum, of the literacy and numeracy strategies and of the subjects they teach. This shows in the good quality of their planning, both for individual lessons and over time. There are, however, areas where teachers are not so sure, and where opportunities for pupils’ to learn are few. Firstly, teachers’ limited knowledge and understanding of information and communication technology means that they are insecure in some areas, particularly in the control and modelling elements of the subject. Secondly, the school recognises that there is a need to address teachers’ lack confidence in their teaching of different faiths in religious education, as well as in many aspects of design and technology. Where subjects have been recently reviewed, this has helped to raise staff awareness, as is the case in history and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

geography. Here, teachers are confident, make their lessons interesting and select and use resources well. This reflects in the good quality of teachers’ questioning, which helps pupils to understand and extends their thinking. Teachers have taken on board the national strategies for both literacy and numeracy, and understand the structure and purpose of the sessions. This was seen in the teacher’s skilful questioning in a Years 1 and 2 literacy lesson, that encouraged pupils to respond with imaginative ideas to a lively story about a giant. Similarly, in a Key Stage 2 numeracy session, the teacher was able to use her considerable understanding of how children learn mathematically to help them to grasp new concepts through ‘trial and error’ activities. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 44. Teaching in all of the literacy and numeracy sessions seen was at least satisfactory, and in over 75 per cent of them it was good or better. Literacy lessons are purposeful, have a

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

good balance between word, sentence and text level work, and involve all pupils. The same is true in the numeracy sessions, where the introduction sets the pace, and pupils feel encouraged to join in oral and mental work. These features reflect the teachers’ thorough knowledge of the Frameworks for teaching in both literacy and numeracy. In literacy, pupils develop their understanding of phonics, blends, and spelling rules. In numeracy, pupils quickly acquire a good capacity for the mental recall of number bonds which they soon can draw on to tackle problems. The focus on learning basic skills properly is seen in other subjects, often supporting literacy and numeracy. For example, pupils in Year 2 show care and accuracy in measuring and recording length.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

45. Teachers’ lesson planning is good and relates well to the longer-term intentions. The last inspection was critical of planning in Key Stage 2 for not giving enough attention to the needs of pupils of different abilities. This weakness has been rectified, and pupils, including those with special educational needs and the more able, are well catered for. Lesson plans clearly identify the learning objectives, and these are pursued throughout to give purpose and direction to the lesson. In the most effective teaching, pupils are told about the objectives at the start of the lesson to give them a clear picture of what they are expected to learn. Often, as in the case of a science lesson in Key Stage 2, the closing plenary session refers back to the objectives to see what has been learned and where there are difficulties. However, in the literacy sessions, not all teachers shared the objectives with pupils from the start of the

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

lesson. On these occasions, pupils were less involved in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

46. In one music lesson, the quality of teaching was excellent. Among the many fine features, that of challenging the pupils and expecting the most of them stood out. Pupils, as a class and as individuals, felt fully engaged and part of the success of the build-up in the lesson. In many other lessons, teachers have good levels of expectation, both of what pupils’ can achieve and of how they behave. Teachers recognise that the numeracy and literacy strategies have helped them to see how even less able pupils respond to what might have been regarded as ‘too high’ expectations, and are driven along in their learning. During the course of one geography lesson in Key Stage 2, the teacher picked up on pupils’ quickness in understanding of the task, and skilfully steered the conversation to a more challenging level. The pupils enjoyed this and entered into a mini-debate of the whole issue of living conditions

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

in Africa compared with the United Kingdom.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

47. In most lessons, teachers employ a good range of methods to meet the purpose of the lesson, as identified in the learning objectives. The influence of the structure of the literacy strategy is apparent in the prompt and crisp way in which many lessons in other subjects begin. In a Years 1 and 2 science lesson, the teacher started with a short story to make a link with earlier learning. The teacher then helped pupils to make a brisk review of the main points of the story. Different groupings of pupils are often considered in order to make learning more effective. Sometimes, the groups may be arranged by ability to promote higher standards, with the teacher and teaching assistant targeted to support and extend learning of specific groups for a specific reason. A strong feature of many lessons, but particularly in science, mathematics, English, geography, music and history, is the effective use and style of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school the teacher’s questioning. Sometimes, as at the start of many of the numeracy sessions, quick-fire questioning speeds up recall of known number facts. On other occasions, as in the text level work in a Key Stage 2 literacy session, the questioning skilfully prompts pupils to think, re-think, and talk, drawing in others by repeating or re-phrasing the question. In this way, pupils came up with creative and imaginative ideas about characters in the book, ‘Carrie’s War’.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

48. The management of pupils is satisfactory. Although in nearly all lessons, pupils respond with interest and enthusiasm, in two lessons in the Year 2 and 3 class, pupils became very restless and distracted both the teacher and other pupils from their work. In spite of the good lesson planning and of the teacher’s strenuous efforts to manage the challenging needs of one or two pupils, the quality of learning was adversely affected. In the case of one lesson in physical education, the interruption led to an early finish and the lesson was judged unsatisfactory. However, in all other lessons, including those in the same Year 2 and 3 class, the teachers exercise clear and fair authority and pupils feel secure, motivated and confident. In the vast majority of lessons, a mutual respect between the teacher and pupils strongly promotes learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

49. Teachers ensure that teaching assistants are aware of the aims of the lesson and, of their role in the learning process of individuals or groups. The consistent and hard-working approach of the support staff is a real asset to learning throughout the school. Sometimes their contribution is less effective, for instance, in information and communication technology activities, in questioning pupils, and discussion with them. This is because the teaching assistants have not received the benefits of relevant training opportunities to help them to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. Other resources for learning are generally well used. There are particular strengths in the effective use of the local environment and in opportunities further afield, including a residential centre for pupils in Years 4 and 5. The under-use of computers, noted in the last report, has been rectified, although there is little evidence of programmable floor robots or on screen logo being used to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

develop skills in control aspects of information and communication technology.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

50. Throughout the school, staff know when and how to assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding through timely observations, conversations and questioning. Often, these insights help the teacher to remedy misunderstandings or extend what has already been learnt. When teachers have the opportunity to observe the visiting music teacher taking a lesson with their class, they note pupils’ responses and use these assessments in their planning for their own, follow-up music lesson. However, in other subjects, teachers make altogether too little use of assessments to draw some telling pointers for the next stage in learning, for example, deciding to group in a different way, or to repeat an activity. The school recognises this, and has already inserted an ‘evaluation’ space onto daily planning sheets.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

51. Overall, homework makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning. The home/school reading partnership is very effective in promoting pupils’ reading skills and an interest in books. In Key stage 2, spelling and occasional other work is set and marked, often helping pupils to practise and develop known skills. However, there is no clear and understood approach to homework throughout the school. Many parents are unsure of the expectations, both for the children and for themselves. The school is currently reviewing its policy for homework and has already given consideration to sample support material for this purpose. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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TO PUPILS?

52. The curriculum shows satisfactory breadth in both key stages, as it covers all subjects required. However, the balance of the curriculum is not as good as it might be. In order to address previous issues of under achievement in English, noted at the last inspection, the school rightly devoted a substantially increased time to the subject. Whilst this achieved the aim of improving overall standards in reading and writing, it has had an adverse effect on several other subjects which have too little time spent on them. Aspects of information technology, design technology and religious education have all received insufficient attention. It is necessary for the school to reassess its time allocations in the light of its recent successes and of the needs of these subjects.

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53. The school now has schemes of work for virtually all areas of the curriculum, which is an improvement since the last inspection.

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54. A strength in the organisation of the curriculum lies in the way the school forges links between subjects. This is especially notable within literacy. Pupils are given a wide range of good opportunities to write, not just within literacy lessons, but for a host of different purposes in subjects, such as geography, history and science.

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TO PUPILS?

55. The curriculum for pupils who have special educational needs is good. The school makes them feel equal partners in the life of the school. It affords them equal status and full access to the curriculum. Support is carried out both within classrooms and through withdrawal. The range of activities the pupils are offered, are of good quality, based very largely on their individual needs and relating well to their interests and aptitudes. Boys and girls enjoy similar opportunities and more able pupils are well catered for in all aspects of the curriculum.

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56. The school has good strategies for the teaching of both literacy and numeracy, in spite of the fact that the National Numeracy Strategy has been only recently introduced nationally. The introduction of the literacy hour has had positive effects on standards in English throughout the school.

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TO PUPILS?

57. The school enriches the curriculum with a wide range of visits and visitors, which bring learning to life and have a positive impact on the progress pupils make in their learning. A recent Book Week gave good support to literacy work in Key Stage 1 in particular. A storyteller, calligrapher and dancer visited the school and brought to life stories for the pupils by sharing their enjoyment and enthusiasm for literature. Museum visitors come to the school and bring with them artefacts to enliven the work in topics on the Victorians, Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. The residential visit to Sayers Croft not only gives the oldest pupils a good opportunity to be away from home and become more self-confident and self-reliant, but also offers them the opportunity to take part in outdoor pursuits which are very difficult to organise at school. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 58. The school offers a good range and quality of extra curricular activities, which include

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TO PUPILS?

tennis, football, cricket and dance drama clubs held after school. Most of these activities are offered to pupils in Key Stage 2, except where opportunities for such things as cricket coaching by an outside professional can be extended to include pupils in Year 2. The activities support the development of a number of areas of physical activity and have a positive effect on the progress pupils’ make. The quality of provision for expressive arts and creative activity is good, including very good after school opportunities for dance.

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TO PUPILS?

59. The school provides well for the spiritual development of its pupils. It fulfils the requirement to provide daily acts of collective worship, which are of sound quality overall, with examples of some good quality assemblies seen. Time is usually given during each assembly for pupils to reflect on their own lives and those of other people. Equally they have good opportunities to take part in prayer, and the vast majority know the Lord’s Prayer by heart. Through work in religious education, pupils are offered some good opportunities to reflect on Christian practices and to begin to look at their own beliefs. The development of an understanding of the beliefs of others is not as well founded, as not enough time is given to compare Christian beliefs with other world religions. In their history work, pupils meet examples of conflicts over religion and begin to understand why, for instance, the Vikings

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TO PUPILS?

attacked religious enclaves. In some literacy work, pupils are exposed to the writings of famous poets and novelists who deal with important human questions at a level that pupils can understand and contemplate. Equally in science, younger pupils, for example, watch the growth of plants in their classrooms, measuring their growth and wondering at the way the unseen hand of a higher being is apparent around them.

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TO PUPILS?

60. The provision for pupils’ moral development is good. The personal, social and health education programme gives pupils very good opportunities to begin to make informed decisions about life issues. They have some information about the dangers of drugs and of smoking, but this has yet to be drawn together in a fully effective programme. They are given very positive messages about healthy living and even have a visit from a food nutritionist. Aspects of personal and social development are discussed during circle time, when pupils have opportunities to express themselves in a well-ordered and secure environment. Throughout, the pupils have a very clear idea of what is right and wrong. In a Years 4 and 5 lesson pupils were seen discussing the issues of justice involved when some girls in a far off community do not have the same rights to education as the boys. Here pupils showed a clear concept of natural justice. All teachers show themselves as good role models

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TO PUPILS?

for the pupils and try to run their classes in a disciplined and happy way, thus reinforcing the school’s good moral code. Parents are supportive of this work, as is made clear in their responses to the questionnaire.

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TO PUPILS?

61. There is very good provision for pupils’ social development, although opportunities provided out of lessons for pupils to take on meaningful responsibility in such a forum as a school council are not in evidence. Older pupils take on responsibility for looking after the office at times, for preparing the hall for assemblies, and for being carers in support of some of the youngest children. Teaching and learning styles promote the development of social skills such as co-operation, leadership, collaboration, responsibility and teamwork. Within classes, pupils have numerous opportunities to work in different group situations at a number of joint projects. They are noted working in pairs at the computers in Years 4 and 5, while St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school the youngest children are seen sharing equipment very well in their class. Leaders quickly emerge when the oldest pupils work on their dance drama, although the whole group is given

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the opportunity to be involved. The school’s residential visit gives the oldest pupils very good opportunities to work in a social group away from the physical environment of the school.

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TO PUPILS?

62. Cultural development is very good, in spite of the lack of time given to multi-faith issues in the religious education programme. The planned curriculum in art, English, history, geography, music and drama gives opportunities for pupils to extend their cultural awareness, knowledge and understanding. Local studies of the village and of Chichester give pupils an opportunity to relate to their local cultural roots. Studies of life in a Kenyan village then give pupils very good opportunities to compare and contrast life, culture and education in two very different places. Pupils have very good opportunities to study our cultural heritage through work on Romans, Vikings and life in Victorian times. Links with a school in Ghana by letter writing and by donations to Water Aid, cement the pupils’ understanding of life in Africa. A brief introduction to other religions certainly awakes their curiosity, but leaves many

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TO PUPILS?

opportunities not presented. Through art, pupils receive good support for their cultural development. They see good displays of African art while visiting the National Academy. They meet the works of famous English artists such as Lowry, and European artists such as Gaugin and Rousseau.

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TO PUPILS?

63. Provision for sex education is to be found within the personal, social and health education programme. It is developed through the use of videos and as part of a science topic on healthy living. Parents are made aware of this teaching. There is currently no separate drugs awareness policy. The police liaison officer does visit the school in order to raise the awareness of pupils, but this area deserves further attention and development. The personal, social and health education programme overall supports development in these areas well, with time being set aside within the curriculum for teaching to take place.

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TO PUPILS?

Community links are very good. There are good links between the local church and the school. The church is often used for services and as a resource for religious education. Links with the school’s partner institutions are good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

64. The school makes good provision for the care of its pupils. Very good relationships between staff and pupils allow pupils to approach all staff readily and confidently with any personal concerns. Pupils report that all staff treat them with kindness and respect. There are beneficial links with all outside support agencies involved in the protection of children. The head teacher has undertaken appropriate training in Child Protection procedures and responds quickly and sensitively where the need arises. The school promotes healthy living through its personal, health and social education programme and also teaches strategies for coping with situations outside school. A parent who is a dietician by profession also visits the school to talk to the pupils about healthy living and how to adopt a balanced diet. Parents respond positively to this sensible approach and trust the school to teach their children sex education

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

in a way that is respectful to their religious and family backgrounds. Although the Headteacher and caretaker diligently carry out detailed risk assessments of the school site each half term, the issue of safe and secure access from the school to the car park has not yet been fully addressed. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 65. The school meets fully the recommendations of the Code of Practice for special educational needs. It effectively identifies pupils early in their school career through good use of diagnostic tests. As soon as it is sure of the areas of difficulty, it provides a sound programme for the pupils’ development. The process of regular assessment is firmly in place and the writing of individual education plans supports pupils’ needs with well-informed and assessable targets. These are appropriately reviewed on a half-termly basis and regularly updated in order to keep pace with the progress pupils’ make.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

66. There are good procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and for eliminating oppressive behaviour. Appropriate supervision and a positive approach give pupils good opportunities to discuss their behaviour and its consequences. Teachers are aware of pupils who have special educational needs, and use sound testing and assessment procedures to support their learning. Class teachers know the strengths and weaknesses of all their pupils. Class teachers’ record the reasons why pupils are absent from school, and the school has good procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

67. Assessment procedures for monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress are good, an improvement since the last inspection. The school makes use of a good range of tests, which it uses as a guide to standards achieved by pupils in reading and mathematics. The school has not yet adopted the national tests available to it for assessing the attainment of pupils at the end of Year 5, bearing in mind that they do not take National Curriculum Assessments for Key Stage 2 until they have spent a year at the Intermediate school. These tests would allow the school to measure the progress pupils have made across Key Stage 2 and to check the effectiveness of the curriculum. Equally the school has not used the information provided by the Intermediate school in order to see how effective it has been in adding to the results of tests taken at the end of Key Stage 1.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

68. The school makes satisfactory use of the results of the assessments it administers in order to guide its planning. Baseline tests, administered during the first half term pupils spend in reception, are well used by the teacher to group her children and provide a suitable programme of work to meet their needs. Regular assessments, made after these initial tests, allow the teacher to check progress against the recommended Desirable Learning Outcomes, in order to show when children are ready to work within the National Curriculum. The regular reading and mathematics tests, administered at regular intervals in the remainder of the school, show the progress pupils have made over short periods of time. In their present form, the individual scores make it difficult for the school to ascertain the strengths of a cohort of pupils, although this could be accomplished with little extra work. This information

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

would not only be useful to teachers but also to governors, in setting precise targets for groups of pupils and, in turn, for the school as a whole.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

69. The school has very good relationships with parents, who rightly hold it in high esteem. The school is proud to be one of the focal points of the village, and parents express very strong appreciation of the work of the head teacher and of the friendly atmosphere in which they are received into the school. The school recognises the needs of the community it serves and is welcoming and open, to both the parents and the rest of the community. Parents St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school comment that the school treats pupils as individuals. The Parent and Teacher Association works hard throughout the year, raising funds and arranging events to bring the whole school community together in ways that foster community spirit. The mutually supportive climate that is evident between the parents and the school, is a strong feature and makes a significant contribution to the very effective learning environment.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

70. The school supplies parents with a good flow of clear and useful information. Regular newsletters and letters, as well as curriculum evenings, enable parents to be better informed about a range of topics taught in school. A few parents expressed the view that they did not feel fully informed about their child’s progress. The inspection found that, in the main, parents were well informed about their child’s progress. The quality of reports on pupil’s progress is variable. They do not clearly state pupils’ areas for further development; some are too descriptive rather than evaluative, and too few show any targets for improvements. The concerns expressed by some parents that there is not a clear and easily understood approach to homework are well founded. The school is aware that the present arrangements can be improved, and as part of a review of provision in the near future, intends to include a

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

71. The Governor’s Annual Report to Parents has a few minor omissions which the school already has plans to address with the next publication.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

72. The school involves the parents from the earliest assessments of their children’s special educational needs. Parents are always invited to review meetings and many attend. The school tries to involve parents in the learning process and values their support. The parents make a considerable contribution to their children’s learning, especially in developing positive attitudes to reading and writing.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The recently appointed headteacher provides strong leadership and a clear direction for the development of the school. At the same time, she earns the respect of those in the school community for her commitment and the way she works with people in managing the school. She leads by example and is fully involved in the day-to-day management of pupils and the staff. Parents think highly of her leadership, and the partnership between the school and parents is, as at the last inspection, a strong feature.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. In a short time, the headteacher has gained the confidence of the staff and governors. She has set out an ambitious agenda for a review the school’s provision, involving staff, governors, parents and pupils. The school has already identified many of its strengths and needs, and has put into place important measures likely to ensure its continued well-being and improvement.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. Teachers and support staff work hard and are strongly supportive of the headteacher. The teachers work as a new but very effective team, with a strong sense of purpose and desire to improve. This is to the school’s credit when seen against a background of recent staff changes. There has been a good response to the issues raised in the last inspection, and the staff have done well to develop their roles in pursuit of common goals. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 76. Soon after her appointment, the headteacher brought all the staff and governors together to review the aims and values of the school. Their efforts produced a clearly stated set of aims and values that are reflected in the day-to-day work of the classrooms. The aims give equal attention to promoting pupils’ educational achievement and personal development. Parents, staff and governors strongly subscribe to the aims and values and feel that the motto,

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

‘loving to learn, learning to love’, relates well to the school they know.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. The staff are fully committed to the well being of pupils, including those with special educational needs. Since the appointment of the new headteacher, the teachers have considerably extended the roles they each hold for at least one aspect of the curriculum. This is already having an impact on the quality of provision. They have shown enthusiasm and purpose in taking on board a big change in the level and nature of their responsibilities. They give a good level of support and guidance to one another. In a short time, rigorous audits of provision have been carried out in many subject areas. This has given the school a clear idea about what needs to be done to strengthen its provision, and has led to a completely revised school development plan. This leads to the staff carrying out their management responsibilities with increasingly good effect.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. The head teacher is the special needs co-ordinator, and is very well qualified for this position, to which she brings her wide experience. She manages the aspect well and provides good leadership. She is well supported by teachers and by the special needs support staff, including those with responsibilities for pupils with statements. She is currently looking at the recent steady rise in the number of special needs pupils, in order to review the school’s response and make it even more effective.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. The governing body is very effective in fulfilling its statutory duties and in helping to shape the direction of the school. There is a very good working relationship between the staff and the governing body. Together, they are aware that, although standards of achievement are high, there are always areas for improvement. The appointment of a new headteacher, along with the arrival of several new governors, has provided the impetus for a rapid development of the role of governing body. Governors are keen to direct their energies into the right issues and to do so in a planned and measured way. Together with the staff, they have been fully involved in re-assessing the needs of the school and in relating this to a revised school improvement plan.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

80. The last inspection identified the need for the governing body to play a greater part in implementing, delivering and monitoring the curriculum. A sub-committee structure is in place that contributes to the development of the curriculum, including the successful introduction of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. Priorities for improvement have rightly focused on the issues raised in the last inspection. The governors are active and keep themselves well informed about what is going on in the school. They make regular visits and report back to the full governing body. The governors are aware of the need to refine and structure their monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance, particularly in relation to pupils’ achievement. Governors have been involved with the staff and local education authority in setting targets for pupils’ achievement. They have rightly gained

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

advice and training from the local education authority on developing their monitoring role, and are well placed to carry this out in a constructive way. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 81. The contribution of the governing body has helped the school to successfully address many of the key issues for action noted in the last inspection, and to be well placed to continue with the improvements.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

82. Since her appointment, the monitoring of teaching has been overseen by the headteacher, and that of curriculum planning by the subject co-ordinators. The observation of lessons has rightly concentrated on monitoring and supporting the two newly qualified teachers. They are well supported in their roles, and benefit both from a very good induction programme, and from effective arrangements for professional development. The recent thorough audit of provision involved assessing standards and the curriculum for each subject. However, before this important venture, the monitoring role of the curriculum co-ordinator was under-developed. Until the recent audit, the quality of teaching, standards of achievement and the curriculum were not rigorously and systematically monitored and evaluated. The school is aware of this shortcoming, has identified it as a priority in the school improvement plan, and has already put in place measures to improve the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

83. The governing body uses its insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the school to set appropriate targets for the headteacher and to appraise her performance. Similarly, effective arrangements are in place for the appraisal of teachers, linked to a programme of professional development. This has already led to specific support, for example, through in- service training and advice from the co-ordinators.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

84. Following the recent whole-school review of provision, the school improvement plan has been revised in a process that that brought together staff and governors in very positive way. The plan clearly identifies the right priorities for improvement in a way that is easy to understand. It gives due priority to maintaining and improving pupils’ standards of achievement. The plan gives enough attention to short and long term goals and appropriately includes national priorities, such as the full implementation of the numeracy strategy. The school has successfully tackled issues for improvement in several previously targeted areas. The headteacher and other staff now regularly report to governors on standards, quality and school improvement. Success criteria in the school development plan are set against quantifiable targets, so that the impact of actions taken on standards and quality can measured.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

85. Educational priorities are supported very well through the school’s financial planning. The school budgets systematically so that all spending relates closely to its priorities for improvement. Pupils benefit from carefully targeted spending decisions, such as retaining four classes, each with a small number of pupils. The recommendations of the latest auditor's report, undertaken shortly before the inspection, have been, or are about to be, fully implemented. The school bursar is very efficient in maintaining records and in ensuring a good flow of relevant information between the headteacher, finance committee and full governing body. Administrative procedures are effective and the governors exercise a good level of financial checks and controls.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

86. The school actively seeks best value through audits of resources and their usefulness. Following recent training, the governors have started to monitor the effectiveness of targeted spending on specific priorities, including grants allocated for the support of groups and individual pupils, including those with special educational needs. The school consults widely, both with local education authority financial and curriculum advisors and with St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school parents, keeping them informed about significant changes to the school curriculum and other activities, and requesting their comments and opinions on such matters as the home-school agreement. It has recently considered how to check best value in terms of measurable performance, especially in relation to pupils’ achievements.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

87. The school has started to make effective use of new technologies, although the teaching staff are not completely confident in using them. It intends to have its own website with access to the Internet in the near future. Several computers now include a CD-ROM and the school has recently re-located hardware used jointly with an adult evening class to better serve all users.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

88. Specific grants received by the school, such as funding for staff training and for additional support for pupils with statements of educational need, are being used effectively for the specified purpose.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

89. There are a good number of suitably qualified and experienced teachers to teach and support the age range and pupils with special educational needs. All are trained as primary or infant teachers with a broad spread of basic training covering most subjects. Knowledge of information technology and of design and technology is less well developed. Subject co- ordination responsibilities are properly allocated in line with the holder’s experience. Plans are in hand to ensure that co-ordinators have a structured and targeted approach to monitoring and evaluating important areas of provision. At present, the school frequently uses staff meetings, both to pass on newly acquired subject knowledge and to review and moderate work, in order to ensure continuity and progression in the curriculum.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

90. There are a sufficient number of teaching assistants who work hard to support pupils, including those with special educational needs. However, their contribution is often restricted by a lack of relevant and up-to-date training. Although they are experienced and committed to their work, it is not always possible for teaching assistants to extend pupils’ learning through, for example, work in information and communication technology or through skilful questioning. Pupils with statements have the benefit of specifically trained support staff.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

91. The school buildings provide good accommodation that is well used. The whole school is accessible to wheelchairs. It is very clean and well maintained, and the learning environment is enhanced by imaginative and pleasing displays of pupils’ work, which are changed frequently. In addition to a suitable hard-surfaced, play area, the school is fortunate in having an extensive field and various pockets of attractive ‘natural’ areas, including a pond and small copse. Although teachers often use the outside areas to support the curriculum, the school is, nonetheless, looking at ways in which all features of the site can be made more accessible as a year-round resource to learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

92. The school has good resources for learning. It is well resourced in English, mathematics, science, history, geography and special educational needs. Resources in the other subjects and for the under fives are satisfactory. There is a good ratio of computers to pupils, and these are sufficiently used. However, there are not enough resources for the control and modeling aspects of information and communication technology, and some software shortfalls in other aspects of the subject. Resources are generally well organized and easily accessible to pupils and staff. The school makes very good use of the immediate environment and of resources further afield. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

93. In order to build on the existing strengths of the school and to improve the quality of pupils’ learning and the standards they reach, the governors, head teacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve assessment procedures by: (Paragraphs: 30, 50, 67, 68, 80)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* Ensuring that day-to-day assessments made during lessons are used to inform planning for the next stage in pupils’ learning; * Ensuring that the school makes full use of the results of tests and assessments to check the effectiveness of its provisions.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Develop the role of the subject co-ordinator by: (Paragraph: 82)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* Introducing a systematic approach to the monitoring and evaluating of provision in each subject; * Ensuring that appropriate training and support are provided for co-ordinators to extend their roles.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise standards in aspects of information and communication technology, religious education and design and technology by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* In information and communication technology, developing the curriculum in the control and modelling aspects of the subject; (Paragraphs: 176, 179,180)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* In design and technology, planning for the systematic development of skills through carefully chosen topics; (Paragraph: 157)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* In religious education, bringing the scheme of work fully into line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus, particularly in giving greater emphasis to pupils’ insights into different world religions; (Paragraphs: 199, 203)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* Ensuring that, in all three subjects, the teachers are given appropriate training to raise their confidence and competence.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that the hardworking contribution of teaching assistants is made fully effective by: (Paragraphs 42, 103)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* Providing a relevant programme of training to develop their skills. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 35 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 24

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Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

3 25 49 20 3 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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% %

School data 3 School data 0 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Pupil Mobility

In the last school year; Number of pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of admission Number of pupils who left the school other than at the usual time or leaving

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 10 6 16

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 10 10 9 Girls 6 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Total 16 16 16 Percentage of pupils School 100 100 100 at NC Level 2 or above National 82 83 87

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 10 9 10 Girls 6 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Total 16 15 16 Percentage of pupils School 100 94 100 at NC Level 2 or above National 82 86 87

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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Permanent

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Permanent

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Permanent

Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 86 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Permanent

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.

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR–Y5

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.9 Financial year 1998-1999

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR–Y5

Number of pupils per qualified teacher Average class size 22 £ Total income 221046.00 Education support staff: YR–Y5 Total expenditure Total number of education support staff 10 Expenditure per pupil 2377.00

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR–Y5

Total aggregate hours worked per week 98.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 8179.00

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR–Y5

Balance carried forward to next year 12957.00 St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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Questionnaire return rate

Number of questionnaires sent out 86 Number of questionnaires returned 46

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know

My child is making good progress in school. 41 54 4 0 0

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know

Behaviour in the school is good. 33 63 2 2 0

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know

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 50 16 0 7

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know

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 46 39 11 2 2

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know

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 26 4 2 0

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know

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 43 4 2 0

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know

The school works closely with parents. 48 41 9 0 2

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know

The school is well led and managed. 59 41 0 0 0

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know

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 44 53 0 0 2

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know

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 61 14 2 2 St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

94. The reception class provides a safe, well planned and stimulating environment for the children who attend. The teacher and her helpers work successfully to help children develop positive attitudes to learning. The ethos of the class contributes significantly to the good progress that children make towards the nationally recommended learning targets for children under five.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

95. Children enter the school in September as full-time members of the school if their birthday falls between September and February. Children with later birthdays enter school on a ‘mornings only’ basis for the autumn term, before becoming full-time in the following January.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

96. The prior attainment of children entering the school is judged broadly average overall. The teacher makes thorough observations of the children in the first half term they are at the school, and relates these to a recognised baseline assessment scheme, which is efficiently used. The teaching in reception is good. The newly qualified teacher here is confident and provides well both for the needs of the children who are under five, for their smooth access to the work of the National Curriculum as they progress towards and beyond their fifth birthday.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

97. Children make very good progress and are well on the way to reaching the standards expected before they are five. They share equipment and play together well. For example, when sharing a set of scales for checking if sets of blocks weigh the same. Most are able to sit quietly while listening to a story and are clearly learning to signify that they know the answers to questions by putting up their hands. At the end of sessions, often while music is playing, children tidy up their activities and show good independence in doing so. The teacher seeks to extend their independence by organising activities so that, at times, children can choose for themselves and indicate their choices by putting their name-tags in pockets. It is possible to make better use of such events as milk time, which currently are not as productive a period of the day as they might be.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

98. By the time they are five, most children attain the standards in language and literacy which are expected for children of this age, and they make good progress. Several are already working towards the elements of the National Curriculum before they are five. Children listen well to stories and to instructions from the teacher. They ask and answer questions confidently. All children handle books carefully and all but one or two children distinguish print from pictures, know that words run from left to right and can retell familiar stories. The higher attaining children can recognise familiar words, use their knowledge of the alphabet and phonic skills to tackle simple new words and can recognise their own name in print. The less able children need sustained adult support and can recognise very few words on sight. The vast majority achieve satisfactory standards in writing. They understand

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school that writing carries meaning and is for a purpose. Several are seen writing messages in the doctor’s surgery. Most have appropriate pencil control and they are taught, as soon as they are ready, to form letters correctly and practise these skills. The teaching for this aspect of work is good. The class teacher uses elements of the Literacy Hour as she teaches both the under fives and the Year 1 children together. The children then break into groups whose activities are well designed for the pupils’ particular needs.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

99. Children make good progress towards reaching the standards expected by the Desirable Learning Outcomes. Some are already working within the early stages of the National Curriculum. Already, many can count sets of objects accurately up to ten. They make good attempts at writing numerals. They are seen threading beads in particular patterns and are able to repeat these patterns with accuracy. Number rhymes are regularly used, such as ‘One, two buckle my shoe,’ in order to secure the ordering of numbers. Children use mathematical vocabulary, such as taller and shorter, with accuracy. They can sort both two and three- dimensional shapes, picking out those that do not match their criteria. Many children can use money to ‘buy’ objects and record what they spend. The teaching in mathematics is good. The opportunities given to children are well planned and the teacher uses her good questioning skills to very good effect.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Knowledge and understanding of the world.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

100. Children learn about how plants grow and that they need warmth, light and water. They can make the distinction between past and present and can talk about where they live and members of their families. They generate ideas and use a number of construction kits to turn their ideas into houses, cranes or animals. Children operate a tape listening centre well and they have access to computers, but here the development of skills and understanding is more related to their home circumstances than to the teaching they receive in the class. A more systematic approach to the development of early computer skills has recently been introduced.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

101. The children progress well, within the recommendations for this area of learning. They can manipulate pencils, paintbrushes and tools with reasonable accuracy and skill. Although most can dress and undress themselves for physical education, some still need a little help with buttons and fasteners. In a lesson in the hall, the children have a well-developed awareness of space; they move confidently with good control and are very confident when performing in front of their classmates. The quality of teaching here is good and the children respond well to the opportunities they are given. The children are managed well, both in class and in the hall, and maximum use is made of time. The use made of the small enclosed outside play area deserves some consideration. Although there is equipment to be used in this area, the work could be more clearly planned. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school Creative development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

102. By five, the children achieve the Desirable Outcomes well for this area of learning. Children are able to mix colours, draw around shapes and use a range of materials in order to make pictures. For example, a group of children are seen using mirrors so that they can see their faces and draw them. They have opportunities to move to music when in the hall, and to listen to music during the course of each day. The children sing together often and are given good opportunities to explore a range of musical instruments. The quality of teaching is good.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

103. The reception class teacher has good knowledge and understanding of the needs of young children and teaches basic skills very well. The planning for the work is effective and the teacher employs a number of different methods, including whole class and group activities, which cater well for the needs of the children. The children are given good opportunities to make progress through well directed activities, whilst also having equally good opportunities to use the ‘pick a pocket’ or ‘choosing train’ pouches for selecting their own activities.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

104. The overall curriculum is good and is well balanced. Children with special educational needs are detected early and receive good and appropriate support. Not all support workers have had the benefit of specific training for the tasks they undertake, and at times, this limits their performance and the progress children make.

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ENGLISH

105. Results in National Curriculum tests for pupils aged seven have remained consistently above national expectations since the last inspection. The results in 1999, showed that all pupils achieved the expected level (Level 2) in reading and writing, which was very high in comparison with the national average. These results were above average when compared with those of similar schools nationally. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher level (Level 3) was above the national average in both reading and writing. These results were broadly in line with those found in schools which take pupils from similar backgrounds. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils currently in Year 2 are maintaining these levels of achievement.

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ENGLISH

106. Many of the pupils who gained the higher levels in the national tests at the end of Key Stage 1 moved to other schools, and this has affected the overall picture of attainment of pupils in their final year at the school. This explains why overall standards in English at the end of Key Stage 1 are judged well above the national average, whereas, standards for ten year olds are above the national expectations for their age.

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ENGLISH

107. Good progress is made throughout the school in speaking and listening, because pupils have good attitudes to discussions and teachers lead them well in this area of work. The vast majority of pupils listen attentively to their teachers and other adults. The regular discussions in the literacy hour and within ‘Circle Time’ give good platforms for pupils to speak and listen. By the end of Year 5, most contribute successfully to structured class discussions, explaining their views in detail. Their fluency and confidence are often above average for St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school their age. They use formal language and technical terms well in such areas as mathematics and science. In a Literacy Hour, the oldest pupils discussed criteria for how to gauge the success of a non-fiction book and applied this to a shared book on bacteria. Pupils in Year 2 were keen to discuss characterisation in a text on ‘The Giant Stromboli’.

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ENGLISH

108. The school teaches reading well through a collection of children’s fiction and with the support of graded reading books. The underachievement in reading, noted at the last inspection has been given good attention and no longer exists. The school has developed a more systematic approach to the teaching of phonic skills and has been at pains to check the progress pupils make through a good series of diagnostic tests. Children make a good start on the way to reading in the reception class, and a good many are able to read simple texts within the first year of their schooling. The use of phonic skills, together with other strategies, enables pupils to make very good progress in their reading within Key Stage 1. The support of parents with ‘home reading’ has also had an important and positive effect on the progress pupils’ make. In Key Stage 2, pupils are given a wider choice of texts to read.

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ENGLISH

Pupils with special educational needs make similar good progress in their reading of books suited to their age and ability. A small group of pupils do not take full advantage of this, tending to choose slightly easier texts. However, the vast majority of pupils maintain their interest in reading, and tests show they are now making good progress. There is some evidence that pupils need more opportunities to develop their library skills through higher- level research tasks, including comparing information in one text with that in another. This might also lead to their comparing their findings with information on the Internet. Library and research skills are sound, reflecting some successful teaching of the targets of the literacy framework.

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ENGLISH

109. Pupils’ handwriting develops well through the school and the good standards noted in the last report have been maintained, with a small number of the pupils in Year 5 producing very good handwriting as they compete for the ‘Scribe Award’. Standards in spelling are good. An emphasis has been placed on learning groups of words which show particular spelling rules. As a result, spelling shows good progress throughout the school. Pupils in all year groups make use of a range of dictionaries, while older pupils also make good use of the ‘spellchecker’ facility offered by computers. Not all teachers make enough use of the word lists, or ‘keywords’, which accompany many of the Literacy Hours. The daily acknowledgement of these words displayed in classes could have an additional and beneficial effect on spelling.

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ENGLISH

110. The use of correct punctuation is more variable. Most pupils in Year 1 make reasonably consistent use of capital letters and full stops. Pupils in Year 2 are introduced to speech marks through the use of speech bubbles. This is developed further in Key Stage 2, with the oldest pupils making good attempts at writing dialogue with the correct punctuation.

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ENGLISH

111. The under achievement in writing noted, particularly at Key Stage 2, in the last inspection, has been rectified. The school has increased the allocation of time to this area of work and planned systematically for its development. The advent of the Literacy Hour helped to focus the attention of pupils on aspects of their writing where improvements could be made in the use of words, the use of parts of speech such as adverbs, and the use of similes and metaphors. Not only did these enliven their writing, but when linked with improved reading, handwriting and spelling, the overall improvement in writing was easily visible. The school offers its pupils a very good range of writing opportunities. Good examples are: St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school * Writing in Year 2 in the style of a fairy tale. Good factual writing to explain how to boil a kettle of water. * Good descriptive writing in the Year 3 stories of ‘The Little Match Girl’. Re-

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ENGLISH

writing a poem, ‘Windy Night’, by changing the tenses from present to past. An extended piece of writing on the theme of ‘The best day’. * Year 5 pupils have good experience of poetry writing as they write about ‘A party’. They write scripts, using their good understanding of speech marks as they write a scene from ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’. They write an interview, an acrostic poem and factual writing of a recipe for ice cream.

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ENGLISH

112. These opportunities to write are well supported by the use of writing frames, which give pupils advice on writing paragraphs, and the beginnings and endings of stories. They are encouraged to use their work in Literacy Hour to enhance their writing. This they do well. Progress in writing is clear to see throughout the school and the move to more complex forms of writing challenges pupils to use a wide variety of sentence structures. All this has shown a good, sometimes a very good, step forward since the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

113. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in all aspects of the work. Teachers plan lessons and organise their classes so that these pupils have appropriate work and adequate support whilst taking a full part in all activities. When they are withdrawn from lessons, they do not always have good support. This has far more to do with the knowledge and understanding of the support staff, than with the enthusiasm with which they give the support.

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ENGLISH

114. The use of literacy skills across the wider curriculum is good overall, with many cases of very good use. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils:

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ENGLISH

* have written about predictions in their work in science; * pupils have written a poem about their home inside a shell; * have described very carefully the food chain found in a pond; * have written in history about their life as a slave; * have described a day’s visit to Felpham Beach in their work in geography.

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ENGLISH

Pupils in their final year in the school have had good opportunities to:

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ENGLISH

* write in geography about the similarities and differences between Kaptalamwa in Kenya and their own village; * devise a Tudor quiz questionnaire in history; * write in the form of a ‘brainstorming’ exercise about their current knowledge of the Tudor period; * produce good quality poetry on the Viking invasion; * write in science to a particular format for describing their experiments; * write in art about a painting by Lowry, giving their opinions on the theme, what they see in the picture and on whether they like the style of painting.

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ENGLISH

115. This type of cross-curricular support for literacy work has reinforced much of the good work covered within the Literacy Hour and has enabled pupils to see how important their literacy skills are in all subjects. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 116. Links with information technology are growing but are not yet well defined. Children from reception to Key Stage 2 have good experience of listening to stories on tape. Some pupils use the computer to draft their stories, but this is by no means the case in all classes. One good example of using information technology to support work in literacy was noted when pupils in Years 4 and 5 were writing about the betrayal of Jesus. They used their skills and knowledge of word processing to set out the story as if it had appeared in a newspaper, writing headlines and text in a suitable style.

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ENGLISH

117. Teaching was at least satisfactory in all lessons. Half the lessons seen were good and a quarter were very good. This overall improvement in teaching is at the heart of the success pupils are having. The good and very good teaching also has a very positive effect on the attitudes pupils have to their work and the efforts they make, for, in over half of the lessons, the response of the pupils was good or better. Pupils work well to the pattern of the literacy hour, which teachers teach well. Good quality questioning by teachers involves a maximum number of pupils in the best lessons. As a result the pupils are keen to answer. In a lesson on characterisation in a Years 1 and 2 class, pupils came up with a great many ideas for their wicked characters, following good teacher input using the ‘Giant Stromboli’ story. In a Year 5 lesson on the unlikely subject of a book on ‘Bacteria and viruses’, pupils devised a list of

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ENGLISH

criteria for judging non-fiction texts and put it to the test when examining books in the class. Here the teacher worked very well to motivate the pupils through good direct teaching skills. A minor weakness in the teaching is that not all teachers share the learning objectives with the pupils at the start of the lessons. This would serve to involve pupils more clearly at the start and give them a clear picture of what they were going to learn. This could then be used productively at the end of lessons when pupils could be asked to discuss what they have learned, instead of what they had done in the lesson. The teachers have a good idea of pupils’ knowledge and understanding within each lesson. They are aware of pupils’ achievements and what they find difficult. However, not enough notice is taken of this information to help the teacher to better plan the next stage of learning. The school is aware of this and has

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ENGLISH

118. The management of the subject is in capable hands. The co-ordinator, who did not have the advantage of attending training for the Literacy Hour, is making a good contribution to the subject. She has been a prime mover in improving handwriting and spelling, and has shown herself to be a good exemplar to her colleagues. She is keen to look at the future time allocation for the subject in light of the recent improvements made in writing and reading.

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ENGLISH

119. Procedures for assessing attainment are good overall. Nearly all teachers check reading regularly and make notes on the progress pupils’ make. Regular reading tests are administered and individual progress is logged. Day to day marking of work is of a good quality and usually helps pupils to see what they need to do in order to make progress. Minor weaknesses in the overall assessment programme are noted. The school does not yet examine closely enough the quality of work in all aspects of English at the end of Year 5 in order to check how well their curriculum for the subject is working or to set specific improvement targets for Key Stage 2. The school does not obtain detailed results of the Key Stage 2 assessments to support this information. The school is aware of these issues and plans to address them shortly. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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MATHEMATICS

120. The high standards pupils were noted to have achieved at the time of the previous inspection have been maintained. Pupils continue to make good progress throughout the school in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

121. Results of the National Curriculum tests in 1999 showed pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 to be well above the national average and above the average for similar schools. The percentage of pupils obtaining the expected Level 2 was well above the national average, and the percentage gaining the higher Level 3 was above average. The results of national tests between 1996 and 1999 showed that both boys and girls have achieved consistently high standards in relation to the national averages. Any year-to-year changes have been too slight to be significant, given the small size of the year groups.

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MATHEMATICS

122. Inspection evidence is consistent with the results of the 1999 national tests, and shows that seven year olds overall are achieving well above the national average. As in the 1999 national tests, the inspection found boys and girls to be achieving at similar standards to each other.

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MATHEMATICS

123. By the age of seven, pupils reach standards in number that are, overall, well above the national average. They are good at remembering number facts and most can recall them quickly and accurately. They know facts such as 4 add 5 is 9, and 4 from 9 is 5. They count confidently in twos, fives and tens to at least 100. Using number lines and squares, they work out answers in different ways. More-able pupils work with larger numbers in tackling problems. For instance, they relate their knowledge of 4 add 5 to 24 and 5, and then to 24 add 15. Most know the difference between odd and even numbers and recognise number patterns. They relate doubling to the halving of numbers. Many pupils understand division, and the more able third of the year group can relate this to multiplication. These pupils know that only even numbers can be divided into two equal whole numbers. They are beginning to

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MATHEMATICS

calculate mentally by multiplying and dividing. Nearly all have a good understanding of the place value of tens and units, and the more able know the value of each digit in higher numbers, such as the four representing 40 in 143. Some more-able pupils understand that 2 and 3 are factors of 6, and that 6 is a multiple of 2 and of 3.

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MATHEMATICS

124. The use of numeracy across the curriculum is very good. It is frequently specifically planned for, and is especially evident in science and geography. For example, in science, pupils’ recording in graphs and charts of their pulse rates before, during and after exercise contributes to their data-handling skills.

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MATHEMATICS

125. Seven-year-olds have a very good understanding of shape, space and measurement. Pupils can describe common two and three dimensional shapes using correct terms such as angle, solid and face. They measure hand span and height accurately in centimetres. The more able know that 143 centimetres is the same as 1 metre 43 centimetres. Most pupils can place their height measurements in correct order. More-able pupils are developing a reasonable understanding of how to tell the time.

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MATHEMATICS

126. When data handling, seven year old pupils can sort, using a variety of reasons; make a simple tally count, and then draw and interpret their own bar charts. The more able pupils are beginning to predict; see patterns, and offer explanations for their work. For example, they found out that the tallest children are not always the oldest ones. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 127. By the time they are in Year 5 and become ten-year old olds, most pupils are achieving standards in line with and often above those expected for their age. Many of the pupils who gained the higher levels in the national tests at the end of Key Stage 1 moved to other schools, and this has affected the overall picture of attainment.

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MATHEMATICS

128. Nonetheless, information derived from the school’s own assessments, from a scrutiny of pupils’ past work and from observations within lessons, shows that individual pupils build on the good progress they made in Key Stage 1. This is true of all aspects of mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

129. Ten year olds have a good recall of number facts and nearly all work confidently with larger numbers. When faced with quite complex mental calculations, pupils draw on previously developed strategies, sometimes making jottings to help them. A strong feature is the way pupils discuss and compare different ways of tackling the same problem, taking on board effective methods and using these in other situations. Most pupils look to work out calculations in their head, and some of them are developing a good ‘guesstimate’ to help them be sure if their working out is right. Nearly all ten year olds have a good sense of place value. They can multiply and divide whole numbers by 10 or 100, recognising the movement of the digits to the left or right. More able pupils work confidently with decimals. They know the value of the decimal digits in, for example, 4.87, and can round such numbers up to the nearest whole number.

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MATHEMATICS

130. Year 5 pupils can estimate, measure and check, using various standard units of measure in relation to length, mass and capacity. They can calculate the perimeter and area of simple shapes, and can read the time on a 24-hour clock. More-able pupils can work out journey times from a 24-hour timetable.

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MATHEMATICS

131. By the age of ten, most pupils have a good grasp of collecting, organising and interpreting data, using tables, graphs and charts. They use and understand terms such as maximum and minimum, and are prepared to predict outcomes and to explain their findings in a clear and logical way.

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MATHEMATICS

132. Of the five lessons observed in mathematics, the quality of teaching was very good in one lesson, good in three, and satisfactory in the other. The very good lesson in Key Stage 1 was characterised by a brisk pace, a very good use of questions to assess and move the pupils on to their next stage of learning, and by work that was carefully matched to different ability groups in the class. Pupils were not afraid to offer answers and methods that might have been incorrect; in doing so, they learnt from their mistakes. Discussion involved all the pupils, and encouraged them to talk and think about different strategies. The lesson finished with a good review of what have been learnt, which again included all pupils. They understood what they were expected to learn and felt confident in a familiar routine. They enjoyed the lesson, worked hard and often talked to each other about their work.

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MATHEMATICS

133. All of the teachers show a good level of knowledge and understanding, both of the subject and of the principles of the numeracy strategy. They are clear about what they want pupils to learn. They usually talk to the pupils about the focus of the lesson, and often the lesson begins by making a connection to what they have done before. Pupils know what they have to do, and get off to a confident start in the main activity. Challenging tasks in good and very good teaching ensure that pupils make good progress within lessons St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 134. In all but one lesson, teachers used their time well to support and extend learning, and there was a good mix of work with the whole class, groups, pairs and individuals.

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MATHEMATICS

135. Teaching assistants are usually clear about their role, but do not always have the questioning skills to get pupils to think for themselves. Questions are often ‘closed’ and restrict pupils to one answer or one method.

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MATHEMATICS

136. In most lessons, teachers manage pupils well and there are suitably high expectations of behaviour and achievement. Relations between pupils, and between pupils and adults, are good. However, in one lesson, too much time was given to oral work and to the main teaching part of the lesson. Although attitudes and behaviour are always at least satisfactory, progress in this lesson would have been better but for some restless behaviour.

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MATHEMATICS

137. Teachers made informal assessments as part of every lesson observed. They checked to see if pupils grasped the teaching points and whether they had any misunderstandings that needed to be put right. In Key Stage 2, the teachers made very good use of pupils to demonstrate their workings to the class, and got the pupils to say what they found easy or difficult. The pupils enjoyed this approach and found it helped them to sort out some of their difficulties. However, although teachers are increasingly aware of assessment opportunities in lessons, overall, their assessments are not significantly helping them to adjust day-to-day lesson plans.

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MATHEMATICS

138. Where homework is given, it helps pupils to practise and consolidate their skills and knowledge. In Key Stage 1, occasional homework tasks tend to be in the form of games or puzzles. In Key Stage 2, pupils are asked to complete worksheets or to learn number bonds. Pupils usually receive feedback to show them that their work is important and their efforts are valued. Overall, homework makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning.

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MATHEMATICS

139. The National Numeracy Strategy is making a very good impact on the attainment of pupils. A clear and consistent approach to planning relates well to the Framework of the numeracy strategy and to the National Curriculum programmes of study. There is a good balance between the different elements of the subject, and strong links have been developed so that mathematics contributes to many subjects, often in a practical way. These opportunities are clearly identified in the planning and are apparent within lessons. Because planning identifies the needs of pupils of different abilities, including the more able and pupils with special educational needs, all pupils are well catered for within lessons. Overall, the subject makes a sound contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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MATHEMATICS

140. The recently appointed co-ordinator gives effective support to staff in implementing the numeracy strategy, particularly in relation to the two newly qualified teachers.

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MATHEMATICS

141. The school is aware that, in spite of the secure curriculum and high standards, several aspects of provision are under-developed. A comprehensive audit of provision has recently been completed, so that the school has a good idea of what aspects need to be improved to sustain and raise standards. These rightly include:

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MATHEMATICS

* Extending procedures in Key Stage 2 for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress to include optional National Curriculum assessments; St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school * Using the complete array of assessments to monitor features of pupils’ achievements and progress (for example, by year group or gender) and using this information to inform and guide planning; * Developing the role of the co-ordinator in monitoring and evaluating the provision for mathematics, with an emphasis on the quality of teaching and standards of achievement.

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SCIENCE

142. During the inspection, it was possible to observe only two science lessons, one in Key Stage 1 and one in Key Stage 2. Therefore, inspection findings are based on scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussion with pupils and staff, examination of teachers’ planning and photographic evidence. The inspection evidence shows that seven year olds and pupils in their final year in the school, Year 5, achieve standards above those expected nationally for their age. This is an improvement on the standards noted in the previous report, when pupils’ achievements were judged in line with national expectations.

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SCIENCE

143. The National Curriculum teacher assessments for seven year olds in 1999 showed that the percentage of pupils gaining Level 2 or above was above the national average. The percentage reaching the higher level, Level 3, was close to the national average. Between 1996 and 1999, the percentage of pupils gaining Level 2 has remained consistently high. But in 1999, the percentage reaching Level 3 took a sharp drop, which, even given the small size of the year groups, was significant. An analysis of the results in 1999 shows boys and girls to be performing at similar levels.

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SCIENCE

144. Evidence from the inspection indicates that standards are above the national expectations for seven year olds in all aspects of the subject. Pupils are developing a good level of scientific knowledge, understanding and skills. By the end of Key Stage 1, they can predict outcomes of their experiments, which they do with growing confidence. For example, as part of their work on sound, pupils set up a ‘fair test’ to predict which sounds became fainter in relation to distance from the source. In their study of materials and their properties, pupils in Key Stage 1 suggest reasons why an ice-cube floats in water. From earlier studies, pupils recall the life cycle of a frog. They understand what is needed to sustain life, and talk confidently about the conditions for growth in plants and humans.

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SCIENCE

145. The inspection shows that standards achieved by ten year olds are above those expected for their age. They have a good understanding of how the heart pumps blood around the body and they use the correct scientific names in relation to the skeleton and organs of the body. Pupils’ well-developed understanding of a ‘fair test’ was demonstrated in relation to the effect of exercise on their pulse rate. Faced with an unexpected finding from their test, pupils considered the possibility both of exceptional human response and of inaccurate testing. They checked their measurements, revised their data and drew fresh conclusions. Pupils record their observations and data accurately using tables and bar charts. Increasingly, they refer to their good level of scientific knowledge and understanding when making conclusions and evaluating their work. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 146. The quality of teaching in both lessons was good. Strong features in both lessons were

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SCIENCE

the emphasis given to scientific enquiry and to basic scientific skills. As a result, pupils were confident in trying out their own ideas and competent in measuring, and in recording and analysing information. Teachers’ good knowledge and understanding of the subject were revealed in the quality of their explanations and questioning. This meant that the pupils had a clear idea of what they were learning and felt confident in making predictions and offering explanations. Pupils were encouraged to discuss their work and to share ideas. In Key Stage 2, they talked freely about how they could present their data on a bar chart. Teaching assistants were used effectively to support learning and this was particularly helpful for pupils with special educational needs. However, the assistants did not have the questioning and discussion skills to match the pace and challenge of the teachers’ involvement with

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SCIENCE

pupils. This was particularly evident in Key Stage 1. Pupils’ enjoyment of science is clearly seen in the well-managed lessons and in the high standard of presentation in their work. They take a pride in their achievements and respond well to praise in lessons and to helpful comments in their written work. Resources, such as measures and information technology programs, are ready for the lesson, often with the help of the teaching assistant. In the Key Stage 1 lesson, the teacher introduced the activity with a well-chosen story that captured the pupils’ interest and made a good link to the previous lesson. Teachers check pupils’ knowledge and understanding through their timely questions and by being involved in pupils’ learning. However, their assessments are not fully used to help the teacher in planning the next stage in learning.

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SCIENCE

147. In the six months since becoming the subject co-ordinator, the headteacher has completed a full review of provision in science. Staff, including newly qualified teachers, feel well supported and are keen to further improve the provision. The dip in the percentage of pupils achieving Level 3 in the 1999 teacher assessments has been carefully examined and new assessment procedures have rightly been introduced. Each pupil, from Year 2 onwards, now has a ‘progress’ book that gives a good picture of achievement and progress over time. The need for assessments to better inform day-to-day planning has been identified as a priority on the school improvement plan. The well-constructed curriculum gives a good balance to pupils’ acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding across each programme of study. Planned links with other subjects strengthen the curriculum for science. For example, a study of the effect of exercise on the body in physical education related well to

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SCIENCE

148. In a short time, a very good start has been made in developing the role of the co- ordinator and the subject is well placed for continued improvement. Now that the school has completed a ‘spot-check’ audit of its provision, it must address the absence of a structured approach to monitoring and evaluating all aspects of provision. The school is aware that existing arrangements do not provide for a systematic monitoring of teaching and assessment information. This is particularly significant in Key Stage 2, where pupils leave in the year before the end of key stage national assessments and it is consequently more difficult to identify trends in their performance. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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ART

149. Although it was only possible to observe one lesson in art during the inspection, it is very clear, from the vast amount of work collected in school portfolios and from the work on display, that the quality of work is good, with some examples of very good work. Good direct teaching of techniques and skills enables pupils to produce good quality work at a level often higher than that usually found by the ages of seven and ten.

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ART

150. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress at both key stages. The younger pupils develop their skills in mixing colours, drawing from close direct observation and making patterns. Pupils in Key Stage 2 continue to make good progress and are introduced to a wide range of media and skills.

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ART

151. In the reception class, children receive good support from their teacher as they try to draw their own faces while using mirrors. Inaccuracies in the positioning of eyes, ears and nose are sympathetically pointed out and pupils are happy to make alterations to their drawings in the light of advice. They spend a great deal of time in deep concentration. This is very good considering their age.

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ART

152. Good observational drawings and paintings of fruit in the Years 2 and 3 class relate to the story of ‘Handa’s Surprise’. This is a story previously read during Literacy Hour, once again showing the good cross-curricular links made by teachers in their planning. In Year 3, pupils use an information technology program to draw a fruit still life, while in history they link the work in their study of Romans with the production of pictures using a mosaic technique. Work recently completed in geography in Years 4 and 5 shows close links with an African topic.

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ART

153. Three-dimensional work is also covered in this wide-ranging art curriculum. Model houses are made using a ‘slab’ technique with clay, while dragonflies are seen on display, made with clay, wire and tissue. Good development of skills is noted in work using textiles. This work illustrates the use of different stitches, knitting and appliqué work.

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ART

154. Two notable aspects of the school’s work in art are the development of printing and the use of sketchbooks. As the pupils meet an ever widening range of printing techniques, they make use of them to decorate the covers of all their topic books. This is not only very decorative but also gives a very practical use to their skills. Equally the use of good quality sketch books serves pupils well in giving them a place to record and practise their skills before committing them to directed tasks.

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ART

155. Although very little teaching was observed, it is obvious from the completed work that teachers and pupils share a love of the subject and the very positive responses shown by pupils are testimony to the skills and support shown by the teachers.

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ART

156. The subject is well organised and supported by a knowledgeable co-ordinator, who is not only a good teacher but who has also devised a very clear and supportive scheme of work. The scheme gives her colleagues a great deal of very useful information about the subject and how to teach it. This has a very positive impact on the quality of work produced. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

157. It was not possible to observe any lessons in design technology during the course of the inspection. However, through discussion with pupils and teachers, a scrutiny of planning, and the examination of a small number of completed models, it is possible to make judgements on some areas of the work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

158. The school does not have a well-formed scheme of work or completed policy for the subject. As a result, although a number of well-planned activities are carried out during the year, these are not linked so as to achieve systematic development of a range of important skills, such as designing, cutting, shaping, joining, using of tools, finishing and evaluating. This is a similar position to that in which the school found itself at the last inspection. The headteacher has already noted the need to include the subject in the School Development Plan. The school plans to develop its scheme of work, using the national guidance now available.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

159. On occasions, parents support work in design technology by taking groups of pupils out of lessons to carry out food technology tasks. Evidence of displays show that some pupils have designed and made musical instruments. They sketch out their ideas, proposing the materials and step by step instructions for making them. Having made the instruments, they then complete sound written evaluations, sometimes pointing out where things could have been made better.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

160. Older pupils are able to talk about making instruments and about designing a marble maze. Here, they once again use sound design skills, being required to measure and accurately draw their games. They then choose materials and have to cut and join them carefully.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

161. Few links are currently being made with information technology, and the school has not explored fully the possible cross-curricular links as it has done for other subjects.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

162. The school has good resources for design technology and both boys and girls are keen to have opportunities to do more designing and making.

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GEOGRAPHY

163. Pupils make good progress throughout the school and, by their final year, are achieving high standards in all aspects of the subject. This is a notable improvement on the findings of the last inspection when, although overall standards were judged satisfactory, more able pupils were found to be underachieving in Key Stage 2.

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GEOGRAPHY

164. Pupils in Key Stage 1, build well on their earlier learning, and gain a strong foundation of geographical knowledge skills and understanding. This is apparent in their recognition and correct use of geographical language. They are familiar with terms, such as ‘far’ and ‘near’ when describing their journey home from school. The school’s emphasis on enquiry shows in the way pupils ask questions and offer explanations that increasingly draw on their geographical knowledge and understanding as they go through the school. Pupils in Year 2 consider the best site for planting beans, based on what they know about the needs of plants, St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school and on their geographical knowledge of the features of different locations, such as soil, sunlight and access to water. By the time they are seven year olds, most pupils understand that maps and plans need to be positioned correctly and can refer to the compass points on the

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GEOGRAPHY

playground to help them. They use co-ordinates to identify places on real maps or on ones they themselves have created.

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GEOGRAPHY

165. Throughout the school, pupils increasingly make predictions, ask questions, try out their ideas and offer explanations. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 show how effectively these skills have been extended when they consider the reasons for some communities in Africa to be so poor. For example, in their discussions, they show a good awareness of how different climatic conditions can affect plant growth, soil erosion and health. However, they also know that not all African countries or communities are poor, and they speculate as to why this might vary. They draw on different sources of evidence in relation to a wide range of geographical themes, such as maps and weather charts. Mapping skills, noted as a weakness in the last inspection, are well developed. Ten year olds draw and read maps, interpreting features with the help of a key, understanding scale and using map references. They have a growing knowledge and understanding of places and environments beyond the immediate,

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GEOGRAPHY

and can identify oceans and continents on a map of the world.

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GEOGRAPHY

166. The quality of teaching in the two observed lessons, one in each key stage, was very good. This view is re-enforced by the quality of pupils’ work, and of teachers’ marking and planning. In both lessons, the teaching styles and methods were the key to their success. The teachers were confident in their explanations and in responding to questions, and clearly interested and enthused by the subject. Resources were thoughtfully selected to engage pupils’ interest and promote practical work and plenty of discussion. This approach motivates the pupils and encourages their involvement. The pupils respond well in lessons. They have positive attitudes, want to find out about where they live and are keen to contribute information from their own experience.

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GEOGRAPHY

167. The subject is well managed. The enthusiastic and knowledgeable co-ordinator provides a good level of support for the staff and a clear direction for improvement in provision. The last inspection found the curriculum failed to ensure continuity and progression in learning, with particular shortcomings in fieldwork and in mapping skills. All these problems have been fully resolved. A revised curriculum gives greater depth of experience, particularly through an increased emphasis upon enquiry. Throughout the school, the greater attention given to enquiry helps pupils to communicate in different ways, depending on the task and audience.

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GEOGRAPHY

168. Pupils benefit from a relevant and worthwhile experience in geography throughout the school. The increased emphasis on practical and investigative work in geography helps all pupils, including those with special educational needs, to succeed at their own level. The emphasis on exploring the vicinity of the school gives the work in geography an immediate relevance. Fieldwork, including visits to the seashore in Key Stage 1, and the residential journey in Year 4 or 5, makes a very good contribution to learning. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 169. A strong feature of the curriculum lies in the quality of links made with other subjects, but in particular with science, history, English and mathematics. For example, the emphasis given to enquiry presents many well-planned opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in writing and in speaking and listening. However, the school recognises that there are, as yet,

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GEOGRAPHY

too few opportunities to use information and communication technology to help geographical enquiry, for example, using a programmable toy to develop instructions for a route, or using the internet to find out about different weather information and locations.

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HISTORY

170. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress throughout the school. This marks an improvement since the last inspection, when pupils’ progress was judged to be sound, and some above average pupils were underachieving. No lessons in history were timetabled for the half term in which the current inspection took place. Previous work and photographic evidence, together with conversations with pupils and staff were all considered in arriving at judgements.

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HISTORY

171. Pupils in Year 1 are introduced to ideas about the past that build well on their earlier learning about their homes and families. Throughout Key Stage 1 they make good progress in developing a sense of history. This is evident in their correct use of historical words and phrases, such as ‘long ago’ and ‘past’ when talking about their work relating to life in Victorian times. History in Key Stage 1 is often taught through investigative work, using first hand evidence such artefacts, or by looking at changes in the local environment. Earlier in the school year, younger pupils looked at features in the village, such as the Old School buildings, for clues to schooling in the nineteenth century. Pupils recall what classrooms were like, how their predecessors dressed and the kind of work they did at school. Their observational drawings and accompanying writing show a good level of attention to detail

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HISTORY

and an ability to make comparisons with the present. Pupils in Key Stage 1 develop a good sense of chronology. Seven year olds know that the Second World War happened when their grandparents were young, and before their parents were born.

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HISTORY

172. Pupils continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 2. They talk knowledgeably about previous studies, such as the Vikings and The Second World War. Their sense of chronology is such that most can place events and periods in history into order, including the Egyptians, Romans, Vikings and the Tudors. They are familiar with language to describe the passing of time, such as ‘ancient’, ‘century’ and ‘B.C.’ Pupils ask questions and offer explanations around a range of historical themes. For example, Year 5 pupils discuss how we find out about people’s lives in the past, through different sources of evidence, such as archaeological finds and oral histories.

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HISTORY

173. Although it is not possible to judge the quality of teaching, evidence from a portfolio of pupils’ assessed work and from teachers’ planning suggests that they have a good understanding of the subject and relate this well to pupils’ learning. This view is reinforced by the quality, depth and good presentation of pupils’ work, and by their enthusiasm for history. This was brought home by older pupils’ recollection of a re-enacted Viking ‘raid’ on the school field and by the high quality of their subsequent poetry. The degree of empathy and thoughtful expression found in many of the poems on the invasion of Lindisfarne indicates the valuable contribution the subject makes to pupils’ spiritual awareness. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 174. The recently appointed co-ordinator continues the good management of the subject since the last inspection. The previous inspection judged that the curriculum failed to provide

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HISTORY

enough depth of experience, and that schemes of work did not ensure that new learning built on pupils’ previous learning. These shortcomings have been successfully addressed and a secure curriculum is now in place. The subject has a good status within the school’s curriculum.

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HISTORY

175. There are strong links with many other subjects, especially with geography, English and art. However, although there is evidence of considerable use made of history in developing word-processing skills, in other respects, information and communication technology opportunities are not so developed. For example, there is insufficient evidence of pupils using a CD-ROM to explore about life in the past, or of supporting historical enquiry through the use of census database.

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HISTORY

176. Teachers make effective use of the well-organised range of resources for the study of local history, and of regular visits to places of interest in the area. The school rightly looks to extend its learning resources for some newly adopted units of study, such as the Egyptians. At the same time, there are plans to ensure that the teachers are knowledgeable and confident in working with the new units.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

177. In the last inspection, standards in information and communication technology were judged to be in line with the national expectations. A key issue for improvement was to make better use of computers during lessons. While access to, and the use of, computers have increased, some aspects of the subject are not given enough emphasis. Although standards in communicating and handling data are in line with national expectations in both key stages, those in control technology and in modelling are below national expectations throughout the school.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

178. Across the school, pupils have good opportunities to develop their experience of communicating and handling data. Pupils in Year 1 are developing their keyboard skills and mouse control in activities related to different areas of the curriculum but, in particular, to literacy. They can match letters on the screen to those on the keyboard. They are beginning to recognise different key functions, such as the space bar, return and delete, to write sentences. More-able pupils can write a short story, and most pupils can draw and paint with specific programs and word process short descriptions to accompany their pictures. All of them know how to use a tape recorder on their own to listen to stories. Seven year olds use a mouse to move text around and can type their name and address using capitals and lower case letters. Some of them are using two hands on the keyboard and a thumb for the space bar.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Some Year 2 pupils use different fonts and letter sizes to produce posters asking for space glasses to be saved. Most Year 2 pupils know that information can be held on a computer. Pupils found their own graph and could present the results of a height measuring activity on it with some adult help. More-able pupils can use a simple CD-ROM, for example, to find a picture of part of the body. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 179. In Key Stage 2, pupils develop their mouse control and are increasingly familiar with the keyboard and its layout. They use computer-generated pictures, phrases and graphs to communicate meaning. They store their work on the computer, and, by Year 5, they can retrieve, alter and print it on their own. Most ten-year-olds have developed good word- processing skills. They use the computer to draft and re-draft creative writing and project work related to items across the curriculum. They are confident in working with different

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

fonts, using a simple database and in finding and printing out ‘in depth’ information from programs using the CD-ROM.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

180. While communication and data-handling skills are developed through sufficient access to computers in each classroom and in the library learning area, there are not enough opportunities for control technology and modelling. As a result, there is little evidence of pupils using information technology to control events, such as programming a sequence of actions for a screen turtle or floor robot. However, pupils in Key Stage 1 are familiar with some electronic devices, such as tape recorders, and are confident in using them on their own. In Key Stage 2, opportunities to plan instructions and develop complex sequences, either on screen or through programmable robots, are very limited. As a result, pupils’ understanding of control technology is insufficiently developed throughout the school.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

181. Throughout the school, pupils only have limited opportunities to develop their modelling skills, particularly, in Key Stage 2. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have some experience of exploring simple adventure games, solving problems, taking options and looking for patterns through specific programs. However, there is no clear progression of experience and pupils in Key Stage 2 have few opportunities to expand their use of modelling through, for example, music programs, Logo or simulation games.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

182. In addition to the teaching in two lessons, one judged good and the other satisfactory, information and communication technology featured as part of several lessons in other subjects in both key stages. Where information and communication technology was observed, the emphasis was always on communication and handling data, and this important aspect was planned well and given good support. Teachers’ planning shows that computers are used regularly to develop information and communication technology skills and to lift the provision across the curriculum. For example, in Year 1, pupils worked confidently, both on their own and in pairs, on a language program that also developed their mouse control skills. In Year 2, pupils referred to a graph showing their heights, explaining how they entered information and what it meant. The teacher in Years 4 and 5 gave just the right amount of guidance to pupils using a CD-ROM program to find out about blood circulation in the body.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

The teachers are more confident in this aspect of information and communication technology than in control and modelling, and this relates directly to the opportunities available within the classroom. Pupils enjoy information and communication technology and have a good understanding of its usefulness in everyday life, although this is mainly related to word- processing, finding information, and entertainment. Overall, teaching assistants do not have the skills to make a significant contribution to information and communication technology. However, some parents and ‘friends’ of the school do give useful help, for example, in introducing an art program. Although teachers note and record individual learning, these assessments are not yet consistently used to inform the next stage in their planning. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 183. The recently appointed co-ordinator now has a clear and relevant job-description that

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

reflects the importance the school attaches to improving the provision. Since the last inspection, computer resources have been extended and access within and near to classrooms has been improved. This has helped maintain standards in communication and handling data. A strength of the curriculum lies in the good links between information and communication technology and other subjects and in the improved access to all pupils, including those with special educational needs. However, a weakness lies in the insufficient resources and emphasis for the control and modelling aspects of the subject. The school rightly recognises that teaching and classroom support staff do not have a strong enough confidence and competence in these areas, and that in other areas their knowledge and understanding vary considerably from sound to very good. In a short time, the school has made a good start in developing the role of the co-ordinator to include a clear approach to monitoring and

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

evaluating provision. Throughout the school, there is a strong will to develop all aspects of the curriculum and to take on board new skills and concepts.

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MUSIC

184. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress throughout the school in music. The solid foundation laid in the reception class is effectively developed throughout the school. This is an improvement on the satisfactory progress made by pupils at the time of the last inspection. By the time they are in their final year at the school, pupils are achieving standards above those expected nationally for their age.

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MUSIC

185. Throughout the school, pupils develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of music. Although only two lessons of music were observed, music featured as part of assemblies and even during the course of lessons in other subjects. Seven-year-olds recognise the rhythm patterns in familiar rhymes, and sing songs from memory, such as ‘Let’s put a band together’. When the whole school is together for an assembly, they sing hymns and other songs with enthusiasm and expression. Pupils in Key Stage 1 can identify long and short sounds played by the teacher. They then perform their own ‘compositions’ to each other using various untuned instruments. Pupils in Years 2 and 3 understand musical elements and show a good sense of pitch, duration and dynamics. They can distinguish loud and quiet sounds and can ‘read’ and ‘write’ simple symbols to represent them.

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MUSIC

186. Seven-year-olds play a range of percussion instruments, such as drums and woodblocks, keeping time together to create a sequence. They talk about their efforts, suggesting ideas for improvement making good use of musical terms, such as beat and rhythm.

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MUSIC

187. Nearly all the pupils listened carefully to different kinds of recorded music played at an assembly and at the start of some lessons. Older pupils in Key Stage 1 and many in Key Stage 2 recalled the composer as being Saint Saens. They made suggestions as to the ‘mood’ the composer wanted to convey in the music, describing it as lively, strong and boastful. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 188. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 sing songs, including some in two parts, with confidence and awareness of other performers and of the audience. They work hard to improve their performance through practice of singing ostinati. The same pupils respond particularly well to different kinds of music, from Clannad to Glen Millar to Beethoven, and are beginning to appreciate the background to the composition as well as something of the composer’s intentions.

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MUSIC

There are three important reasons why pupils make good progress throughout the school:

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MUSIC

* The subject benefits from the contribution of a part-time music teacher, providing regular lessons of a high quality; * The class teachers observe and learn from the visiting teacher’s skills, which helps them in their own teaching; * The subject benefits from a well-thought out curriculum that staff feel confident in using. It provides a stimulating, step-by-step development to pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding of music.

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MUSIC

189. Pupils of all ages enjoy music. They sing with enthusiasm and expression in school assemblies. The recent music workshop was recalled by pupils with genuine delight, and is but one example of how music contributes to their spiritual development. There are good opportunities to listen and respond to different kinds of music, including a wide range from other cultures.

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MUSIC

190. The quality of teaching in the two lessons observed was of a very high standard. They moved at a brisk pace so that pupils were fully engaged through timely questions and plenty of practical activities. A strong sense of purpose reflected teachers’ confidence and expertise in the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

191. Pupils in both key stages make sound progress and they achieve standards that are broadly in line with those expected for their age. This applies equally to pupils with special educational needs. This situation is similar to that at the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

192. Teaching during the inspection was good overall. Teachers provide clear explanations for activities to be undertaken and use praise well to encourage pupils. As a result, pupils give of their best and are usually well motivated by the challenging nature of the activities. Some good direct teaching points were made, for example, in the gymnastics lesson for Years 2 and 3, pupils were given clear instructions for the safe handling of equipment. They respond well to this, even though it took a long time to set out the apparatus. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 carry out these tasks well, leaving more time for work on the apparatus.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

193. In the Year 5 and 6 dance lesson, the teacher set the challenging task of recreating the betrayal of Jesus. With good discussion opportunities and plenty of encouragement from the teacher, pupils responded well, discussed movements they might make and arrived at a very worthwhile performance, which they showed to the remainder of the Key Stage.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

194. The unsatisfactory nature of one lesson was, in part, due to the antics of a small group of boys, coupled with the teacher’s lack of experience in dealing with these pupils. St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school 195. The newly appointed co-ordinator, although lacking in experience, has already identified the need for a revised scheme of work which more clearly identifies short-term learning intentions linked with supporting activities described in some detail. This would provide non-specialist teachers with guidance on developing skills by building more clearly on what had gone before. This would have a positive impact on children’s learning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

196. The resources for physical education are good, especially for gymnastics, which is the weaker element of the school’s work. The school itself does not provide opportunities for pupils to learn to swim, and swimming is undertaken by the pupils on transfer to the Intermediate school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

197. After-school activities make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning, especially in the development of games skills for sports such as football, cricket and tennis. In spite of its size and geographical location, the school takes part in some competitive games against other schools.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

198. Outdoor and adventurous activities are catered for in the residential visit made on alternate years by the oldest pupils. This visit not only gives the pupils access to a range of adventurous activities, but also supports their social development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

199. The standards pupils achieve are in line with the demands of the locally agreed syllabus. However, as the school has not officially adopted the whole of the agreed syllabus, there is a weakness in the work. This is in the area of the teaching of different world faith groups. The headteacher is aware of this, as are the teachers, and advice should be sought in order to complete the scheme of work for the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

200. Pupils in both key stages are making good progress in their study and understanding of both Old and New Testament stories. Children in the reception class draw and write captions when they discuss the harvest and have an understanding of how God created the world. They learn about Joseph and Jacob and know the story of Jesus in the temple. Away from biblical stories, the children are able to talk and sometimes write about friendship and people who are special to them.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

201. By the end of Key Stage 1, they understand clearly the significance of the Christmas story and know a good deal about the boyhood of Jesus. They can recount the story of the Good Samaritan and have read and written about the story of David and Goliath, and of Moses. Pupils in a Year 1 and 2 class hear the story of Badger leaving his gifts to his friends and understand more clearly the significance of the way God left his Son as a gift to all mankind.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

202. The older pupils understand the significance of the Baptism of Jesus and can relate this to their own lives. They have had the opportunity of discussing the events in the Garden of Eden and have written about ‘Responsibility’. In a lesson seen with the oldest pupils, their understanding of the betrayal of Jesus is strengthened by opportunities to write about it in the St Mary’s and St Paul’s First school style of a newspaper. Here they make good use of information technology as they use the computers to generate the front page of their paper. In a drama lesson they act out the story to music, and have a very good opportunity to reflect on the story and so enhance their own spiritual development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

203. With so much satisfactory work seen in Old and New Testament studies, it is surprising that the school’s work on other world faiths is confined to the oldest pupils and is limited to a few lessons in one particular term. The time given to religious education has been recently increased from half an hour to an hour a week. It is to be hoped that some of this extra time will be used, on a more regular basis, in order to broaden the views of all pupils on the faiths of Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. There are good individual examples of very brief topics surrounding the Passover, for example, when a visitor to the school spoke about the Jewish beliefs surrounding this particular festival. But these opportunities do not build systematically over time to provide the pupils with a good understanding of how millions of other people worldwide carry out their worship, and how their lives are ordered by their

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

204. In spite of this, pupils are gaining some support for their cultural development from the religious education curriculum. However, they gain more support for their spiritual, moral and social development from their work in this subject. They are given opportunities to reflect on prayers, and to discuss the social and moral implications of friendship, responsibility and help for developing countries.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

205. The quality of teaching of lessons observed during the inspection was good. Teachers prepare and plan well for their lessons, but have a limited supply of resources with which to work and enliven their lessons. Although the school often has artefacts on loan, there is a need to improve the school’s own limited stock of resources if it is to support and develop teaching further. Through the good quality of teaching, pupils show an interest in the work. In the good lesson concerning the betrayal of Christ, the good teaching produced good responses from the pupils. They enjoyed setting out their newspaper stories, drew good pictures of the scene in the garden of Gethsemane and worked hard to produce an effective dance to illustrate the emotions of the event.

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