St Francis RC Primary School

ST FRANCIS RC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST FRANCIS RC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Francis RC Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Friary Road Peckham London

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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: Fr Paul Hendricks (Acting)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 May 1997 St Francis RC Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

25344 Joe Peacock Registered inspector Information and communication technology Physical education What sort of school is it? The school's results and pupils' achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to further improve? 19374 Wendy Sheehan Lay inspector Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22545 Valerie Hobson Team inspector Mathematics Design and technology Special educational needs English as an additional language 8839 Mike Egerton Team inspector The Foundation Stage Equal opportunities Art and design History 2200 Jim Stirrup Team inspector English Music 28686 Elizabeth Walker Team inspector Science Geography How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 3732 Derek Smith Team inspector Support for English as an additional language

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

St Francis RC Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Higherland Bridge 49 West Street Gargrave Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 3RJ

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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 Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Francis RC Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This Voluntary Aided, Roman Catholic primary school caters for pupils from four to 11 years of age and is bigger than other primary schools, nationally. There are 425 pupils on roll, 198 boys and 224 girls in 14 single age classes and a nursery. Currently, 25 children attend the nursery, some on a full time basis and some part time. Numbers at this popular school have increased since the previous inspection. Pupils come from a wide variety of backgrounds, mostly from Peckham and all are of the Roman Catholic faith. The attainment of most when they enter the nursery is below average. About four out of ten pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is above the national average. The school has 79 pupils with special educational needs, which is broadly average and five have a statement of special educational needs. There are 344 pupils from a minority ethnic background, which is very high when

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

compared to other schools nationally. These pupils are mostly from an African or Caribbean background, with a small group from travelling families and some refugees from Columbia. Many of these pupils speak English as an additional language, with 73 at an early stage when they started school. Nearly all now speak and understand English well.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school, which pupils enjoy attending. They respond well to all staff and are eager to learn. The leadership of the experienced and extremely conscientious headteacher, supported by a hardworking staff, is largely responsible for this and the school's established reputation in the area. Governors are closely involved with the school and take their responsibilities seriously. As a result, there is strong emphasis on raising standards, with pupils achieving above average standards in four of the subjects inspected but below average standards in three. Parents are very supportive and this popular school is over subscribed each year. When all these factors are taken into account, along with the high costs per pupil, the school is providing satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Above average standards are being achieved in information and communication technology, art and design, music and physical education. • Pupils' attitudes, behaviour and relationships are good. This has a positive effect on their learning. • The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. • Financial management is very effective allowing the school to bring about improvements and to develop. • Links with parents and the church community are a strength. • Pupils' perception of their school reflects the caring ethos fostered by staff. They are proud to 'belong' to St Francis school.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, mathematics and design and technology throughout and in science by the age of seven. • Aspects of teaching in some classes such as teachers' expectations of what pupils can do.

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What could be improved

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 key issues raised in the previous inspection in May 1997 have been tackled with varying degrees of success. The biggest jump in improvement has taken place in teachers' expertise in information and communication technology. This has resulted in standards by the age of 11 being above average. Standards in geography throughout the school have also been successfully improved. All subjects St Francis RC Primary School - 8 benefit from a detailed scheme of work. One important area, raised in the previous report, was the development of the monitoring role of subject coordinators. All now have a clear set of responsibilities but monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching remains as an unsatisfactory aspect. It is not sufficiently rigorous to identify strengths and weaknesses effectively in the subjects, identified as priorities in the school development plan. The National Numeracy and National Literacy Strategies have

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

been satisfactorily implemented, helping to raise standards. As a result of the satisfactory level of improvement, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour have improved and standards are rising steadily.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English E C D A well above average above average A B

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Key

mathematics E C D B average below average C D science E E E C well below average E

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Key

The fluctuating standards are in part caused by varying proportions of lower attaining pupils in the year groups. The overall trend in results from 1997 shows that the standards achieved vary considerably with a low point in 1999. From then, the trend is an improving one for English, mathematics and science, being broadly in line with the trend nationally. All pupils achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment and pupils do well in comparison to those in similar schools in English and mathematics. Early indications show that standards have at least been maintained in the 2002 national tests with a small percentage rise in English and science. Inspection evidence shows that standards, by the age of 11, are above average in information and communication technology, art and design, music and physical education. However, standards in English, mathematics and design and technology are below national

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Key

expectations. In science, history and geography, standards are about average. Pupils' performance in the National Curriculum tests for seven year olds follows a similar pattern, up one year, down the next, due to the fluctuating number of pupils with special educational needs. However, very high standards, being in the top five per cent nationally, were achieved in mathematics in 2001, with every pupil reaching the expected level. Inspection evidence shows standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science along with design and technology, to be below average, above those normally seen in art and design, music and physical education and in line with those expected in all others. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve the Early Learning Goals in three of the six areas of their curriculum before they transfer into Year 1. Many do not attain all the Early Learning Goals in language and literacy,

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Key

mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils really enjoy their lessons and try hard to please their teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Most pupils behave in a mature and sensible manner. In assemblies and during Mass, their behaviour is exemplary. There have been no exclusions. Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils show kindness and consideration towards one another. 'We are all one big team' according to Year 6 pupils. All readily accept responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. A small amount of unauthorised absence is recorded this year but St Francis RC Primary School - 9 none last year. A number of pupils arrive late, disrupting the start of lessons.

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

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

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

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 in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

In the 1997 inspection, teaching was judged to be sound overall, with good or very good teaching seen in four out of ten lessons. Fifteen per cent of teaching was unsatisfactory. There has been a satisfactory level of improvement since then with far fewer lessons seen with unsatisfactory teaching and over six out of ten lessons being either good, very good or excellent. The overall quality of teaching and learning remains satisfactory as there are weaknesses in certain aspects. Teachers' expectations of pupils are not high enough in some lessons and the same work is often provided for all pupils. This results in a lack of challenge for higher attaining pupils and work that is too difficult for lower attaining pupils or those with special educational needs. Some teachers are not making effective use of classroom support assistants and the quality of marking, particularly in the junior section, is poor. In the seven lessons

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

where teaching was judged unsatisfactory or poor, the quality of learning was adversely affected by weak control of pupils' behaviour and undemanding work. Literacy and numeracy skills are well developed in most lessons. Where teaching was very good or excellent, teachers’ energy, enthusiasm and very good subject knowledge along with their very well planned and challenging activities successfully motivated all pupils. Pupils gained much from these lessons and the quality of learning was high with pupils sustaining their level of concentration very well. The satisfactory teaching in the Foundation Stage enables children to attain the Early Learning Goals in three of the six areas of their curriculum before the end of their reception year.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. Statutory requirements are met. Assessment information is not used effectively when planning lessons. Links with the community effectively enhance the curriculum. Provision for extra curricular activities is good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Individual learning targets are clearly defined and pupils’ progress towards them regularly assessed. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Very few are unable to speak and understand English. Those who need it are supported well in lessons. The command of English is not a barrier to learning and all pupils are fully included in lessons. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Their spiritual development is promoted well. A strong sense of morality underpins the aims of the school. Pupils' social development is

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Aspect Comment

very good. Staff act as very good role models teaching pupils to respect the feelings of others. Cultural development is promoted effectively as pupils share and celebrate the diversity of cultures within the school. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Pupils are treated in a warm, friendly manner by staff. There is a strong sense of community where caring for one another is pivotal.

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Aspect Comment

Parents are very supportive. The strong partnership, which exists between home, the Catholic Church and school, has a positive effect on pupils' learning. St Francis RC Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory, overall. The headteacher demonstrates a high level of professional expertise. The hard working senior management team need to help iron out inconsistencies of practice throughout the school. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. All governors carry out their duties conscientiously, with the best interests of pupils in mind. The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory. The school's results in the National Curriculum tests and priorities in the School Development Plan need to be more effectively monitored and evaluated so that areas of weakness can be quickly identified and put right. The strategic use of resources Good. A very experienced bursar manages the finances extremely well and best value is actively sought in all expenditure.

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Aspect Comment

The school has achieved a degree of stability in its staffing, which is satisfactory. The accommodation is good and resources are satisfactory, overall. However, more computers are needed to support pupils' work.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Pupils like school and they make good progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Behaviour is good. School helps pupils to become more mature.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Teaching is good and pupils are expected to work hard.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school works closely with parents. They are well informed about pupils’ progress and feel comfortable about approaching school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school is well led and managed. • The range of activities outside normal lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors mostly agree with parents’ positive responses. However, the quality of teaching and leadership and management were judged to be satisfactory rather than good. They do not agree with parents' criticism over extra curricular activities or homework. There is a good range of activities for pupils outside normal lessons and the amount of homework is similar to that found in most primary schools. St Francis RC Primary School - 11 St Francis RC Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 The previous inspection in May 1997 reported that standards throughout the school were generally satisfactory. In the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, they were in line with national expectations. However, in geography and information and communication technology, they were unsatisfactory. Since 1997, pupils’ overall performance in English, mathematics and science has fluctuated, sometimes being in line but mostly being below or well below the national average. This is in part due to the proportion of lower attaining pupils in each year group and also the quality of teaching and subject management. In this inspection, for example, standards in design and technology are below those expected throughout due largely to the lack of a subject coordinator and little time being devoted to it on the weekly timetable. The school does, however, compare well when pupils' performance in the National Curriculum tests is compared with that of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 In the 2001 National Curriculum tests for seven year olds, standards in reading were below average and in writing and mathematics, they were well below. An analysis by the school, and one that inspectors are in full agreement over, is that this was due to the higher than usual proportion of pupils with lower ability or special educational needs in the year groups. When the results are compared to similar schools, pupils' performance is above the average in reading and in line with the average in writing and mathematics. In the teacher assessments in science, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level or above was well below average but an above average number attained above the expected level.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 Children enter the nursery with a wide range of attainment but, overall, it is below that normally expected of four year olds. All children quickly settle into school routines and approach their learning positively. The nursery teacher is supported well by the conscientious nursery assistants, parent volunteers and, on occasions, students. Children transfer to the reception classes, having made satisfactory progress, overall in the Foundation Stage curriculum. The level of care and support continues in the two reception classes. During the Foundation Stage, which covers children’s time in the nursery and reception classes, all children make good progress in three of the six areas of the curriculum. Most attain the Early Learning Goals in their personal and social development, physical and creative development before they are ready to transfer to Year 1, when they begin the National Curriculum. Their progress in these areas is good. However, in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

communication, language and literacy, many struggle because English for them is an additional language. Many do not attain all the Early Learning Goals in mathematics and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. However, their progress is satisfactory in these aspects, considering their below and sometimes well below average starting point.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 Inspection findings show that the attainment for seven year olds in English, mathematics and science is below the national average. Comparisons with standards at the time of the previous inspection are difficult because of the many changes in staffing and different proportions of lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. The makeup of each year group has caused standards to fluctuate from year to year, sometimes up and sometimes down. 1997 was obviously a year when that particular year group did better than others to achieve standards in line with expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 In English, the standard of pupils’ speaking and listening skills is below that expected for seven year olds. This reflects the difficulties faced by a large proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language. The introduction of the National Literacy Strategy and an improvement in aspects of teaching such as drama and role play is helping these pupils to learn English more quickly. Pupils are provided with regular opportunities to express themselves in class discussions and school assemblies. There were few, during the inspection, who did not fully understand spoken English. All pupils listen attentively. The good strategies in place to promote reading show St Francis RC Primary School - 13 that reading is taught effectively, enabling pupils to develop good strategies for reading unfamiliar words. The close liaison between home and school, with parents regularly hearing their children

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

read, is most certainly helping to improve standards. Overall, taking into account the performance of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, standards in reading are below those expected nationally for seven year olds. Pupils are provided with plenty of opportunities to write in most subjects, helping to consolidate their knowledge of letter sounds, spelling and sentence structures. In the literacy sessions, pupils are provided with a good range of different forms of writing such as retelling stories and composing letters or poems. Most form their letters correctly when doing their handwriting exercises. Overall, the standard of pupils' writing at seven is below average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 In mathematics, by the age of seven, attainment is below the national average. However, pupils make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment. This is mostly due to the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, which has had a marked effect on standards in mental mathematics in particular.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7 Much work of a practical nature is undertaken in science in Year 1. However, this is a weakness in Year 2. By age seven, pupils know about sound waves, parts of plants and the correct procedures to follow when doing experiments. However, teachers' expectations are not high enough in some lessons and work is not sufficiently challenging. As a result, pupils lose interest. This was seen in a Year 2 lesson on electrical circuits. The task, creating a simple circuit, was completed relatively quickly and easily by all pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 Pupils attain standards, which are in line with those normally expected for seven year olds in information and communication technology, geography and history. In Year 1, in particular, teachers' expertise in the subject helps to account for the marked improvement in standards in information and communication technology. The introduction of clear guidance in detailed schemes of work for history and geography has helped to maintain standards in history and bring about an improvement in geography where standards were below those expected in the previous inspection. In art and design, music and physical education, standards are above average. This is largely due to the influence of the subject coordinators, the good subject knowledge of teachers and the good range of resources available for pupils to use. The expertise in music of two teachers on the staff is used well to ensure pupils in all classes benefit. They teach most of the music

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

lessons whilst colleagues take their classes. In Year 6, this works particularly well as expertise in music and with computers is shared. In design and technology, standards are below those expected. Very little evidence of teaching the subject was found and the range of materials and tools available is unsatisfactory. At present, there is no coordinator for the subject to help and advise other teachers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9 In the National Curriculum tests for 11 year olds, the picture is similar to that achieved by seven year olds. Compared to all schools nationally, standards are below average in English and mathematics and well below average in science. Compared to similar schools, pupils' performance is well above average in English, above average in mathematics and in line with the average in science. Early indications in the National Curriculum tests in 2002 for 11 year olds, show that the school’s results have improved slightly in English, mathematics and science. This is a happy, caring school where teachers know their pupils well and work extremely hard to help each one, whatever their ability, to achieve their full potential. Furthermore, pupils’ attitudes are good, as are their relationships with one another and their teachers. The climate for learning was reported as requiring some improvement in 1997 and inspection evidence points strongly to a much improved

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

situation in most classes due to the continued commitment and professional expertise of the headteacher and his determination to raise standards. Pupils make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment. The overall trend in pupils' results is broadly in line with the national trend since 1997. To increase this rate of progress and raise standards further, some weaknesses in teaching, such as teachers’ expectations of pupils, and matching work more closely to the abilities of individual pupils, needs to be put right, and subject coordinators must focus more rigorously on ways to raise standards in their subject. St Francis RC Primary School - 14 10 Inspection evidence shows that, by age 11, standards in English and mathematics are below average but in science, they are in line with those expected nationally. In English, pupils’ ability to speak and understand English is no longer a barrier to their learning. Most pupils from minority

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

ethnic backgrounds have a good command of English. Teachers provide lots of opportunities for pupils to work together in small groups and this encourages discussion and the use of English. In mathematics, teachers' use of assessment information to plan challenging work, which more closely matches pupils' abilities, is unsatisfactory. Few give pupils additional guidance on how to further improve their work through their marking. Although many pupils do well in mental mathematics, the overall standard, taking into account the standards achieved by pupils with special educational needs is below average. Pupils enjoy the practical aspect of science and this has a positive impact on their learning. All know how to conduct fair tests when carrying out investigations and have a satisfactory knowledge of scientific terms.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11 Pupils' progress in information and communication technology is good, largely due to the expertise of the subject coordinator. As a result, standards by age 11 are above those normally seen. However, in some year groups, there was less evidence of work completed using computers. Basically, they are used well in Years 3 and 6 but not so well in Years 4 and 5. Standards are also above average in art and design, music and physical education, the reasons being the same as for the infant section. Standards in geography, a key issue previously, and history match those seen by the age of seven, being in line with national expectations. The same problems exist with design and technology and standards are below those expected by the time pupils are 11.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12 The satisfactory achievement of pupils after starting Year 1, and the standards they attain by the age of 11, are a reflection of the improvements in teaching and pupils’ attitudes towards school. The overwhelming majority of parents who returned the questionnaire believe that the school expects children to work hard and achieve their best. The inspection team recognise the strong impact that the headteacher, supported by key staff such as the two deputy headteachers and subject coordinators, is having on pupils’ willingness to work and determination to do well. The senior management staff now need to place more emphasis on fewer priorities and all subject coordinators must have a sharper focus on identifying weak aspects in teaching and learning in order to increase pupils' rate of progress further and continue to raise standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13 The provision for special educational needs is satisfactory and pupils make satisfactory progress towards the targets set for them. Their individual education plans have clear achievable targets. However, these specific targets are not always taken into account when teachers plan their lessons. The special educational needs assistants provide effective support, helping most pupils to meet their targets. In all classes, those with recognised behavioural difficulties are fully integrated in lessons. Most teachers have high expectations of behaviour and their class control and level of discipline ensure that these pupils make at least satisfactory progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14 The school identifies the most able or talented pupils and most teachers usually try to provide them with suitably challenging work. This was seen in one Year 4 mathematics lesson when higher attaining pupils had to complete calculations using larger numbers and convert fractions to decimals. However, in the same year group in another class, pupils were given the same work as other pupils and quickly finished it. They then spent the rest of the lesson talking about more difficult work that they did at home. The lack of challenge often leads to boredom and some time wasting as they wait for others to finish, affecting their rate of progress. This is satisfactory, overall, in line with that of other pupils. Some teachers need to raise their expectations of these pupils and plan more challenging and interesting work for them. The school tries to ensure that all pupils, whatever their ability, are fully included in all aspects of school life with teachers ensuring

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

equality of opportunity for all. This includes any pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those with English as an additional language, who are often helped on a one to one basis in class by teachers or classroom support assistants. As a result, pupils feel valued and this in turn encourages them to do their best in lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

St Francis RC Primary School - 15 15 The school has continued to promote good attitudes amongst pupils, as reported in the previous inspection. It reflects the determination of all staff to value individuals and treat every pupil equally by providing support for those who are from a minority ethnic background or those who find speaking or understanding English difficult. All pupils are keen to come to school. Parents who responded to the questionnaire supported the view that their child likes school. Pupils usually concentrate well for suitable periods of time and respond positively to the work set whether as a class, in groups or as individual tasks. Children in the Foundation Stage are enthusiastic learners and in the nursery, children are gaining confidence within the caring school community. Where lessons provide sufficient challenge, pupils are interested and well motivated but in some lessons,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

which do not provide sufficient challenge, pupils often sit quietly disinterested, or on occasions behave inappropriately.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16 Overall behaviour is good and has improved since the time of the previous inspection report. In discussion with pupils they know the rules and are aware of the detention system in place. Most of the time pupils behave well in lessons and move orderly around the school when supervised. However on occasions where they are unsupervised, some older pupils are sometimes noisy and do not adhere to the school rules. For example, they run up the stairs to the classrooms or fail to pay attention to the bells in the playground. There have been no exclusions at the school in the last year. When talking with Year 6 pupils they feel that there is only a small amount of bullying and they know what to do should it occur. They feel that in recent years behaviour has improved and that there is less bullying. Through personal and social development pupils have learnt that “its not nice to be a bully or be bullied.”

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17 Relationships within the school are good and pupils make good progress in developing their social skills. Pupils are developing a good understanding of the impact of their actions on others. This is developed well through assemblies, and circle time. The large majority is confident to talk about their behaviour, feelings and experiences with their classmates and are prepared to listen to others' views. For example, in a Year 4 lesson called 'circle time', where pupils are encouraged to talk about their feelings, there were some very good contributions about how specific situations made them feel. Some pupils play an active part in the life of the school, for example, by being part of the school council or a playground buddy. They like being given responsibilities in class. In discussion they mentioned they “like being a monitor because you get to do special things”. They open doors politely for visitors and enjoy social opportunities to talk with visitors. In some lessons,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

there are limited opportunities for pupils to develop independent learning skills. For example, in some classes pupils are not sure what they need to do to improve further and this results in some pupils not achieving as well as expected. Relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils are good. In discussion with pupils from Year 6, they felt that “friends will stand by you” and “ we are all one big team.”

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18 Attendance is satisfactory and in line with most schools nationally. During the current academic year the school has a very small amount of unauthorised absences. The efficient office staff are very clear about why these absences occurred reflecting their clear procedures and high level of vigilance. Registration is taken punctually, however there is a significant amount of pupils who arrive after registration has closed and this disturbs other pupils’ learning during the introduction to the first lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19 The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory. Previously it was judged to be sound with either good or very good teaching seen in four out of ten lessons. Fifteen per cent of teaching was found to be unsatisfactory. The previous inspection highlighted weaknesses in aspects of teaching such as the lack of behaviour management strategies and few schemes of work to guide teachers effectively and make learning progressive from year to year. There was also insufficient challenge for higher attaining pupils and some teachers lacked expertise in certain subjects. The level of improvement since then has been satisfactory. In this inspection, teaching was good, very good or excellent in six out of ten lessons and unsatisfactory or poor in about ten per cent, which equates to seven lessons. Over half of these were in one year group in the infant section of the school and mostly related to poor behaviour management and low expectations of pupils by the teachers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

St Francis RC Primary School - 16 20 It was apparent from lesson observations and a scrutiny of pupils’ completed work that the quality of teaching varies throughout the school. The quality of pupils’ work and the amount they produced in each subject reflects the quality of teaching in particular classes and the quality of teachers' marking. As a direct consequence, pupils achieve higher standards in classes where they are given work, which is well matched to their ability level and where the tasks set are challenging and interesting. In Year 1 and Year 6, for example, pupils used computers extensively, producing much work to a high standard. The expertise of the teachers in these year groups, particularly the information and communication technology coordinator in Year 6, succeeded in motivating pupils to achieve high standards. There were few comments provided by teachers in the junior classes when

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

marking pupils’ work to show them how to further improve their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21 In their planning, teachers draw heavily on pupils’ learning and skills from other subjects. In a geography lesson, for example, pupils discussed and planned their dream holiday and used skills gained in English to record their ideas. Other satisfactory features of teaching, showing previous criticisms have been corrected: teachers sharing the clear learning objectives for each lesson with pupils; their techniques for maintaining control in lessons and work which was well matched to pupils’ needs. Where teaching was very good or excellent, teachers’ energy, enthusiasm and very good subject knowledge along with their very well planned and challenging activities successfully motivated pupils. Pupils gained much from these lessons and the quality of learning was high. Two excellent examples of teaching were seen in Years 3 and 6. Due to their teachers’ expertise, pupils made significant gains in their knowledge by the end of these lessons. In a Year 6 lesson

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

using computers, for example, pupils became totally absorbed in the demanding task of controlling traffic lights through the computer. The excellent subject knowledge of the teacher was readily apparent and pupils responded very well to her high expectations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22 The quality of teaching in the literacy hours is satisfactory, showing that the school has satisfactorily implemented the National Literacy Strategy. The teaching of mathematics in numeracy sessions is also satisfactory, throughout. Most teachers teach mental mathematics well, closely following the guidance in the National Numeracy Strategy. In literacy and numeracy sessions, satisfactory use is made of computers. This is an improvement since the previous inspection and makes lessons more interesting for pupils. Teachers effectively use the skills that pupils have learned in these sessions when teaching all other subjects. In a Year 1 mathematics lesson, for example, pupils used a computer program to make pictures using geometric shapes. They use their writing skills in history and geography, writing accounts about life in Victorian times or how to improve the school playground.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23 Pupils’ access to and use of computers to support their learning in literacy and numeracy lessons is satisfactory. In Year 2, for example, pupils reinforced their knowledge of angles when using a programmable mobile toy. Teachers are able to plan activities for pupils to use and develop their computer skills to support their learning by using the satisfactory range of programs available in most of their lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24 The quality of teaching in science is good. Pupils in the junior classes have good opportunities to carry out scientific investigations for themselves, often working with a partner or within a small group. However, this aspect is more limited in the infant classes, particularly in Year 2. In information and communication technology, the quality of teaching has improved markedly since the previous inspection and is now good, reflecting the big improvement in the standards pupils achieve. Teachers confidently use the available computers to good effect and standards, as a result, have improved to be above those normally seen by the age of 11.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25 Teachers’ confidence varies in music but the expertise of two teachers with specialist knowledge is used effectively to ensure all classes fully cover the statutory curriculum. The overall quality of teaching is good and as a result, standards are above those expected throughout. The quality of teaching is good throughout in art and design and in physical education, resulting in standards above those normally expected in both subjects. The quality of pupils’ completed work on attractive displays around the school reflects the above average standards. All pupils enjoy taking part in physical education and their positive attitudes and the good range of activities, some of St Francis RC Primary School - 17 which are with specialist coaches after school, contribute to the higher than average standards. Additionally, language is not a barrier to pupils' performance and all make good progress right from

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the start in the nursery in this area of learning. In history and geography, insufficient lessons were seen to make a reliable judgement on the quality of teaching. Based on the scrutiny of work, the quality of learning in history is satisfactory and the quality of teaching in a geography lesson in Year 4 was good. In design and technology, insufficient evidence in the infant section meant a judgement on the overall quality of teaching could not be made. However, in the junior section, teaching was unsatisfactory. Resources for making things need to be further improved and more time needs to be allocated to the subject in each class each week.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26 Teachers make satisfactory use of modern technology in their lessons. Some use computers confidently and effectively, as in Years 1, 3 and 6, but others remain less confident. All teachers frequently use overhead projectors, videos and CD players to add interest and variety to their lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27 The school’s climate for learning was described as requiring some improvement based on the judgements in the previous inspection. A fair reflection of the quality of learning in this inspection, taking into account the overall quality of teaching and the standards being achieved in all departments of the school, is that it is satisfactory. All teachers work hard to establish a calm working atmosphere and promote effective learning. Classroom support staff are normally used well to support individuals or small groups of pupils in lessons. When used effectively in this way, their contribution is instrumental in raising standards. However, on occasions, some of the more recently appointed support staff were not sufficiently involved with pupils’ learning. The school regularly arranges training sessions to improve the effectiveness of support staff. Most teachers have developed good strategies to maintain pupils’ behaviour and ensure that they maintain their

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

level of concentration. In most classes, for example, pupils are given strict time limits to finish tasks and are rewarded with frequent praise. Pupils obviously enjoy the calm, orderly atmosphere in lessons and most behave well, showing a good attitude towards their learning. Most concentrate fully and are keen to do well for their teachers and themselves. However, in some classes, this is not the case as teachers struggle to maintain discipline and use inappropriate punishments such as writing lines.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28 The class teachers know who the very able or talented pupils are in their class and usually make special provision for them in lessons to keep them suitably challenged. Teachers are well prepared for their lessons with a good range of resources readily available for these pupils. This helps to maintain most pupils’ interest and encourages them to use their initiative and choose suitable materials when working independently. Most sustain their level of concentration and make satisfactory progress. In Year 6, for example, a very able pupil demonstrated advanced computer skills as she supported a pupil using a laptop computer to show his collection of files to an inspector. Good opportunities are provided for very able pupils to work independently using modern technology.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29 The quality of teaching for children in the Foundation Stage, which covers their time in the nursery and two reception classes, is satisfactory. Children are given a good start to their learning in the nursery, where the teacher and support staff adopt a caring approach to help children settle in quickly. All teachers in the Foundation Stage work hard to enable children to make good progress and attain the Early Learning Goals in three of the six areas of learning. The below average attainment on entry and difficulty with English faced by many children means that, despite the best efforts of the teachers, pupils do not attain the Early Learning Goals in their communication, language and literacy skills, mathematical development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30 Almost one fifth of pupils experiences difficulty in speaking English when they enter school. They are adequately supported in class and benefit from the help of teachers with specialist knowledge in teaching English. Individual attention or working within a small group, sometimes out of the classroom, with these specialists enables pupils to make rapid progress. All quickly learn English, helped by the contact with other pupils. During the inspection, a very small number were still St Francis RC Primary School - 18 experiencing difficulty. For most, speaking and understanding English is not a barrier to their involvement in lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31 The overall quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Established classroom assistants make a significant contribution to the learning of the pupils they support, whether in small groups or in withdrawal groups. Most use their initiative well to ensure pupils participate in the lessons. In one lesson, for example the classroom assistant worked alongside one pupil while the teacher was introducing the work for a literacy session, making sure that the pupil understood the questions and could answer them. However, in some lessons, support staff are not effectively deployed by teachers or sufficiently involved in pupils’ learning. Teachers know the specific individual targets for pupils as they help to prepare their individual education plans. However, these targets are not always included in lesson plans, slowing pupils’ progress towards achieving them. Pupils with behavioural difficulties are usually well managed, to prevent other

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils’ learning being disrupted and to help them gain self control as quickly as possible.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32 A few parents, in their responses to the questionnaire sent out prior to the inspection, were unhappy with the amount of homework their children are expected to do. Inspectors judged the amount and frequency of homework to be in line with that normally seen in other primary schools. The school’s policy statement gives clear guidance to teachers and parents on homework. Teachers are generally making satisfactory use of homework as part of their commitment to raise standards. As a result, homework effectively supports pupils’ learning.

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PUPILS?

33 All subjects of the National Curriculum are taught and comply with statutory requirements. However, aspects of design and technology are not sufficiently covered through a lack of curriculum time. This adversely affects standards in the subject. The school follows the Locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education and this subject will be inspected separately under a section 23 inspection in the autumn term.

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PUPILS?

34 At the time of the previous inspection, geography, history and the investigative aspects of both mathematics and science were underdeveloped. These subjects are now securely in place and progress since the previous inspection is satisfactory.

p.18

PUPILS?

35 The previous report required the school to complete the development of schemes of work for all subjects and this has now been achieved. However, little evidence was seen of any impact of the new scheme in the standards in design and technology. The school is awaiting the use of a new computer suite so that pupils can make better use of computers in their lessons. At present, access is limited by the unsatisfactory resource levels.

p.18

PUPILS?

36 The Foundation Stage curriculum is clearly based upon the nationally recognised scheme and enables children from a wide range of abilities to learn at a satisfactory pace. An interesting range of activities is provided. There is good liaison over planning between the nursery and reception class teachers.

p.18

PUPILS?

37 The way in which curriculum plans have been implemented through the school is satisfactory. The school has addressed the demands of most subjects through developing a long term curriculum framework showing content and time allocations. These have been implemented, although history and geography are only taught for two terms each in the academic year. The school has begun to develop links between some subjects. This enables pupils to consolidate learning in one subject whilst learning about another subject: for example, in science, geography and maths, and between history and geography.

p.18

PUPILS?

38 Both English and mathematics are taught following the guidance in the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. These have been satisfactorily implemented and pupils are using and developing the skills they learn in these lessons in other areas of the curriculum. They refine their St Francis RC Primary School - 19 writing skills in reports and pieces of writing about history and geographical aspects and use their mathematical skills in science to record the results of their investigations. All other subjects are now taught largely using the nationally recognised schemes of work. Consequently the provision for investigations in science and maths has improved. The provision for geography has been extended since the previous inspection and is now satisfactory.

p.18

PUPILS?

39 Improvements in planning have impacted on the quality of the curriculum and the overview undertaken by some of the coordinators enables them to monitor how the subject is being delivered throughout the school. This ensures continuity and progression in developing key skills in each subject. However, in some year groups, there was limited evidence of computers being used to effectively support pupils’ work in most subjects. There are plans to develop this area when the new computer suite is ready. Whilst there has been some adequate monitoring of planning in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, there is insufficient monitoring of, for example, of what pupils achieve in other subjects. This is unsatisfactory. There is little impact through monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in these subjects, which in Years 3 to 6 are taught in isolation from each other.

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PUPILS?

40 Most staff work hard to try and ensure equality of access for all pupils. Pupils’ needs are carefully considered. However, whilst there is some provision for the differing abilities of pupils they are not met in the some subject areas of the curriculum. The higher attaining pupils, for example, are not sufficiently challenged or extended to develop their knowledge and particular skills in some classes.

p.19

PUPILS?

41 There is satisfactory provision and a policy is in place so that pupils have an awareness of personal social and health education. This includes sex education although the policy is at present under review. A drugs awareness programme is planned and due to be implemented this term. Provision is satisfactory, overall as drugs awareness is taught well as part of the science curriculum. However, the school does not make sufficient use of specialists from these fields to assist and support these aspects.

p.19

PUPILS?

42 There is a good range of extra curricular activities, particularly for the older pupils. The range includes some music, sport and leisure coaching from Millwall football club, chess, Spanish, and science clubs. Year 6 takes part in a week’s residential visit to the Quantock Hills and experiences a range of outdoor activities including abseiling and walking. These activities give pupils confidence and help to develop their social skills.

p.19

PUPILS?

43 There are good links with the local community and the school uses the local area effectively as a teaching resource for its science, history and geography. A number of visitors support the school including visitors from the church and the local community, theatre groups and musicians. A further link is being established with a school in Northern Ghana. There are links with some partner schools but these do not impact on pupils’ learning, there are no exchanges between teaching staff. Pupils make visits to the local secondary schools and take part in some inter school activities.

p.19

PUPILS?

44 The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The school has a very good ethos in which all pupils are seen as individuals and are positively valued. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is seen as a means of educating the whole person.

p.19

PUPILS?

45 Planned provision for spiritual development is good, though it is very much limited to religious education lessons, assemblies and regular masses in school. There is currently no specific policy or identified strategies for developing spiritual development throughout the whole curriculum. Provision for spiritual development is very much linked to the Christian and Catholic nature of the school and its central aim of providing all pupils with an education based on Roman Catholic values and principles. This is reflected in the school Mission Statement on display around the school.

p.19

PUPILS?

46 The school fulfils all the requirements for a daily act of collective worship, with prayers being said in both class and infant and junior assemblies, as well as at lunchtimes and the end of the school St Francis RC Primary School - 20 day. Pupils are given the opportunity to contribute to both assemblies and masses. A clear spiritual dimension was observed during these activities as pupils and staff come together to share, reflect on and celebrate their faith.

p.19

PUPILS?

47 The provision for pupils’ moral development is good. A strong sense of morality underpins the aims and objectives of the school with pupils having a clear sense of right and wrong. Pupils are well aware of the responsibility they have for their own actions, and show a concern for the well being of others. This is reflected in their regular fund raising for local and national charities and the strong links and support given to a school in Ghana. Pupils’ good behaviour is enhanced by the schools’ rewards and sanctions system with the emphasis being very much on the rewarding of positive behaviour rather than penalising the bad. The class rules put together by pupils, show that pupils have a clear understanding of what is expected in terms of their behaviour in lessons. Pupils also value the use of the house system used in school. Opportunities for pupils to reflect on moral issues are provided in special lessons called 'Circle Time'. In these sessions, pupils consider a

p.20

PUPILS?

number of contemporary and moral issues, which impact on their daily lives.

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PUPILS?

48 Provision for the development of pupils' social skills is very good. All members of school, including teaching and non teaching staff provide good role models for pupils. Pupils move around the school in an orderly manner, respect their environment and are courteous to visitors. Good relationships exist between pupils and between pupils and all adults. The ‘Buddy’ system used at breaks and lunchtimes gives valuable support to pupils who lack confidence in themselves, and who need peer support. Pupils value the school council and feel that they are making a valuable contribution to the running and organisation of the school. Pupils work well when working in collaborative learning situations. They listen to and value other peoples’ ideas, and are sensitive to individual beliefs.

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PUPILS?

49 The provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. All pupils share a common culture, belonging to the Roman Catholic faith. This is celebrated in a number of displays around the school. In geography, pupils explore both their local environment as well as looking at various countries and cultures around the world. In history pupils follow the development of English society by looking at different periods in the past, as well as looking at societies and cultures from other times and places such as the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Pupils also develop knowledge of their own cultural heritage by examining African history. In music, pupils listen to a range of music, which includes music from other cultures and traditions. Although pupils consider and respond to a range of art from other cultures, there are limited opportunities for pupils to consider the paintings of great artists and use this as a stimulus for their own artwork. Whilst in English,

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PUPILS?

pupils consider a good range of contemporary poems and stories, as well as literature from other cultures and traditions, there are limited opportunities for pupils to explore pre twentieth literature, including the plays of Shakespeare.

p.20

PUPILS?

50 Pupils’ cultural development is promoted in an effective manner so as to share and celebrate the cultural diversity of the school and the pupils themselves.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51 The school provides a caring environment where all staff are committed to ensuring the individual welfare of each pupil is met. Pastoral support is a particular strength of the school. In discussion with pupils, they like school because they “feel safe and feel protected by teachers and friends.”

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52 The school's procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. Statutory requirements for recording and reporting attendance are fully met. A particularly good feature is the ‘first day contact with parents’ system which is in place for all unknown absences. This reflects the schools’ caring ethos. There is a clear commitment to improving attendance and a large number of pupils are awarded with certificates for 100 per cent attendance termly. When required, the school works closely with the educational welfare and attendance services. Through punctuality certificates in classes and regular reminders in newsletters parents are constantly reminded of the need for punctuality at the start of the day but some pupils are still frequently late. The current traffic problems in the local surroundings have exasperated this problem in recent months. St Francis RC Primary School - 21 53 Procedures for monitoring and promoting child protection are very good. Significant emphasis is

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

placed on helping pupils to protect themselves and others through the use of 'circle time' where pupils are provided with the opportunity to discuss their feelings on a range of topics and one to one support. The school complies with local authority child protection procedures, and arrangements for dealing with possible instances of child abuse are very good. The school has designated two senior child protection coordinators who have received full training. In addition, all staff have received up to date training on child protection and this has led to an appropriate revision and review of the child protection policy. The school liaises well with other welfare agencies.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54 There is a Health and Safety policy in place but there are some procedural areas, which are not currently included in the policy. At present there is too little emphasis placed on identifying areas of concern through a regular formal risk assessment and this omission from the policy has led to inconsistencies about elements of risk assessment in particular prior to school visits. In addition, although there has been discussion on the procedures for restraining pupils, the school has yet to formalise these into a whole school policy. Pupils' awareness of health and safety is promoted satisfactorily, for example through science and physical education lessons. The provision for first aid is satisfactory and sufficient staff are trained in first aid. The school premises officer plays a vital role in monitoring the daily condition of the school and surroundings. He is committed to ensuring high standards of cleanliness and is extremely vigilant in monitoring the school

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55 Systems for monitoring and promoting positive behaviour are good. The school's policy is frequently reviewed by a ‘behaviour working party’ but in some classes it is not implemented consistently. For example one teacher was observed giving ‘lines’ for poor behaviour which is not the school’s identified procedure. Detailed records including a detention book and playtime behaviour book are kept of any pupils’ inappropriate behaviour and monitored carefully for frequency and trends. The school helps create a happy atmosphere that promotes good behaviour. Each class display their own class rules and have developed different strategies appropriate to their age and interest to reward good behaviour. The school works closely with local initiatives including ‘circle of friends’ and ‘training playground buddies’ to support and encourage good behaviour.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56 Arrangements for monitoring and reducing instances of inappropriate behaviour are well established. Misbehaviour is handled well by the school and this view was supported in discussion with pupils. Appropriate anti bullying and racial equality policies are now in place and the school keeps detailed records of any bullying or harassment. A particular good feature is the ‘bullying reporting form’ that pupils can complete and hand to staff if they have any concerns about bullying and any information from these forms is carefully followed up.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57 Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils' personal development are very good and reflect the caring supportive ethos of the school. The learning mentor, funded through the ‘Excellence in Cities’ programme, works very closely with teachers and support staff to identify pupils which may be a cause for concern and provides appropriate support and counselling to these pupils. The opportunity for pupils to discuss any concerns with her reflects the supportive approach of the school. In addition, the learning mentor provides very good and on occasions excellent teaching in circle time lessons to promote positively, and provide safe opportunities for pupils to explore their feelings. Assemblies are also well respected opportunities to celebrate pupils’ personal development using a combination of stickers and house points.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58 Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory. The school has a range of tests in place and uses scores from national and optional tests to group pupils in the class. However, this does not identify individual strengths or weaknesses. Test results are not analysed to show which areas of the curriculum need further development or which pupils have difficulty with particular topics. Day to day assessment is not always used effectively to evaluate lessons and show which pupils have achieved the learning objectives and which have not. This means that sometimes pupils practise work they are competent with for too long. Pupils are not sufficiently involved in assessing their own progress in lessons although in one Year 3 class, pupils write a simple response to their work at the end of the lesson. Assessments in other subjects such as design technology and history are limited. The school’s monitoring of pupils’ progress is

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

St Francis RC Primary School - 22 satisfactory. Tracking is in the early stages of development as the school is beginning to check pupils’ progress from one year to the next. Teachers and pupils have begun to set targets for English and mathematics with individual pupils, but these are very new and have not had time to be effective. The school is installing a new programme on the computer to assist in monitoring the attainment of particular groups of pupils such as pupils from different ethnic groups, pupils with special educational needs and boys and girls.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59 The school is beginning to adapt its procedures for identifying pupils with special educational needs to comply with the new Code of Practice. However, the school has not kept an overview of individual pupils and tracked them through the stages of support to ensure pupils to do not remain at one level for too long. There are good links with external agencies and the coordinators keep reports and records in an organised way. However, where examples of work are required to show progress staff keep these separately from the pupil profile making it difficult to identify progress or lack of progress between reviews. The school uses tests for spelling and reading but does not always add these results to the pupil’s record to track progress over time.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60 The school has continued to maintain good relationships with parents as reported in the previous inspection report.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61 Parents have very positive views about the school and all parents who replied to the questionnaire agreed that their child likes school. Most parents agreed that teaching is good, that the school is approachable where they have concerns or questions and that the school is helping their child to become a mature and responsible adult. Parents’ expectations of attitudes and values are fully met by the school, and the large majority are pleased with the standards of behaviour. Some parents felt that their child did not receive the right amount of homework. The school has no clear policy on this and it is not included in newsletters or the school prospectus, in consequence, there are inconsistencies between classes. Some parents also felt that the range of activities outside lessons was insufficient, however this inspection found the range to be better than that found in many schools. The range includes dance, art, Spanish, football, French, drama and guitar.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62 The contribution of parents to children’s learning at school and home is good and this is undoubtedly helping to raise standards. The school encourages parental involvement through information workshops, for example, in literacy and numeracy. They are always very well attended and parents gain a good understanding of what the school is providing. Many parents take their child to the local public library to further support their child’s learning. In addition, social opportunities through the ‘Parent School Association’ further strengthen this partnership. Parents raise substantial funds, which are spent to improve the learning resources for pupils, for example, extra physical education equipment. The meeting to present the governors annual report to parents is always well attended reflecting the parents’ support and involvement in their child’s education.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

63 The quality and quantity of information provided for parents is good. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs are encouraged to be involved in review meetings and they have opportunities to add to pupils’ records. Staff discuss new targets at open evenings and keep parents fully informed of new targets set if they are unable to attend. The regular newsletters are detailed and provide good information about the activities happening in school. The school prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents meet statutory requirements and are overall well written in a clear informative format. Parents have frequent opportunities to meet teachers both after school and through termly opportunities to discuss their child’s progress. At present, the school does not inform parents of the curriculum their child is following each term, which would help parents to support further the work of their child. The pupils’ annual report is well written for

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology including areas of success and areas for development. The headteacher’s comments on each report are carefully worded statements and reflect his individual concern for all pupils in his care. St Francis RC Primary School - 23

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64 In the previous report, the success of the headteacher and school's senior management team in setting a clear direction for the school was recognised. The headteacher's determination to create a successful school, his caring and supportive relationships with both staff and pupils and depth of knowledge, continue to make his style of leadership very effective. With the involvement and considerable support from all staff, the school succeeded in gaining an 'Investors in People' award. The high quality of his pastoral care is a strength recognised and appreciated by parents, staff and pupils. Showing great perseverance and a strong dedication to his duties as headteacher, he has worked tirelessly to bring about many improvements to the school. For example, most of the issues raised in the previous inspection have been put right and major improvements to the internal accommodation have been made. His vision and strong belief in a team approach have been

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

instrumental in building the school's reputation. As a result, there is more demand for places than there are places available. In the low response to the parents' questionnaire, an overwhelming majority of those who responded agreed that the school is well led and managed. Staff know that their views are valued and all are equally committed to bringing about agreed improvements and raising standards. Their collective efforts are beginning to have an impact on the standards achieved by pupils, which are rising steadily. In four of the ten subjects inspected, for example, standards by the age of 11 were above average. Raising standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science remain as a future priority for the school. When the effectiveness of aspects of management, such as the monitoring and development of teaching and the school's own priorities for development, are taken into consideration, along with the below average standards in

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

English and mathematics and reduced amount of unsatisfactory teaching, the overall quality of leadership and management is satisfactory.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65 The headteacher has conscientiously tackled the key issues identified in the previous inspection. The biggest jump in improvement has taken place in teachers' expertise in information and communication technology. This has resulted in standards by the age of 11 being above average. Most teachers confidently use their class computers as an integral part of most of their lessons. Plans are well advanced to create a well equipped information and communication technology suite and a new interactive whiteboard is to be installed in the library shortly. This will further improve pupils’ access to computers, which at present is limited because the school is lagging behind others nationally in the number available. Standards in geography throughout the school have also been improved. All subjects benefit from a detailed scheme of work and a balanced curriculum is now provided. One important area, raised in the previous report, was the development of the

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

monitoring role of subject coordinators. Coordinators have a clear set of responsibilities but monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching remains as an unsatisfactory aspect. It is not sufficiently rigorous to identify strengths and weaknesses effectively, and not closely enough tied into monitoring the subjects which are a priority in the School Development Plan. Basically, staff are trying to work on too wide a front instead of concentrating their collective efforts on subjects on a rota basis. This leads to inconsistent practice from class to class not being identified, affecting the progress of pupils in extreme cases. Some teachers, for example, manage the behaviour of their pupils much better than others or use classroom support assistants more efficiently. Differences were noticeable in the use of computers; Years 1 and 6 being much better than the rest. In some of the subject action plans, drawn up by the coordinators, ways to improve

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66 The school has rightly focused on the implementation of national strategies for literacy and numeracy and these strategies have been satisfactorily introduced. The school’s governing body has set challenging targets in English and mathematics, based on a realistic evaluation of pupils’ abilities. However, the school's targets fall short of national targets. Information gained from optional tests is used well to inform target setting in English and mathematics. The school is well on course to meet its targets for 11 year olds in English and mathematics this year.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67 The school development plan is a weighty document, involving the views of the senior management team, all staff and the governing body. It would benefit from a sharper focus on fewer key priorities. The monitoring and evaluation of all the priorities listed is difficult because there is so much included. The role of the two deputy headteachers, who job share and work for half the week each, St Francis RC Primary School - 24 is being developed well. Their collective expertise strengthens the effect the senior management team is having on the pace of change. Roles of the subject coordinators are clearly defined and these include rigorous monitoring of teachers' planning. However, the management of each subject varies in quality. A thorough review of each subject on a rota basis, rather than trying to cover every one, every year would be a more efficient use of everyone's time and produce a more effective

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68 Governors have a sound grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and work closely with staff towards the common purpose of improving standards and the quality of education. The astute chair of the governors shows a keen interest in the school, visiting for lengthy periods each week. All recognise that he has the best interests of the school at heart and all know too that he can be relied upon to take decisive action should the need arise. The school's aims and values, which are firmly rooted in the Roman Catholic faith, pervade its work; staff and pupils interact very well with one another. All pupils are made to feel equally important. The school offers equality of opportunity for all pupils, taking care to integrate pupils quickly who join mid term and make them feel welcome. The headteacher is aware of the requirement to have a policy for racial equality and a final draft of the policy has been ratified by the governors. Visitors to the school are welcomed

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and the school environment is a happy and caring one where pupils' work is valued and celebrated.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69 The governing body meets all its statutory responsibilities. Governors know the school well and are supportive of the headteacher and staff. Performance targets have been set for all staff and the performance management process is well established. Good procedures exist for the induction and support of new staff to the school. There are good links with a teacher training institution and students receive a good standard of mentoring as they work alongside experienced teachers.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70 The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. It meets all legal requirements and the implementation of the most recent national guidelines is progressing well. The two coordinators for special educational needs are beginning to develop their joint role. They have had limited training on the new Code of Practice and have identified future training needs for the staff and for themselves. In service training for staff about pupils with special educational needs means that some staff are beginning to use targets from the individual work plans more often in their lesson planning. Support staff have been involved in whole school training where it is appropriate but do not have opportunities to meet formally, as a team with coordinators, to discuss issues or to share good practice. The coordinators are reviewing appropriate assessment procedures to identify particular learning needs.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71 The coordinator for pupils who are gifted and talented has developed appropriate links with outside agencies to provide interesting and challenging projects. His role within the school has not developed sufficiently to ensure that the curriculum and the planning for pupils in all lessons meet their level of need. The governor with responsibility for pupils with special educational needs is well informed, maintains an active interest and reports regularly to the governing body. Resources for learning, and the use of information and communication technology equipment to support learning are satisfactory. The budget for special educational needs is used effectively to support pupils' learning.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72 The administration staff run the school office efficiently and give a positive first impression to visitors. It bears testament to the interest, involvement and dedication to duty shown by the friendly office staff. Financial management is very good. The many educational priorities listed in the school development plan are supported by clear budget costs. However, the strong message in the previous report about the lack of prioritised targets for improvement, weakening the impact of funding on teaching and learning, is still applicable today. The school does its best to apply best value principles by obtaining tenders for services or goods and paying attention to quality. The office of full time bursar has been created to enable the bursar to take a more strategic role in school development planning and monitoring the finances. Regular meetings with the senior management team are held and minuted. The bursar does an excellent job providing good quality

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

information to the headteacher and governing body. Her attention to detail and knowledge, which comes from years of experience, ensure that finances are kept in very good order. The quality of her work has been recognised as the school has been chosen to take part in a national pilot St Francis RC Primary School - 25 scheme for financial reporting. The governing body is provided with monthly financial statements and the finance committee meets regularly. The school is making good use of new technology, including computers, as they are using a financial database, word processing reports and using electronic mailing facilities. Expenditure per pupil is high when compared nationally but in line with other schools in the area. When all other factors, such as the standards attained compared to those in similar schools, pupils' good behaviour and attitude to learning, the quality of teaching, the positive aspects of leadership and management and level of improvement are considered, the

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school is providing satisfactory value for money.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73 Specific grants are used well for their intended purposes. Government funding for computers, for example, has been effectively used to purchase modern computers and update educational programs. However, it was only sufficient to provide each class with one new computer. The very good pastoral work undertaken by the learning mentor is funded by the 'excellence in cities' project and is having a major impact on pupils’ behaviour and welfare. Funding from the 'Peckham Partnership' also helps to release teachers for additional training, helping to raise expertise in subjects such as physical education and information and communication technology. Additional funding to provide staff with expertise in teaching English to those pupils for whom English is an additional language is used effectively. They benefit from using four laptop computers with special language programs as well as the close support from the specialist staff. As a result, very few

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

pupils at the time of the inspection were experiencing difficulty speaking or understanding English in lessons.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74 The match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is satisfactory overall. It appears from documentation that there has been a big increase in the number of support staff. However, many of these are funded by other agencies to support pupils from travelling families or those with disabilities. Support staff, when they are effectively deployed by class teachers, make a significant contribution to the quality of pupils' learning. However, in a few lessons observed, some newly appointed support staff were inactive for long periods, wasting a valuable resource.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75 The standard of the accommodation is good. The headteacher has instigated many improvements since the previous inspection, the most significant of which are the two new classrooms to replace the wooden hut classes, a new administration block and new library. The school building is extremely well maintained and immaculately clean, reflecting the devotion to duty shown by all cleaning staff. Access for disabled pupils in wheelchairs is satisfactory and due for further improvement shortly. The only drawbacks to the accommodation are: shortage of storage space, particularly in the infant hall and lack of space for a computer suite. Accommodation for a second nursery class is a future target. Outside there are good sized hard play areas with seating for pupils.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

76 Learning resources are satisfactory, overall. However, there are weaknesses in the level of resources for design and technology and information and communication technology. The latter will be brought into line with the provision in most schools nationally when the new computer suite is built. In order to help improve standards in design and technology, a better range of materials and tools are needed. Resources for art and design are good and the bright colourful displays around the school show they are being used to good effect by pupils who achieve standards above those normally seen.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

77 The popularity of this school reflects the confidence parents and the community have in its future development. It is a steadily improving school. The collaborative style of leadership of the headteacher is aimed at retaining and developing staff. It is a successful policy as it gives a level of stability, which is not the norm in this area. In return, it encourages loyalty from all staff and the many and frequent changes in staffing, noted in the previous report, have been halted. As a result, teachers work as a team, supporting one another in their commitment to provide pupils with the best possible all round education. The strengths, identified in the previous inspection, have in most cases been improved upon. In order to further improve the quality of education, the governors, headteacher and staff now need to: St Francis RC Primary School - 26 1) Raise standards in English, mathematics and design and technology throughout the school and in

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

science in the infant classes by: • using the information from the assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress more effectively to ensure that work set in class closely matches individual pupils' ability • making arrangements for curriculum coordinators to be able to monitor the strengths and weaknesses in their subjects on a regular and planned basis with a strong focus on raising standards • improving the marking of pupils’ work, particularly in the junior classes to give pupils a clear indication on how to further improve their work (Paragraphs 1-14, 19, 39, 40, 58, 59, 65, 68, 97-108, 109-116, 133-136, 141, 143, 147)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) Improve the quality of teaching by: • raising teachers' expectations of what pupils of all abilities can achieve • clearly identifying specific learning objectives in lessons and sharing them with pupils • planning work which is interesting, challenging and rewarding for all pupils • making more effective use of classroom support staff in lessons • implementing consistent strategies for managing individual pupils who find it difficult to behave appropriately so that all pupils learning does not suffer (Paragraphs 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 19-32, 56, 75, 86, 106, 112, 160) St Francis RC Primary School - 27

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AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

78 There has been a significant increase in the number of pupils who are learning English as an additional language since the previous inspection from almost half of all pupils then to 80 per cent now. This is a very high percentage compared to other schools nationally. Of the 344 pupils, 73 were assessed as being at the early stages of language acquisition when they started school. These pupils enter the school, both in nursery and at various points in their schooling. The majority of pupils who are at the early stages of English acquisition are concentrated in the nursery and reception classes. The main first languages spoken are Yoruba, Twi, Igbo along with other African languages. A total of 35 different languages are spoken. This makes the provision of bilingual support for a few pupils difficult but all learn English quickly due to the level of expertise shown by specialist teachers and trained classroom support assistants. In addition, children in the

p.27

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

Foundation Stage have good opportunities to use language in role play situations and from other pupils as they socialise with them. During the inspection, very few pupils were experiencing any problems with speaking or understanding English. It was only a few of the recently admitted pupils, some of them refugees from Columbia, who needed extra help.

p.27

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

79 Pupils identified by the school as being in need of additional support benefit from the ‘Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant Funding’, which is sufficient to fund a part time teacher for two and a half days each week. The current level of support is adequate and the overall effectiveness of the provision is satisfactory. The ability of any pupil to speak or understand English is no barrier to their learning in lessons. All pupils show the same good attitude and willingness to learn as other pupils.

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AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

80 The quality of teaching is satisfactory, overall. Where pupils are withdrawn from the classroom for specialist help with teachers or trained classroom support assistants who have an expertise in teaching English as an additional language, the quality of teaching is good. Most teachers demonstrate a clear understanding of teaching of bilingual learners, particularly in the nursery and reception. However, some teachers give too little attention to emphasising and explaining new vocabulary, developing pupils’ speaking skills and planning specific work that matches their needs. There is some lack of appreciation of teachers’ responsibility for ensuring that all of their teaching takes into account pupils’ diverse needs. Some rely too heavily on the learning support assistants to re-explain what pupils are to learn and to do during the lesson. There are too few opportunities where pupils are encouraged to speak and write in their first languages and few staff employed in

p.27

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

81 Pupils’ needs are assessed promptly when they join the school to determine and record their stage of English acquisition. All staff have received some recent training on assessing pupils’ levels of fluency in English, and indications are that this has been effective. However, this information is not used to guide the provision and the allocation of resources, and, as a means of monitoring and checking individual pupils’ progress. The school is only just beginning to analyse the attainment and progress of pupils according to ethnicity in order to determine whether there are any patterns of underachievement that need to be addressed.

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AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

82 Management of the provision is the responsibility of the headteacher, supported by the senior management team. It is satisfactory. The school’s aims are very clear for individual pupils and the pastoral care of pupils, whatever their background, is a strength. The school’s ethos supports pupils well; all pupils, including those from travelling families, refugees and asylum seekers are fully accepted and valued. They are welcomed and helped to feel secure and take part in all school activities. All pupils enjoy very good relationships with the staff and with other pupils. This aspect supports pupils’ progress and their personal development well. The school has a draft policy for monitoring and promoting racial equality and this will be presented for governors' approval at their termly meeting. The school makes some effective use of opportunities to reflect, build on and promote the very rich cultural heritage of pupils attending the school, for example through the

p.27

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

curriculum and through extra curricular activities. Good links are also established with a community in Ghana, following a six week exchange visit by the headteacher. St Francis RC Primary School - 28 St Francis RC Primary School - 29

p.27

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 36

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 400

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 171

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 5

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 79

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 331

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.29

Attendance

School data 5.4 School data 0.0 St Francis RC Primary School - 30 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.29

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Francis RC Primary School - 31

p.30

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 25 33 58

p.31

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.31

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

Boys 18 18 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 25 25 33

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 74 (77) 74 (82) 100 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (100)

p.31

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 18 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 25 25 23

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 74 (77) 76 (87) 72 (87) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.31

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

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

p.31

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 21 31 52

p.31

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 8 11 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 30 24 27

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (75) 67 (75) 79 (64) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.31

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 6 10 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 21 23

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 56 (64) 60 (88) 61 (71) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.31

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Francis RC Primary School - 32

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 43 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.32

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 223 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.32

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 11 Other minority ethnic groups

p.32

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 17.2 Financial year 2001 / 02

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.9

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,359,548

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 18 Total expenditure 1,337,097

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 375 Expenditure per pupil 3,139

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 52,422

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 74,873

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 64

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6.6

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4.0

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 2.6

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2.6

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 St Francis RC Primary School - 33 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Francis RC Primary School - 34

p.32

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 51 42 6 0 2

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 57 34 3 3 3

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 32 14 6 8

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 35 8 3 2

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 23 3 0 0

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 32 6 0 5

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 45 46 6 0 3

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 49 42 5 0 5

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 37 3 0 2

p.34

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 38 40 11 3 8 St Francis RC Primary School - 35

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

83 The quality of education provided for children in the Foundation Stage is good. The quality of provision has been maintained since the previous inspection when inspectors reported a positive ethos, with pupils making good progress. Children enter the nursery with levels of attainment that are below those normally expected. The children have significant weaknesses in spoken language; listening skills are poor and the majority of the children lack confidence and self esteem. This inhibits their ability to respond to adults and means that they find it difficult to answer questions or join in discussions. Many children find it difficult to work with each other and to share in group activities. Although many of the children do not reach all the Early Learning Goals in language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world because of difficulties with speaking and understanding English, they make satisfactory progress. They make good progress

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

in personal and social development and in creative and physical development where they achieve the Early Learning Goals and some children exceed them.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

84 Children enter the nursery after their fourth birthday and transfer into the reception classes in the September and January before they are five. Demand for places in the nursery far exceeds the number of places available and the school is anxious to develop a second nursery class so that more children can benefit from time in a nursery class before entering their reception year. Careful assessments made of the new entrants, soon after they start in the nursery, confirm that many have poorly developed language skills and that the area of personal, social and emotional development presents a number of challenges. In the nursery there are already children entered onto the special needs register by the end of their first term.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

85 The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory. This takes account of factors such as teachers’ planning and their use of time and support staff. On occasions, teachers' expectations of what individual children could do were not high enough and as a result, some finished tasks quickly and then filled time watching others or choosing something different to do. In the lessons observed, teaching was never less than satisfactory and in some lessons, the teaching was good and at times very good. Throughout the nursery and the reception classes, relationships with the children are good. At all times the teachers value the children and use praise and encouragement to raise their self esteem and their confidence. This has the effect of making the children more relaxed and more willing to approach the adults and ask if they can join in an activity. Even in the most difficult circumstances, when dealing with children with behavioural or emotional problems, the staff remain

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

calm and explain things clearly in a way that the children understand. At all times they are very caring, offering an affectionate cuddle rather than a reprimand. Through this approach children develop respect for their teachers and there is an atmosphere of mutual trust. Teachers and support staff work closely together, particularly in the reception classes where planning is done jointly, promoting a lively learning environment and a stimulating curriculum. New systems for recording children’s progress and attainment have been recently introduced and are now in the process of being fine tuned to provide accurate information about how well each child is progressing in each of the areas of learning. Observations of children, made during each session by the teachers and support staff, are noted and these notes are then used to inform the planning of future activities and to set individual targets for each child. Particular care is taken to include all of the

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children in every aspect of learning. Pupils who have special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are effectively supported; they have full access to the curriculum and make satisfactory progress in their learning.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

86 A particular strength of the Foundation Stage is the link with parents. At the beginning of the morning and afternoon sessions and when parents and carers collect their children they walk happily into the nursery and chat to the staff as friends. When children transfer into the reception classes an open morning is held for all the parents so that they can become familiar with ways in which they can be involved at home with ideas and activities. Information handouts are given to them and videos are shown to help them with mathematical learning and phonics. Throughout the St Francis RC Primary School - 36 Foundation Stage there is a strong partnership between home and school through the homework book, target setting and regular meetings and reporting progress and achievement.

p.35

Personal, social and emotional development

87 There is a strong emphasis placed on the personal, social and emotional development of the children. This was also a strong area in the previous inspection. It is an area where significant weaknesses are identified when children first enter the nursery. The staff spend a great deal of time raising the self esteem of the children and giving them more confidence both with adults and with each other. Opportunities such as the role play area, provide resources that the children will use together. They learn how to share things and invent play situations, such as making tea and setting out a party table. This results in the children making good progress in this aspect of their learning. In the reception classes, as a result of some good teaching, the children have achieved the required goals. This includes those pupils who have special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. In both the nursery and the reception classes there is a calm

p.36

Personal, social and emotional development

and supportive atmosphere where children feel cared for and secure. Children come in confidently at the start of each session and the staff are there to welcome both the children and their parents/carers. In the reception classes there are carefully planned sessions that address particular aspects of personal, social and emotional development. The children look at aspects of right and wrong, how we make choices and the kind of choices that make them happy. The work they do on ‘Who are our neighbours?’ leads them to the conclusion that neighbours are people who share our space and are people we need to care for and consider. By the time they are in their final term in the reception classes they confidently go into their group activities with the minimum of fuss and organise themselves into the tasks they have been given. In these activities they appreciate the needs of others, share resources and wait to take turns. Almost all the children

p.36

Personal, social and emotional development

cooperate happily with each other. A marked feature of the reception classes is the way in which children happily converse with an adult and engage them in their work. This is a clear indication of how much their self esteem is being developed.

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

88 The majority of children who enter the nursery lack confidence in speaking and find listening difficult. They are often inattentive and find sitting still to listen difficult. Due to the emphasis that is placed on developing language skills, children make satisfactory progress in speaking and listening and in developing their writing skills. They have a genuine love of books and stories. By the end of the reception class only a minority of the children will have achieved all the Early Learning Goals but all the children will have made satisfactory progress from the time they entered the school. In the nursery children are encouraged to enter into conversation when they are taking part in activities. At the playdough table, the nursery nurse sits with the children and as she helps them with their work she engages them in talking to each other and answering her questions. In this way she is able to extend what they are saying beyond the one word answers that are the

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

children’s usual response to questions. Structured activities help the children to learn how to hold and use pencils but progress in the nursery is slow due to the number of children who have poor manipulative skills. For this reason the development of early writing skills is slow with only a minority of the children able to write their names competently. The majority of the children, by the end of nursery, has developed a keen interest in stories and will quite happily pick up a book and sit and look at it.

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

89 Teaching is effective in the reception classes and the children make good progress. Teachers use the literacy strategy very effectively to increase the children’s enjoyment of books as well as their listening, speaking and reading skills. After enjoying the story of ‘Mrs Wishy Washy’ the children then talked about water, words and things that are connected with water. They had soon assembled a list that included boats, washing, swimming, washing up, bubbles and fishing. For many of the children this activity significantly increased the number of words they knew and improved their vocabulary. During group and whole class activities direct questions are put to the children to encourage them to participate and although they are happy to respond many of the children do not use phrases or sentences when answering questions. The teaching of reading is good and pupils make good progress in learning letter sounds, but still have difficulty in using these

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

St Francis RC Primary School - 37 skills to build words. Children are taught how to use picture cues as well as looking for letter sounds. Teachers provide careful and effective support for children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. These children make satisfactory progress in their learning and are fully included in all language activities. A clear indication of the children’s positive attitude to books and reading can be seen at the beginning of the morning when the children come into school, select a book and gather on the carpet to look at their chosen book. Through well structured activities, children make good progress in the reception classes in developing their writing skills. Many, however, still have problems in forming letters correctly. Most children are unlikely to reach all the expected levels by the time they reach the end of the reception

p.37

Communication, language and literacy

year, with attainment below the expected level.

p.37

Mathematical development

90 Although the children’s standards in mathematics are below average when they first come into school, they make sound progress in developing their number skills. Only the most able, however, will attain all the required Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the reception class. Children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language also make satisfactory progress. In both the nursery and in the reception classes, number skills are given a high priority through a carefully planned programme of work. This includes the use of a range of construction activities, games and songs and a strong emphasis is on number throughout the displays in classrooms.

p.37

Mathematical development

91 In the nursery there is appropriate emphasis on children learning numbers up to five. In small groups of four or five the children work with the teacher on a range of counting activities; the variety of activities is quite deliberate as the children have such a short spell of attention. Changing from one activity in counting to a different approach maintains their interest. In this group the children show they are beginning to be able to count the dots on a card, clap a particular number and count cubes out onto a plate. The group working with the nursery nurse, using playdough, are learning mathematical language with words such as ‘big’ and ‘bigger than’, ‘small’ and ‘smaller than’. Simple graph work is also being introduced as the children record how many of them have a cat. In the reception classes the children build very successfully on their earlier learning. Children in the reception classes have a very well structured session of number work each day. This includes

p.37

Mathematical development

elements from the National Numeracy Strategy and provides children with appropriate experiences in preparation for the next stages in their learning. In a very good session on ‘time’ the lesson began with a lively circle number game ‘Zero Hero’ where the children were engaged in counting forwards and backwards to zero. This was followed by a whole class session where the story ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’ is used extremely well to revise their knowledge of time and introduce new words. The session then concluded with a well planned series of activities using a timer in a variety of different situations. During this lesson, all the children made good progress, particularly in developing their confidence with numbers. Although the progress they make in individual lessons is good, the children’s lack of confidence in using spoken language inhibits much of the work in mathematics, particularly when responding to questions. It is for this reason that the

p.37

Mathematical development

majority of children will not achieve all the expected levels by the end of the reception year.

p.37

Knowledge and understanding of the world

92 Children enter the nursery with a very limited understanding of the world in which they live but through a well planned series of topics and a particularly stimulating curriculum in the reception classes the children make satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge. In the nursery they begin to learn about their immediate environment, looking at places in the school and where things are. They talk about their family and friends and about past and present events and in their topic work they learn about water. Once in the reception classes they embark on a range of exciting experiences, they learn about how things grow by planting cress seeds and predicting what will happen. To record what does happen, they keep a picture diary of the changes. In the animal world they also look at how things grow by looking at the growth of tadpoles into frogs and the six stages of change they go through. Often the work is linked with other areas of learning and during

p.37

Knowledge and understanding of the world

their studies there is often a quite deliberate emphasis on language development and the St Francis RC Primary School - 38 introduction of new words. In both the nursery and the reception classes children showed considerable confidence when using the computer and many were quite skilled in using the mouse. Although all the children, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make sound progress in this area of learning, they do not achieve all the required goals due to their limited language skills. St Francis RC Primary School - 39

p.37

Physical development

93 The work observed by children in the reception classes showed that they are making good progress in this area of learning and the majority will achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they move into Year 1. This includes children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. Reception children working in the school hall showed that their earlier experiences in the outdoor play area in the nursery had helped them to gain a good awareness of space and a confidence in using their bodies. At the beginning of the lesson they were able to organise themselves into a circle and space themselves out, they listened carefully to instructions and then followed them. In following the music they showed good control of their bodies as they stretched and curled and at the end of a sequence many of them were confident in demonstrating how they had been moving. In both the nursery and the reception classes there is

p.39

Physical development

good provision for children to develop control over small tools such as pencils and scissors. They learn how to control a paintbrush and how to apply glue to stick their pieces of collage together and by the time they are in the reception classes they are showing increasing control in using them appropriately. Due to the some good teaching and carefully planned activities, by the time the children are reaching the end of the reception classes, they are beginning to be more confident in forming letter shapes and are ready to begin their regular handwriting practice.

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Creative development

94 The provision for creative development is good, particularly in the reception classes. The teaching of basic techniques throughout the nursery and reception is effective and this enables the children to become confident and enjoy their work. In the nursery children use paint to produce colourful and exciting pieces of work, which the teacher displays with great care. They use pan scourers to print pictures that are imaginative and full of lively colours. In the reception classes their skills are very well developed. Children look at wallflowers and pansies, carefully observing them with a magnifying glass and then drawing them. The activity is then extended into another medium as they turn their observational drawings into good quality collage pictures of the flowers. The story of ‘Billy Goat Gruff’ is used as a stimulus for building bridges using different materials. From a very early age the children love to sing and even the youngest pupils remember the words of songs and

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Creative development

the actions that go with them. When given the opportunity they are eager to use percussion instruments to accompany the songs and in doing so show a developing sense of rhythm and beat. Music and songs are often used to support other areas of learning such as personal and social development and mathematics, in these activities the children often request the songs by name.

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Creative development

95 The Foundation Stage coordinator is only recently appointed but she has a clear picture of what needs to be done to improve further the teaching and learning. Already there are much closer working practices between the nursery and reception classes which make up the Foundation Stage. There is a good policy in place and a firm commitment to raising standards in all the areas of learning. This represents an improving picture since the time of the previous inspection.

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96 The majority of pupils enter Year 1 with below average skills in all areas of language and literacy. Despite the satisfactory progress made throughout the school, standards in English at the ages of seven and 11 remain below average. This is reflected in the 2001 National Curriculum test results, where attainment in reading at seven was below average, though it is above average when compared to schools with a similar intake. Pupils’ attainment in writing by the time they are seven is likewise below average. This is borne out by the 2001 National Curriculum tests where attainment was well below average, though average when compared to schools with a similar intake.

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97 By the time pupils are 11, overall standards in English remain below average, though well above average when compared to schools with a similar intake. The scrutiny of pupils’ written work and listening to pupils read during the inspection indicate that standards will rise slightly this year. Although standards at ages seven and 11 have fluctuated over recent years, they have improved St Francis RC Primary School - 40 since the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make the same satisfactory progress as all other pupils.

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98 Pupils enter Year 1 with below average speaking and listening skills. They are generally good listeners, though they can be easily distracted if they do not fully understand what is expected of them in lessons. Teachers use good questioning skills to ensure that pupils make an active contribution to oral activities. Simple role play activities in the home corner, in one case, ‘The Peckham Café’, and puppet theatre make a valuable contribution to pupils’ speaking. Despite this good provision, many pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language have a limited vocabulary and find it difficult to speak in clear extended sentences. Attainment in speaking and listening by the time pupils are seven is below average.

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99 Most pupils continue to improve upon their speaking and listening as they move through the junior classes with regular opportunities provided for pupils to discuss and plan their work in pairs or small groups. Whilst many teachers use questioning skills in an effective manner, a number of teachers are quite happy to accept pupils’ brief or single word responses to their questions, and do not encourage pupils to speak in more detail or at length. A very good example of a dramatic reading of a short story was observed in Year 3 with pupils reading in character in a very emotive manner. However, role play and educational drama does not make a significant enough contribution to oral skills. By the time they are 11, most pupils, including those with English as an additional language, are confident in their ability to talk in an informal manner to their friends, teachers and visitors. They are less secure in their ability to structure their ideas in a logical

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manner and speak in anything like a formal situation. Because of this, pupils’ speaking and listening skills at 11 remain below average.

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ENGLISH

100 Many pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language arrive at school with a limited understanding of reading books. Reading skills upon entry into Year 1 are below average. Despite this pupils make sound progress in their reading skills, with additional help being given to pupils with identified difficulties. Teachers place an appropriate emphasis on the development of knowledge and use of sounds and use a combination of graded reading schemes in an effective manner to promote reading skills. ‘Guided’ reading is used well to promote pupils’ reading comprehension skills, with many parents listening to their children read at home. Despite this good provision, the standard of reading at seven remains below average. However, many higher attaining pupils achieve standards in line with national expectations.

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101 Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in their reading skills as they move through the junior classes. Pupils are given the opportunity to read a good range of contemporary poems and stories as well as literature from different cultures. There are few opportunities, however, for pupils to read and respond to pre twentieth century literature, including the plays of Shakespeare. A small number of pupils have advanced reading skills. They regularly read at home, borrow books from local libraries and receive books as gifts. In contrast to this, a number of pupils read only at school and have problems in fully comprehending the nature of the characters, stories and issues in the books they read. ‘Guided’ reading is used well outside the literacy hour to promote pupils’ reading for understanding. Regular opportunities are provided for pupils to select books from the school library and to engage in silent reading activities. Despite this good provision, overall

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ENGLISH

standards in reading at 11 remain below average. This is confirmed by the school’s own annual reading tests.

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ENGLISH

102 Attainment in pupils’ written work upon entry into Year 1 varies considerably and ranges from pupils who can barely make meaningful marks on the page to those who can already join simple sentences to convey information or tell a short story. Teachers spend an appropriate amount of time on helping pupils to refine their handwriting skills and develop a simple understanding of basic writing skills. Over the two years spent in the infant classes, pupils are given the opportunity to write in a variety of styles. They write about events in their life, and retell the stories they have read or had read to them in class. Pupils also develop an understanding of rhyming words and use them in their own simple poems. They develop an understanding that information can be conveyed in a number of different ways as they engage in instructional writing such as ‘How to make a St Francis RC Primary School - 41

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ENGLISH

Sandwich’. At its best, a small group of higher attaining pupils produce some good lengthy passages of writing. In contrast to this, however, there are a significant number of lower attaining pupils who still have problems in structuring words and sentences in a logical and meaningful manner, and who continue to make mistakes in punctuation, spelling patterns and the use of capital letters and full stops. Whilst about three quarters of pupils achieve expected standards in their written work, overall standards at seven remain below average.

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ENGLISH

103 Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in their written work as they move through the junior classes. Teachers continue to focus on the development of basic English skills. Occasionally, this means the repetition of isolated exercises, rather than incorporating these skills in meaningful activities. Pupils in Year 3, for example, had 14 examples of letter writing in their books. Pupils also engage in a significant number of comprehension activities. These often only require very short written responses and do little to challenge more able pupils. Pupils are able to write in different styles and with a specific audience in mind. They produce diary entries, formal and informal letters, a good range of poetry, as well as producing a satisfactory range of instructional descriptive and creative stories. A number of pupils still find it difficult to write at length and in detail and produce little which could be truly described as fluent writing.

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ENGLISH

104 Literacy is well taught in most subjects of the curriculum with, for example, pupils in religious education writing an imaginative first hand account of an Israelite fleeing from the Egyptians across the parted Red Sea. Pupils have also written short plays set in a Victorian household to support their learning in history. Whilst pupils regularly plan their work, little use is made of redrafting and opportunities are lost for pupils to use this important strategy to improve their work. Retention of these final pieces of redrafted work, on A4 paper for example, would provide a valuable record of pupils’ progress and achievement. Whilst many pupils achieve standards in their written work which are in line with national expectations, the overall attainment in writing for all pupils at 11, remains below the national average.

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ENGLISH

105 The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory. Lessons are mostly well planned, organised and managed. The implementation of the National Literacy Strategy has been satisfactory, overall. However, there is some inconsistency in the quality of the literacy hour sessions, with, for example, a number of teachers not sharing the learning objectives with the pupils, or reviewing them at the end of the lesson to see if they have been achieved. Work is well matched to meet the needs of the pupils. Praise is also used in an effective manner to raise self esteem, and to increase pupils’ attitudes towards their work. This makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Whilst teachers do not always review lesson objectives, there are regular opportunities for pupils to share and celebrate what they have learned and achieved. Where teaching is very good, teachers demonstrate enthusiasm for each activity, supporting and extending pupils’ learning effectively.

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ENGLISH

Timed targets are also used to ensure that pupils stay on task and that the lesson moves along at a brisk pace. This provides an active learning environment where pupils work willingly and hard to please their teachers with their good work. The satisfactory, and occasionally good, learning, which took place in virtually all lessons observed, owed much to pupils’ positive attitudes towards their work, and their ability to work with sustained concentration.

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ENGLISH

106 Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory, overall. In the infant department it is rather better because the coordinator works in that section of the school. However, the subject coordinator needs to take a more proactive approach to the monitoring of teaching, learning throughout and to the standards being attained throughout the school. Whilst there is a subject development plan, it is more concerned with peripheral issues such the purchase of group readers or the planning of a Book Week, rather than focusing on the introduction of specific strategies to help raise standards of attainment. The school uses a good range of documentation to guide teachers in their planning. Although work is regularly marked and corrected by teachers, pupils do not correct their own errors and opportunities are lost for pupils to learn though their own mistakes. The school uses a satisfactory range of assessment procedures, including the optional national

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ENGLISH

tests. These need be interpreted and used in a more constructive manner so as to provide pupils with short term measurable and achievable targets for improvement St Francis RC Primary School - 42 107 Although some of the areas for development identified in this section, such as standards in writing, are incorporated in the subject development plan and embedded in classroom practice in some year groups, there is a lack of consistency from class to class and year to year. As a result, any improvement in standards is often not maintained from one year to the next.

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MATHEMATICS

108 Standards in mathematics are below average by the ages of seven and 11. However, pupils’ progress is satisfactory when their attainment on entry to the school is taken into account. In the previous inspection, attainment was not significantly different from the average throughout. Infant and junior pupils in 1998 and 2000 were able to match this judgement, but standards tend to fluctuate according to the proportion of lower attaining pupils in the year group.

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MATHEMATICS

109 By the time pupils are seven, they identify tens and units digits in numbers and can order numbers up to 100, and higher attaining pupils are beginning to understand adding and subtracting ten from a given number. However, many pupils find it difficult when the highest number comes first and they do not have quick recall of basic number facts. Pupils know the names of two dimensional shapes and some three dimensional shapes and use them to make simple patterns. They measure using counting bricks and rulers to find the length of items in the classroom but there is less evidence of their use of balances and containers to measure weight and capacity. Pupils’ understanding of bar charts is satisfactory overall and they understand the one to one relationship between the scores they collect and their representation on the chart. However, because teachers sometimes make the activity for recording the chart too difficult pupils are unable to use it to find

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MATHEMATICS

information. This means they are unable to understand fully the purpose of making the chart.

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MATHEMATICS

110 By age 11, pupils calculate numbers up to 1,000 using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Some higher attaining pupils work with higher numbers using tens of thousands. However, there are limited opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical knowledge to solve problems by choosing the appropriate calculation. Pupils learn about shapes but there is insufficient development of the topic from Year 3 to Year 6. Pupils know that shapes may have lines of symmetry. They learn a variety of ways of recording data and begin to interpret the results. They collect information to draw bar charts, simple graphs and pie charts. When constructing pie charts higher attaining pupils use protractors and compasses to illustrate the percentages of the chart to be coloured. Pupils make simple calculations using weight and length but there is limited evidence of the use of litres in their calculations.

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MATHEMATICS

111 The quality of teaching is variable, but overall, it is satisfactory. Although it is usually at least satisfactory and on occasions very good, sometimes it is unsatisfactory. Where the quality of teaching is very good all pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language have sufficient challenge and activities match their different learning needs. For example, in a Year 6 class pupils use knowledge gained from geography lessons about international datelines to work out journey times and arrival times of air flights. Diagrams and careful explanations support the learning of all pupils, including those with special educational needs. Lower attaining pupils draw diagrams to help them see the problem while higher attaining pupils work out time differences mentally. Teachers' subject knowledge is generally satisfactory and they use the National Numeracy Strategy appropriately so the majority of pupils achieve satisfactory progress. Lesson

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MATHEMATICS

planning is consistent and usually identifies three groups of pupils of differing abilities although sometimes there is insufficient difference between the work of all three groups. Sometimes teachers include plans for support staff working with pupils with special educational needs. The planning meets the pupil’s needs identified on their individual education plan. The majority of pupils work at an appropriate level and consequently pupils’ behaviour is usually good and they concentrate well. However, where work is too easy or too difficult and the pace of the lesson slows some pupils become unsettled and do not achieve an appropriate amount of work. For instance, in a Year 2 class pupils struggled to draw their own bar graphs and were unable to record their results because the teacher’s expectations were too high. Pupils became unsettled and noisy, as the teacher did not deal with their difficulties.

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MATHEMATICS

St Francis RC Primary School - 43 112 The use of assessment to identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses as well as weaknesses within the school curriculum is unsatisfactory. Optional tests and National Curriculum tests are not analysed sufficiently to identify questions that cause difficulty. Consequently, teachers plan their lessons without detailed knowledge of pupils’ attainment although they know the overall score. While in many lessons pupils make satisfactory progress there is a lack of challenge in some lessons. Despite the hard work and commitment of many of the teachers, the lack of precise information about the pupils and the curriculum means they do not always plan the most appropriate lesson for each group of pupils. Teachers and classroom assistants generally focus on a particular group during lessons and help pupils achieve their tasks. Care is taken to ensure that pupils who may be experiencing difficulty with understanding English know what is expected of

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MATHEMATICS

them. However, teachers do not always check on the progress of other pupils in the lesson, and, if a pupil is finding work too easy they move the pupil on to something more challenging. Some pupils have a good understanding of the levels they have achieved in tests but not always of what they need to do to improve. Marking does not always follow the marking policy guidelines. In some cases it is good and gives pupils an understanding of their mistakes or what they have learned. Teachers use target cards to involve pupils in understanding their own needs. These are very new and there has been insufficient time to check on their usefulness. Pupils know and generally understand their own targets although some are very broad and difficult to measure. The use of assessment over time to track individual pupils’ progress is in the very early stages of development. Teachers do not level pupils’ work regularly to check if there is sufficient progress

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MATHEMATICS

and teachers do not identify levels of work on their planning. This means that teachers’ assessments of their pupils are sometimes inaccurate. For instance in 2001, every pupil in Year 2 achieved the expected level or above in the National Curriculum tests while teachers only predicted 72 per cent.

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MATHEMATICS

113 The curriculum is satisfactory and the National Numeracy Strategy is the basis of the work. Teachers use numeracy in other areas of the curriculum such as in science and geography but the school has not planned this into the whole curriculum. Teachers plan for all areas of the subject including working on problems. However, on occasions, topics are not sufficiently well developed to meet the needs of all pupils. For example, pupils learn about symmetry over four years but there is insufficient difference between year groups to ensure pupils are adding to their knowledge. In addition, pupils in Years 3 and 5 repeat the naming of simple two dimensional shapes. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support from classroom and special needs support assistants during group work. However, during class sessions support staff are not always fully involved with pupils. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ social development through

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MATHEMATICS

the planning of paired and group activities. Often pupils talk together about tasks and share their ideas. Pupils identified as particularly able in mathematics sometimes have opportunities to work with older pupils at a higher level. This provides additional challenges that they enjoy and that are more appropriate to their needs.

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MATHEMATICS

114 Subject management is satisfactory. The coordinator is new to the role and has had additional support from an outside adviser. She has begun to understand the needs of the subject and is beginning to prioritise the plans for development. The monitoring of the quality of teaching is limited although she has observed one year group. The procedures for assessment are satisfactory but the school has not put the results of tests to any useful purpose, making the use of assessment information unsatisfactory. This makes it difficult to use the good teaching observed to raise standards as lessons are not always appropriately targeted to all pupils’ needs. Resources are satisfactory and teachers generally use them effectively in lessons. The use of computers is limited as the proposed new computer suite has not yet been started. Teachers have relatively few computers or programs to use at present. The coordinator has identified this as an area for future

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development. There has been a satisfactory level of improvement in the subject since the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

115 Standards in science are below average for seven year olds and in line with those expected nationally for 11 year olds. Standards have remained the same in the infant stage but have risen to St Francis RC Primary School - 44 be in line with national standards by the time pupils are 11 with more pupils achieving the higher Level 5 than there were previously. This is mostly due to the recent developments in the subject and the effect of some good teaching in Years 5 and 6. Pupils are making satisfactory progress throughout the school, but their progress accelerates in their final two years due to the quality of teaching and learning and their mature attitude towards their work. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and standards have been maintained since the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

116 Strengths in the subjects are: standards in investigational and experimental science, pupils’ attitudes to the subject and the quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6. Areas for development are: to improve the quality of resources for the subject and improve the range of investigations for pupils in Year 2.

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SCIENCE

117 The quality of teaching and learning in science is good overall. This is mainly due to the fact that most lessons focus on the investigational and experimental aspects of the subject. The emphasis on the investigative nature of the subject arouses the interest and enthusiasm of the pupils and they consequently have good attitudes to the subject. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are supported well by other pupils when working with them in small groups, enabling them to be fully included in all activities. The teachers are making good use of a variety of materials from various sources and commercial schemes of work to enhance and improve the way pupils plan and record their investigations.

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SCIENCE

118 In the infant stage, pupils are beginning to understand what a fair test is. They know how to label parts of a plant, or describe how sound travels. Younger pupils can describe what happens when water changes to ice and how temperature affects where animals and people live. They are recording their results using diagrams and pictures to describe how plants grow and what they should eat to have a healthy diet. The good use of a theme to connect various areas of the curriculum helps pupils to understand why learning about science is important. The range of ‘scientific big books’ is good. They are used well so that pupils learn the difference between using diagrams, photographs and text to develop their ‘finding out about’ research skills in both their science and literacy lessons.

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SCIENCE

119 Pupils in Year 6 show a very mature attitude towards science. For example, they considered carefully before embarking on an investigation into why a bulb is brighter or dimmer. The questions posed by the teacher aroused their curiosity and they were careful about how they embarked on the problem. The well prepared resources allowed the pupils to consider the variables and suggest possibilities, which they could then test. Further evidence of the relationship between the pupils’ interest and enthusiasm was seen during the lesson when they began their own experiment. The pace of learning increased dramatically as they set their own problems and found solutions to creating circuits with different thicknesses of wire, so that bulbs lit at varying levels of brightness. The teacher supports the pupils carefully, especially those with special educational needs, by ensuring they work systematically with the aid of a support assistant to solve the problem. This

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SCIENCE

gives them confidence to deliver their results to the class in an interesting way. A lesson in Year 3 produced good results when pupils investigate the strength of differing types of magnets. The use of words for example, ‘the force’, ‘it attracts and repels’ indicates pupils are developing their thinking and skills of observation. They are aware of how to use equipment, and handle the magnets carefully. This investigative approach ensures that the interest and involvement of the pupils is retained. Their skills in predicting the results and suggestions about the outcomes are good.

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SCIENCE

120 Teachers consider the resources, which are available and plan carefully so that pupils are challenged to devise tests and reach conclusions. The good use of the resources, which are available enable the pupils to use a variety of equipment. The range of resources is adequate, but at present do not include sensors to measure results accurately. Pupils do not use the computer to record their data. However, pupils in Year 4 do construct bar graphs from their results and use their mathematical knowledge to interpret the data from their friction investigation. The teacher insists on pupils using scientific vocabulary and extends their knowledge by posing direct and challenging questions so that they can discuss and identify the solutions to the problem or test. St Francis RC Primary School - 45 121 The good use of questions and the information teachers provide ensures that the majority of pupils

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SCIENCE

fully understand how to conduct a fair test. Pupils develop their independence and organisational skills by the time they are in Year 6. They are able to devise their own experiment, record results and reach their own conclusions. The pupils are fully involved in their experiments, discussing sensibly and carrying out good investigations and learning well. The support assistants are clear about their role in the support they give to pupils with special educational needs and the more able, who are encouraged to develop their ideas by the adults in the classroom. This ensures that the rate of learning and progress by all pupils in the junior classes is good.

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SCIENCE

122 When pupils in Year 2 were not involved in extending their thinking about how to complete a circuit, they became disinterested in the lesson. They did not make sufficient progress in the practical task they had been given, and so were not able to achieve a result and make a circuit. The written part of the task was not completed and pupils copied a circuit from the board without understanding how it worked.

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SCIENCE

123 A number of those Year 6 pupils, when asked about their favourite subject indicated it was science. They have a wide knowledge and are able to recall information and identify the skills they have learnt from various topics they have covered throughout the school. A scrutiny of pupils’ books indicates that pupils cover all aspects of the science curriculum. A reason for the progress not being better is that although an assessment is made at the end of each teaching unit, the results are not used to identify areas which need further development. Although the teachers know the abilities of their pupils well and are good at establishing their strengths and weaknesses, there is no record of exactly what they have achieved in any topic that can be referred to when a future teacher comes to teach a related topic. This means that work is repeated and skills are taught again, unnecessarily.

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SCIENCE

124 Pupils use their literacy skills well and record their findings in a variety of different ways. However, the good use of these skills is not sufficiently developed because some pupils, particularly the average pupils, do not complete the task. The marking of pupils’ work by teachers is inconsistent. Teachers do not give pupils sufficient guidance on what they need to do in order to achieve better results or improve the quality of their work.

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SCIENCE

125 Teachers plan their lessons in some detail and the coordinator is able to take an overview of what is being taught throughout the school through monitoring plans. However the lack of assessments and interrogating the results of annual tests means that some gaps in pupils’ learning are not identified. She has not yet had the opportunity to monitor lessons and demonstrate specific teaching strategies.

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SCIENCE

126 Management of the subject is satisfactory. Although the school has set up meetings to plan for and identify ways to improve the teaching of the subject, there are still significant inconsistencies between classes because of less effective teaching and staffing difficulties. The coordinator is developing the subject and supporting colleagues through specific guidance and some in service training. She is aware that aspects of information and communication technology provision should be developed: the establishment of the new resource base and extending the range of resources where appropriate, is included in the subject action plan.

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ART AND DESIGN

127 Standards in art and design have risen since the time of the previous inspection and are now above the national expectation at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make good progress. All pupils are fully included in all aspects of the subject. Throughout the school pictures and murals that have been produced by pupils are an interesting feature of the school. In the school entrance hall and in the junior assembly hall, there are high quality examples of paint and collage work that have been produced by groups of pupils. Much of the work in the assembly hall supports the Catholic ethos of the school; the large pictures of the four saints representing each 'house' being typical. Although only a limited amount of teaching was seen during the inspection, there was a rich variety of artwork on display throughout the school that indicated good progression in

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ART AND DESIGN

St Francis RC Primary School - 46 each year group, with pupils using a wide range of techniques. It is evident from the above average standards that the quality of teaching is good throughout the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

128 Pupils in the infant classes use paint with great confidence. In producing their tiger pictures, pupils use a whole sheet of paper in order to paint interesting backgrounds, against which they set their animals. Printing techniques are used to produce a design that can be made into a bag at a later date and the paintings of ‘Mr Grump’ are both confident and lively. In the infant hall, a large mural depicts the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ and shows how pupils can use a range of materials to produce a collage that is of a high standard.

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ART AND DESIGN

129 Early in the junior department, the artwork on display supports topics and again this is a good feature of the artwork throughout the school. In Year 3, for example, there are high quality portraits of a Celtic man and a Roman Legionnaire, supporting work in history. The symmetrical designs of mats and masks show quite clearly how confident the pupils are in using materials and how high the expectations placed on them by the teachers are. By the time pupils are in Year 5 and 6, they are producing work of a high standard. Year 5 pupils, following a visit to Geffrye Museum, used pastels with considerable expertise to draw different flowers that they had observed growing in the museum gardens. As part of their work on Britain in the 1930’s, they are able to use their drawing skills to illustrate aspects of life at that time. Pupils in Year 6 produce excellent clay masks, based on traditional designs from Benin. These show great care for detail and the ability of the

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pupils to transfer their skills into using yet another material.

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ART AND DESIGN

130 The work in art is considerably enhanced by visitors into the school and by the after school art club. People from the 'Peckham Eye' project worked with pupils with special educational needs to make visual representations of the structure of the eye, and the 'Bird in the Bush' project leaders came into school to work with pupils on mosaics. Both of these projects helped to enrich further the already good work pupils are producing in art. The art club is a popular feature of the extra curricular provision and is over subscribed. During the art club sessions, pupils have looked at Nigerian art and produced high quality pieces of work in the style of the people of Nigeria. A story from Ghana has been richly illustrated and again shows the pupils’ skill and imagination. The work of European and British artists such as Monet and Turner are also used to broaden the styles in which the pupils can work. Year 6 pupils working for the first time in water colour, for example, use

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ART AND DESIGN

the paintings of other artists as a stimulus for their own work.

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ART AND DESIGN

131 The subject is very well coordinated by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable member of staff who recognises the importance of art in the lives of pupils. Pupils’ work in art, therefore, makes an important contribution to the ethos of the school and to the attitudes and personal development of pupils. It also considerably enhances the work in other areas of the curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

132 Standards in design technology are below those normally expected for pupils who are seven and 11 years old. This is in part due to the lack of a coordinator to develop the curriculum. As a result, pupils’ skills and knowledge of essential techniques have been underdeveloped. This represents a fall in standards since the previous inspection when pupils were attaining at the national average.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

133 Pupils who are seven years old make simple carriers by folding paper they have printed and adding handles. They choose from a limited range of materials provided by teachers. They build, using a range of construction kits and discuss their models enthusiastically. Pupils who are 11 years old make circuits that light two bulbs in a model church. The buildings are paper constructions using mainly sellotape for joins. In Year 5, pupils design and make gingerbread biscuits. They use computers to present their work in well illustrated books, linking the subject to a healthy living project. They evaluate their biscuits and suggest ways of improving them by adjusting the recipe. Pupils make simple folded books to present stories with a message or proclaim good news. They use basic folds but the work is well presented. Year 3 pupils learn about packaging and make good links in learning with their science work on materials. Teachers plan effectively for pupils to

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

design a covered play area. Using their knowledge of materials pupils make simple constructions using newspaper and cellophane that they join with sellotape and glue. There was little evidence of St Francis RC Primary School - 47 pupils using hinges and triangular joins to make sound structures. Opportunities have been missed to link with science, where forces and energy topics make effective links with the use of control, and mechanisms when designing moving objects.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

134 Insufficient evidence was available to make a reliable judgement on the quality of teaching in the infant section of the school. Taking into account the standards being achieved by age 11, the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory in the junior section. Two lessons were seen during the week, one showing unsatisfactory teaching and one showing very good teaching. The lack of resources limited the effectiveness of both lessons. Pupils in Year 5 had designed musical instruments after researching the different kinds of sounds they could make and what materials would be required. In the unsatisfactory lesson, basic requirements such as tins, pots and boxes were not available and pupils could not carry out the task. In the very good lesson pupils were building their instruments with great enthusiasm but were limited by the materials they had to use. One girl remarked that it would have been easier to use a glue gun. There was one saw for the class and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

there were no clamps or vices to use to steady wood while they were sawing or trying to hold two components together while the glue dried. However, the teacher encouraged pupils to evaluate their design as they built it by asking carefully worded questions. Design sheets also provided pupils with good opportunities to evaluate each stage. However, in all pupils’ books there were few examples of evaluating completed projects and no detailed plans including measurements.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

135 The lack of a coordinator has had a detrimental effect on standards. There has been no systematic monitoring of the quality of teaching or the curriculum to ensure pupils continue to build progressively on their skills and knowledge. Although teachers include some aspects of the subject in other curriculum areas, this has generally led to less focus on the development of specific skills and knowledge such as different methods of joining materials or how to make moving parts in their models. Individual projects in particular classes are well developed, but overall the time allocated for the subject is unsatisfactory. There is no formal assessment of pupils’ progress and remarks made in end of year reports are very limited, often referring more to art and design than technology.

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GEOGRAPHY

136 Standards are broadly in line with national expectations for pupils aged seven and 11, with pupils making satisfactory progress throughout. Standards have improved since the previous inspection, when they were reported as unsatisfactory. Strengths of the subject are: the good use of resources and the teachers’ use of well focused questions to extend pupils’ geographical vocabulary. Areas for development are: to increase the amount of resources for the subject, particularly maps, atlases and information and communication technology programs, which are related to the immediate environment, and to increase the time allocated to the subject, particularly in the Years 3 to 6.

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GEOGRAPHY

137 The priority given to raising standards in geography since the previous inspection has raised the profile of the subject. There is a whole school project based on the travels of a bear who accompanies pupils and adults on their holidays both in the United Kingdom and abroad. The update takes place on a termly basis. All pupils contribute to locating the places on a large display of a map of the world and introduce geographical features of the location to other pupils. Pupils use the map to discuss with each other and share their experiences which in turn extends both their knowledge and geographical vocabulary.

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GEOGRAPHY

138 The subject is taught in Years 1 and 2 through a range of topics, which include using maps, photographs and visits around the local area. The topics are planned in detail and develop geographical skills on a continual basis. By the end of Year 2 pupils are able to record the route they use to get from home to school. They use diagrams and picture maps, eventually progressing to using a detailed street map to record their journey. They are aware of the directions they need and can locate key features of the area on a local map.

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GEOGRAPHY

139 The subject is taught in Years 3 to 6 in blocks of time; the subject alternates with history for two terms of the year. However, this pattern does not encourage pupils to develop their skills on a St Francis RC Primary School - 48 continuing basis. The term’s gap indicates that pupils have to revisit skills they have been taught previously. Pupils develop and extend their skills during the lessons; they do not always apply their knowledge and skills to new areas of learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

140 Too little teaching was seen for a reliable overall judgement to be made, but good teaching was seen in Year 4. The lesson focused on planning an expedition to a hot country. Pupils use their own experience to contribute to the discussion. In addition they use secondary sources from travel brochures, books maps and photographs to identify the key geographical features. For example, rivers, mountains, dry areas and other features of a hot climate country. The teacher uses good and open questions to ensure that pupils have to think before responding and extends the pupils with special educational needs to work hard by expecting responses from them to add to the class discussion. Any pupil finding it difficult to understand or speak English is supported well by class teachers or specially trained classroom support assistants. Clear planning and careful preparation of resources ensured that the ability range within the class was well catered for. The marking of

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GEOGRAPHY

pupils' work does not give sufficient indication on how pupils can improve their work and is inconsistent between different groups of pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

141 Pupils are slow to record their work; this is evident from the scrutiny of pupils' work throughout the school. The examination of pupils' work reveals that pupils tend to undertake the same task and indicates very little difference between the abilities of pupils. For neither the most nor the least able was this suitable. However, pupils do use the skills they have learnt in literacy to present their work. They compile the information they have collected by writing lists in Year 4. Pupils in Year 3 write an interesting account about shops, houses and features in the Old Kent Road to good effect. By the time pupils are in Year 6 they are confident in using their research skills to locate information about Peckham from a variety of sources including the internet and original records and maps.

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GEOGRAPHY

142 Coordination of the subject is satisfactory and becoming increasingly effective. The new coordinator is working hard to ensure that plans based on national guidance are relevant for the needs of the pupils. This gives clear guidance to support planning, teaching and learning throughout the school and helps to ensure adequate coverage of the curriculum. The coordinator has monitored teachers’ planning and displays of pupils’ work throughout the school. She takes the lead in the whole school project and ensures that pupils contribute and use the display on a regular basis. She does not, at present, have the opportunity to observe any teaching of the subject but does take an overview of teachers’ planning to ensure continuity throughout the school. Resources for the subject have improved but there are still significant gaps both in the quantity and quality of the resources. The school makes good use of the local area to teach geographical skills

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GEOGRAPHY

and uses pupils' direct experience of visits to a wide range of countries to good effect. Pupils in Year 6 identify how they would improve the local area and use their art and music to reflect both the culture and environmental features of the area. There are good links with other subjects particularly in science and the use of graphs to record information. Pupils now have good opportunities to develop their geographical skills and they have made satisfactory progress since the time of the previous inspection.

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HISTORY

143 No lessons in history were observed during the time of the inspection. The school teaches history and geography on a rotational basis allocating a term to each subject. During this term the focus is on the teaching of geography. Although it is not possible to judge the quality of teaching, discussions, observations of completed pieces of work and an interview with the coordinator indicate that standards in history are in line with those expected for pupils aged seven and 11. This means that the school has maintained the standards observed at the time of the previous inspection. Work samples provide evidence that pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress.

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HISTORY

144 By the end of Year 2, when most pupils are seven, pupils are developing a sound understanding of the differences between the past and present through studying different events and lifestyles. Pupils learn about the lives and impact of famous people such as Florence Nightingale. Through St Francis RC Primary School - 49 the story of Florence Nightingale they are able to contrast her work and daily life with that of someone who is a nurse today. The study of toys is another ideal way of being able to see how change has taken place over time, and when visiting the toy museum they can clearly see how toys long ago were very different from their own. They are able to compare and contrast not only the different kinds of toys children had long ago but also look at the different materials they were made of. In a series of lessons about the seaside and holidays in the past pupils use early skills of historical research to study how holidays for Victorians and people in the mid twentieth century

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HISTORY

differed from those of today. Photographs and books help them to find the differences in clothing, transport and amusements and, through discussion with their teacher, begin to understand the reasons for them. An important aspect in the teaching of history is the introduction of correct terminology, not only for accuracy in recording subject material but also to extend the pupils’ own vocabulary.

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HISTORY

145 Pupils in Year 3 build satisfactorily on their previous experiences and begin more detailed studies of particular periods in history. They look at the invaders and the impact they have had on Britain. In these studies of the Celts and Romans, they study aspects of their lives such as houses, clothes and what it must have been like to be a soldier. Pupils use books and pictures to extract information and draw on their observational skills in art to illustrate their pieces of writing. Higher up the school, pupils study Britain in the 1930’s. The quality of work done during this particular study clearly indicates how much they have enjoyed the work and also how much knowledge and information they have acquired. An interesting aspect of this particular study was the work done on links with America during the late 1930’s and during the Second World War. During this study it is apparent how the skills of investigation have developed over the years and how the pupils look in

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HISTORY

greater depth at their area of study. In the case of this particular topic the work was greatly enhanced by a visit to a museum where the pupils could see at first hand how life was during the Second World War. By the time they are in Year 6, pupils’ studies take them away from their own country to Ancient Greece, giving them the experience of carrying out investigations using books, artefacts and stories.

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HISTORY

146 The school has a carefully written policy document that shows that all pupils are fully included in all aspects of the subject. A commercial scheme of work is in place to ensure continuity and progression but as yet, there has been no consistent programme of monitoring or evaluating the outcomes of the work in all classes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

147 Standards are in line with those expected nationally for pupils aged seven and better than those normally seen by the time pupils are 11. This represents a significant improvement since the previous inspection when they were below average throughout the school. The main reasons for this are the introduction of a detailed scheme of work, which effectively guides teachers' planning. It includes clear opportunities to use computers as an integral part of pupils’ learning, in most other subjects of the curriculum. However, some teachers include these opportunities more than others in their planning. Other factors are the improved resources and the enthusiasm and expertise of the subject coordinator. Pupils now have good access to modern computers in their classrooms. However, the number of pupils to each computer is well below the provision found in most schools nationally. This should improve when the planned information and communication technology suite

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

is created shortly. The fact that many pupils now have computers at home is another factor responsible for raising standards. This was also recognised in the previous inspection report. As a result, all pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, show confidence when using computers and most make good gains in their computer skills by the time they are aged 11.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

148 Evidence of completed work was very sparse in the scrutiny of work, except in Years 1 and 6 where teachers' expertise was evident. By the age of seven, pupils use computers confidently. Most know the functions of the keys on the keyboard and are able to load programs and save work by themselves. In Year 2, for example, pupils used the computer to practise their spellings or to create abstract pictures in art and design or sort two and three dimensional shapes in mathematics. When using a mobile programmable toy, for example, they use angles and St Francis RC Primary School - 50 numbers, reinforcing skills learnt in mathematics lessons. In Year 1, all quickly learnt how to access information and produce graphs on car colours and methods of travelling. They are all familiar with technical terms such as 'icon', 'scroll' and 'cursor'.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

149 By the end of Year 6, it is evident from the amount and quality of completed work they have produced that the quality of teaching in Year 6 is very good and that pupils are making good use of computers. They demonstrate good word processing skills and use functions, such as changing font, size or styles, confidently. All competently store, retrieve and present data in different ways, combining text and graphics to enhance their work. This was seen in their topic work on the ‘World Cup’ in football as pupils combined text and graphics using the national flag of each competitor nation as the background for their research into the language and currency of each country. Pupils use the internet and CD-ROM to research history and geography topics, finding out about places of interest or features such as the ‘Statue of Liberty’, for example. Pupils begin to understand how technology can be used to control outcomes by programming specific instructions

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

to make a set of traffic lights work. However, there is a shortage of equipment to monitor physical data, such as temperature changes of cooling liquids by using sensor equipment, and as a result, this particular aspect is not covered as well as others in school. All pupils are sufficiently challenged. In one Year 6 lesson observed, pupils tackled the challenging problem of framing the correct instructions to make their computer control a set of traffic lights at a junction. More able pupils faced the task of doing this with more than one set of lights. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in lessons and often paired with more able pupils when working independently from their teacher. Their rate of progress is good.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

150 The quality of teaching is satisfactory, overall in the infant classes and good in the junior department. In the infant department, there was more variation evident in teachers' expertise. Some use computers extensively but others very little. Furthermore, there were few references in some teachers’ planning, for example, to identify how computers would be used in their lessons. More planned opportunities were evident in the junior teachers' planning. Teaching is particularly good in Year 6 where the expertise of the subject coordinator is used in both classes. In the lessons seen, teaching was never less than satisfactory. In Year 6, it was very good or excellent in all the lessons observed. This accounts for the above average standards being achieved by pupils by the age of 11. This high quality of teaching resulted from the teacher’s knowledge and expertise in the subject and very good management of the pupils' learning. The task of writing

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

instructions to make a computer work traffic lights in the correct sequence challenged pupils of all abilities and provided a rigorous test of their ability to think logically. It also tested their road safety knowledge. All teachers endeavour to link the use of information and communication technology to other subjects, for example by researching facts about women in wartime, writing poems or imaginative stories or recording data from science experiments into sunlight. Planned tasks are usually challenging enough to sustain pupils’ interest for the whole session. Year 6 pupils make good use of the Internet, for example to research facts about countries, famous people or national monuments. As a result, pupils' interest is sustained and most work productively in lessons, concentrating well on the task in hand.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

151 National subject guidance is used appropriately to plan a well structured curriculum whereby pupils can build up skills systematically. Year 3 pupils, for example, are introduced to simple databases, and have designed their ideal playground complete with swimming pool. Skills in combining text and graphics were used effectively along with those from English, mathematics and design and technology lessons. In Year 4, pupils attempt more complex databases and presentations and in Year 5, pupils are introduced to spreadsheet modelling and learn to carry out complex data searches.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

152 The subject is well coordinated. Appropriate action has been taken to ensure standards improve and the school keeps pace with new developments. A new interactive whiteboard, which will be linked to a computer is to be installed in the library before the summer holiday. A clear plan for further developments most notably includes the introduction of a more formal approach to monitoring the standards of teaching and more consistent procedures for assessing pupils' progress. Information gained from the assessment of pupils’ progress in the subject is focused mainly on work covered, rather than the standards attained by individual pupils. As such, it is not St Francis RC Primary School - 51 sufficiently detailed to enable teachers to plan future work effectively for individual pupils, which matching their individual needs. Resources are currently unsatisfactory, when the ratio of pupils to each computer is compared to that of other schools, nationally. The school needs more

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

computers to improve access for pupils and a better range of programs to support pupils’ work in other subjects of the curriculum.

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MUSIC

153 One lesson was observed for each year group in Years 1 to 6. These lesson observations, plus singing in assemblies and teachers’ planning documentation show that pupils make good progress in their music skills and achieve standards above those expected for their age by the time they are seven and 11. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make the same progress as all other pupils. The good standards in music achieved in the previous inspection have been maintained.

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MUSIC

154 By the age of seven, pupils readily identify a number of tuned and untuned percussion instruments by name and recognise the sounds they make. They demonstrate a simple understanding of various musical qualities such as pitch and tempo when shaking or striking these instruments. Pupils display good singing skills when singing previously learned songs, and can accompany themselves using clapping activities, appropriate gestures and a range of simple instruments.

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MUSIC

155 By age 11, pupils display real pleasure in their singing activities as they sing in two part harmony and accompany themselves on a range of musical instruments. The satisfactory progress made in a Year 3 lesson owed much to the pupils’ good self discipline and their ability to focus on breathing techniques, and the clear articulation of lyrics. Pupils in Year 4 have an effective understanding of rhythmic patterns as they engage in a number of clapping activities prior to learning a new song. The song, a North American Indian song, was quite complex and demanding. The success of the final piece, with lots of smiling faces, was much enhanced by the pupils’ positive attitudes towards their work and their determination to succeed.

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MUSIC

156 The school regularly provides pupils with the opportunity to respond to both elements of the music curriculum, listening and appraising and composing and performing. A good example of this occurred in Year 5 as pupils worked in small groups in a collaborative manner in creating a piece of atmospheric music on glockenspiels and xylophones to accompany the witches’ spells in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. Pupils were given the opportunity to listen to and compare their own work with that of Sir Arthur Sullivan’s incidental music for ‘Macbeth.’

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MUSIC

157 All pupils are given the opportunity to develop a simple yet effective knowledge of formal musical notation. This was observed in a Year 6 lesson as pupils were asked to use a number of tuned and untuned percussion instruments in small groups to accompany a specific repeated phrase. Pupils were expected to record their final piece on a stave of music using appropriate formal notation. As in all lessons which involved collaborative learning pupils listened to and valued each other’s ideas and opinions before arriving at a final agreement as to the framework for their musical activities.

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MUSIC

158 The quality of singing, as observed in lessons and school assemblies, is good. Pupils really enjoy their singing and take care with their breathing techniques, correct phrasing, and the sensitive interpretation of lyrics. This confirmed the subject coordinators’ opinion that it was ‘a singing school’

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MUSIC

159 The quality of teaching at both key stages is good. The school benefits from having two knowledgeable and talented musicians on the teaching staff. Lessons are well planned, organised and delivered. Whilst lesson objectives are not specifically shared with pupils, they come to a clear understanding of the skills to be learned within lessons. Good use is made of time and resources. Lessons are well paced and active with regular opportunities for pupils to engage in practical music making and the listening and appraising of music. This includes both western composers as well as music from other cultures and traditions. St Francis RC Primary School - 52 160 The school has a well attended choir which sings both in school and in the local community. Pupils take part in local music festivals, including the Southwark Music Festival at the Globe Theatre. Those pupils who wish to extend their musical skills are given access to tuition for both

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MUSIC

violin and guitar. Pupils are also given the opportunity to take part in whole school musical productions.

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MUSIC

161 The subject is effectively led by a well informed and talented musician, who teaches all the junior lessons. The school has a satisfactory range of documentation to support the teaching of the subject and resources for music are satisfactory.

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MUSIC

162 With opportunities for pupils to engage in collaborative learning, and the chance to listen to and appreciate a range of world music, the subject makes a valuable contribution to pupils' social and cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

163 Standards are above those expected for pupils aged seven and 11. This represents an improvement on the previous inspection when standards were in line with national expectations. Overall, when account is taken of pupils' very good attitudes towards the subject, the good quality of teaching and lesson planning, and the introduction of a comprehensive scheme of work to guide teachers, the level of improvement has been good. All the areas criticised in the 1997 inspection, which included the considerable low attainment in swimming and limited opportunities for extra curricular sporting activities, have been corrected. As a result, all pupils do well in physical education and make good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

164 By the age of seven, pupils' skill in controlling a ball with a hockey stick, in catching and throwing and their knowledge about the effects of exercise are better than those normally seen. All pupils in Year 1, for example, demonstrated good balance, control and competitiveness when practising for their sports day races. The behaviour of pupils in lessons is good. This was seen in Year 2 when their games lesson had to be indoors because of poor weather. All behaved sensibly and with consideration for others. They listened carefully to instructions and waited patiently for their turn to dribble the ball around the cones. By age 11, pupils are more mature and responsible. They respond quickly to teachers' instructions and work hard in lessons. All show advanced skills when using rackets in short tennis and most accurately hit a ball to a partner. Both girls and boys in Year 6 are able to keep a ball in the air using a bat for long periods. Year 3 pupils know the best

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

technique for starting in a sprint race and how to use arms and a raised knee action to increase speed. Year 4 pupils demonstrate balance and poise as they develop a sequence of movements when jumping over benches.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

165 Teachers take care to ensure that all pupils with special educational needs are fully included in lessons. In common with all other pupils, they enjoy taking part in lessons and work very well together in pairs or small groups. Language is not a problem in physical education. Most pupils who speak English as an additional language fully understand instructions. Where there is any doubt, they simply follow other pupils. In a Year 1 class, for example, one pupil was supported very well by the classroom support assistant, ensuring that she was fully included in the lesson. Strengths in teaching, such as teachers' subject knowledge, good class management and the breadth of activities on offer, help all pupils to make good progress in acquiring essential skills and knowledge during lessons. Pupils in Year 6, for example, are able to hold a tennis racket correctly and keep a score when playing against a partner. Pupils' knowledge and their skills are developed

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

well by all teachers, enabling pupils to enjoy lessons and make good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

166 The introduction of the latest curriculum guidance provides for the systematic development of pupils’ skills throughout the school. It also ensures that pupils cover the full curriculum, including the non statutory outdoor and adventurous activities, such as problem solving and orienteering exercises. These are planned into the programme for pupils in the summer term and on residential visits. During the inspection, teachers were taking advantage of the summer term weather and some of the lessons seen involved pupils working outdoors to improve their games or athletics skills. Good use is made of the two school halls for gymnastics or dancing. In the infant hall, Year St Francis RC Primary School - 53 1 pupils worked hard to learn the steps for an Irish country dance. The lack of storage space meant that they had to take extra care to avoid the dining tables and other equipment stored around the hall. Planning evidence shows that dance has an increased emphasis, giving pupils

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

more opportunities to respond to music, following criticism about this in the previous report.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

167 Pupils in Year 4 have three terms of swimming tuition. All benefit from the expert tuition available at the nearby pool with the result that most pupils can swim 25 metres by the time they leave the school. All have the opportunity to practise personal survival skills or develop a range of strokes. Those who fail to learn to swim are given additional lessons when they are in Year 5.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

168 The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers’ secure knowledge and detailed planning ensure that pupils encounter the full range of activities in order to meet statutory requirements. In very good lessons, teachers use good coaching techniques to extend pupils’ learning. Year 5 pupils, for example, are taught how to bat a ball accurately with the flat of their hand in order to develop hand and eye coordination in preparation for cricket. Most teachers devise challenging activities such as in Year 4 when a hoop was given to pupils and had to be included in the jumping sequences. The good use of praise succeeds in motivating all pupils to work hard in order to improve their performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

169 Opportunities for pupils to evaluate their own and others’ performances are not always provided in some lessons. Teachers use demonstrations by pupils well to illustrate points and identify how the performance might be improved but some do not give pupils the chance to comment on their own or others' performance. The assessment of pupils' progress is satisfactory. However, there is little evidence of information from assessment being used to modify or plan future work. Assessment information in some classes simply records what has been covered by pupils and not how well or otherwise they have performed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

170 Good class discipline ensures that pupils pay close attention to instructions and work hard. This helps to consolidate and extend their skills and learning. Teachers also take care to ensure that pupils are aware of health and safety issues. Pupils in Year 3 for example know why they need to remove jewellery before lessons begin and in the Years 6, pupils remain within their designated area when working in pairs batting a ball to one another. Most lessons are conducted at a good pace with plenty of time and opportunities for pupils to practise.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

171 Pupils’ knowledge of the effects of exercise on their body is a further strength of the teaching programme. Teachers nearly always start lessons with vigorous and sustained warming up sessions. These extend pupils and leave pupils breathing hard. In all classes, pupils know that the heart beats faster after exercise and the reasons for stretching muscles before exercise. In a Year 6 games lesson, for example, the teacher concentrated on warming up arm and shoulder muscles to better prepare pupils for throwing, catching and batting a ball. The opportunity to play in a team, sometimes against pupils from other schools in the area, gives pupils opportunities to develop games skills in competitive situations. This in turn contributes to the provision for pupils’ social development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

172 The satisfactory level of resources for lessons means that all pupils are provided with sufficient opportunities to practise games skills with bats and balls. Both school halls are used well. However, both the infant and junior halls would benefit from more vertical apparatus, such as climbing frames, for pupils to use. Additional facilities, such as a good sized level playground, further enhance the opportunities for pupils to learn appropriate skills in this subject. Unfortunately, there is no playing field for pupils to use.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

173 The subject is managed in a satisfactory way by the extremely conscientious and enthusiastic subject coordinator. All staff work hard to improve standards in each aspect of physical education. Teachers' planning is checked each term and the quality and condition of resources is reviewed regularly. Time is allocated periodically to monitor the quality of teaching informally. This needs to be done on a more regular and formal basis in order to identify clearly strengths and weaknesses with a view to raising standards further. A satisfactory range of extra curricular sporting activities St Francis RC Primary School - 54 provided by visiting specialists also makes a positive contribution to pupils' learning. These include football coaching with Millwall football club, hockey, basketball and tennis.

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