St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School (Aided)

SCHOOL

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

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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 Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Front Street Longbenton Newcastle upon Tyne

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr C W Thomson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4 November 1996 St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 4

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Team members

Christopher Taylor Registered inspector Katherine Anderson Lay inspector Morag Thorpe Team inspector

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Team members

Cambridge Education Associates Limited Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 9

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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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10 - 13

Children under five make very good progress because of the high quality teaching. Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages due to very good class management and the brisk pace of working. Pupils' positive attitudes to learning and their very good behaviour help them to make good progress. The school helps pupils to become mature and responsible by developing their social skills and their appreciation of local and other cultures. The school cares for its pupils, including those with special educational needs, very well. Parents make a very important contribution to children's learning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13 - 14

Weaknesses in teaching could be improved by better monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching by the headteacher and key staff. Standards in information technology are too low because the skills are not reinforced or practised sufficiently. Pupils could learn more during the first lesson if the timing of school assemblies was improved. Pupils at Key Stage 1 lack opportunities to broaden their interests and develop their social skills through extra-curricular activities.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 16 - 19

St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School has 261 boys and girls aged 3 - 11. It is about the same size as most infant and junior schools, with 225 full-time pupils and an additional 36 part-time children in the nursery. The number of pupils has remained fairly steady over the last five years. The majority of children enter the nursery with levels of attainment above the national average, with well-developed language and social skills. Only four per cent of pupils - well below the national average - are known to be eligible for free school meals. Twenty six pupils - below the national average - have special educational needs. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties, though none has a statement of special needs. Only one pupil speaks English as an additional language and no pupils are at an early stage of English language acquisition.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Bartholomew's is a very effective school with a very good ethos and a caring environment. Teaching and learning are good, and pupils' attitudes to work, and their behaviour and personal development, are very good. Standards are well above the national average in English, mathematics and science at both key stages. Provision for pupils' welfare and for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The headteacher provides sound leadership of the school and the governing body is effective in fulfilling its duties. As expenditure per pupil is well below the national average, the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Children under five make very good progress because of the high quality teaching. • Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages due to very good class management and the brisk pace of working. • Pupils' positive attitudes to learning and their very good behaviour help them to make good progress. • The school helps pupils to become mature and responsible by developing their social skills and their appreciation of local and other cultures. • The school cares for its pupils, including those with special educational needs, very well. • Parents make a very important contribution to children's learning.

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What could be improved

• Weaknesses in teaching could be improved by better monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching by the headteacher and key staff. • Standards in information technology are too low because the skills are not reinforced or practised sufficiently. • Pupils could learn more during the first lesson if the timing of school assemblies was improved. • Pupils at Key Stage 1 lack opportunities to broaden their interests and develop their social skills through extra-curricular activities. 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

Since the last inspection in November 1996, the school has made satisfactory progress in addressing the key issues highlighted in the previous report, though there are a few areas that could be improved further. The school has made satisfactory progress overall in implementing new policies and schemes of work in order to ensure appropriate breadth and a logical order when teaching each subject of the curriculum. The exception is in information technology, where a new scheme of work has yet to be completed and implemented. The school has made satisfactory progress in extending the influence of curriculum co-ordinators in evaluating pupils' work and teachers' planning, but does not enable co-ordinators to observe teaching and share good practice in their subject areas. It has made good progress in developing strategic planning for school improvement, and the governors are now more actively involved in monitoring the curriculum and planning for the future. There has been

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

too little attention paid, however, to monitoring and evaluating the standard of teaching and to improving the quality of teaching where necessary by promoting good practice and by sharing the expertise of highly skilled subject co-ordinators. In addition to these key issues, the school has improved standards in science at Key Stage 2, and has improved the provision for pupils' welfare and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Standards in information technology have St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 7 improved, but could be higher. The school has maintained very high attainment in English and mathematics, and in science at Key Stage 1, very high standards of behaviour and personal development, and very good links with parents.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English A A A B well above average above average A B Mathematics B A A B average below average C D Science B B B D well below average E

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Key

In English, at the end of Key Stage 2 in 1999, pupils achieved results which were well above the national average for all schools and above the average for schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Inspection findings confirm that pupils make good progress in developing writing skills and very good progress in their reading, speaking and listening skills. Standards have improved broadly in line with improvements nationally over the past three years. In mathematics, the results of the 1999 tests at the end of Key Stage 2 were well above the national average for all schools and above the average for schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. Inspection findings confirm that standards in mathematics are well above national expectations and have improved since the previous inspection in line with national trends. In science, pupils achieved standards above the national average in the 1999 Key Stage 2 tests, but just below the average for

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Key

schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. Standards in science followed national trends in 1997 and 1998, but improvements in 1999 were not as good as improvements nationally. The school has re-written its scheme of work and has successfully identified areas for further development this year. Inspection findings indicate that standards in science are now well above the national average at the end of Key Stage 2. Targets for standards in English and mathematics at Key Stage 2 were exceeded in 1999, and realistic targets have been set for the National Curriculum tests in 2000. Standards are well above national expectations for the under-fives and in English, mathematics and science at Key Stage 1. Pupils make excellent progress in reading. Standards are at least as high as they should be in all subjects inspected at both key stages except in information technology, where standards are in line with national expectations but pupils do not learn and practise skills sufficiently

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Key

in all classes. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress throughout the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are very keen to learn and are very well motivated. They are very interested and involved in all school activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave very well in class and around school. They are polite and helpful. There have been no exclusions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff are very good. Pupils are keen to take responsibility and work well on their own in class.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is very high compared with the national average. There is no unauthorised absence and punctuality is very good.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 8

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

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

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

Teaching was satisfactory or better in all the lessons observed. It was good in 50 per cent of lessons, very good in a further 15 per cent of lessons, and excellent in 20 per cent of lessons. Teaching of English and mathematics, including the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, is very good for the under-fives and good at both key stages. Particular strengths of the teaching include very good class management in most classes at both key stages and excellent organisation in the nursery and reception classes. The use of support staff is particularly effective at Key Stage 1 and in the early years. The individualised programme for teaching reading is very effective. Where teaching is only just satisfactory at Key Stage 2, the pace is sometimes too slow, teaching occasionally lacks dynamism or class control is not always effective. This restricts the rate of pupils' learning and limits the standards achieved in these lessons. The school meets the needs of higher and lower-attaining

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

pupils well. Pupils generally work at a very brisk pace and make good progress in acquiring skills, knowledge and understanding. They show great interest in their work and concentrate well when working on their own or in small groups.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. All statutory requirements of the National Curriculum are met. The school has implemented the National Literacy Strategy very effectively, and strategies for teaching numeracy are good. A wide range of educational visits and visitors helps to broaden pupils' interests. There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities at Key Stage 2, but none at Key Stage 1. The timing of school assemblies results in insufficient time for the first lesson of the day.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils receive very good assistance both in class and when withdrawn for individual help. Pupils with special needs make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The only pupil with English as an additional language is not at an early stage of English language acquisition.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Provision for promoting pupils' personal development is very good. Provision for pupils' spiritual and moral development is good. There is clear teaching of right and wrong and there are many opportunities to join in worship and prayer both in assemblies and in class. Provision for pupils' social and cultural development is very good, with many opportunities to join in sporting and other events, residential visits, and drama and musical activities.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils' welfare are very good. The school is a very caring community with a strong family atmosphere. The school's links with parents are very effective, and the quality of information provided for parents is very good. Parents and other volunteers make an excellent contribution by helping in school, supporting pupils with their homework, and by raising substantial funds to buy resources. St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 9 The timing of school assemblies gives insufficient time for pupils to finish their work during the first lesson and to consolidate their learning by discussing their work together at the end of the lesson.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership and management of the headteacher and senior staff ensure clear direction and purpose in the life of the school. The school's aims and values are clearly reflected in all its work. Subject co-ordinators evaluate teachers' planning and pupils' work, but their expertise is not used to monitor teaching formally and to further improve standards.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are fully involved in planning and monitoring the curriculum, and fulfil their responsibilities effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school, generally, has a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. There is insufficient monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching, however, by the headteacher and key staff, and this leads to inconsistencies in the quality of teaching.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Educational priorities are supported well through the school's financial planning. Specific grants are used effectively and all major spending decisions take into account the principles of best value. The accommodation is very good. Teachers' expertise meets the needs of the National Curriculum and support staff work effectively alongside.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy going to school. • The school enables children to make good progress in their work. • The school achieves high standards of good behaviour. • The teaching is good overall. • Parents are comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • The school expects children to work hard and to achieve their best. • The school works closely with parents. • The school is well led and managed. • The school helps children to become mature and responsible. • Some parents felt their children do not receive the right amount of work to do at home. • Many parents were disappointed that there are no extra-curricular activities for pupils at Key Stage 1. • Many parents expressed concern about inconsistencies in the standard of teaching. • Several parents commented on the low level of funding.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection findings support the parents' very positive views. The amount of homework set for pupils of all ages is broadly in line with the amount recommended nationally. There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities at Key Stage 2 and the school should consider extending these into Key Stage 1. The standard of teaching in the lessons observed ranged from satisfactory to excellent. There is insufficient monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching by the headteacher and key staff to remedy the inconsistencies in teaching. Income and expenditure per pupil are well below the national average. St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 10

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Children under five make very good progress because of the high quality

1. Forty three children were aged under five at the time of the inspection; 36 in the nursery and 7 in reception. When they enter the nursery, their speaking skills and their personal and social development are well above the level expected for their age, and they have good early reading, writing and number skills. Teaching is very good in both the nursery and reception. Teachers have very high expectations and this encourages children to make very good progress. By the time they are five, children achieve well above expectations in all areas of learning.

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Children under five make very good progress because of the high quality

2. Teachers explain procedures clearly so that children quickly make very good progress. They are encouraged to take personal responsibility by registering themselves at the start of the session and they choose some of their own activities between teacher-led sessions. The use of well-established routines such as wearing a coloured band when working in one of the activity areas enables children to become accustomed to the school's procedures. As a result, their behaviour is very good for their age and time is used effectively. Children follow instructions well, sit still when listening to a story and work sensibly on their own. They play together well, share equipment and learn to take turns. This excellent class management ensures that children get on with their work sensibly and spend most of their time learning.

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Children under five make very good progress because of the high quality

3. There is a stong emphasis in the nursery and reception on language development. Children are encouraged to listen attentively to their teachers and to discuss what they are doing. They are taught to listen carefully to stories and to recall the sequence of events. Very good use is made of parent helpers in the nursery to help children identify the initial sounds of words and recognise the letters representing many of the sounds. In reception, children identify a range of common words and enjoy reading simple sentences with the assistance of an adult helper. Teachers encourage the use of role-play to develop children's language. Two children, for example, answered the telephone and spoke to 'customers' in the 'garden centre'.

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Children under five make very good progress because of the high quality

4. Teachers have very high expectations of children's writing skills. In the nursery, children are encouraged to draw pictures of items beginning with the same sound, and then try copying the name of the object. In reception, they learn to recognise the letters by shape and sound. They draw objects beginning with different letters, and are shown how to label them correctly with the aid of a simple picture dictionary. As a result, they make very good progress with pencil control and letter formation, and some children begin to put a few words together to form simple sentences.

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Children under five make very good progress because of the high quality

5. Detailed planning and clear aims ensure that children's numeracy skills develop in a clear sequence in the nursery. Children count out five dominoes, recognise the numbers one to six on dice and then count the number of legs on a spider. They begin to sort items into those that are longer and shorter, and realise that it takes more time to fill large plant pots with sand than to fill small pots. In reception, detailed planning builds on earlier skills, and children begin to count up to twenty 'ice cubes' accurately and estimate that there are fifty or sixty seeds on a tray.

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Children under five make very good progress because of the high quality

6. Teachers give instructions very clearly so that children know exactly what they have to do. As a result, they make very good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world and in their creative and physical development. Children in the nursery, for example, follow instructions carefully when planting marigold seeds, and learn from experience that they need water to grow. They listen carefully to their teacher and follow a sequence of jumping, walking and skipping movements to develop their co-ordination. In reception, children are given clear instructions to cut out fruit shapes in felt, and to stick on seeds to form melons and sweetcorn. They learn to follow an extended sequence of instructions to peel carrots, cut up white cabbage with scissors and mix them with mayonnaise to produce a vegetable salad. St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 11

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

due to very good class management and the brisk pace of working.

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

7. Pupils' standards are well above the national average in English, mathematics and science at both key stages. This is due largely to good teaching. Most teachers manage their classes very effectively so little time is wasted and there is a lively pace to lessons. As a result, pupils concentrate hard, keep up a brisk pace of work and make good progress. During the current year teachers have concentrated on improving areas of science that were less strong, and standards in science are now well above expectations by the age of eleven.

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

8. There is a strong emphasis on learning reading skills at Key Stage 1, and pupils make excellent progress. In the National Curriculum tests at Key Stage 1 in 1999, standards in reading were in the top five per cent of all schools in the country. Time is allocated for individual reading in classes each day, and pupils read regularly to their class teacher or to another adult as well as taking a book home to read each evening. This ensures that pupils practise reading on a daily basis, and this helps them to make rapid progress. By the end of the key stage, most pupils read confidently with little hesitation. They have an extensive vocabulary of words that they recognise on sight, and use the sounds of letters and groups of letters effectively to read unfamiliar words. Higher-attaining pupils read fluently with very good expression.

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

9. Basic literacy skills are taught well. Teachers plan the literacy hour carefully in order to make the best possible use of time. As a result, pupils work at a brisk pace and spend most of the lesson learning. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils' writing benefits from using the interesting words they have learnt from reading a wide range of fiction, poetry and information books. Pupils in Year 6, for instance, listened to a poem by Miroslav Holub, wrote down their feelings about the meaning of 'The Door', and suggested a myriad of imaginative words to express the moods and feelings of someone passing through. Teachers' expectations are high, and they encourage pupils to write effectively for a range of audiences. Pupils in Year 5, for example, used a variety of alliterative phrases and a mixture of half-truths, exaggeration and opinion when writing an advertisement for a steam iron. Spelling is generally accurate because

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

pupils learn a range of spellings each week, and are tested regularly. Pupils are taught to use dictionaries to check the spelling of more difficult words.

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

10. Mathematics is taught well at both key stages. Teachers plan carefully so that lessons consolidate and build on skills learnt previously. As a result, younger pupils make very good progress in counting and ordering numbers and in simple calculations. By the end of Key Stage 1, they count forwards and backwards in hundreds, order numbers to a thousand, and add and subtract a hundred from any three-digit number. Teachers place strong emphasis on learning mental mathematics skills to carry out calculations quickly. Pupils in Year 2, for example, recall the two times table rapidly, and use their knowledge to double or halve any two-digit number. Pupils learn a variety of different ways to calculate answers by listening carefully to other pupils' explanations. Teachers use a wide variety of resources such as problem cards, linked question and answer cards and 'ladders' for counting in hundreds in order to keep the

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

lesson moving at a brisk pace and to make learning in mathematics interesting.

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

11. Teachers' expectations are high in mathematics at Key Stage 2 and pupils make good progress. By the end of the key stage, they multiply and divide three-digit numbers by two- digit numbers, and calculate fractions and percentages of numbers. Teachers have implemented the National Numeracy Strategy carefully and are placing a greater emphasis on the use of mental mathematics and tables to perform calculations rapidly. Pupils in Year 5, for example, used facts linked to the 7 times table effectively, while pupils in Year 3 used their knowledge of tables to divide numbers quickly by 5 and 10. Pupils make good progress as they learn to develop a variety of alternative ways to perform mathematical calculations. Pupils in Year 3, for example, used both equal sharing and grouping to perform simple divisions, while pupils in Year 6 interpreted divided circles accurately both as fractions and as percentages.

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

12. During this year, teachers have concentrated on improving areas of science that pupils had found more difficult in the national tests. As a result, pupils are now making good progress in science at both key stages. At Key Stage 1, for example, pupils investigate 'push' and 'pull' forces by running vehicles down a ramp, and discover how to construct different electrical circuits. Teachers place a strong emphasis on practical and investigative science and this helps pupils to understand physical processes more clearly. Pupils in Year 1, for example, make predictions about the development of sunflower seeds grown under different conditions, St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 12 and are able to test these ideas as they see that plants need water, sunlight and air to survive.

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Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science at both key stages

13. Class management is very good in science, and this helps to ensure that pupils concentrate hard and learn effectively during their practical investigations. Pupils in Year 4, for example, worked hard to determine which surfaces created most friction, while pupils in Year 3 co- operated well when planning and carrying out a fair test to investigate the properties of magnets. Teachers promote effective learning by encouraging pupils to think for themselves. Pupils in Year 6, for example, conducted a problem-solving exercise to design a boat that would hold the maximum weight. The use of investigative techniques enables both lower- attaining and higher-attaining pupils to make good progress. In a Year 5 lesson, for instance, all pupils were able to construct their own electrical circuits using circuit diagrams, while higher-attaining pupils were also able to explore which materials act as conductors and which

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Pupils' positive attitudes to learning and their very good behaviour help them to

14. Pupils' attitudes to work are very good. They are keen to learn, well motivated, and eager to take every opportunity to extend their knowledge and understanding. Teachers are enthusiastic and act as good role models. They build on their pupils' enthusiasm by encouraging them to share their interests and insights with other pupils during question and answer sessions. Pupils listen very attentively to their teachers and to other pupils. They follow detailed instructions carefully from an early age, and concentrate well on any given project. As a result, pupils work at a brisk pace and keep going until all the tasks set have been completed. This enables them to increase their skills and knowledge and to make rapid progress.

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Pupils' positive attitudes to learning and their very good behaviour help them to

15. Behaviour is very good both in class and around the school. Pupils are taught to behave sensibly during lessons and most of their time is busily occupied in learning. They are polite and helpful to visitors, and are keen to explain the work they are doing. Pupils co-operate sensibly when working in pairs or in small groups, and this helps them to learn more effectively. Virtually all parents agree that behaviour in the school is good. Very little inappropriate behaviour was seen during the inspection. Good discipline and class management is a strong feature of most lessons. This provides pupils with a firm sense of security and enables them to work hard with little disturbance.

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Pupils' positive attitudes to learning and their very good behaviour help them to

16. Opportunities for personal development are very good and are assisted by the high quality of relationships in the school. Pupils get on very well together and learn from each other's ideas and suggestions. They co-operate well during group activities, and share equipment sensibly or take turns where appropriate. They chatter happily as they eat their lunch together, and play sensibly even when confined indoors during a wet playtime. These good relationships help to develop pupils' tolerance and understanding of others. Relationships between pupils and teachers are very good and sometimes outstanding. Teachers know their pupils well and are sensitive to their individual needs. This builds confidence in their pupils and encourages pupils to ask questions without loss of face. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop personal and social skills. Pupils in Year 6, for example, help in the nursery, reception

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Pupils' positive attitudes to learning and their very good behaviour help them to

and Year 1 classes, answer the telephone at lunchtime, arrange the hall for assembly and tidy away equipment after physical education. These activities help to develop responsibility in pupils and to build their confidence and communication skills.

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The school helps pupils to become mature and responsible by developing their

social skills and their appreciation of local and other cultures.

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The school helps pupils to become mature and responsible by developing their

17. The school works very hard to develop pupils' social skills. There is a very good variety of extra-curricular activities at Key Stage 2 to help pupils become mature and responsible young people. These include a book club and a sewing club, the Quest (Christian) club, and an electronics club. These activities encourage pupils to develop their own interests further and to co-operate with adults and with each other. In addition, there is a wide range of sporting activities after school including football, netball, cricket and rounders matches against other schools, athletics and cross-country competitions, and badminton and mini-rugby coaching. These sporting activities encourage a spirit of friendly competition and fair play. There are many trips to theatres and museums, and the annual residential visits for pupils in Years 4 and 6 provide excellent opportunities for pupils to develop independence and to foster new

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The school helps pupils to become mature and responsible by developing their

friendships. St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 13 18. The school helps pupils to develop a very good appreciation of local and other cultures. There are many opportunities for pupils to take part in music making from around the world. Over 50 pupils in the school choir, for example, sang Christmas carols at a charity fair, and performed American and Caribbean songs at the annual Longbenton Schools' Music Festival. Visitors to school include a 'Roman' lady and a theatre group. Pupils in Year 6 develop their confidence and improve their performance skills by taking part in an annual pantomime. There are many opportunities to study the works of artists such as Monet and Van Gogh, and pupils experiment by using the styles and techniques of different artists in their own work. Year 6 pupils explore the roots of local Celtic Christianity on their visit to Holy Island, while Year 4 pupils discover more about local industries and culture on a boat trip down the River Tyne. Year 3 pupils

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The school helps pupils to become mature and responsible by developing their

research local links with the Jarrow March in their history lessons, and pupils in Year 2 examine the customs, games, art and clothing of a West African culture in their study of a Ghanaian village during geography lessons. These studies broaden pupils' horizons and help them to appreciate the wealth of diversity in our own multi-cultural society.

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The school cares for its pupils, including those with special educational needs,

19. The school cares for its pupils very well. There are suitable arrangements for children joining the reception class so that all pupils settle into school quickly and are happy to start learning straight away. Arrangements for looking after pupils' needs are very effective throughout the school, and teachers are quickly alerted to any concerns that parents might have about their children. Pupils are well supervised at lunchtimes and at playtimes. There are clear child protection policies in place, and staff are aware of the relevant procedures to follow if they have any concerns. There is a good programme of visits and liaison with Longbenton College so that pupils are confident when they transfer to secondary education.

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The school cares for its pupils, including those with special educational needs,

20. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good, and pupils make good progress towards the targets recorded in their individual education plans. This is because the plans are well devised, have appropriate short-term aims that are achievable, and can be assessed and reviewed easily. Class teachers are fully aware of pupils' special needs and ensure that they receive appropriate assistance during lessons. Pupils receive very good support from the special needs teacher both in class and when withdrawn for individual or small group work. There is very good liaison with visiting professionals including the educational psychologist. The accommodation is suitable for disabled pupils, and ramps have been provided for wheelchair access where necessary.

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The school cares for its pupils, including those with special educational needs,

Parents make a very important contribution to children's learning.

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The school cares for its pupils, including those with special educational needs,

21. Parents make a very effective contribution to pupils' learning. They support children with their homework and encourage them to do their best. Helpful comments in pupils' reading diaries indicate that most parents play an important role in encouraging their children to read. Several parents and other volunteers help in school on a regular basis. They provide valuable support by listening to pupils read, mounting pupils' artwork, running the school library and teaching information technology skills to small groups of pupils. Other parents accompany pupils on visits, transport children to sports events or make costumes for the school pantomime. The school is given strong support by parents. An effective parents' association organises a variety of social events and raises substantial sums of money to help provide resources for the school.

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Weaknesses in teaching could be improved by better monitoring, evaluation and

development of teaching by the headteacher and key staff.

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Weaknesses in teaching could be improved by better monitoring, evaluation and

22. Prior to the inspection, many parents expressed concern about inconsistencies in the standard of teaching in the school. While no unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection, the standard of teaching ranged from satisfactory to excellent. Where teaching is only just satisfactory at Key Stage 2, the pace is sometimes too slow, teaching occasionally lacks dynamism or discipline is not always effective. This restricts the rate of pupils' learning and limits the standards achieved in these lessons. While 85% of the teaching observed was good St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 14 or better, there are no formal procedures in place to remedy weaknesses in teaching and to improve all teaching to a higher standard. Weaknesses in teaching could be improved by better monitoring of teaching by the headteacher and senior staff, and by an effective programme of monitoring, evaluation and support provided by subject co-ordinators.

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Standards in information technology could be raised by teaching skills in a

logical order in each class and by practising them more frequently.

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Standards in information technology could be raised by teaching skills in a

23. Standards in information technology are in line with national expectations but could be higher at both key stages. Standards have improved since the previous inspection, and pupils now cover all the requirements of the National Curriculum. At Key Stage 1, for example, pupils use the mouse and keyboard for simple word processing. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have well-developed word processing skills and use CD ROMs for research. Older pupils take part in video conferencing sessions with local schools, while pupils at both key stages benefit from visits to the local Educational Technology Centre. The teaching of information technology is not planned effectively, however, and skills are not taught and practised in a clear progression throughout the school. Year 4 pupils, for instance, use advanced word processing and desktop publishing skills to produce newspapers to illustrate their personal research on Roman Britain,

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Standards in information technology could be raised by teaching skills in a

but these skills are not developed and used in Year 5. Pupils in the reception class program a floor robot to 'deliver mail' on a large map of the Isle of Struay, but these skills are not developed further until pupils in Year 5 program the movement of robots in an imaginary screen environment. The school is planning to adopt the national guidelines suggested by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, but the scheme of work has yet to be completed and implemented in every year group.

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Pupils could learn more during the first lesson if the timing of school assemblies

24. Whole school assemblies and key stage assemblies are timed to start at 10.00am and to finish at 10.20am, but the morning break does not start until 10.30am. In practice, the first lesson is often only 50 or 55 minutes long and there is insufficient time for pupils to complete their individual work, while the 10 minutes after assembly is spent drinking milk and waiting for the start of break. If assemblies were timed to start 10 minutes later, pupils could learn more during the first lesson. There would be longer for them to complete individual or group exercises and sufficient time for a plenary session to discuss pupils' work and to consolidate their learning. This would be particularly beneficial at Key Stage 2 where the 22 hours 55 minutes of teaching time per week is currently 35 minutes less than the 23 hours 30 minutes recommended by the Department for Education and Employment.

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Pupils at Key Stage 1 lack opportunities to broaden their interests and develop

their social skills through extra-curricular activities.

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Pupils at Key Stage 1 lack opportunities to broaden their interests and develop

25. Many parents who responded to the parental questionnaire were disappointed that there are no extra-curricular activities for pupils at Key Stage 1. Extending the very good provision for extra-curricular clubs and sporting activities at Key Stage 2 into Key Stage 1 would help to broaden younger pupils' interests and develop their social skills. St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 15

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

26. In order to raise standards and improve the quality of education provided, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) seek to improve the weaknesses in teaching by effective monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching by the headteacher and key staff. (see paragraph 22)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) improve standards in information technology at both key stages by completing the scheme of work and implementing it in all classes. (see paragraph 23)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) enable pupils to learn more during the first lesson by improving the timing of school assemblies. (see paragraph 24)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) improve the opportunities for pupils at Key Stage 1 to broaden their interests and develop their social skills by extending the very good range of extra-curricular activities at Key Stage 2 into Key Stage 1. (see paragraph 25) St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

20 15 50 15 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 18 225

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 9 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 25

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 18 16 34

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 18 18 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 16 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (97) 100 (97) 97 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 18 18 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 15 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (97) 97 (94) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 16 16 32

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 91 (93) 88 (82) 84 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (58) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 94 (89) 84 (85) 88 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 18

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 6 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.3 Financial year 1999/00

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 356,775

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1 Expenditure per pupil 1,439

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 30.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 6,875

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -5,188

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 30.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 9 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School - 19

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 57 35 5 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 70 29 0 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 39 42 11 3 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 46 44 8 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 23 2 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 72 23 4 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 45 50 3 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 52 40 4 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 67 32 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 40 19 2 14

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Other issues raised by parents

43 parents wrote letters or additional comments.

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Other issues raised by parents

While most parents felt that teaching is good overall and some parents strongly praised individual teachers, many expressed concern about inconsistencies in teaching.

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Other issues raised by parents

Several parents commented on the low level of funding.

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