Burnley St Peter's Church of England Primary School

ST PETER’S C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th to 21 st February 2002

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ST PETER’S C of E 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 PETER’S C of E 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 Peter’s CofE Primary School - 3 - February 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Church of England Voluntary Aided

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Street Burnley Lancashire

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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: Reverend Q H Wilson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 1997 St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 4 - February 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 11565 Mrs J E Platt Registered inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage English Art and design Music Physical education English as an additional language What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

11457 Mrs C J Beattie Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 17913 Mr B Frost Team inspector Mathematics Science Information and communicatio n technology Design and technology History Geography Special educational needs Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 5 - February 2002 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 6 - February 2002

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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? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 32

St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 7 - February 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a voluntary aided Church of England School situated in the centre of Burnley. The community it serves suffers from high unemployment, racial tension and is deprived economically. The school is smaller than most schools having 137 boys and girls on roll between the ages of 4 and 11 years. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (39 per cent) is well above the national average. The school has 45 pupils (32 per cent) on the register of special educational needs. Seven of these have formal statements of need. These figures are well above average. Most of these pupils have either moderate learning or behavioural difficulties. The school population is made up of a range of ethnic background including 30 per cent Pakistani and 8 per cent Bangladeshi. Currently, 38 per cent of pupils are learning in English as an additional language although only 4 pupils are at an early stage of speaking

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

English. The school has a high turn-over of pupils with many pupils moving out of the area and then returning. Attainment on entry to the school is well below average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school. Its main strength is in its welcoming atmosphere that allows pupils to flourish because they feel secure and valued. Management of the school is effective and gives a clear direction to the work of the school. Despite many problems overall achievement is good. Many pupils reach the level expected for their age in mathematics and science. Sound progress is made in English although overall standards are below average. Teaching and learning are good in the Juniors and satisfactory in the rest of the school. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Achievement is good in science and mathematics and pupils in Year 6 reach the level expected for their age. • Leadership from the headteacher and deputy headteacher is strong. Together they have raised morale and lead a team which is determined to further raise standards. • The school’s Christian ethos permeates its work and all, irrespective of their ethnic origin, are valued and welcomed. This helps pupils to grow in confidence and self-esteem and they have very good attitudes to their school. • Staff place great emphasis on enabling all pupils to play a full part in school life. Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and those learning through English as an additional language enables them to make good progress. • Parents have very positive views about the school. The school works hard to involve parents in the life of the school. Links with the community are very good.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in English throughout the school and in mathematics and science in the Infants. • Standards in information and communication technology and the use of these skills to support learning in other subjects. • The use of day-to-day assessment to inform the planning of future work. • Resources for outdoor play in the Reception Class. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since the last inspection in 1997. Immediately after the inspection standards dipped significantly and the school has had to overcome many barriers to raise standards. Not least of these difficulties have been the racial disturbances very close to the school. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 8 - February 2002 Nonetheless, standards are now rising especially for the older pupils. Important factors contributing to this improvement are perceptive leadership, new planning guidelines and better teaching. The issues from the last inspection have all received attention. School documents now include all of the required information. Assessment has improved and good procedures are now in place to assess progress in English, mathematics and science and the school uses assessment information to identify pupils needing extra support. More attention is needed to establish assessment procedures in other subjects

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

and in the use of assessment when planning lessons. Staffing changes have been a barrier to improving the management role of subject co-ordinators. Some improvements have been made in evaluating the curriculum and supporting colleagues. The school identifies the extension of the co-ordinators’ monitoring responsibilities as a priority in its school development plan.

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The table shows that when pupils left school, test results were well below average in English, below average in mathematics and average in science. The comparison with similar schools presents a more positive picture and results were above average in mathematics and science and average in English. The comparison with similar schools shows that many pupils are doing better than expected. Test results have been rising and since 1999 the rate of improvement has been better than the national trend. The school’s targets for 2002 are challenging but with the enthusiastic teaching in Year 6 the pupils are likely to achieve them.

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STANDARDS

Current standards in Year 6 are average in mathematics and science and this represents good achievement. Numeracy skills are satisfactory and pupils are growing in confidence with mental calculations. Achievement is satisfactory in English although overall standards are below average. Pupils’ writing is not sufficiently imaginative or well structured.

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STANDARDS

Test results at the end of Year 2 were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics, In reading and mathematics results were in the lowest 5 per cent in the country. Inspection evidence shows an improvement although standards remain below average. Overall achievement is satisfactory but higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged and are underachieving.

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STANDARDS

At the end of the Reception Class, the proportion of children reaching the learning goals expected for their age is below average. Overall achievement for these children is satisfactory. It is good for their personal and social skills and this enables them to settle happily into school life.

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STANDARDS

Pupils with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language receive effective support and make good progress to reach the targets set for them.

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STANDARDS

Standards in information and communication technology are below average because pupils have insufficient opportunities to practise their skills. Standards in all other subjects are satisfactory. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 9 - February 2002

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. The pupils are eager to take part in all the school has to offer. Most pupils are enthusiastic learners.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. A few pupils with behavioural difficulties are managed patiently by all staff.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils respect each other and are especially good at helping each other as they work with a partner or in a group. Relationships between different ethnic groups are good.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Satisfactory 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 AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Teaching was best in the Juniors where tasks are more challenging and the rate of learning is good. In the Reception Class and Years 1 and 2 all of the teaching seen was at least satisfactory and learning reflects the quality of teaching.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory in the Infants and good in the Juniors. Lessons follow the guidelines of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and this is having a continuing positive effect on standards. However, there are shortcomings in the teaching of literacy and numeracy in the Infants. Teachers rely too much on worksheets that do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to write independently or to practise their numeracy skills through practical activities. The teaching of information and communication technology seen was good but the overall quality of teaching of this subject is unsatisfactory because teachers do not plan enough opportunities for pupils to practise their skills in other subjects.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The needs of the pupils with special educational needs and those learning through English as an additional language are fully met. Teachers and support staff have a good understanding of the needs of these pupils and their work is broken down into small achievable steps. This greatly enhances their learning and enables them to be fully included in lessons. The learning needs of the more able pupils are not fully met in the Infants because tasks do not extend their learning.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

A key strength in many lessons is the positive management that leads to learning taking place in an orderly atmosphere. Teachers use ample praise and this effectively builds up pupils’ self-esteem and gives them the confidence to tackle new work. In the best lessons the pace is brisk and a variety of activities capture pupils’ interest. Teachers’ planning overall often lacks a specific focus on what pupils are to learn and the quality and use of on-going assessment by teachers is inconsistent. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 10 - February 2002

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum in the Reception Class is restricted by the lack of outdoor resources. All statutory requirements are met but the school does not give enough attention to all of the aspects of the curriculum for information and communication technology.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Teachers identify pupils’ needs quickly and they are supported sensitively in class.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Assessment checks on the language needs of these pupils and bi- lingual support is available if required. All staff check these pupils play a full and active part in school life.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. A real sense of spirituality is created in assemblies and pupils show a mature insight into each other’s values and beliefs. Staff encourage pupils to respect each other and take time to discuss what is acceptable behaviour. A very good range of opportunities enables pupils to learn about their own and the diversity of other cultures.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The school has very effective procedures to support the safety and welfare of the pupils. This leads to a warm and caring community. Systems to assess pupils’ academic progress are good in English, mathematics and science. The school is starting to make use of the information gained to further raise standards.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school enjoys the support of the parents and members of the church community. Information to parents is satisfactory although reports do not always provide enough information about the progress their children are making or tell parents how their children can improve.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work well together as a team. They have successfully raised staff morale and created a sense of determination to raise standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors fulfil all of their statutory duties in an efficient manner. They are watchful that the school maintains its caring community as well as striving to raise academic standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Test results are analysed and identified weaknesses become priorities for future development.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes good use of the funding available in its drive to raise standards. Resources are used effectively except for the computers. The governors successfully apply best value principles.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has a good number of teachers and support staff. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory. The school lacks outdoor play equipment for the youngest children. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 11 - February 2002

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Teaching is good and teachers expect the children to do their best. • The management of the school is good. • They feel welcome in the school and are kept informed about how their children are getting on. • Their children like school and it helps them to become mature. • The range of activities outside of lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees in large part with the parents’ positive views. Reports to parents lack information about how to help children improve. Inspectors consider the school provides an interesting range of visits and visitors and the number of clubs is good. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 12 - February 2002

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The school faces a number of challenges that affect pupils’ progress in the school. Not least is the high level of mobility within the school which hinders the pupils’ continuity of learning. The school also has well above the average number of pupils identified as having special educational needs and pupils needing support in learning English as an additional language. It is to the school’s credit that as many pupils who do, reach the level expected for their age in mathematics and science by the time that they leave the school. Overall achievement is good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. When children start in the Foundation Stage 1 standards are well below average. The great majority have had no pre-school experience and have poor self-help skills and lack confidence and independence. Teaching puts great emphasis on developing these skills throughout the day. Good progress is made in personal and social development but many do not reach the early learning goal 2 by the end of the Reception Class. Although sound progress is made in all of the other areas the proportion of children reaching the relevant goals is less than that expected of this age group. A barrier to the progress children are making is the large size of the class including pupils from Year 1. This restricts the range of activities that are offered and tasks are not always sufficiently challenging. This especially affects the progress of the higher attaining children who are underachieving.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The school’s results of national tests at the end of Year 2 in 2001 were well below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. In reading and mathematics they were in the lowest 5 per cent nationally. When compared with similar schools the results in mathematics were also in the lowest 5 per cent, in reading they were well below average and in writing below average. Teachers’ assessment in science showed standards also fell into the lowest 5 per cent nationally. The comparison with similar school does not represent a true picture of attainment in the school because of the small size of the group. This group of pupils also included a larger than usual number of pupils identified as having special educational needs. Nevertheless, the results indicate that standards in the school are not high enough and inspection evidence shows the higher attaining pupils could do better. In previous years results

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

have generally been well below average. However, a closer look at the test results shows improvement in the number of pupils reaching the level expected by the end of Year 2. In writing this number almost doubled from the previous year. However, pupils are not reaching beyond this level and this is holding down the school’s overall performance.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Foundation Stage starts when children reach the age of three and finishes at the end of the Reception Class. It is a distinct stage in preparing children for later schooling and is based on six areas of learning. These mainly refer to communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal and social development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical and creative development. 2 Early learning goals are the expectation for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 13 - February 2002 4. Standards of the present Year 2 pupils are below average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. This reflects an improvement on the 2001 test results. Overall achievement is satisfactory but there is a lack of challenge for the higher attaining pupils and they are underachieving.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Pupils generally know their letters and sounds well, but even taking into consideration those pupils who are not at the early stages of learning in English as an additional language, most are not confident using them in their writing. Few pupils write confidently and imaginatively. Most understand how a book works and enjoy sharing stories but they are not enthusiastic readers and have limited knowledge of authors. Pupils use their literacy skills to support learning in other subjects. However, teachers do not promote these skills and this restricts progress. Pupils in Year 2 can carry out simple mathematical calculations but have limited problem-solving skills because this aspect of the curriculum is too narrow. Pupils use their counting skills in other subjects such as recording how many times they can jump when thinking about healthy lifestyles. Pupils need more opportunities to use their number skills in other

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

everyday activities. Current standards in science are below average because pupils lack skills of scientific investigation and are unsure of methods to record their findings.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school’s results of national tests at the end of Year 6 have shown significant improvement in recent years. The overall rise in standards has been above the national trend. These improvements have been brought about by the higher expectations teachers have of their pupils’ attainment. Also, the school makes effective use of additional funding to provide extra booster sessions in English, mathematics and science. This support means pupils benefit from being taught in smaller groups and this is contributing greatly to the rise in standards. In 2001, the national test results in English were well below average, average in mathematics above average in science. Compared to similar schools a more positive picture emerges. In English, the results were average and in science and mathematics were above average. These results suggest many pupils are achieving better results than expected. More pupils are exceeding the level expected for their age in mathematics

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and science but this is not the case in English and this is holding down the school’s overall performance in English. The school has set challenging targets and with the high expectations of the pupils in Year 6 they are likely to achieve them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Current standards in Year 6 are average in mathematics and science and below average in English. Results are similar to the 2001 test results. The improvement in English and mathematics is linked to the on-going effect of the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies and the good teaching in Year 6. Achievement is satisfactory in English. Pupils are reading at a level that supports their learning in other subjects but they are not discerning readers and few read for pleasure. Writing is used in other subjects such as in the science topics and prayers in religious education. However, many pupils lack the ability to structure a lengthy piece of interesting writing. Handwriting is not always as neat as it could be. Achievement is good in mathematics and pupils are accurately using number to solve problems. They can work in fractions and percentages and enjoy using these skills in other subjects. For example, they

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

handled data confidently in geography as they calculated rainfall measurements. Standards in science are average and this represents good achievement. Pupils use scientific vocabulary to explain their findings and understand the principle of fair testing. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 14 - February 2002 8. Pupils with special educational needs and those learning through English as an additional language receive well-organised support that enables them to make good progress. Assessment promptly identifies the needs of these pupils so that they receive help from an early age. This builds up their self-esteem as they do not get left too far behind their peers. When necessary an individual plan is drawn up for the pupils which breaks down their learning into small achievable steps. Progress towards these steps is monitored and adjusted so tasks are set that build on prior attainment and this enhances their progress. The school is determined to include

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

these pupils in all activities and most support is in class. On the rare times that pupils are withdrawn for help this is beneficial because the tasks match the pupils’ specific needs. Bi-lingual support is available if required. It is best used to keep in touch with parents so that staff are kept fully aware of how best to help these pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The school’s test results suggest boys are performing better than girls which is against the national trend. However, with small numbers this data is unreliable and during the inspection there was no evidence of inequality of treatment or attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Immediately after the last inspection standards dropped in the school. In 1999 the results of national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 were in the lowest five per cent in the country in almost every subject. This was a very demoralising time for the school and much has been done to raise standards. New planning and assessment have played a major part in this improvement. However, most of the change has been brought about by the headteacher and all staff who have worked together as a team with great determination to raise standards. Overall standards are now very similar to those identified in the last report. New planning has improved standards in art and design and geography which are now average. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) have not kept up with national changes and are below average at the end of Years 2 and 6. Teachers are not making the best use of resources to extend pupils’ ICT skills. Standards in all other subjects are wholly

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have very good attitudes to school. They respond very enthusiastically to the opportunities to take part in the happy, busy community in which every individual is valued. Their very good attitudes to school are demonstrated in the school assemblies where they listen carefully, respond well and enjoy taking part. An outstanding example of pupils’ participation in school came on the eve of the Eid celebration by the Muslim pupils. Three of the girls in Year 6 devised, created and practised a dance which they performed, for the whole school, to a very high standard. This gave all the school a real flavour of the Asian culture and was received with the greatest enthusiasm and prolonged applause. Pupils show a real sense of ownership of the school and are eager to talk about their activities, work and progress. They take pride in their surroundings and in the special features such as the garden and wild life areas adjacent to the playground. Pupils who come new to

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

the school at any time in the year settle quickly into the warm, supportive community.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour is good overall and is sometimes exemplary. However, a few pupils demonstrate challenging behaviour. The school’s policy is to maintain a climate in which teachers can teach and pupils can learn at all times. This policy has led to 12 pupils being temporarily excluded during the last school year for between one and St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 15 - February 2002 six days and a few pupils have been excluded for a short time since the beginning of this school year. The school continues to work together with parents to maintain good standards of behaviour in school. In lessons the majority of pupils listen carefully and work well in pairs and groups although a few are sometimes restless, lose concentration or are reluctant to join in group work. The good attitudes and behaviour of the majority of pupils enable them to make good progress with their work. Occasional bullying incidents are always taken seriously when they are reported.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Pupils say that they know that bullying is not tolerated and should be reported. Pupils and teachers have discussed the problems of oppressive behaviour in Circle Time 3 and the school is always vigilant to identify and counter any such incidents. The large majority of parents who completed the questionnaire say that behaviour in school is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Throughout school pupils take on a range of monitor duties and develop a good awareness of the results of their actions on others. Year 6 pupils take particular pride in keeping their classroom tidy and they play a valued part in the arrangements for assemblies, lunch-time activities, care of the environment and the care and support of the younger pupils. The school always fosters good relationships as a matter of policy and also in response to everyday incidents. Pupils trust their teachers to support and help them and they develop confidence in their own ability to overcome difficulties. Year 6 pupils say that the absence of racism is a particular feature of this school and they are proud of their happy, inclusive community. They have a well- developed confidence in their ability to take part in school life and contribute to the well being of others. They are well prepared for secondary school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance is below average. A contributory factor to low attendance is the number of pupils who take extra time during term to visit family in Asia and to celebrate religious festivals. Many pupils have come a long way to get to the school and so poor weather also affects attendance figures. A few pupils have low attendance records because of social difficulties and the school closely monitors this so that these pupils can be helped to attend school when possible. The lateness of a minority of pupils is recorded and monitored. During the day lessons start on time and pupils respond well to the requirements and pace of a busy community.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory. During the inspection, 30 lessons were seen and in 47 per cent of these teaching was good and it was satisfactory in all of the rest. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen and this is an improvement from the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. However, some of the weaknesses identified in the previous report are still evident in a few lessons. The most significant weakness remaining is the lack of challenge in lessons in the Infants. Other concerns have been tackled although the difficulties in recruiting temporary staff to cover for staff absences has hindered improvements in all areas. Examples of good teaching were seen in all years but it was best in Year 6

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

3 During Circle Time pupils discuss a wide range of personal and general issues. All pupils agree that no interruption should occur and only one person at a time will speak. Respect for other pupils’ views will occur at all times and so pupils feel confident that they can talk with ease free from interruption from other pupils. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 16 - February 2002 where tasks constantly extend learning and much is achieved in the final year in school. For pupils in Years 1 and 2, 86 per cent of the teaching seen was satisfactory and this does not sufficiently capture pupils’ interest to enable them to make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. In the Foundation Stage, teaching was good in 38 per cent of lessons seen and satisfactory in the rest. The strength in the teaching is the focus on developing the children’s social skills. All staff know the children well and relationships with the children are good. This builds up the children’s confidence and enables them to settle happily into school life. Planning is satisfactory and shows all of the areas of learning receive attention. Consequently, children are busy all day in a range of activities. Occasionally, these tasks lack focus or are not sufficiently challenging and this restricts the overall progress children make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. In the rest of the school teachers have a sound knowledge of the subjects they teach. Examples of good teaching were seen in English, mathematics, science and music. Music is taught by visiting specialists which is beneficial for the standards in music. In the Juniors the good teaching in English, mathematics and science is the most significant factor contributing to the improving standards in these subjects. Teaching of ICT seen in the computer suits was good but it is unsatisfactory overall because teachers do not use ICT to support learning in other lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The teaching of basic numeracy skills is satisfactory for the Infant pupils. Teachers do not always provide enough chances to extend numeracy skills through practical activities. Numeracy teaching is much better in the Juniors. In the best lessons the effective use of questions is improving pupils’ skills of calculation. The teaching of writing is satisfactory. Teachers do not provide pupils in Years 1 and 2 with enough opportunity to write independently and in the Juniors insufficient attention is given to teaching pupils to plan and edit their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers’ planning is satisfactory. Effective use is made of termly plans and this leads to continuity of learning as pupils move through the school. In numeracy lessons plans the intended learning outcome is very clear and often shared with pupils so they fully understand the focus of the lesson. The rate of learning is much better in these lessons. Other lessons do not always identify what pupils are to learn. This leads to some staff giving too much attention to the completion of the task rather than on the quality of pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and personal development. They provide opportunities for pupils to support each other. This does much to build up their self-esteem and also enables the pupils with special educational needs and those who need help learning English as an additional language to play a full part in lessons. The key feature, which is leading to better progress being made in the Juniors, is the teaching in Year 6 and pupils are constantly being challenged to work to the limits. This is less evident in other years and tasks are given to higher attaining pupils that are too easy.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. A good feature in a few lessons is the range of activities used to capture pupils’ interest. In many literacy lessons, teachers include activities that help pupils learn new letters and words and white boards to encourage jotting down their ideas. In a mathematics lesson in Year 5 the use of construction bricks enabled the pupils to quickly grasp the idea of making solid shapes from a pattern. The higher attaining St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 17 - February 2002 pupils in this lesson could then move on at their own pace and investigate patterns for triangular prisms. These activities led to good learning. However, a significant weakness is in the overuse of photocopiable worksheets that fail to extend pupils’ learning. This is mainly in Years 1 and 2 when too much time is spent in colouring and copying rather than extending pupils’ learning. In the Infants not enough attention is given to investigation in science and mathematics.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers’ management of pupils is good. Only occasionally do a few pupils with behavioural difficulties disturb learning. These instances are handled with tolerance and understanding and in the great majority of lessons pupils learn in an orderly climate. Teachers often plan activities that include collaboration in small groups. These are organised effectively and contribute to pupils’ social development as well as their speaking and listening skills.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Effective use is made of support staff and they are well prepared and play a full part in lessons. This is extremely helpful for teachers when having to deal with a constantly changing school population. This support is also especially beneficial for pupils with special educational needs and those needing help learning English as an additional language. The teaching needs of these pupils are effectively met and when necessary individual education plans are drawn up and teachers plan tasks to match their identified need. These targets are regularly checked and adjusted so that the pupils make good progress. Only occasionally are pupils withdrawn from lessons and these sessions are beneficial to the pupils because the work is very specific to their identified needs. Bi-lingual support is available if required but the staff are very aware of the needs of their pupils and check that they are fully involved in all activities.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Time is used well in most lessons. The pace is brisker in the Juniors when teachers often tell pupils how long they have to complete a task and this increases the rate of learning. Teachers do not always make the best use of the time allocated to conclude the lessons. This time is often used to celebrate achievement but not always extend learning. For example, in art and design in Year 4 the pupils did not go the extra step to be critical and suggest improvement to their pictures.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The use of resources is satisfactory. Teachers are not making maximum use of ICT and these resources are underused to support learning across the curriculum.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers are effective in supporting pupils as they work and support staff check pupils understand what they have to do. The marking of pupils’ work is less effective and there is limited evidence of constructive comment. In the infants teachers are not making effective use of on-going assessment to adjust future lessons. This leads to work being set that is too easy. For example, in writing pupils cut and paste pictures of a story they had heard before and did not have a chance to write independently. The school has started to set targets and share them with pupils. This is having some effect on the progress older pupils are making because they are aware of the National Curriculum level they are aiming for. However, pupils have limited understanding of what they need to do to improve.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. The amount of work set for pupils to do at home varies between classes but is generally satisfactory. The school is aware that many pupils attend mosque school St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 18 - February 2002 after school and are sensitive to not overloading the pupils with too much work. Reading is a regular task to be done at home but a review of pupils’ reading records shows many parents do not listen to their children read on a regular basis.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The curriculum for the children at the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and is based appropriately on the nationally agreed programme of learning. In the Reception Class, the work is planned carefully to support the children’s progress towards the early learning goals for each area of the curriculum. However, poor provision exists for outdoor activities.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school provides a reasonably broad and relevant curriculum for the pupils aged five to 11. Its main strength is on the emphasis on developing pupils’ personal and social skills and these lead to an orderly climate which allows uninterrupted learning to take place. In most respects, the curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. However, in some important areas, an appropriate balance has yet to be achieved. In mathematics, in classes of five to seven-year-olds, too little emphasis is placed on using and applying mathematics in real-life situations. In the same year groups science activities related to scientific enquiry and investigations receive too little attention. In addition, the planned curriculum for ICT provides the pupils with too few opportunities to develop their skills in aspects of control and modelling throughout the school. The school has developed satisfactory strategies

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

for teaching literacy and numeracy skills. However, too little attention is given to developing the pupils’ writing skills or to consolidating their mathematical skills in other areas of the curriculum. Similarly, the use of ICT to support the pupils’ learning across the wider curriculum is under-emphasised.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. Since the last inspection, the curriculum in geography and art shows much improvement although in physical education the programme has narrowed somewhat, especially in dance and gymnastics. During the inspection the local Member of Parliament opened the new computer suite. This reflects a much improved level of provision since the last inspection. The school now has its own website and e-mail address. It is now also linked to the Internet.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school offers its pupils a good range of extra-curricular activities which include an appropriate balance of sporting, cultural, intellectual and musical experiences which are well attended by the pupils. Such opportunities enhance and enrich the statutory curriculum.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The provision which the school makes for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. In all classes, the teachers place great store and value on the pupils’ ideas, beliefs and cultural traditions. They provide a host of relevant experiences which contribute greatly to the pupils’ spiritual development. These occur frequently through planned experiences, particularly in the expressive arts, literature, in religious education lessons and in school assemblies.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. In complying with the statutory requirements to hold a daily act of collective worship, class and school assemblies are reverent occasions, which provide the pupils with a variety of relevant experiences which promote very successfully their spiritual St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 19 - February 2002 development. For example, during an assembly led by the headteacher, comparisons were made between the Christian festival of Lent and the Muslim festival of Ramadan. The pupils were led to reflect upon their own experiences and to consider how they might help and care about others. The tranquil serenity of flickering candle light provided an air of peace and spiritual calm prior to the pupils bowing their heads in prayer.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school’s Code of Conduct upholds high standards of care, respect and positive relationships. All of the adults working in the school provide good role models. The pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong, and they consider how their actions and behaviour might affect other pupils and adults in the community.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The pupils have many opportunities to take responsibility. This helps them to contribute in a mature manner towards the school community. In addition the pupils are encouraged to show initiative. For example, the pupils initiated the dance performed by the Year 6 girls and they took on all of the responsibility of planning and making sure their performance was suitable to celebrate Eid. The very good provision for the pupils’ moral development permeates throughout the school. Pupils are helped in many ways to understand and appreciate the points of view of others, and to respect opinions which are different from their own. The pupils are encouraged to have an appreciation and concern for their environment and for other people. They support a number of charities. Recently, for example, they raised funds for the local hospice.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Strong emphasis is given to developing the pupils’ social skills. For example, the older pupils thrive on the responsibilities they are given for helping the Reception Class children. In addition, they make a good contribution to the preparations for assemblies, for example, by organising the hymns on the overhead projector, setting up the music system and preparing the hall furniture for the school’s daily act of collective worship. In lessons, they are required frequently to work as part of a group. This helps them to consider the thoughts and feelings of others and to co-operate productively when sharing equipment. The importance the school places on the development and establishment of good relationships is a major factor in its success in this aspect of its work.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The school is very successful in developing the cultural dimension of its provision. A significant strength of this provision is the manner in which all staff work with such success to bring together the many different cultures in the school. These differences are celebrated to the extent that all pupils, irrespective of their ethnic origin, are made to feel important and valued as a member of the school community. Vivid displays, books, visitors to the school and many subjects of the curriculum make an important contribution towards the pupils’ cultural development. In addition, the pupils visit a range of cultural sites in the local area and further afield. For example, they frequently visit the local library for talks. They also visit the Weavers’ Triangle to experience a faithfully restored Victorian schoolroom.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. Since the last inspection, the school has built successfully on the good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is now a significant strength of the school. The work of the school accurately reflects the mission statement and the school is entirely successful, in providing for all pupils, whatever their beliefs, a friendly and caring Christian environment. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 20 - February 2002 40. The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs and arrangements comply fully with the Code of Practice 4 . Procedures for the early identification of pupils who need additional support are well established. Individual education plans are completed appropriately for pupils who need them. The targets set are realistic and measurable. The progress made by the pupils towards their targets is measured frequently and appropriate adjustments are made when

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

necessary. The parents are kept fully informed at all stages. They are provided with a copy of their child’s individual education plan so that they can help their child to achieve the targets set. The pupils with special educational needs receive good quality support from teachers and classroom assistants, particularly but not exclusively in literacy and numeracy. This enables these pupils to take a full and productive part in lessons. A number of the pupils have statements of special educational need. The statements are clear and detailed. They contain a number of important recommendations which are acted upon accordingly, so that the pupils receive the correct level of provision. The co-ordination of special educational needs is a strong feature of the provision.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

41. The school is entirely successful in implementing equality of access and opportunity within a philosophy of inclusion. Throughout the school, all pupils, regardless of gender, race or religion have equal access to the curriculum provided. The school’s commitment to equality of opportunity is reflected in the range of good quality learning resources. Through their use and careful planning, the pupils are helped to develop positive attitudes towards cultures and religions other than their own. This frequently occurs through the use of carefully chosen literacy texts and through other subjects including art and music. The staff take great care to try to involve all pupils through well focussed questions and a high level of positive interaction during group activities. Support for pupils at different levels of attainment is a good feature of the work in many classes where support assistants play a significant part in helping to promote

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

effective learning. Good provision is made for pupils for whom English is an additional language. Their needs are identified early and extra help provided if required. This includes the expertise of bi-lingual staff who are able to communicate in the pupils’ own language.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

42. Good provision is made, throughout the school, for the pupils’ personal and social development. In all classes, health education is taught appropriately and where necessary attention is given to drug misuse and sex education. This enables the pupils to make informed choices, now and in the future. Since the last inspection, the school has established ‘Circle Time’ and these discussions take part on a weekly basis. These sessions are conducted with much sensitivity and provide useful opportunities for the pupils to reflect on and to describe their inner thoughts in a supportive and secure environment.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

43. The school has very good links with the community that contribute well to the quality of education provided. The links with the church are particularly strong and are valued both by the school and by parents of different faiths and beliefs. Pupils and their parents attend special services in the nearby church. In assemblies and services pupils learn about the history, the culture and the values of the church and have explored the churchyard as part of their environmental studies. The vicar is a popular and familiar figure in school. The school welcomes visitors from the vets

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

4 Code of Practice – this gives advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 21 - February 2002 and the police and fire services. Local theatre and music groups have enriched the pupils’ cultural experiences. Pupils enjoy visits to places of historical, cultural and environmental interest such as the Roman museum at Ribchester and to the seaside at Lytham St Anne’s. Very good links with the Burnley Park Rangers have helped the school to develop its grounds to include a garden and a wildlife area which is highly valued by the pupils. They have helped plant trees, shrubs and bulbs and have carefully returned any frogs they find in the playground to the wildlife pond area.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

44. The school has very good links with a cluster group of similar schools, sharing an ICT technician and arranging joint extra curricular activities. Pre-school visits to nursery schools delivering resources for children and parents to use at home helps children to make a happy start in the school’s Reception Class. Good links with secondary schools enable teachers to share information about the pupils’ attainments and any special needs and achievements. Pupils have good opportunities to visit their secondary school and parents say that they transfer happily and are ready to take a full part in their next phase of education. Very good links with colleges of further and higher education and with agencies outside school enable the school to provide valuable courses for parents. In particular the “Parents as Educators” course gives parents insight into their children’s studies and the many ways in which they can be

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school has very good procedures to make sure of pupils’ welfare, safety and protection. All the teachers know their pupils well and monitor and support each pupil’s personal development. The school makes the best use it can of the available support from welfare, medical and educational agencies and provides for any pupil’s special medical needs. Classroom assistants play a particularly valuable part in making sure that all pupils, whatever their needs, are helped to make good personal and academic progress. All staff are vigilant for safety in school and on school visits. First aid provision is good. The governors’ building’s committee carries out a termly audit to check on any safety hazards and the premises are carefully maintained every day.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Procedures to provide for child protection are in place and staff know what they should do if they have any concerns.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Supervision at lunchtime and playtime is good. In the playgrounds space is provided for both vigorous and quieter activities, play fighting is not allowed and pupils’ play is good-natured. They enjoy football and group skipping activities. The steep slope mentioned as a hazard in the previous report has been re-surfaced. The school is monitoring the area to see if further action is needed. The covered area used by the youngest children is being monitored to decide if the pillars need to be covered with soft material to prevent accidents.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. A key issue raised by the previous inspection was the need to develop procedures to assess pupils’ academic attainment and to use this information to inform curriculum planning in the medium and short term. Overall, the school has made satisfactory progress with this issue. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 22 - February 2002 49. Good procedures to assess children’s academic attainment on entry are followed by good assessments of progress in English, mathematics and science. The school makes good use of information from these assessments to monitor progress and also predict attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6. Data is also used well to identify children needing extra help in the Reception Class and to provide additional literacy support in Year 1. Assessment information identifies pupils needing help in the booster classes for the Juniors in English, science and mathematics. These are having a positive effect on raising standards especially for the higher attaining pupils

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school makes satisfactory use of assessment information to adjust the curriculum when a weakness is identified. To improve the effect of the booster classes in the Juniors the timing of these sessions was changed so that the pupils who attend mosque school could also take part. However, changes are not always as effective as they might be if closer checking of their implementation were in place. For example, the school has identified handwriting as a weakness but as yet a sufficiently rigorous solution has not been put in place.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school does not yet have procedures to assess pupils’ progress in ICT and in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. This means that teachers are unclear about the on-going progress being made in these subjects.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Procedures to assess the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language are good. The monitoring and support provided by the classroom assistants for these pupils is good and the pupils make good progress. Where necessary pupils have individual education plans. These include small, achievable steps that are regularly reviewed and adjusted so that pupils’ progress successfully builds on prior learning.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Overall, assessment in lessons is not yet fully used in the planning of future work. This leads to tasks not building on prior learning and this hampers pupils’ progress. Monitoring of pupils’ work is not sufficiently developed to set all pupils individual targets. This is developing in Year 6 and pupils are aware of the National Curriculum level they hope to get but lack detailed information about how to achieve them.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Procedures to promote and improve attendance are good and the school works well with the educational welfare service to monitor and take action to improve the attendance of pupils who give cause for concern.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. Behaviour in school is monitored effectively by each class teacher and by the headteacher and welfare assistants during the lunch hour. All incidents of unacceptable behaviour are recorded. Pupils from each class help to decide their classroom rules. The application of the behaviour policy varies from class to class and the school needs to revise the policy to provide for more consistent classroom sanctions.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. The school takes any bullying incident seriously and has discussed any concerns with pupils during their personal and social education classes. Pupils know that they should talk to a parent, teacher or friend if they have any fears. Some parents have attended a workshop to discuss the issue of bullying and are more aware of how St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 23 - February 2002 they can help. The school is vigilant for any hint of bullying, oppressive behaviour or racism, pupils know that such attitudes are not tolerated and they are confident and secure.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Parents who responded to the questionnaire and attended the parents’ evening are very pleased with the school. They say that their children like school and are being helped to become mature and responsible. They are very pleased with the quality of teaching and the expectations that their children will work hard and do their best. They say that the school is well managed and welcomes and works closely with parents. A minority of parents say that their children do not have enough extra curricular activities. The inspection team agrees with many of the parents’ views. The school is hampered by the lack of a playing field for sport after school but the school does provide opportunities for pupils to take part in competitive sport. Overall, the number of extra-curricular activities is good. For example, the choir sings in a number of venues, particularly at Christmas time.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. The previous report said that the school needed to take more account of the diverse nature of parents’ cultures. The bi-lingual assistants who are presently working in school know the parents well, have very good links with all parents from minority ethnic cultures and are always on hand to help with any language or other difficulties. The school welcomes and celebrates all cultures represented in school to the enrichment of the education it provides and to the benefit of all pupils. Parents’ views are very well represented at governing body meetings.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The school always seeks to work in partnership with parents who have concerns about their children’s progress or well-being and works closely with them to help the pupils through any difficulties. Parents are invited to open afternoons in the early spring term and the summer term so that they can see their children’s work but they are welcome to make an appointment to discuss their children’s progress at any time.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. The school has outstandingly good procedures to involve parents with their children’s learning and with the work of the school. Parents who attend the “Parents as Educators” course have worked on projects linked with the early learning goals. They are working on family literacy, numeracy and computer projects, made games and resources for story sacks and gained insight into their children’s learning while their pre-school children attend the crèche in an adjacent room. For some parents the course leads on to further college courses to qualify as classroom assistants or nursery nurses. In addition to the family literacy group, several parents help pupils in class and listen to readers. They accompany the school trips and help the parent teacher and friends association raises funds, for example, for the Christmas parties.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. The school regularly communicates with parents by letter. The school does not, at present, give parents advance notice of the topics their children will be studying. This information would help parents to be better involved in their children’s learning at home. The prospectus and governors annual report to parents include the required elements. Although the format of the prospectus is not appropriate for all parents the bilingual assistants are on hand to help with translation. End of year reports include a comment on every subject but they are not consistent in telling parents what their child is doing, how well they are doing it and setting targets for the St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 24 - February 2002 future. The school provides reading books which can be taken home but parents do not always support their children’s reading at home. Pupils in Year 6 have regular homework, including some investigation and research which prepares them for

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The overall quality of leadership and management by the governors, headteacher and key staff is good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher complement each other very well. They work closely as a team and have successfully raised morale. Improvements in the quality of management mean the school now has a clear sense of educational direction based on a determination to raise standards. This change has been brought about sensitively without losing the supportive atmosphere that was a strong feature in the previous report. Parents are virtually unanimous in their belief that the school is well led and managed.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The weakness in the management role of curriculum co-ordinators has received attention and is still included as a priority in the school’s development plan. A barrier to fully resolving this issue has been staffing changes and the unavoidable absence of staff. Consequently, staff have changed their management roles and ICT and science have temporary leaders. Currently, co-ordinators have increased their role by reviewing planning and this is useful in checking that the new planning guidelines are being implemented throughout the school. Examples of work are being scrutinised and this is giving a satisfactory overview of standards. This is good in art and design and the portfolio of pupils’ work is a useful tool to check on progress throughout the school. However, monitoring is not always as effective as it could be. For example, in checking that enough attention is being given to applying mathematical skills in the

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Infants and in improving handwriting throughout the school.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The management of special educational needs is good. Prompt assessment identifies these pupils at an early stage and they receive effective support. Records are carefully maintained and the school has started to adjust their procedures in line with the guidance in the new Code of Practice. This good practice is also evident in the support for pupils who need help in learning English as an additional language.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The contribution of the governing body to the work of the school is good. Appropriate committees meet regularly and check that all statutory requirements are met. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when the school’s documentation had omissions. Governors have a good understanding of the strengths in the school and are very aware of current changes. They are very supportive of the school and this was especially needed during the recent racial disturbances in the neighbourhood. This enabled the school to maintain a sense of stability during a very difficult time. Although not involved in monitoring lessons many governors are regular visitors to the school. Consequently, they are aware of the overall picture of standards in the school and also areas for development. The governing body plays an important part in major decisions. For example, they carried out much research before opting for the new

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

catering systems and in the building of the new accommodation for the youngest children in the school.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Since the last inspection, the format of the school development plan has been adjusted. It is now a well-conceived document that is drawn up after full consultation St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 25 - February 2002 with staff and the governing body. It has a very clear focus on raising standards and the emphasis on teaching and learning makes it a very useful framework for school improvement.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school is giving good attention to monitoring its performance. Staff and governors review the results of national tests and compare them with the national picture. They treat this information with caution because of the effect of pupil mobility on their results. More use is made of assessment information to provide additional support where needed.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school has improved arrangements for monitoring teaching and they are now good. The headteacher visits classrooms on a regular basis and has a good knowledge of the pupils in the school as well as the education they are receiving. Formal monitoring of lessons are carried out by senior staff and local authority advisers and feedback provided to improve teaching. Nevertheless, there is still scope for more sharing of good practice to achieve a consistency in the quality of teaching.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Procedures for performance management are in place. The school places strong emphasis on staff development and training is linked to the school’s identified need. There are appropriate procedures to support staff who are new to the school. The school offers placements for students on teacher training, nursery nurse and classroom assistant courses and work experience for secondary school students. Mentoring and monitoring arrangements support the students and make sure that pupils in school benefit from the additional help in class.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Financial administration is good. Recommendations made by the most recent audit have been addressed. The school makes best use of available resources, including specific grants. Additional funding to support pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is used correctly to provide additional adult support. This is effective use of resources and enables these pupils to make good progress. Other funding is allocated to priorities identified in the school’s development plan. The governors, headteacher and school administration effectively monitor spending. Money is spent prudently and the school successfully applies the principles of best value. They compare their performance with other schools, consult with parents and the local authority and have set challenging targets for improvement. When any major spending is being considered the governors check that services and

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

resources are both economic and effective. This has been most successful with the recent change of lunchtime catering which has led to an increase in the number of pupils taking up their entitlement to a free school meal.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. Learning resources are generally satisfactory. The youngest children are benefiting from their new, spacious classroom but have no large outdoor resources to improve their physical and social development.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. The accommodation is satisfactory. It has drawbacks, as it is an old building. There are stairs to the staff room and the Reception Class which make access difficult to these rooms for the young children and those with special needs. Much has been done to improve the outdoor play areas and a conservation area is available for looking for mini-beasts. However, there is no grassed area and sport activities are St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 26 - February 2002 restricted to the hard playgrounds. The school has a new ICT suite housed with the library. Currently, the school does not make best use of these resources because the room is locked.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The school has a good number of experienced teachers and support staff. This means pupils receive ample support as they work in groups and this enhances the pupils’ learning.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. The school’s mission statement is to welcome all children, whatever their beliefs, and to provide a caring Christian environment where all are helped to achieve their full potential. The overall strength in the leadership and management of the school means that these aims are consistently reflected in the school’s work. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 27 - February 2002

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

75. In order to continue the improvement and further raise standards the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve standards in English throughout the school and mathematics and science at the end of Year 2 by:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• increasing the level of challenge for the higher attaining pupils; • ensuring that the school’s handwriting policy is implemented; • providing more opportunities for extended writing; • teaching the skills of drafting more thoroughly; • assessing and recording more thoroughly the progress pupils are making in reading; • planning work in mathematics that provides a wider range of activities; • placing more focus on scientific investigation and enquiry. Discussed in paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 19, 21, 22, 28, 30, 50, 63, 86, 87, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 101, 103, 105, 106, 108, 111, 112, 114. This issue has already been identified by the school.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• planning tasks that match more fully the requirements of the National Curriculum; • making better use of the computers in the classrooms; • using ICT to support learning in other subjects. Discussed in paragraphs 10, 18, 26, 30, 51, 72, 82, 98, 105, 121, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138. This issue has already been identified by the school.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the quality of day-to-day assessment to inform the planning of further work. Discussed in paragraphs 27, 51, 53, 85, 97, 107, 114, 133, 138.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Improve the quality of resources for outdoor play in the Reception Class. Discussed in paragraphs 29, 71, 76, 83.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above, the governors may wish to consider including the minor issues in the action plan:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve access to the books in the library; Discussed in paragraphs 72, 99. • improve the quality of reports to parents by making it clear the progress pupils are making in all subjects and including targets for improvement. Discussed in paragraph 61. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 28 - February 2002

p.27

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 27

p.28

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.28

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 three percentage points.

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 137

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 54

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 7

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 45

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 50

p.28

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 41

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 37

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 29 - February 2002

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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 7 16 23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 70 (64) 74 (36) 70 (71) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 70 (57) 70 (43) 61 (64) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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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 11 10 21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 52 (58) 51 (65) 81 (85) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 65 (70) 65 (52) 70 (44) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * figures not included because they are 10 or less. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 30 - February 2002

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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 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.1 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 374,629

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 343,724

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 190 Expenditure per pupil 2,387

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Teachers and classes Financial information

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/a Balance carried forward to next year 30,905

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/a

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/a

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/a

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 31 - February 2002 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 32 - February 2002

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 44 44 3 3 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 64 22 8 0 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 39 31 8 3 19

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 61 33 3 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 25 8 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 67 33 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 49 42 6 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 55 42 0 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 36 3 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 16 14 3 25 St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 33 - February 2002

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76. Currently 15 children are in the Reception Class that also includes 16 Year 1 pupils. One full time teacher and a part time teacher, who takes the Year 1 pupils for literacy and numeracy for three mornings, teach the class. In other sessions the large number of pupils and the very wide range of age and attainment restricts the variety of activity organised for the children. The school has recently improved the school’s accommodation for these children and their class is now spacious and attractive. Outdoor facilities are not yet available and the school does not have outdoor resources suitable for this age group.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

77. When the children start in the Reception Class, assessment evidence shows that their attainment varies but many show knowledge, skills and understanding that are well below that expected for their age. Few children have experienced any pre-school education and have poor self-help skills and listening skills. The children make good progress in personal, social and emotional development because of the warm, relaxed and encouraging atmosphere. Whilst the children make sound progress in all other areas of learning, the proportion of children reaching the level expected for their age is below average.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

78. The children identified as having special educational needs are identified early and have a detailed individual education plan. Targets are set for these children and with effective help from teachers and support staff make good progress to reach these targets. Similarly, the children needing support in learning English as an additional language flourish in this caring climate. Bi-lingual support is available if required and pupils make good progress as they grow in confidence in learning in English.

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Personal, social and emotional development

79. A significant majority of children start school with very immature skills in personal, social and emotional development. By the time they leave the Reception Class, many children are well on their way to achieving the early learning goal in this area. This indicates good progress. It reflects the emphasis all staff put on encouraging the children to work and play harmoniously. Children begin to gain independence as they are encouraged to make choices and select activities. After selecting to paint many follow the routines established in the class and hang their overall up. The great majority show a growing independence in looking after themselves. They see to their own personal hygiene although many struggle dressing and undressing for physical education and need support from staff. Teaching and learning is good and Circle Time is used effectively to extend children’s understanding of taking turns and

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Personal, social and emotional development

listening to each other. Children enjoy shaking hands with their neighbour and sharing a happy ‘good morning.’ This friendship is evident throughout the day as children co- operate well in groups and when building or playing in the sand take turns and share resources. Routines are well established, such as story and break time. The children are encouraged to tidy up as asked but the organisation of the classroom hampers the full development of these skills. For example, there are limited open shelving and labelled containers to enable the children to organise things themselves. The children have a growing awareness of the differing cultures St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 34 - February 2002 in the school because they attend whole school assemblies. During the inspection they watched older girls dancing as part of a celebration of Eid and then made their own Eid cards. Discussion with pupils revealed an understanding that Eid was a

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Communication, language and literacy

80. Standards of work seen show that although children make satisfactory progress many do not reach the early learning goal by the end of the Reception Class. However, teaching and learning is satisfactory. The guidelines from the National Literacy Strategy are followed and this gives structure to the skills being taught. Every lesson includes discussion and this extends the children’s vocabulary and enables the children learning through English as an additional language to become familiar with everyday language. Most chat confidently to each other but are less confident talking to people who are less familiar to them. Most listen to the introduction of the lessons but do not always give sufficient attention to instructions. This was a difficulty in music when children did not carry out instructions and responses were incorrect. The teacher uses an interesting range of rhymes and activities to teach letters and

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Communication, language and literacy

sounds. Consequently, pupils can recognise these and point them out in stories but are less confident trying to write them down. Many can write their name unaided but lack confidence to use their knowledge of sounds to write simple phrases. Teaching does not always challenge children to extend their independent writing skills. A review of their work showed an overuse of worksheets that included too much colouring and insufficient focus on writing. The classrooms organised to encourage attempts at writing and so children understand writing has a purpose. For example, in the imaginary veterinary surgery the children enjoy making marks to represent appointments. Many make use of the book corner and get pleasure form sharing a story with a friend. They have a good understanding of how to handle books, make good use of pictures and begin to recognise the names of the characters in the school’s reading scheme. However, children have a limited knowledge of a range of

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Communication, language and literacy

stories and when faced with an unknown book they lack confidence to use their reading skills.

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Mathematical development

81. Considering the limited mathematical knowledge many children have as they start school, achievement is satisfactory although children do not reach the early learning goal in this area of learning. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and planning follows the guidelines of the National Numeracy Strategy. Every day activities include counting. For example, in the sand and water trays children know only three can take part and so have to use their counting skills. Numerals are on display in the classroom and many children count to ten correctly. When using a number board they recognise the order of numbers and identify the numbers before and after. However, they have difficulty with their task without the support of the number board and are not yet working with numbers beyond ten. A review of children’s books shows children can recognise groups and repeat patterns. They are not yet at a level of using

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Mathematical development

their mathematical ideas to solve simple problems. Many are not forming their numerals correctly. The opening of lessons when the Reception children are mixed with Year 1 pupils lacks pace because the teacher asks questions to the differing ages and this leads to inactivity for many pupils and this restricts their learning. A similar difficulty occurs at the end of lessons and the overall learning focus of the lesson is not clarified. In other lessons throughout the day mathematical St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 35 - February 2002 knowledge is effectively promoted. For example, when building homes for pets children talked confidently about a 'bigger house for the big dog’. The higher attaining children can explain that they will need more construction bricks for the bigger house. Many recognise the bricks they use are triangles, squares or rectangles.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

82. Although many children do not reach the early learning goal in this area of learning their achievement is satisfactory. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and children are introduced to geography, history, science and ICT. In the science lesson seen many were keen to investigate the resources they were using to make a cake for the birds. Teaching in this lesson was good and effective questions extended the children’s vocabulary and encouraged them to describe how the mixture felt. As a result, children talked about the mixture being ‘light’ and then ‘heavy’ when the liquid was added. This good first-hand experience was especially beneficial for the children with special educational needs and those needing support learning in English because they were fully involved and could see the changes for themselves. The group led by the teacher benefited from more challenging questions and understood

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

that once the egg had been added to the mixture they could not get it back to its original state. This was not as obvious in the other groups as the focus was more on making the bird cake than on the learning process. Children show a secure understanding of what food and drink an animal needs to live. During the inspection the computer was not regularly used to support learning. Displays in the classroom show children have followed the adventures of Barnaby Bear to Greenland and know that warm clothes are needed and people travel on a skidoo across the snow. Children are competent using building bricks although on occasions too much direction from staff and the lack of choice of tools restricts children extending their skills of experimentation.

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Physical development

83. Achievement is satisfactory but is restricted by the lack of resources for outdoor play. By the end of the Reception Class, the proportion of children teaching the standard expected is below average. Most are confident in handling small items including construction blocks, paint brushes and cutters. In the hall, children are well co- ordinated when running and jumping but many find hopping more difficult. Teaching is satisfactory but some over-direction prevents the children learning as fast as they could. This was evident in the hall when the children were told which part of the body to balance on rather than finding out suitable parts for themselves. Teachers’ planning does not show enough attention to developing skills and ensuring increasing challenge. The children use the covered outdoor space on rainy days and enjoy chasing each other and letting off steam. However, the space lacks any stimulation

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Physical development

for purposeful play and the lack of wheeled toys and climbing equipment means children do not have enough opportunity to improve their co-ordination skills.

p.35

Creative development

84. Standards are below those expected by the end of the Reception Class. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and this enables sound progress to be made. The large class size often restricts the variety of activity offered to the children. Children enjoy painting and often select this when they have time to select an activity. They enjoy St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 36 - February 2002 working on large class collages and these make an attractive display in the classroom. For example, the large picture of penguins linked to their work on Antartica. However, too many examples include repetitive tasks, such as sticking on cotton wool, or strips of paper, rather than the children’s own painting. This was a weakness in the lesson seen when too much support was given to a few children rather than allowing them to enjoy creating their own ideas. The painting group achieved better results as they had a choice of colours and produced some attractive

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Creative development

pictures. Children know several rhymes and simple action songs. When listening to instruments they find it difficult to discriminate between high and low sounds. They enjoy playing percussion instruments and keep in time with the beat to represent a clock ticking. Children make good use of opportunities to develop their imagination in the role-play corner. During the inspection this included good resources and was a veterinary surgery. Good interaction by support staff led to many interesting scenarios and story lines.

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Creative development

85. The overall quality of teaching and learning seen in the Foundation Stage was satisfactory. In the lessons seen teaching was good in 43 per cent of lessons and satisfactory in the rest. The strengths identified in the previous inspection remain evident although tasks set do not always challenge children and they could achieve more. The strengths in relationships with the children remain a key feature in the teaching and have a positive effect on the secure and happy climate in the classroom. All staff keep a watchful eye on the children who need extra help and check they are fully involved in all activities. Planning for literacy and numeracy is detailed and includes clear learning outcomes. This is less evident in other subjects and so it is not always clear what the main focus of the learning is. Since the last inspection assessment procedures have improved with the introduction of an assessment as

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Creative development

children start in school. This yields information that the school uses effectively to identify pupils who need extra help. The pupils with special educational needs have individual education plans that identify small achievable steps that enable these children to make good progress. All children have their progress checked by a series of assessments but as yet this is not linked to the early learning goals. This means it is difficult for the teacher to check how the children are doing compared with the national expectation. The biggest improvement since the previous inspection is the new classroom that has been built. The children now benefit from a spacious and airy classroom. The school has future plans to improve the outdoor facilities for these children.

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ENGLISH

86. The current standards of work in Years 2 and 6 are below average. Immediately after the last inspection standards dropped to well below the national average and in 1999 the results of national tests at the end of both Years 2 and 6 were in the lowest five per cent in the country. Since that time there has been a steady improvement in the proportion of pupils reaching the level expected for their age, This has been more evident in the Juniors where the expectation of achievement is higher. Considering pupils’ low standards when they start in school the current standards represent satisfactory achievement. One reason hampering the overall standards in the school is the high mobility of the school population and consequently, many have not benefited from all the school has to offer. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 37 - February 2002 87. In the 2001 tests at the end of Year 2 the results for reading were in the lowest five per

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ENGLISH

cent in the country and were also below average when compared with similar schools. Writing results were also well below the national average and below the average for similar schools. No pupils exceeded the national average and this is holding down the school’s overall performance. Current standards show a slight improvement on the test results as a result of more structure being provided by the National Literacy Strategy. However, higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged and are underachieving. Trends in standards have fluctuated and this is typical of a small school and is linked to the differing attainments of each group of pupils.

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ENGLISH

88. Improvements are more noticeable in the Juniors. The school has worked hard to raise standards and provides extra support for pupils with special educational needs and booster classes to enable lower attaining pupils to reach the level expected for their age. The 2001 results of national tests were below average but when compared to similar schools were above average. A few pupils are exceeding the national average and this is a significant achievement. Current standards are consistent with the recent test results. The governors have set challenging targets for 2002, which take account of the varying attainments of different groups of pupils. Taking into consideration the consistently good teaching in Year 6 the pupils are on course to achieve their target.

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ENGLISH

89. Test results indicated that boys outperform the girls. The school is aware of this and during the inspection there was no evidence of disadvantage to either gender. Pupils with special educational needs have detailed individual education plans that include small achievable steps. With effective classroom support these pupils are making good progress and reaching their targets. Similarly, pupils needing support in learning English as an additional language are identified by the school and given bi-lingual help if needed. Teachers are very aware of the needs of these pupils and they make good progress.

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ENGLISH

90. Standards in speaking and listening are below average. Considering many pupils start school with limited communication skills this represents satisfactory achievement. Pupils listen attentively to stories both in the literacy hour and on other occasions like school assemblies. They give less attention to instructions and then are unsure about the tasks they have to complete. Most are happy chatting to each other and are generally confident reading their work out to the class. A few are less secure talking to adults other than those who support them regularly in lessons.

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ENGLISH

91. Good progress is made in the Juniors because teachers challenge them to expand their answers. Many pupils have achieved or are very close to the level expected for their age. They are more confident explaining their ideas and the higher attaining pupils use technical terms in other subjects. For example, in science pupils explain their work and talk confidently about ‘upthrust’ and ‘air resistance.’ Listening skills are generally satisfactory and if someone interrupts, the teacher is quick to check this so that pupils understand the need to take turns in conversations. However, a few have not acquired this skill and call out and in group discussions do not give due attention to the opinions of other speakers.

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ENGLISH

92. Many pupils have acquired an understanding of early reading skills in the Reception Class. Most have acquired a secure knowledge of letters and sounds and are starting to use these to tackle unknown words. However, few have an enthusiasm for St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 38 - February 2002 reading and refer to the school’s reading scheme book as their favourite story. The higher attaining pupils understand the function of the contents but not the index sections of reference books and are uncertain how to use these to retrieve information.

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ENGLISH

93. In the Juniors, standards in reading improve but pupils do not achieve sufficiently well to reach the level expected by the time they leave school. Few have knowledge of a range of authors or styles of writing. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 are enjoying reading J K Rowling’s stories but are unable to explain how the author appeals to the younger reader. Lower attaining pupils are following a structured reading scheme that relates to their own experiences and this is enabling many of them to make good progress relative to their prior attainment. Most pupils develop methods to help them decipher new words. They have a satisfactory understanding of the texts they read and often support their answers with facts from the text. They understand how to locate information but find it difficult to scan a page to find key facts. Few can make deductions and inferences from their reading. The school’s reading records do not

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ENGLISH

include enough detail about the progress pupils are making in their reading and the books they are reading are not always closely matched to their ability.

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ENGLISH

94. Writing is the weakest aspect and standards of the present Year 2 and Year 6 pupils are below average. Considering pupils’ low attainment on entry to the school overall achievement is satisfactory. However, higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged and are underachieving. Pupils in Year 2 are writing short phrases and sentences and growing in confidence to write common words correctly. However, few pupils are able to write at length and the variety and use of imaginative vocabulary is very limited. The higher attaining pupils are beginning to introduce basic punctuation in their work but this is not evident in the other pupils’ work. Many pupils are developing a legible print but a significant number of pupils form letters incorrectly. An overuse of photocopiable worksheets is restricting progress in writing and teachers are not promoting writing sufficiently in other subjects.

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ENGLISH

95. The range of writing improves in the Juniors. Pupils in Year 6 have written playscripts and most recognise the need to write in the first person. The higher attaining pupils use brackets accurately for instructions for the actors. Most pupils spell commonly used words correctly. A few pupils are still relying too heavily on their knowledge of sounds and this leads to errors such as ‘chilldren’, ‘onely’ and ‘ment.’ Although pupils have lessons to improve their handwriting many do not transfer these skills to their other work. As a result, their handwriting is immature and few have a fluent joined style. This is because teachers do not have this as a regular expectation and do not make it a focus for the marking of pupils’ work. Teachers introduce pupils to planning their work and in Year 6, many of the examples of reviews of the ‘Silver Sword’ are getting close to the level expected for this age. However, pupils are not taught how to

p.38

ENGLISH

edit their work with sufficient care and so final work still contains errors.

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ENGLISH

96. Standards in other subjects are not depressed by lack of literacy skills. In lessons pupils benefit from extra adult support which enables them to follow the written text and also use their writing skills to record their ideas. For example, in religious education in the Infants pupils have used sensitive words in the prayers they have St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 39 - February 2002 written. In Year 6, pupils have labelled their diagrams and structured their work in a science project on living things. More opportunities to write at greater length are less apparent.

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ENGLISH

97. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. In two thirds of the lessons seen teaching was satisfactory and it was good in the other lessons. This is similar to that identified in the previous inspection. The weakness of insufficient challenge in the tasks set is still a weakness in the Infants. It is much better in Year 6 and the rate of learning in this year is good because teaching challenges the pupils and much is achieved. A key strength in many lessons is the management of pupils. This is firm, positive and based on good relationships and enables pupils to learn in an orderly atmosphere. Lessons follow the structure recommended in the National Literacy Strategy and this leads to a variety of activities being used to capture pupils’ interest. For example, in Year 2 pupils play bingo and this improves their recognition of common letter blends. Teaching of literacy is satisfactory but these skills are not

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ENGLISH

sufficiently promoted in other subjects. Teachers do not always make it clear in lessons what it is they want the pupils to learn. Consequently, pupils are not always clear about the focus of the lesson. This also hampers the use of classroom assistants as they encourage pupils to complete a task rather than extending their learning. Teachers’ assessments in lessons do not keep a close check on the on- going progress of pupils and this leads to tasks being set that do not build on prior learning. Work is regularly marked and, although encouraging comments are made, many pupils do not receive learning targets that enable them to focus on the next stage of their learning.

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ENGLISH

98. Management of the subject is satisfactory. Assessment procedures have been introduced since the last inspection and the school is using information gained to predict future targets and to evaluate performance. Weaknesses are being identified but these are not always being followed up with action. For example, the attention being given to improving pupils’ handwriting lacks enough rigour. The use of ICT to support learning is underdeveloped.

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ENGLISH

99. The library is often locked and this means it is difficult for pupils to use it to locate and research information for themselves.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The standards achieved by pupils aged seven are generally below those found nationally. The vast majority of the pupils make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment. For many of the pupils, this was very low on entry to the school. The pupils with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language make good progress towards the targets set for them. The standards achieved by the pupils aged 11 are close to those found nationally and the great majority, including those with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language, make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. These standards are reflected in the most recent national test results which showed that the performance of the seven-year-old pupils was very low in comparison with the national average and the average for schools in similar contexts.

p.39

MATHEMATICS

The results were in the lowest five per cent across the country and were affected by the larger than usual number of pupils in the group identified as having special educational needs. The performance of the 11 year-olds was below average when compared to all schools but above average in comparison with similar schools. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 40 - February 2002 This improvement is due to the continuing positive impact of the National Numeracy Strategy. By Year 6, there is no significant variation in the pupils’ performance in terms of gender. The school has set challenging targets for the present Year 6 and with the good teaching for these pupils they are likely to achieve them.

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MATHEMATICS

101. By the age of seven, the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of basic number work is under-developed. The frequent use of worksheets in group activities restricts progress. This is because the tasks set often lack sufficient challenge and variety and do little to develop the pupils' learning through relevant practical activities and ‘real life’ situations. The pupils demonstrate a developing understanding of basic place value and know how zero acts as a place holder. The potentially higher attaining pupils know that the position of a digit signifies its value. They use this concept well when ordering numbers to 100 and beyond. The pupils generally make satisfactory progress in basic calculations using addition and subtraction processes. The higher attaining pupils are beginning to understand that subtraction is the inverse of addition and they use this knowledge effectively when solving related problems. However, the

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MATHEMATICS

vast majority of the pupils have limited problem solving and investigational skills because the teaching of this aspect of the work is too narrow. As a result, too few opportunities are provided for the pupils to choose and use appropriate operations and efficient calculation strategies to solve problems.

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MATHEMATICS

102. By Year 6, the pupils make good progress in their use and understanding of place value. They demonstrate increasing accuracy in computation work using the four rules of number. They show developing skills in understanding and using their knowledge of the extension of the number system including the use of negative numbers and the relationship of fractions, decimals and percentages. Many of the pupils can recognise and describe quite complex number patterns and relationships including multiple, factor and square. The older pupils clearly enjoy the variety and range of work which is well planned and builds appropriately on their prior learning. For example, in Year 6, good quality, well-structured teaching enabled the pupils to develop a good understanding of how to use and interpret co-ordinates in all four quadrants. The pupils demonstrated a good grasp of how to read and plot co- ordinates using accurately the relevant axes to establish the positions of the vertices

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MATHEMATICS

103. In their work related to shape, space and measures, the seven-year-old pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of the properties of common two-dimensional shapes. However, their knowledge of three-dimensional shapes is less well developed and their use of appropriate mathematical language is restricted. The Year 2 pupils know how to measure in centimetres with reasonable accuracy. They can read the time in hours and half hours on an analogue and digital clock but have more difficulty with quarter hours. However, they have a limited understanding of a wider range of measures. The experiences planned for them provide too few opportunities to increase their skills in estimating, measuring and comparing masses and capacities using non-standard and then standard units of measurement. There are some gaps in the delivery of the planning of this work in Years 1 and 2. As a consequence, the pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop skills associated with

p.40

MATHEMATICS

understanding the properties of position and movement such as recognising movements in a straight line, rotations and how to combine them by, for example, giving instructions for rotating a programmable toy. Many of the older pupils make good progress in their understanding of an increasing range of work related to St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 41 - February 2002 shape, space and measures. By Year 6, they are increasingly confident and proficient using a range of appropriate measures. They can read scales with reasonably accuracy in work related to temperature or when investigating liquid measures down to millilitres. The oldest pupils have a good understanding of perimeters, area and volume and know how to use simple formulae when calculating solutions to problems They measure angles to the nearest degree and using their increasing knowledge can classify different types of angles. They show good

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MATHEMATICS

accuracy when calculating the third angle in a triangle when only two angles are given.

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MATHEMATICS

104. In the Year 3 to Year 6 classes, the pupils make good progress collecting information, recording their results and interpreting their findings. The oldest pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of the use of measures of average, and use appropriately terms such as mode, median, mean and range in relevant problem solving contexts. For example, in one class, the pupils investigated rainfall patterns in the local area, compared with those in several contrasting regions. They used their new skills to solve a range of related questions, organising their work carefully and presenting their results with clarity and precision.

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MATHEMATICS

105. Although the pupils have some opportunities to practise and consolidate their mathematical skills in other areas of the curriculum, this is an aspect of the planned work which receives too little attention. In addition, the use of ICT to support the pupils’ learning in mathematics is similarly underdeveloped.

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MATHEMATICS

106. Since the last inspection, the quality of the teaching shows some improvement. In classes of the younger pupils the teaching and learning is broadly satisfactory. Good quality teaching in Years 4, 5 and 6 enables the older pupils to make good progress. In these classes the planning is linked closely to the National Curriculum programmes of study and the content of lessons has variety and challenge. In classes of the younger pupils the higher attaining pupils are not always challenged sufficiently and too little is expected of them. This results in a measure of underachievement at times. All staff work hard to implement the National Numeracy Strategy and in many respects they are successful. However, the mental starter to lessons often lacks sufficient pace and is not always as challenging as it might be. This element rarely succeeds in improving the pupils’ rapid recall skills or in helping them to use an

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MATHEMATICS

increasing range of mental strategies to answer questions or solve problems. In the best lessons, questioning is a strong feature. It is used effectively to probe pupils’ thinking and consolidate their learning. In all classes, the teachers’ organisational skills are good. Group activities are well managed and care is taken to match work closely to the pupils’ different levels of ability. Support staff are very well briefed and play a significant part in supporting the pupils’ learning, particularly so for those with special educational needs and for those pupils who learn in English as an additional language. In most lessons, the final part is used effectively to consolidate the pupils’ learning and sometimes to correct misconceptions. It is used less frequently to extend the pupils’ thinking.

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MATHEMATICS

107. The standards in mathematics by the time the pupils reach Year 6 show much improvement since the last inspection. The proportion achieving above the national expectation shows a considerable increase and the general trend in the school’s St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 42 - February 2002 performance is above the national trend. However, improvements in the use of assessment to inform future planning have yet to be implemented successfully although the school has reached the stage of introducing a new system of individual short term targets for all pupils next term.

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MATHEMATICS

108. The co-ordination of mathematics is satisfactory although the systematic monitoring of the subject is not as effective as it might be. In most respects the content of the work meets the requirements of the National Curriculum but in classes of the younger pupils the balance of the work rarely gives the pupils sufficient opportunities in using and applying mathematics across the range of work planned.

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MATHEMATICS

109. The organisation of the curriculum enables all of the pupils, irrespective of gender, race, social background or level of attainment to have equality of opportunity and access to the subject. Mathematics makes an important contribution to the aims of the school. The subject is resourced adequately and is allocated an appropriate amount of time. The pupils demonstrate good attitudes to their work and behave very well in lessons.

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SCIENCE

110. The standards achieved by the seven-year-olds are below those expected nationally. Many start from a very low baseline and at best make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment. By the time the pupils reach the age of 11, standards in science are broadly in line with those found nationally. The great majority of the pupils make good progress, including those with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language. This picture is consistent with the most recent national test results for 11 year-olds and with the latest assessments by the teachers for seven-year-olds. These found that the performance of 11year-olds was in line with the national average for all schools and above that for schools in similar contexts. However, at age seven, the pupils’ performance was well below the national average and well below similar schools. Trends in science are higher than in other

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SCIENCE

111. By the end of Year 2, the pupils demonstrate a broadly satisfactory fund of knowledge and understanding across the subject. However, the planning of the work in classes of the younger pupils, gives too little attention to the development of skills in scientific enquiry. The pupils have limited skills in recording their observations. Their understanding of how to record measurements in simple charts or tables is insufficiently developed. This is because of the tendency of some of the teachers to over-structure this element of the work rather than to challenge the pupils to choose their own words to communicate their findings.

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SCIENCE

112. In learning about a healthy lifestyle the seven-year-old pupils can name accurately the parts of the body and describe some forms of exercise which might benefit their health. By Year 2, many are beginning to observe and describe some materials by sorting and grouping them according to their properties. However, they have less understanding of how materials are changed by heating or cooling or by processes such as bending or stretching. Some of the seven-year-olds are beginning to understand how electricity can be dangerous. They can draw a pictorial representation of a circuit and identify reasons why a bulb may not light. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 43 - February 2002 113. By Year 6, the pupils make good progress in developing their scientific knowledge, skills and understanding. They know about the nature of solids, liquids and gases, the effects of different forces, the behaviour of light, predator and prey relationships and

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SCIENCE

the structure and function of the human body. For example, good quality teaching in Year 6 enabled the pupils to understand what happens as blood is pumped around the body. They drew carefully labelled diagrams to record this. The pupils have a good understanding of the feeding relationships that exist between plants and animals in a habitat. They understand the concept of producers and consumers and can describe accurately relationships using a food chain. They know how to use appropriate classification skills and can construct a simple key for identification purposes. By the age of 11, carefully organised and effectively planned lessons, enable the pupils to develop their skills of scientific enquiry. For example, in a Year 4 class, effective teaching helped the pupils to investigate the best conditions for the growth of pea seeds. They were helped to understand the nature of a fair test and to

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SCIENCE

recognise and explain why it was fair. As yet they are less confident in selecting their own approaches to solve scientific problems or in deciding on how to record their findings.

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SCIENCE

114. The quality of teaching and learning in classes of the younger pupils is broadly satisfactory. Good relationships are well-established and good class control and management promote good behaviour. Group work is well organised and an appropriate balance is achieved between explanations and instructions and the time allocated for the pupils to engage in practical work. On occasions, too little is expected of the pupils in terms of encouragement to ask questions, suggest their own ideas and opinions or to develop ways of recording their findings and experiences using a developing scientific vocabulary. The teaching in Years 4, 5 and 6 is consistently good and leads to good learning. The use of questioning is a strong feature which helps to capture the pupils’ interest and extend their knowledge and understanding. Teachers are secure in their knowledge and this enables them to challenge pupils appropriately, helping them to make good progress. Overall

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SCIENCE

assessment procedures are broadly satisfactory but the school is developing an improved system so that day-to-day assessments can be used more effectively to plan future work. All staff work hard to make appropriate provision for all pupils, irrespective of gender, race or background. Effective support is provided for pupils who have special educational needs and for those for whom English is an additional language, helping them to make good progress in relation to their prior learning.

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SCIENCE

115. Since the last inspection, the school has improved the standards achieved by the Year 6 pupils. The proportion of the pupils attaining standards above those expected nationally is in line with the national average.

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SCIENCE

116. Throughout the school, the pupils demonstrate good attitudes towards their work in science. They are interested in the activities provided and co-operate sensibly when involved in group tasks using carefully a range of equipment and resources. The work in science is allocated an appropriate account of time and the content generally meets the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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SCIENCE

117. The co-ordination of science is satisfactory but with the long-term absence of this member of staff, monitoring of the subject has proved problematic. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 44 - February 2002

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ART AND DESIGN

118. Standards have improved since the previous inspection and are now satisfactory throughout the school. Improvements have been brought about by better planning and management of the subject which has successfully raised the profile of art in the school. The work of famous artists has increased and is evident in the attractive displays of work around the school. These show that the achievement of pupils of all abilities is satisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

119. Standards of work of the present Year 2 pupils show an ability to explore ideas when designing a pattern using different shapes and colours. They produce various designs and the higher attaining pupils include overlapping shapes that add depth to their designs. A review of other work shows pupils in Years 1 and 2 have looked at the work of David Hockney. The pupils’ pictures in the style of the artist are better in Year 1 than Year 2 because of the range of colours used. Their work is more creative and pupils have made good use of colour and patterns. In Year 2, pupils have used crayons which have not challenged their skills although many have included detail in their pictures.

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ART AND DESIGN

120. A review of the work produced by pupils in Year 6 shows a better range of resources used and their landscapes show an understanding of perspective. A range of patterns, brightly coloured and outlined with black successfully capture the style of David Hockney in his picture of ‘Mulholland Drive’. The school keeps a portfolio of examples of observational drawings. The Year 6 examples show close attention to detail and include twigs, buds and leaves. The higher attaining pupils have used shading effectively to create shadows. In the lesson seen in Years 3 and 4 the pupils enjoyed experimenting with colour and their examples of pop art showed an understanding of colour mixing. Few pupils gave enough attention to planning their ideas before they started painting and although they could discuss their work and say what they did not like, they were less confident suggesting improvements.

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ART AND DESIGN

121. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers are encouraging while pupils’ work and lessons are enjoyable. Effective organisation means lessons run smoothly and also contribute to pupils’ social development as they handle the resources carefully. Planning identifies the outcomes of the lesson but these are not always followed up in practice and pupils could be working at more challenging activities. The conclusion of lessons celebrate achievement but for the older pupils fail to take them on to the next step of critical analysis. ICT is not sufficiently promoted in art lessons.

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ART AND DESIGN

122. Management of art and design is good because the school now has clearer guidelines so that tasks set build on previous learning. The portfolio of work is a good tool to monitor standards and much has been done to raise standards since the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. Due to the school’s timetabling arrangements and the timing of the inspection it was only possible to see one lesson, in Year 6. Judgements are based on a scrutiny of work, teachers’ planning, discussions with teachers and pupils, in addition to the lesson observed. Standards in both subjects are broadly in line with those expected St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 45 - February 2002 for the pupils’ ages. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior levels of learning. Since the last inspection, this evidence indicates that the standards in design and technology have been maintained.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. By the age of seven, the pupils know how to work with a variety of materials. They work with a limited range of tools but know how to assemble, join and combine materials in a variety of ways. With help they can plan ideas and put them into practice. For example, Year 1 pupils made some interesting animal homes while the seven-year-olds assembled a range of materials in planning and constructing large buildings based on a visit to the church.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. The oldest pupils know how to produce well-organised plans which take account of the need to produce reliable products of good quality. For example, some of the Year 6 pupils designed and made sandals. They paid particular attention to functional use, reflecting on their designs in order to make the finished product safe and fit for the purpose intended. The pupils understand the need to evaluate their work to make improvements and to produce a finished product of quality that is well made and meets its intended purpose. These important principles were explained using their own words, by a group of Year 4 pupils who showed examples of photograph frames they had made recently.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. Insufficient evidence is available to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching and learning. The work is planned carefully but the range of tools and materials used is limited. Overall, the content of the work meets broadly the requirements of the National Curriculum. An improvement since the previous inspection is the school’s recognition of design and technology as a subject in its own right and it is given an appropriate amount of time.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

127. Due to the school’s timetabling arrangements and the timing of the inspection, it was not possible to see any lessons in history and geography. Judgements are based on a scrutiny of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and discussions with teachers and pupils. Standards in both subjects broadly match those expected nationally for the pupils’ ages. Most pupils, including those who have special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior learning. Since the last inspection, the available evidence indicates that the standards in history have been maintained. In geography, the standards have improved because the school has clearer planning guidelines and so more attention is given to all aspects of the curriculum.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

128. In geography, by the age of seven, the pupils recognise and make observations about the physical and human features in the area around the school and their homes. They describe the routes they travel, talk about the nature of the land and distinguish different buildings. They can draw simple maps and diagrams and identify the jobs people do in the various buildings. The seven-year-olds can express views on the environment of Burnley and have some valid ideas on how the area might be improved. They show an awareness of places beyond their own environment. For example, some have been to Pakistan to visit relatives. St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 46 - February 2002 129. By Year 6, the pupils demonstrate increasing knowledge, skills and understanding of comparisons of the physical and human features of different localities. This was evident in some good work on deserts, tropical regions and temperate regions. The

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

pupils make good use of secondary sources of information including photographs, maps and the Internet. This was apparent, for example, in another class studying life in Nepal. The pupils develop increasing knowledge and understanding of environmental change and can recognise how people can improve the environment or damage it. For example, this occurred in one class through the study of the water cycle and dealt with the building of new reservoirs and the problems associated with river pollution.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

130. In history, by the age of seven, the pupils show a developing sense of chronology in making the distinction between the past and present in their own and other people’s lives. They can place some events in order and are beginning to recount stories about the past. Some gave vivid accounts of the Fire of London and others recalled events related to Guy Fawkes. A group of pupils from Year 2 described how pictures painted in the past helped to inform us about life at that time. They showed a photograph of a painting of Charles II to demonstrate the point.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

131. By Year 6, the pupils’ work shows satisfactory progression in their understanding of chronology. They know how the past can be divided into periods of time and they can describe some of the characteristics of these periods through the study of Romans, Greeks, Tudors and Stuarts and the Victorian era. A small group spoke knowledgeably on the people an changes that occurred in Victorian times including child labour, poverty and the industrial revolution. Some of the oldest pupils know how to structure their work carefully using a range of sources of information including CD- ROMS.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

132. Insufficient evidence is available to give an overall judgement on the quality of teaching and learning. Pupils’ work shows insufficient attention is given to using ICT to support learning.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

133. Subject management is satisfactory. The school now uses the guidance from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. This has given the teachers a clear framework for their planning. As a consequence, the requirements of the National Curriculum are met for both subjects. The school lacks procedures to assess pupils’ progress and so it is difficult for teachers to have a clear understanding of the standards pupils’ achieve.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

134. Due to the school’s timetabling arrangements and the timing of the inspection, only one lesson was observed in Year 6. Judgements are based on observation of a small sample of work completed previously, scrutiny of the teachers’ planning and discussions with teachers and groups of the pupils, in addition to the lesson seen. By the time the younger pupils reach age seven and the older pupils reach 11 the standards achieved are below those expected nationally. Most make slow progress in relation to their prior learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. By the age of seven, the pupils have too few opportunities to develop their ICT skills. As a result, their skills in using ICT to enter, save and retrieve work, using the St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 47 - February 2002 computer, are underdeveloped. Many are unable to generate their work onto the screen, amend it and print it out as a record of their progress. Although some of the seven-year-olds have used a programmable toy none of the pupils in discussion could recall how to turn it on, or control its movements.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

136. The pupils in classes of the older age groups make satisfactory progress in their work related to communicating and handling information. They can generate text and make amendments using their keyboard skills to insert capital letters, speech marks and other punctuation. Most of the pupils know how to save data and access their own files when necessary. However, their skills in using ICT to produce text and graphic images for different audiences and purposes are underdeveloped.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. Discussions with the oldest pupils revealed that they have little experience in aspects of control or modelling. However, one pupil remarked when asked about controlling the cursor by inserting a set of commands “Isn’t that called Logo? I have got that on my computer at home.” He went on to describe how he has used it to make lines ‘bend’. Since the last inspection the school is able to link to the Internet and the pupils are confident in searching for information. For example, Year 6 pupils know how to find the information they wanted about mountains in Asia. They could find a variety of material and could print it out. However, their skills in framing precise questions when collecting, accessing and interrogating information are underdeveloped. They retrieve much information which is not always relevant.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. Since the last inspection, resources for ICT have improved with the opening of the new computer suite. The school has its own website and e-mail address. However, the co-ordinator is on long-term absence and the school is finding it difficult to cover the role. Overall, the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory mainly because teachers are not planning sufficient opportunities for pupils to reach the level expected for their age. At present, the planning of the work lacks coherence and although pupils are taught isolated but useful skills, the programme of work is fragmented. As a consequence, the work lacks progression and the pupils have too little time to develop systematically their ICT skills. Assessment and record keeping strategies are inadequate and do little to help the teachers plan further work. In addition to the computers in the new ICT suite, the pupils have access to computers in classrooms. These are not used

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

to their best advantage to support the pupils’ learning across the wider curriculum.

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MUSIC

139. Standards and achievement of the present Year 2 and Year 6 pupils are satisfactory. Since the last inspection little has changed and lessons are still taught by visiting music specialists. Although teachers stay and support in these lessons there is little indication that teachers are growing in confidence to lead their own lessons. However, their support in lessons is effective in checking that the pupils with special educational needs and those learning through English as an additional language play a full and active part.

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MUSIC

140. Only one lesson was seen and this was in Year 6 and other evidence includes listening to the singing in assemblies. This part of the assemblies is enjoyed by all and pupils sing tunefully. They sing celebration songs with gusto and ‘Stretch up and thank the Lord’ included the actions. A wide range of songs and choruses are known St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 48 - February 2002 and these include singing in parts and rounds. Pupils in Year 1 benefit from the same teaching as that seen in the Reception Class and this enables them to experience listening to music, playing percussion instruments and extending their range of songs. In Year 6, pupils are starting to use musical terminology and understand that the pulse is a steady beat. In the lesson seen they quickly grasped this idea and maintained the pulse by clapping to ‘Everybody loves Saturday Night’. This was extended by combining the use of tuned and untuned percussion instruments and singing. This

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MUSIC

added texture to the performance and the pupils were eager to practise and improve. They were successful in keeping in time and maintaining their own parts. In response to effective teaching the pupils improved their listening and appraising skills. They suggested their performance could be improved by all keeping together and singing more tunefully. The lesson did not include any musical notation for pupils to follow and there was no evidence available to show this aspect of the subject receives enough attention.

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MUSIC

141. There is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching and learning. The teaching seen was good and lessons were lively and enjoyable. Good subject knowledge was shared effectively and this was apparent in the use of musical terms by the Year 6 pupils. The tasks set challenged the pupils and pupils rose to this especially when their music was recorded. This led to them all trying their best and greatly increased their self-esteem and rate of learning.

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MUSIC

142. Management of the subject is satisfactory. Since the last inspection the school has introduced new planning guidelines but the reliance on visiting specialists means teachers in the school are not gaining skills in teaching the subject. Resources have been increased especially the range of instruments from other cultures. Pupils’ knowledge of other cultures is extended in music as in Year 6 when the pupils enjoyed listening to Dagbamba drumming. The choir is a very popular extra-curricular activity and this contributes significantly to pupils’ social development. They gain in confidence as they frequently sing in public.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. During the inspection it was only possible to see one lesson in gymnastics and one games lesson in the Juniors. In the Juniors, the time allocated to the subject is currently used for swimming. Standards of work show pupils reach the level expected for their age and achievement is satisfactory. Standards are similar to those identified in previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. By the end of Year 6, pupils are confident with the basic skills of lacrosse. Many scoop and pass accurately. They enjoy the competitive element of the lessons and understand the need for fair play. In gymnastics in Years 3 and 4, pupils show satisfactory control of their movements when they jump and are aware of the need to land carefully. They balance on the benches and many successfully link a series of jumps changing direction and height. Limited time was allocated to adjusting and improving movements. Discussion with pupils show a simple understanding that exercise is beneficial for the body. The school identifies many pupils can swim by the time they leave school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. Insufficient evidence is available to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching. In the lessons seen teaching and learning were satisfactory. Management St Peter’s CofE Primary School - 49 - February 2002 is satisfactory so that lessons are carried out safely. Demonstrations are used effectively to show a new skill but in gymnastics time is not always included for pupils to improve following a demonstration. The organisation of tasks lead to pupils waiting too long for a turn and this slows down the pace of learning in lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. Management of the subject is satisfactory. New planning guidelines are in place but the limited amount of time allocated to the subjects means all aspects do not receive sufficient attention. For example, in Year 6 the focus is on games and so pupils lose the movement skills acquired in other years. Staff give generously of their time to provide a good range of extra-curricular activities. These include netball, football and cross country and these extend pupils’ understanding of fair play especially when they compete with other schools.

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