St William of York Catholic Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 1 st - 3 rd October 2001

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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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. William of York Catholic Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery, Infant and Junior

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: St. Williams Road Thornton Liverpool

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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: Mrs Kavanagh

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 rd June 1997 St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 28076 Mr D Byrne Registered inspector 9981 Mr S Hussain Lay inspector 22361 Mrs M Gough Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Lynrose Marketing Ltd Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU

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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. William of York Catholic Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 19

St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a Voluntary Aided Catholic school catering for boys and girls between 3 and 11 years of age. It is situated in the Liverpool suburb of Thornton near Crosby in the local education authority of Sefton. The school currently has 238 pupils and there are 44 children-attending Nursery on a part time basis. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than the national average, being 28%. The attainment of children when they start school in the Nursery class is close to expectations for children of their age. Twenty-three percent of pupils have special educational needs, which is above the national average, and half of these pupils require the support of outside agencies. The percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs (1.3%) is about average. There are no pupils requiring support for English as an additional language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school in which staff, governors and parents work effectively together to create a supportive school community and provide a good standard of education for all pupils. The school has a strong sense of purpose based upon mutual trust and the expectation that everyone involved in the school, pupils, parents, staff and governors, give of their best at all times. The good quality of teaching coupled with very good leadership and management ensure that pupils make good progress and achieve high standards by the time they leave school. The school is giving good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and senior staff guide the work of the school and set high expectations. • Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science. • Good teaching challenges pupils of all abilities to work hard and learn quickly. • Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and levels of personal development are very good. • Very good links with parents and the local community make a significant contribution to the quality of education and the progress made by pupils.

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What could be improved

• The standards achieved by pupils in mathematical and scientific investigations. • The quality of presentation of pupils’ written and recorded work. • The use of information and communication technology to support learning in all subjects. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the time of the last inspection in April 1997, the school has improved at a good rate. Effective systems have been established for assessing and recording the attainment and progress of pupils so that the quality of teachers’ planning is better and the school’s performance and cost effectiveness is monitored. The provision for information and communication technology is much better and satisfactory improvements have been made in the provision for design and technology, but there is still more work to do in this subject. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 7 The library provision has been improved and the use of books to support learning is much better. In addition, standards attained in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6 have improved, the quality of teaching is better and the support for pupils with special educational needs is now of a very good quality.

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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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schools

1998 1999 2000 2000 very high A* English C A B A well above average above average A B mathematics A* A A A* average below average C D science A A B A well below average E

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schools

The school’s results at the end of Year 6 are impressive. Standards in English, mathematics and science have been high over the last three years and the standards in mathematics are particularly high. The standards in English by the end of Year 6 in 2000 were above the national average and well above the average for similar schools. Standards in mathematics are well above the national average and when compared to similar schools they are extremely high, being in the top 5%. In science, standards achieved in the Year 6 National Curriculum tests are above the national average and well above the average for similar schools. When the school’s performance figures are averaged out over the last four years, the upward trend is broadly in line with the national trend. Considering the slightly above average starting point, this represents good achievement. The work seen during the inspection shows that pupils are achieving well in literacy and numeracy and in the

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schools

development of their knowledge of science. In mathematics and science, however, pupils’ ability to perform investigations could be better. The school has realistic but challenging targets for pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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schools

Inspection evidence indicates that standards in reading, writing and mathematics are rising rapidly in Year 2 and are now above national expectations for pupils of their age. This improvement is confirmed by the results of the 2001 National Curriculum tests and tasks for Year 2. Over the last four years, however, standards were well below average. In 2000, the pupils’ performance in reading and writing was well below the national average and the average for similar schools. In mathematics, standards were below the national average and close to the average in comparison to similar schools. The improved standards are a direct result of better teaching in Year 2 that demands high standards from pupils.

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schools

In art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education, pupils are doing as well as expected for their age. In information and communication technology standards are satisfactory. Pupils are developing a good knowledge and understanding of basic skills of using computers but are not yet using computers enough to support learning in all subjects .

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schools

In the Nursery class and Reception classes, pupils get off to a good start and most comfortably achieve what is expected of them by the end of the Reception class and many St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 8 exceed this. In Key Stage 1, there was unsatisfactory progress between 1997 and 2000 and pupils were not achieving as well as they could or should. In the last twelve months improvements in teaching in Year 2 have raised expectations and the decline has been arrested and rapid progress is now being made. At Key Stage 2, the rate of progress is good overall and accelerates in Year 6 as pupils are well prepared for the transition to the next stage of their education. Throughout the school, higher attaining pupils make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs are given very good support, which ensures that they make very good progress towards the targets in their individual education

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. A high proportion of pupils are keen to learn and highly motivated during lessons. Pupils like to be challenged and work hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The behaviour of pupils is consistently very good in all aspects of school life. Pupils are polite, friendly and considerate of others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils have very mature and responsible attitudes. They display high levels of self-esteem and a good level of social confidence based upon very good relationships with each other and with adults.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory. The level of attendance is below the national average and the rate of authorised absence is above the national average. Many pupils take holidays during term-time and this adversely affects the progress made by these pupils. Levels of punctuality in the school are very good.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is good with particularly good teaching in Year 6. The literacy and numeracy strategies are implemented successfully and the basic skills are taught well. Reading is well taught and pupils learn to appreciate books at an early age. Recent improvements in the way writing is taught have improved pupils’ progress, although there are still some inconsistencies in the expectations for pupils’ presentation of work. In numeracy, the methods used to develop mental arithmetic skills are very successful and contribute to pupils working with good pace and high levels of interest during lessons. Teachers employ good strategies to develop pupils’ skills of solving mental problems, but not enough opportunities are given for pupils to develop a good ability to apply mathematical knowledge to real-life investigations. Good teaching in science provides pupils with good subject knowledge but not enough emphasis is given to teaching pupils

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 9 how to plan, perform and record scientific investigations and experiments. The teaching of information and communication technology is satisfactory but not enough use is made of computers to support learning in all subjects. The good teaching of children in the Nursery and Reception classes ensures that children make good progress and achieve the expectations of the early learning goals by the end of the Reception class.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school provides pupils with a wide range of interesting and relevant learning opportunities. A good range of additional activities and visits that extend the breadth of pupils’ experiences enriches the statutory curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs and this enables pupils to make very good progress and achieve as well as they can. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision is made to develop pupils’ sense of spirituality and to promote moral values and behaviour. Pupils’ good social skills are successfully promoted and good provision is made to develop pupils’ awareness of their own culture and that of others. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school creates a caring and supportive environment

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Aspect Comment

where pupils feel safe and secure. Pupil’s welfare is paramount for all staff and pupils’ personal and academic progress is carefully monitored so that individual strengths and weaknesses are identified and, if necessary, acted upon.

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Aspect Comment

Parents are very supportive of the school and they are closely involved with their children’s education through supporting the school policy for homework and contributing to all aspects of school life.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff Very good. The head teacher, senior staff and governing body work effectively as a team and the school is very well managed. Performance management systems are effectively used to get the best out of teaching and support staff. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is a strong, responsible group of committed people offering the head teacher and staff support, guidance and an opportunity for an external check on the work of the school. All statutory duties are fulfilled. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good procedures are established for monitoring how well the school is doing, what it does well and how it could improve. Very good use is made of assessment data to find ways of adapting procedures and methods to raise standards. The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of all available resources and the

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Aspect Comment

head teacher, senior staff and governing body have secure d f h ki h i ll h h St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 10 procedures for checking that money is well spent so that the best possible value for money is achieved

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The quality of education that promotes good progress and attainment of pupils. • The strong links forged with the community that support pupils’ learning. • The quality of leadership and management that gets the best out of teachers, staff and pupils. • The quality of information provided by the school and the way staff are very approachable. No significant criticism was made of any aspect of the school

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection evidence supports the very positive views of parents. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 11

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

senior staff guide the work of the school and set high expectations.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

1. The head teacher provides very good leadership for the school by providing a clear direction to the work of all within it. He works closely with the deputy head teacher and senior staff to identify and improve weaknesses in all aspects of the school. He has fostered amongst staff and governors a strong team spirit and a commitment to providing a good standard of education for all pupils. The head teacher has high expectations of teachers and teachers carry these through to pupils so that standards for most pupils in most subjects are as good as they can be. Everyone involved in the school works closely together, creating a warm, friendly and supportive atmosphere for pupils that contributes to pupils’ very good attitudes. Good provision is made for developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

2. The staff works very hard. Teachers all have at least one area of management responsibility and they work closely with colleagues to develop their curriculum so that all statutory requirements are met. A good programme for strategic planning and very good procedures for monitoring how well pupils are doing guide teacher’s work. Very good use is made of performance management procedures by the head teacher to involve all teachers in the school improvement planning process. Subject co-ordinators evaluate progress in their areas annually and new targets for development are set. All targets have been identified as a result of careful consultation with pupils and staff and are based upon information from assessments of pupils’ progress and attainment. Very good procedures are in place for assessing pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science. Staff make good use of information and communication technology to analyse data to identify where pupils’

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

achievement can be improved. Where necessary, teaching methods and the curriculum are adapted to address any weaknesses. For example, the quality of writing across the school has been identified as an area of concern. As a result, new strategies have been introduced that are successfully improving standards. The head teacher has established a culture across the school in which only the highest standards are good enough.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

3. The management of special educational needs is very good and ensures that pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. A very knowledgeable and committed special educational needs co-ordinator ensures that pupils needing support are identified at an early age. A wide range of strategies is used to diagnose the pupils’ needs, to provide an effective individual education plan and to check on their progress. The careful deployment of support staff ensures that pupils who need help are given appropriate support during all aspects of school life. Good links with agencies within the local education authority and health service are called upon when required to support pupils.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

4. The governing body is well organised and successfully performs all of its statutory duties. Governors are well aware of the school’s strengths and areas for development through sharing information provided by the head teacher, making visits to the school to observe lessons and to share in school activities. The head teacher and governors discuss the school’s National Curriculum test results and use St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 12 the information to set realistic but challenging targets for attainment in English and mathematics. Governors regularly check all aspects of the school’s finances to make sure that the budget is balanced. It has made the strategically sound decision to retain a larger than average surplus so that staffing levels can be maintained if there is a reduction in pupil numbers. The finance committee and head teacher monitor the impact of spending decisions upon standards in the school and there

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

are good procedures in place for checking on best value for money.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

5. Pupils achieve well by the time they leave school. Standards in English, mathematics and science have been high over the last three years and the standards in mathematics are particularly high. The standards in English by the end of Year 6 in 2000 were above the national average and well above the average for similar schools. Standards in mathematics are well above the national average and, when compared to similar schools, they are extremely high, being in the top 5%. In science, standards achieved in the Year 6 National Curriculum tests are above the national average and well above the average for similar schools. When the school’s performance figures are averaged out over the last four years, the upward trend is broadly in line with the national trend.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

6. Inspection evidence confirms the end of key stage standard assessment test results. By the end of Year 6, standards are above the national average in English, mathematics and science. Teachers have high expectations of pupils in each subject. Children make a good start in the Foundation Stage and most comfortably achieve what is expected of them by the time they start Year 1. Pupils are now making good progress in Years 1 and 2, and in Years 3 to 6. Progress accelerates in Year 6 so that by the end of that year pupils achieve high standards overall and reach the standards of which they are capable. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans and higher attaining pupils are provided with appropriate activities that make sure they are challenged sufficiently.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

7. Standards are high for a number of reasons. The ethos of the school established by the head teacher and senior staff provides pupils with a sense of security and confidence that promote very good relationships amongst pupils. This contributes to pupils working hard in lessons and persevering when they find work difficult. The curriculum is well-planned and regular reviews of what is taught and the impact of teaching upon progress enable lessons to be adapted if required. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well. Teachers and co-ordinators work closely together so that pupils of all abilities are provided with consistently challenging work. Very good procedures are in place to assess and record pupils’ attainment and progress in each subject and the data collected is used effectively so that swift action can be taken if pupils are not progressing rapidly enough. The school has built up a good range of resources and teachers use them well. Support staff make

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

a valuable contribution to the success of the school by working closely with teachers so that intensive support can be directed towards individuals or groups of pupils where necessary.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

8. The school gives a high priority to improving pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. In English, recent improvements in the curriculum have raised standards in writing. In the Nursery class and Reception classes, staff are using role-play activities well to St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 13 motivate pupils to make marks and to start to attempt the writing of letters and sounds. This focus has heightened the staff’s awareness of the way writing can be used in all subjects and good planning ensures that writing skills are now practised and developed in other subjects. By the end of Year 6, pupils write well using a neat and legible style of handwriting. Excellent narrative accounts of the life of Dr Barnardo illustrated the high quality of research performed by pupils and the ability to structure writing using accurate spelling, use of grammar and prose construction. From the earliest stage of education, pupils are encouraged to use books for

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

pleasure and for research. In the Reception class, access to listening centres with books entices children to participate in reading. Good teaching of pupils in Years 1 to 6 steadily develops pupils’ reading skills. A recent emphasis upon using books for research purposes in Year 6 has strengthened pupils’ abilities to use books to find information. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, respond well to teaching that has good pace and demands that they think and talk about books they read. In Years 3 to 6, regular opportunities are provided for pupils to quietly read on their own in addition to regular opportunities for pupils to read as part of the group reading activities associated with the National Literacy Strategy. Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged to speak in front of others and occasionally to talk publicly and this contributes to a good use of English.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

9. In mathematics, there is a strong emphasis upon teaching number skills, and other areas, such as shape, space and measure, are also well covered. Lessons have a good pace and pupils are expected to think for themselves and use a variety of ways of answering problems. Detailed class plans ensure that pupils of all abilities are well provided for. Tasks are well organised so that good learning can take place. As a result, pupils attain standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 that are higher than the average standards for all schools nationally. Compared to similar schools, standards are very high at the end of Year 6, being in the top 5%.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

10. By the end of Year 6, most pupils achieve good standards in science. The main strength is the rate at which pupils learn scientific knowledge. They can explain the needs of plants and animals, the processes of the human body, the properties of common materials, including the way they can change, and basic ideas related to forces, light and sound. Teachers make good use of assessment to analyse whether or not standards are high enough and where improvements are needed.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

Good teaching challenges pupils of all abilities to work hard and learn quickly.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

11. Teaching in the school is good overall and very good in Year 6. The good quality of teaching has a positive influence upon the pupils’ learning and the progress they make. This is an improvement since the last inspection. A strength across the school is the way teachers work together to regularly plan and review the impact of the curriculum upon pupils’ progress. Very detailed and thorough lesson planning shows exactly what pupils of all abilities are to learn. This gives a clear focus to the way lessons are organised and managed so that support staff are effectively deployed and resources are used as well as they can be.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

12. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and the school’s recent focus upon improving the quality of presentation of pupils’ work has resulted in work being of a good quality overall. Work is carefully prepared to meet the needs of both higher attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. Teachers share the objectives of each lesson with pupils and pupils know what is expected of them and St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 14 they make good progress as a result. Teachers have very good relationships with pupils and this creates an atmosphere in lessons where pupils feel confident to ask when they are unsure of their work and need help. Teachers value the contributions made by pupils and they encourage them to offer ideas during lessons. Humour is evident in many lessons so that pupils are relaxed and feel comfortable in approaching the teacher.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

13. The teaching of pupils in the Nursery and Reception classes is good overall. Good use of the baseline assessment information allows teachers to identify pupils who have particular needs. This early identification enables pupils to be given support as early as possible and contributes to the good progress made overall. Although both teachers have only just taken up post with this age range, detailed planning ensures that the curriculum for children of this age is well presented so that a full range of activities appropriate for young children is provided. Good attention is given to providing a range of exciting activities that encourage pupils to improve their personal, social and emotional development whilst learning basic skills linked to reading, writing, speaking and mathematics. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is encouraged with an early introduction to using the computer and activities, such as sand and water play, to develop their knowledge

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

and understanding of scientific ideas. By participating in learning activities based in the class “Health Centre”, children develop their speaking skills and awareness of the use of writing. When taking down appointments, the “centre’s” secretary practised using writing to record the person’s name and the time of their appointment. Good support provided by the classroom assistants ensures that all groups of pupils are involved in the real life play activities and children learn well.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

14. Teaching elsewhere in the school is good and effectively builds upon the good start made by pupils. Teachers have a secure subject knowledge. Good models are provided for pupils’ learning in aspects of literacy. In a very good lesson for English in Year 6, the teacher’s evident enthusiasm for the subject, coupled with very good subject knowledge, inspired pupils to explore the character “Scrooge” created by Charles Dickens and the way Dickens used semi-colons to create a sense of dramatic tension. In Year 2 lessons, a lively and confident teacher made very good use of the voice when reading the story of, “Fussy Freda” and inspired pupils to work hard to write the story in their own words. In mathematics, good use of the mental arithmetic sessions establishes amongst pupils a good knowledge and understanding of basic ideas associated with adding up, taking away, dividing and multiplying.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

15. By making effective use of the literacy and numeracy strategies, adapted where appropriate, basic skills are taught systematically through the school. Reading is taught well and the school’s focus on writing means that pupils now achieve as well as they can. Lessons are well planned so that pupils are appropriately challenged. In subjects such as science and history, there is a good emphasis upon using literacy skills. Pupils are expected to write descriptions and are introduced to vocabulary associated with the topics being studied. Teachers make thorough reviews of how well lessons go by skilfully checking on how much pupils have learned during lessons. Where learning could be better, teachers note this and strive to improve in future. This, coupled with careful monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning by the head teacher and senior staff, results in pupils learning well. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 15

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

16. Teaching is very effective for pupils with special educational needs and for higher attaining pupils because, in most lessons, pupils are effectively grouped by ability so that the differing needs of pupils can be better met. The support of classroom assistants is crucial in this provision and they make a valuable contribution to the good rate of learning of all pupils. On the few occasions when a pupil gets rather noisy or silly, good procedures within the class for managing behaviour are quickly applied and the problem well handled. Teachers work closely with support assistants to make good use of information and communication technology. Using a good spelling programme, the good skills of one experienced classroom assistant are effectively deployed to support pupils with special educational needs. The presence of a teacher qualified in mathematics recovery enables pupils who are lower attaining in mathematics to improve their knowledge and understanding

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

17. The quality of teaching is positively affected by the good procedures that have been established by the head teacher for linking training to areas of weakness. An example of this is that, by analysing the end of key stage National Curriculum test results for Year 2, a weakness was identified, a training programme was implemented and, as a result, improvements in standards have been made. Teachers are committed to trying new ideas to raise standards and have adopted new approaches to boost standards across the school. The commitment of teachers is demonstrated by the way in which they give time to organising a homework club for pupils and spend time working with individual pupils and, at times, their parents, to help with individual problems.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and levels of personal development are very good.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

18. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are enthusiastic and willing learners. In classrooms, at lunchtime and during outdoor play, pupils respond very well to the support and guidance of staff and behave very well. The high standards of behaviour and self-discipline established in the school mean that in most lessons there is an industrious atmosphere that promotes rapid progress. Very good relationships between staff and between staff and pupils, based upon mutual respect, contribute to pupils feeling valued and cared for. The provision of curriculum activities such as the Circle Time encourages pupils to listen to others and also to express their feelings and emotions.

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Very good leadership and management of the head teacher, governing body and

19. Throughout the school, pupils are polite and helpful and during lessons they work together sensibly and with tolerance of the views of others. Pupils listen carefully to instructions and are not shy to ask pertinent questions or to seek advice and help where necessary. Most are able to work on their own when asked to do so and during group activities during lessons such as literacy and numeracy the majority of pupils get on well on their own. Where difficulties are encountered, pupils help each other out where possible. The positive attitudes and high standards of behaviour contribute to the overall ethos of the school and create a good atmosphere for pupils to learn. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff are very good and the majority of pupils take responsibility for classroom duties and jobs very well.

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Very good links with parents and the local community make a significant contribution

to the quality of education and the progress made by pupils. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 16 20. Parents are very supportive of the school and they work closely with staff to support their children’s learning at home. In reading, good links with home have a significant impact upon the progress made by pupils. At times, teachers target the needs of higher attaining and lower attaining pupils to provide different homework for each group so that each group is challenged appropriately and makes good progress in their learning. The school has run a range of well-attended workshops for parents to promote their knowledge and understanding of how to support their children at home. Parents wishing to improve their own knowledge and understanding of computers have used the information and communication technology suite. In addition, parents can take advantage of courses organised through the school that

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Very good links with parents and the local community make a significant contribution

are externally accredited. These “Parents as Educators” courses are in Numeracy, Literacy and music and they have contributed to the good levels of support most pupils are given when carrying out schoolwork at home.

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Very good links with parents and the local community make a significant contribution

21. Links with the local community are very strong and they contribute to the good quality of education provided for pupils. Close links with the parish Church of St. William of York and its parishioners benefit pupils by enriching many aspects of their education, in particular, their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils attend services and have performed a drama production in the church. Close links with a local school for pupils with special educational needs provide pupils from both schools with good opportunities to work together for the benefit of both. Very good procedures are established to ease pupils’ transition from primary to secondary school. There are regular meetings between staff of the primary and secondary schools. A close commercial link with a local supermarket provides gifts for the school’s Behaviour Policy rewards system.

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Very good links with parents and the local community make a significant contribution

22. Pupils are regularly involved in community events and regularly sing at Christmas to patients at Fazakerly hospital. Links with the local hospice for terminally ill people have extended pupils’ knowledge and understanding of others. Visitors from the hospice have attended school assemblies and pupils are encouraged to raise money for it.

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Very good links with parents and the local community make a significant contribution

23. Good sporting links have been established with local providers. Pupils have had the chance to experience soccer coaching from both Everton and Liverpool F.C. and the local education authority leisure services have trained staff in a number of sports. Sefton leisure services have successfully promoted “Kids Excel” in the school, which combines team games, fitness games and learning activities in information and communication technology. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 17

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The standard achieved by pupils in mathematical and scientific investigations.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

24. Although good standards are achieved overall in mathematics, not enough time is given to teaching pupils how to take responsibility for carrying out mathematical and scientific investigations and pupils’ achievement in these aspects of each subject is only satisfactory.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

25. Some teachers do plan activities intended to develop pupils’ ability to use their own ideas and skills in mathematics and science to solve practical problems. This is not a consistent feature of teaching across the school and consequently, by the end of both Year 2 and Year 6, pupils ability to plan, perform and record investigations, although satisfactory, could be better. In science, many pupils are unsure of how to make a prediction, plan and perform a fair test, record data and then draw conclusions. Across the school there is an inconsistent approach to the way pupils should record investigations in science. In mathematics, not enough emphasis is placed upon providing opportunities for pupils to develop their ability to independently apply their mathematics knowledge to investigations. As a result, although pupils’ investigative skills are satisfactory, the standards achieved are not as good as they could be in this aspect of mathematics.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The quality of presentation of pupils’ written and recorded work.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

26. The standard of presentation of pupils’ work by the end of Year 6 is mostly good but there are variations between classes in the style and quality of presentation of pupils’ work. In some classes, pupils are expected to write in a linked cursive style and procedures for setting out work in books are well established but in others, the same standards are not always achieved. The school recognises the need for more consistency and is working hard to improve the standards of pupils’ presentation across the school.

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The use of information and communication technology to support learning in all

27. The school has made considerable investments in information and communication technology in recent years that have provided a good range of resources and a well-used information and communication technology suite. However, limited access to suitable computers in classrooms reduces opportunities for pupils to use computers to support learning in all subjects. Although there is a good programme for teaching pupils information and communication technology skills using the suite, and the quality of the teaching of these skills is good, too few opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their skills in other lessons and this reduces the progress pupils make. Teacher’s plans do not highlight ways of integrating information and technology into lessons and analyses of pupils’ work show that computers are rarely used in other subjects. The school recognises that this is an area for development and plans are in hand to start to tackle the problem when

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The use of information and communication technology to support learning in all

resources are allowed. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 18

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to build upon the many strengths and good levels of attainment, the governing body, head teacher and staff should:

p.18

mathematics and science by:

• adapting the subject policies so that clear guidance is provided for teachers of expectations for pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. • providing regular opportunities for pupils to develop the confidence to perform and record investigations with the minimum of adult support

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recorded work by:

• ensuring that subject co-ordinators rigorously pursue existing plans to raise standards of presentation across the school in each subject.

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technology to support learning in all subjects by:

• identifying opportunities for the use of information and communication technology where possible in all subjects. • considering and acting upon ways of improving access to computers during lessons other than those in the information and communication technology suite. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 24 56 16 4 0 0 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 four percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 22 237

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 61 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 27

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 20

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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 2000 11 16 27

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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 9 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 12 16

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

Percentage of pupils School 67 (68) 78 (71) 93 (82) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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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 9 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 15 14

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

Percentage of pupils School 74 (71) 89 (79) 85 (76) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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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 2000 22 18 40

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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 21 21 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 16 14

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

Percentage of pupils School 83 (86) 93 (89) 95 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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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 19 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 15 14

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (80) 85 (90) 83 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 21

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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 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) 9.0 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26.33

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 537481

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5.0 Total expenditure 540095

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 152 Expenditure per pupil 1955

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 55888

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 53274

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 28

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 11 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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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 FTE means full-time equivalent. St. William of York Catholic Primary School - 22

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Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.22

Questionnaire return rate

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

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Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 65 34 0 0 1

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Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 82 16 0 0 2

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 19 67 13 1 0

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Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 35 62 3 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 46 52 2 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 37 1 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 75 23 2 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 81 16 2 0 1

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 76 23 0 0 1

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Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 58 41 0 0 1

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