St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th – 21 st June 2001

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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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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 Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Shepherd Cross Street Halliwelll Bolton

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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: Father M Cleary

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1997 St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 21265 Mrs F. Gander Registered inspector Foundation Stage Art and design Design and technology The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? What could the school do to improve further? 19727 Mr E. Langford Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 10638 Mr M. Newell Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

22556 Mr E. Morgan Team inspector Science Physical education Music Equal opportunities How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

31807 Mr D. Carpenter Team inspector English History Geography

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Lynrose Marketing Ltd Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU 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: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 5 London WC2B 6SE St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 8

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 31

St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is situated in Halliwell, which is an area close to the centre of Bolton. There are 193 pupils attending the school of which there are an equal number of boys and girls. The children are admitted to school at the beginning of the year in which they are five and they have had varying pre-school experiences. The majority of children start school with below average attainment levels and many have particularly poor listening and social skills. During the last year the school has admitted a high number of pupils to Key Stage 2. The percentage of pupils that have special educational needs is in line with the national average. The percentage of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is slightly above the national average. Only two pupils are from ethnic minority families and only one pupil has English as an additional language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school, especially at Key Stage 1. The children start school with below average levels of attainment. The difficulties they have in concentrating, and in working and playing with others are identified very well. Due to the quality of teaching at the end of Key Stage 1, the pupils make good progress and attain the nationally expected level or above it in English, mathematics and science. The school is not as effective at Key Stage 2. Here the quality of teaching varies, especially in the expectations of teachers and their management of pupils’ behaviour. This impacts on the standards pupils achieve and the progress they make in some subjects. In addition the school admits pupils into this key stage who have different attitudes and values, and in some instances low attainment levels. This has a negative impact on the overall standards of attainment at the end of the key stage. The

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

leadership and management of the school are satisfactory, but the information that is gathered from school evaluation is not used sufficiently to bring about change or to raise standards further. The school provides satisfactory value for money

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What the school does well

• There is very good teaching in Years 2 and 5. • There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs. • The school’s provision for music is good and pupils attain high standards. There is very good provision for extra curricular experiences which enhance pupils’ learning. • The majority of pupils have good attitudes to school and behave well. • The school provides very good information for parents and involves them very well in their children’s learning. • There are very good procedures for improving attendance and as a result the attendance of pupils is good.

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What could be improved

• The use by the headteacher of information gathered from school self-evaluation to develop and improve the school. • The role and responsibilities of the co-ordinators in monitoring standards and sharing good practice. • The provision for information and communication technology and the standards achieved by pupils. • The updating of the policy and curriculum planning, along with assessment systems, in the Foundation Stage. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 8 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 satisfactory progress since the last inspection in 1997. The school has worked hard to improve the attainment levels of the higher attaining pupils and as a result the percentage of pupils reaching the higher levels has increased. In science, the underachievement of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 has been a focus for school development and the school’s performance in this subject has improved. The role of the Governing Body in the management of the school, which was a key issue, has improved significantly. Governors have been successfully recruited who have a wide range of expertise, which has been put to effective use in strategic financial planning and monitoring of spending. The Governing Body also ensures that all statutory requirements are now met. The quality of teaching has improved, with a higher percentage of lessons being judged good or very good. However, some aspects of the school’s work, such as the provision for

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

information and communication technology, and the provision for pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness have declined since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

English A C D E well above average above average A B mathematics C C D D average below average C D science C C C C well below average E

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schools

The above table shows the school’s results at the end of Key Stage 2 in the National Curriculum tests over a three-year period compared with all schools and compared with similar schools for the year 2000. The data shows that school’s results were below the national average in English and in mathematics and shows a slight decline from the previous year. This was due to a higher number of pupils with special or additional needs in the group who did not reach the expected level. The school met the targets it had set in mathematics, but not in English. The school’s results in science were in line with the national average. The percentage of pupils who reached the higher levels was close to the national average. Compared with similar schools, the results were average in science, below average in mathematics and well below average in English.

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schools

In the 2000 National Curriculum tests, at the end of Key Stage 1, the results were in line with the national average in reading and mathematics and the percentage of pupils attaining the higher levels was above the national average. Over the last three years there has been an improvement in standards at the end of Key Stage 1, but there has been a decline over the last two years in English and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2. Standards in science in this Key Stage have been maintained.

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schools

The results for 2001 are predicted to be better and teacher assessments show that the school will meet its targets. The inspection findings are that at the end of Key Stage 1, the St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 9 majority of pupils attain the expected level in English and science, and above the expected level in mathematics. Overall, pupils make good progress, especially in relation to their prior attainment. By the end of Key Stage 2, the majority of the current year 6 pupils are attaining the nationally expected levels in English, mathematics and science. Teacher assessment predicts that a higher percentage of pupils than previously will reach the higher levels. This improvement is due to the revision and booster lessons that have been put in place.

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schools

Standards are at an appropriate level in other subjects except in music in both key stages, and in history at the end of Key Stage 2 where standards are above average. This is the result of good teaching and a high level of teacher expertise. Standards are below the expected level in information and communication technology at the end of both key stages. This is due to the varying expertise and skills of teachers, and the lack of opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology as part of all lessons.

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schools

Standards at the end of the foundation stage for many of the children are still below the national expectation, especially in social and personal development, but their progress is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. The majority of pupils enjoy coming to school and display good attitudes to the school and to their work Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The good behaviour of pupils in and around the school is the result of a mutual respect between staff and pupils, and is very much the product of good teaching. However, when staff do not consistently apply the school’s behaviour policy, the few pupils who have behaviour difficulties disrupt learning for themselves and others. Incidents of exclusion are almost non- existent. Personal development and relationships Satisfactory. Generally the relationships between pupils and teachers are good, but some of the youngest children find it difficult to work with and alongside other children. In addition a few pupils who are new to the school have not formed positive relationships with pupils and staff. The personal development of pupils is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. It is above the national average and there are very few recorded incidents of late arrival.

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

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

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

Overall the teaching is satisfactory throughout the school, including in literacy and numeracy, but the quality varies between teachers. During the inspection teaching was excellent in 5% of lessons, very good in 17%, good in 40% and satisfactory in 33%. Unsatisfactory teaching was seen in 5% of lessons. There is consistently very good teaching in Years 2 and 5 and this has a positive impact on the standards at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2. Where teaching St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 10 is very good, the organisation and planning of the learning objectives for the lessons are very precise, and build on pupils’ previous knowledge and skills. The teachers manage the potentially disruptive behaviour well and as a result all pupils understand what is expected. Where teaching is weaker, the expectations for pupils’ learning are too low and they are not challenged enough. This results in some pupils becoming inattentive and their behaviour

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

disrupts the learning of pupils. In these circumstances the behaviour management policy of the school is not always used effectively. Overall, teaching meets the needs of all pupils, except in a few lessons where not enough attention is paid to providing pupils with lower literacy levels different ways of recording their work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The policy and planning for the Foundation Stage need to be reviewed and updated. There are insufficient opportunities for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils to use information and communication technology in other areas of the curriculum. There is a very good range of learning opportunities outside lessons, and the school makes good use of the community to support pupils’ learning. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils who are experiencing difficulties is good. Their needs are identified early and the targets set by the school helps them to make satisfactory progress. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory. There is a strong Catholic ethos in the school, but there are too few opportunities in lessons for pupils to develop their spiritual awareness. The pupils are taught right from wrong

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Aspect Comment

and the consequences of their actions. Responsibility and relationships are emphasised by the school, and as a result most pupils work well with each other and are respectful. However, this is occasionally spoilt by the attitudes of a few pupils. While the school teaches pupils about life in other countries, there are too few opportunities to make pupils aware of the customs, values and beliefs of many cultures which surround them. How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. Pupils feel safe and happy in school and are confident that the staff will respond to any queries and concerns they may have. There are good procedures for monitoring absences which have a positive impact on overall attendance. The school’s assessment procedures are satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The information that is provided for parents about the work of the school and the progress pupils are making is very good. The monthly opportunities that parents have to discuss their children are highly valued by them and have a good impact on pupils’ attitudes and learning. The links with the majority of parents are effective. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory but needs improving. While there is a clear vision by the headteacher of what needs to be developed in the school, there is too little urgency about moving the school forward and ensuring that improvements have been achieved. The deputy headteacher plays a major role in the management of the school and in maintaining and raising standards, but has insufficient time to carry this role out fully. There is an imbalance in the responsibilities of staff, and some have too many major areas to co-ordinate. Subject leaders do not sufficiently monitor the standards achieved by pupils and do not observe teaching so that good practice can be identified and shared. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Since the last inspection the Governing Body has increasingly played a more active and supportive role. Governors fulfil their responsibilities well, and have a good

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Aspect Comment

understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are aware of what needs to be improved in the school and have, prior to the inspection, planned ways in which the deputy headteacher could become more effective in managing and monitoring development in the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory. The priorities the school has identified for development are appropriate and include raising standards. However, the information gathered from monitoring is not evaluated rigorously enough. The school does not always act on the information it has gathered to bring about change or improvement. Although the school compares itself with other similar schools, it does not challenge itself enough. The strategic use of resources Good. The Governing Body plans and manages the budget well, and considers the implications of different eventualities. All grants and funds allocated to the school are used satisfactorily

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Aspect Comment

and additional funding which come into the school are allocated to major projects The school applies the principles of best value satisfactorily.

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Aspect Comment

There is an adequate number of teachers to teach the curriculum, but not enough to allow the deputy headteacher some non-teaching time so that she can fulfil her management role. The accommodation is bright, clean and well maintained, but the teaching areas for Key Stage 2 pupils are small for the number of pupils in each class. This causes difficulties when planning practical activities. The class used for the children in the Foundation Stage is too small and causes difficulties when organising activities. Resources are overall satisfactory, but there is a lack of out-door play facilities for children in the Foundation Stage. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 12

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The progress their children make. • The quality of the teaching. • The high expectations that the school has. • The response from the school to suggestions or complaints. • The help it gives to pupils so that they become mature and responsible. • The behaviour of some pupils in Years 3 and 5. • The amount of homework provided. • The links that the school has with parents. • The amount of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection findings support the positive views that parents have. The behaviour of a few pupils in Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory, but only in the classes where the behaviour policy of the school is not consistently applied, does it disrupt learning. The inspection findings are that the use of homework to support pupils’ learning is satisfactory although it mostly relates to English and mathematics and is not used much to support learning in other subjects. The school has worked hard to promote and develop strong partnership arrangements with parents, and the majority of parents are happy with this aspect of the school’s work. The school makes very good provision for extra-curricular activities. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The results of the year 2000 end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests, when compared with the national results are below average in English and mathematics, and average in science. There was a decline in the standards in English and mathematics from the previous year which was due to a higher number of pupils in the group who had special educational needs. The school met the targets it had set in mathematics, but not in English. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher levels in the English tests was close to the national average. In mathematics, the percentage of pupils attaining the nationally expected level and above was close to the national average. In science, the percentage of pupils reaching the expected level was above the national average, but fewer pupils reached the higher level than nationally. When comparing the results with similar schools, the results were well below average in English, below in mathematics and average in science. These

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

comparisons are based on the percentage of pupils who are entitled for free school meals, and at the time of the tests, the school had for the first time in five years fallen just below the 20 per cent benchmark. This puts the school in a less favourable position when comparing itself with other schools.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The results of the year 2000 assessments for pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 were better than at Key Stage 2. In reading the school’s results were above the national average; in writing, they were in line with the national average and in mathematics they were well above the national average. Compared with similar schools the results were average in reading and writing and well above average in mathematics. The percentage of pupils who attained the higher levels in reading and mathematics was above the national average. Overall there has been an improvement in standards at this key stage over the last three years as a result of the high expectations and very good teaching in Year 2, and the impact of the national literacy and numeracy strategies. However, there has not been the same improvement in standards over the last three years at the end of Key Stage 2. Although standards have been maintained

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in science, the school’s results in English and mathematics have not improved in line with the national average and therefore they show a decline in standards at this key stage.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The majority of children start school with below average attainment, especially in language and literacy, and in their personal and social skills. They receive a sound start to their education and make satisfactory progress, but because of their low levels of attainment when they start school, not all children achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception year. In Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress and by the time they reach the end of the key stage the majority have reached the expected levels or higher in all subjects except information and communication technology. The progress of pupils overall at Key Stage 2 varies, and is affected by the high number of pupils who are admitted into the school from other schools during this key stage. For example, fifteen pupils have been admitted into the school during the last year, with the majority going into Key Stage 2. A few of these

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils have behaviour difficulties, poor attitudes to work and low levels of attainment. This has a negative impact on the overall results of the school. There are variations in the quality of teaching and learning between classes and within subjects which adversely affect pupils’ progress, and the school is not doing enough to ensure that St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 14 the quality of learning is the same in all classes, and that all pupils make the best possible progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The inspection findings are that the majority of pupils make satisfactory progress and attain the expected level at the end of Key Stage 1 in English and science. In mathematics pupils make good progress and the majority are attaining above the expected level. By the end of Key Stage 2, the majority of the current year 6 pupils are attaining the nationally expected levels in all three subjects. Teacher assessment predicates that a higher percentage of pupils than previously will reach the higher levels, and this is due to the revision and booster lessons that have been put in place. However, the school does not sufficiently or consistently set challenging enough targets in mathematics for the higher attaining pupils in Key Stage 2 . As a result teaching does not always meet the demands of these pupils. Where targets are set and teaching is challenging, mainly in Years 2 and 5, the higher attaining pupils make

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

good progress and achieve well. Standards in literacy and numeracy are average but the ability of pupils to use and transfer these skills in other subjects varies between classes. Where there is very good teaching, for example in years 2 and 5, teachers ensure that there are good opportunities for pupils to practise their skills. Pupils with special educational needs make similar progress to their fellow pupils and there are no significant variations between the progress made by different groups or between girls and boys.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in information and communication technology are below national expectations at the end of both key stages. The school has not kept pace with the rapid and constant developments that have taken place in the subject over the last few years and standards are not as good as they were at the time of the last inspection in relation to what is found in other schools. Although pupils have access to a computer suite this facility is new, and there are now no computers in the classrooms. There are also weaknesses in some teachers’ knowledge and expertise. Over time pupils have not been systematically and progressively taught the necessary skills across all elements of the subject, and they do not make enough use of the resources to support learning in other subjects, such as art or research.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In music, standards are above national expectations at the end of both key stages. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils of all ages and abilities make good progress overall in music as they move through the school. This is due to the many varied opportunities that the school provides for them to take part in musical productions, the high level of musical expertise of the co-ordinator, and her high expectations of achievement. This has a very positive impact on pupils’ performance skills. However, not all teachers have the same level of expertise or expectations and therefore the progress pupils make within some lessons varies with the quality of teaching. Standards in history at the end of Key Stage 2 are also above national expectations and evidence shows that pupils have a good knowledge of the past and an understanding of the consequences of events.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in other subjects are in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages and pupils make satisfactory progress. Standards in art and design are not as high as reported at the time of the last inspection. In order to accommodate the literacy and numeracy hours, the school has reduced the overall time allocated to this subject and as a result pupils do not have sufficient amount of time to cover the whole curriculum.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 15 8. The majority of pupils enjoy coming to school and display good attitudes to the school and to their work. Most listen well, demonstrate good levels of commitment to their work and show themselves to be willing and enthusiastic learners. Where good teaching takes place, many pupils sustain good levels of concentration during their lessons and collaborate well with other pupils in both group and paired activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Overall the standard of pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is good and serves to enhance the developing relationships that exist between staff and pupils. The good behaviour seen in the classroom is very much the product of the good teaching in the school. Where teaching is not as good there is deterioration in pupils’ behaviour. In general, the well-structured system of behaviour rewards and sanctions is clearly understood by all pupils. This is proving to be effective in supporting the small number of pupils who have recently been admitted to the school with unacceptable patterns of behaviour and attitudes to learning. The strong and consistent behaviour management approach adopted by some teachers has been successful in enabling effective learning opportunities to be maintained for these pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Staff work hard to promote an anti-bullying and anti racism culture within the school and the few past incidents of such inappropriate behaviour are considered by parents and pupils to have been swiftly and effectively dealt with by staff to the benefit of all involved. There was no evidence of any oppressive behaviour, or pupil harassment, taking place during the inspection. Only one fixed day exclusion has been given to a pupil over the past three years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Relationships are satisfactory. Pupils are friendly and considerate towards each other, to staff and to visitors and many demonstrate by their actions, and through conversations, that they know right from wrong. Many pupils display a natural sensitivity, courtesy and awareness of the needs of others and good examples were seen in the school of unsolicited help and support being offered to other pupils and adults alike. However, there are a few pupils who lack good manners and do not observe basic every day courtesy. For example, they do not see the need to say please and thank you. During the inspection the majority of pupils were seen to collaborate well with each other, happily take turns without question, and willingly share and treat property and learning resources with care .

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The school provides pupils with a suitable range of opportunities for their personal development, many of which are personalised by teachers within each classroom. Pupils willingly accept and undertake their assigned responsibilities in school. Year 6 pupils are provided with a suitable range of whole school responsibilities as part of their individual development. Of note is the end-of-year dinner, planned and prepared by the year 6 pupils as part of their class lessons and presented and served to their parents during the last week of term.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ attendance at school is good, above the national average and there are very few recorded incidents of late arrival. Pupils enjoy coming to school and lessons were seen to start on time during the inspection week. However, the school’s attendance statistics show a continued decline in the trend of pupil attendance over the past three years. The level of unauthorised absence is higher than the national average and mainly relates to a few families. The school and the education social service are working in close liaison with each other to follow up and address this unsatisfactory situation and the detrimental impact that continued absence will have on the learning of the pupils concerned. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 16 St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 17

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. Although there was a high percentage of good or very good teaching during the inspection, the quality of teaching varies between classes, and the overall quality is satisfactory. Teaching has improved from the last inspection when there were few examples of very good teaching. During the inspection teaching was excellent in 5 per cent of the lessons seen, very good in 17 per cent, good in 40 per cent, and was satisfactory in a further 33 per cent. There was unsatisfactory teaching in the remaining 5 per cent of lessons, and these occurred at Key Stage 2. Teaching is consistently very good in Years 2 and 5, and there are examples of good teaching in all year groups. The variation in the quality of teaching between classes is more obvious in subjects other than Literacy and Numeracy. The teaching of these two subjects has been monitored very well, both by the school and by the advisory service. However, there has been no monitoring of the quality of teaching in other

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

subjects by the management team or by the co-ordinator, and therefore good practice is not shared between teachers. For example, the differing quality of teaching in music across the school is very obvious. Teachers’ different expectations result in pupils in Year 3 being taught at a lower level than those in Year 2, and as a result the older pupils have already learned the skills, do not make progress and behaviour deteriorates. Some teachers have a greater expertise in specific curriculum areas; for example, in music or design and technology and this has a positive impact on standards. 15. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall, and during the week of the inspection teaching was good in some lessons. Lessons are well organised and there is good emphasis on developing the children’s communication and listening skills, and this has a positive effect on the quality of learning and the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

progress children make. The less effective teaching and learning occurs in the literacy and numeracy lessons where there is no additional help in the classroom and where the organisation and size of the room makes it difficult for all children to see the teacher or to work in groups. In addition the attitudes and concentration of children are such that they are not able to work independently and this undermines the careful planning. Teaching and learning are better in the lessons when there is a nursery nurse supporting children, and as a result children’s concentration and behaviour is better. The quality of the marking of work and presentation could be improved so that it provides more information for ongoing assessment. 16. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory overall, but because of the differences in the experience of the teachers in the two classes there is a variation. In year 2 teaching is very good overall, and has a considerable impact on the standards

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

achieved by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. The strengths of the teaching in this key stage centre around the high expectations of attainment, behaviour and participation that both teachers have. The learning objectives and the activities that support them are well thought out, and links are made with other subjects, such as between history and art in Year 2. Here the teacher allows pupils use their developing awareness of time to place the work of William Morris in the same time frame as Florence Nightingale. Teachers are consistent in their management of the behaviour and consistently apply the school’s policy. They are firm and as a result pupils are aware of the classroom rules, behave well and have positive attitudes to their work. This all adds to the progress they make. However, in Year 1 there are a few pupils who have disruptive behaviour, and when this class is without additional support, the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

need to constantly manage these pupils undermines the potentially good teaching, and impacts on the progress of all pupils. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 18 17. The overall quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 also varies but is satisfactory overall. The best examples of teaching are in Year 5 where it is very good, and as a consequence the quality of learning is also very good and has a considerable impact on the standards at the end of the key stage. The organisation and planning of the learning objectives for the lessons are very precise, and build on pupils’ previous knowledge and skills. The teacher manages the potentially disruptive behaviour well and as a result all pupils understand what is expected from them, and respond by completing their work. In the best lessons, teachers use the introduction time to set clear objectives for learning so that all pupils understand what they are expected to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

learn, and where teaching is very good these objectives are reviewed at the end, along with pupils evaluating how well they think they have done. In the better lessons teachers use every opportunity to continue developing the language and literacy skills of pupils by planning a range of activities which involve speaking in front of groups, finding out information from books and recording their results and findings in different ways. However, due to a variation in the skills and confidence of teachers, and a lack of computers in the classrooms, teachers very rarely include the use of information technology for research. This affects the overall progress pupils make in this area of the curriculum. The exception to this is in Year 5, where, during the inspection, very good use was made of information and communication technology to support a mathematics lesson. Here pupils were expected to use the information gathered in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

geography to predict what people use water for the most, and then record the results using a database application. The teaching was very well supported by a classroom assistant with a high level of expertise in information and communication technology, and this had a positive impact on the progress pupils make in that particular lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Where teaching is not at this good level, pupils are not given enough opportunities to work independently on investigation work. Pupils are given too few opportunities to observe and draw conclusions, and there is no expectation that higher attaining pupils can record their own observations. In the lessons where expectations are too low, learning is not based on pupils’ previous knowledge and understanding and as result their behaviour deteriorates, and this in turn affects the quality of their learning. In these lessons pupils are not reminded of the classroom rules and there is an inconsistent use of the behaviour policy of the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Most teachers are confident when teaching English and mathematics. The school has implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies well and the teaching structure has been adopted in other lessons. Where the best teaching occurs teachers incorporate into their planning opportunities to promote pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills, such as writing accounts and reports, and planning number work, in other subjects. There has been a good improvement in this area of learning since the last inspection, as teachers do not over use worksheets. However, in a few lessons the learning outcomes are the same for all pupils, and teachers do not pay enough attention as to how the pupils with lower literacy levels might record their findings, or to ensuring that instructions are worded at a level which matches these pupils’ literacy skills. 20. The use of homework to support pupils’ learning is satisfactory, but is an area of the

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

school’s work that the parents would like to see improved, especially in the consistency between classes in the amount that is set. Homework is mostly related to English, especially reading, and mathematics and there is little use made of it to support learning in other subjects, such as research for different topics. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 19

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21. The school provides an appropriate curriculum for the pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. It is broad, balanced and relevant and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. The range of learning opportunities that the school provides outside of the formal curriculum is good and these activities bring an added dimension to the quality of pupils’ learning. The school has recognised the need to make greater use of computers to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. This is appropriate because at present not all teachers capitalise on the potential uses of computers and this has a negative impact on the progress that pupils make in acquiring computing skills. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall and helps to ensure that the children get a sound start to their educational lives. Planning for activities is based around the nationally recommended

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Early Learning Goals and opportunities are provided for the children to learn through practical and investigative activities, as well as more formal and structured ones. The weakness is that the quality of policy documentation does not reflect or do justice to the quality of teaching that is being provided for the children, and does not provide a framework for teaching, learning and assessment. Overall the school has made satisfactory progress in developing further the curriculum provision for pupils since the time of the last inspection.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. The school has worked hard to produce appropriate schemes of work for all subjects which guide teachers’ planning and ensure that pupils’ previous knowledge and learning are built on and developed. The schemes of work and policy statements are increasingly reflecting and following national guidelines for the different subjects, which if rigorously taught, will help to ensure that pupils acquire the necessary skills at an appropriate rate. The school has put in place a rolling programme of review for subject documentation that will enable it to incorporate new national and local initiatives to further enhance pupils’ learning. This is appropriate.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The school has implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies in an appropriate manner and these are having a positive impact on the quality of pupils’ learning. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught in a systematic and progressive manner. Teachers follow the structure of the strategies well and as a result the pupils acquire the necessary skills at a satisfactory rate. The pupils particularly enjoy the opening sessions of the numeracy lessons where their mental agility is put to the test through challenging tasks. This adds much to pupils’ learning. During the inspection very good examples were seen, particularly in Years 2 and 5, of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills being enhanced in other areas of the curriculum such as history, geography and science. This very good practice is not as consistent across the school as it should be to have its biggest impact on helping to raise

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The school makes good curricular provision for pupils with special educational needs. Procedures are in place to ensure that pupils are identified at an early age and support staff are generally used in an effective manner to help pupils make the progress of which they are capable. The special education needs register is well maintained and there is appropriate movement from stage to stage as pupils make progress, or are found to be in need of further support. There are good procedures in place for liaison between class teachers and the special needs co-ordinator. Procedures are also in place to fully involve parents. These factors make an important contribution to the quality of provision for pupils with special educational needs. Class teachers in consultation with the special needs co-ordinator now write St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 20 individual education plans. This is appropriate. The targets that are set for pupils are

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

often challenging but realistic and are at their best when they refer to specific areas of school work that pupils need to improve and where they outline effective strategies to help pupils make progress towards the stated targets. The co-ordinator works with groups of pupils on a regular basis. The support is targeted to where the need is the greatest and this together with the good quality of teaching that she provides impacts positively on pupils’ learning. The school addresses the question of educational inclusion in an appropriate manner. No major issues arise concerning gender differences in progress or attainment although on occasions the higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged. This is directly linked to weaknesses in the quality of teaching.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The school makes very good provision for extra-curricular activities and this adds to pupils’ personal and social development as well as improving their academic and physical skills. Over the course of the year the school provides pupils with the chance to take part in netball, rounders, football, athletics and gymnastics clubs that take place after school. The clubs are well attended and are much appreciated by the pupils. The school takes part in numerous inter-school tournaments and competitions and in gymnastics pupils compete successfully in regional and national competitions. In addition there is a drama club and pupils are offered the chance to join the school choir, play musical instruments and to take part in school musicals and other performances. The school is quick to seize upon learning opportunities outside of the formal curriculum that add to the quality of pupils’ personal as well as academic

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

development. Older pupils in school attend residential centres where they take part in a wide range of outdoor pursuits as well as developing their computer skills. Pupils visit museums and art galleries, libraries and other places of interest within the locality. Visits to local allotments, water treatment works, bakeries, and local country parks do much to support and enhance pupils’ learning in history, geography and science. Visits to school by the Gamelan orchestra, puppet theatres, and circus acts together with school visits to the theatre not only stimulate pupils’ learning but also help to promote pupils’ cultural development.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The school has established appropriate links with the local community and partner institutions that have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. The parish priest is a regular visitor to the school and the pupils often visit the church to support their work in religious education and history. The school nurse, a dental hygienist, a dietician and a local artist are just some members of the local community that contribute to the life of the school as well as furthering pupils’ knowledge and understanding. A particularly successful initiative was when the pupils interviewed an older member of the local community about his experiences of the Second World War. The pupils produced an excellent book of his recollections that was informative, evocative and well presented. The school has established good links with the main receiving comprehensive school and cross-school projects in subjects such as science do

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

much to help pupils make a smooth transition between the schools as well as adding to pupils’ scientific knowledge. Good liaison procedures are also in place between the school and a range of pre-school establishments that children attend before starting their compulsory education. Regular visits and effective transfer of relevant information make sure that children get off to a smooth start in their educational lives.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The provision that the school makes for sex education and personal, social and health education is satisfactory. The school has introduced’’ Circle Time’’ in all classes where pupils are increasingly being provided with opportunities to discuss a wide range of issues such as friendship, bullying and care of the environment. Appropriate information has been sent to parents about sex education. The subject is St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 21 tackled within the science curriculum for most pupils. The older pupils benefit from additional lessons provided by the school nurse on sex education and personal hygiene. The science curriculum is also used effectively to outline to the pupils the need for a healthy diet and what contributes to a healthy lifestyle. The school receives a visit each year from the ‘’Life Education Caravan.’’ This is a local education authority initiative where pupils are provided with a wealth of opportunities to learn

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

about drug awareness, and the dangers of solvent and alcohol abuse. Well-planned follow up work and activities mean that pupils gain a good insight into the dangers of this type of abuse.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The provision made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall. The previous inspection found provision for spiritual development to be good, but although the school still has its strongly Catholic ethos, there are not enough opportunities for personal reflection during lessons. Some moments of spirituality were observed, for example in one Year 2 music lesson, but overall there are too few opportunities for pupils to develop their spiritual awareness in this context. The school has recently constructed a sensory peace garden with the close involvement of the pupils in the design and construction. However the garden was not in use during the course of the inspection and has, sadly, been the subject of theft and vandalism.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. Provision for pupils’ moral development is satisfactory. The previous report found provision for moral development to be good but the evidence from this inspection is less favourable. Pupils are taught to have a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong, but a few pupils in Key Stage 2 exhibit uncaring attitudes in the classroom. Teachers act as good role models and they place an appropriate emphasis on courtesy. In lessons time is allowed for pupils to engage with a number of the moral dilemmas that face modern industrial societies and some mature discussions concerning the impact of humans on the environment were observed.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. Provision for pupils’ social development is satisfactory, but is not as good as it was at the time of the last inspection. Pupils are encouraged to develop good relationships with each other and with the adults in the school. In classrooms pupils generally work well together although a minority of pupils who are new to the school, especially in Key Stage 2, find this a difficult task. However, the majority of pupils have positive attitudes towards school and they benefit from the opportunities for personal responsibility afforded them by their teachers. Year 6 pupils are involved in the planning and provision of a community event for elderly residents of the area that gives them many insights into the wider social context of their lives. Through musical and other connections the school enables pupils to share experiences with others of their own age. During the course of their time in school the majority of pupils have an

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

opportunity to take part in a residential or outdoor centre visit.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory, a finding that is in line with the previous report. Pupils are aware of the cultural traditions of the local area, mainly through their study of history and geography and from their visits to museums and galleries. They do not have sufficient contact with or exposure to the cultures and faiths of other significant groups within the local population and they are not well prepared for entry into a multicultural society. In their geography lessons they study communities as far afield as India and Mexico but, unless they are able to develop an awareness of changing nature of their own society, such studies have a limited impact. Participation in music festivals has provided opportunities for some pupils to broaden their cultural experience and they have occasional visits from theatre groups. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 22

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 23

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The school is providing a satisfactory level of care, welfare and health and safety for all the pupils in its charge.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school has satisfactory child protection procedures in place, which are understood and acted upon by staff in the best interests of the pupils. The head teacher is the named officer for child protection and has received the appropriate training. Plans are in place for formal training to be extended to all members of staff. Staff are aware of, and alert to, the need for regularly monitoring the well being and welfare of the pupils in their care. Staff are asked to respond in a discreet and sensitive manner to any personal queries raised with them by pupils and understand the need for confidentiality with any concerns they may have. Pupils feel safe and happy in school and have the confidence and independence to raise any queries and concerns they may have with staff. Effective strategies have been established to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and for the ongoing review

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

of their targets and progress in consultation with their parents. There is a fully trained first-aider in school and good arrangements are in place for the effective management and reporting of all pupils’ injuries that occur during the school day. Good and secure arrangements are in place for the correct recording and management of medicines in school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school has established good health and safety procedures that embrace the whole spectrum of the pupils’ time in the school. Risk assessment techniques are well embedded in school routines and the certificate requirements for annual inspections of equipment and electrical systems are fully addressed. Fire evacuation drills are undertaken and logged each term. During the inspection period staff and pupils demonstrated good health and safety awareness in and around the school. The head teacher and caretaker carry out regular health and safety audits of the school and ensure that any perceived problems are quickly addressed. The school premises are maintained to a good level of cleanliness and provide a safe and secure environment.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Very good and effective whole-school procedures are in place for recording and reporting all incidents of pupils’ absence. Registers are correctly maintained and pupils’ registration practice fully complies with statutory requirements. The school works in close partnership with the education social worker service to monitor absence trends and to investigate and address all recorded unauthorised pupil absence from school, and this has a positive impact on the overall attendance figures. Governors receive termly attendance reports and are involved in the review of absence trends and pupil non-attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The good and well-established behaviour management routines help to enhance and promote the self image of pupils and contribute greatly to the overall good attitudes to learning displayed by the majority of pupils. At the beginning of each year each class discusses and personalises the whole school behaviour policy within each classroom. This provides pupils with a meaningful focus of the school’s high expectations for behaviour. The recent introduction of a cafeteria system in the school has greatly improved the management and efficiency of the lunch time period and contributed to improved standards in the behaviour of pupils. Good standards of catering are achieved in the school with a menu range providing a choice of appetising meals and a well balanced diet for pupils. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 24 37. The clear and well-documented behaviour procedures are understood by pupils and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

parents and successfully used to promote the overall good level of behaviour to be seen in and around the school. However, not all members of staff are consistent in their application of the policy and this can result in confusion amongst some pupils and a breakdown of behaviour standards in some lessons. The school actively promotes an anti-bullying and anti-racism culture through the personal and social education and religious education curriculum. There is no evidence of any bullying or harassment amongst pupils and past incidents of inappropriate behaviour are judged by pupils and parents to have been swiftly and effectively dealt with by staff.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Effective procedures are in place for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development. Of note are the individual targets to improve behaviour and personal skills agreed with the older pupils. Teachers make good use of the monthly consultation meetings with parents to discuss and review the individual progress being made by their children and parental involvement is a major factor in the successes that have been achieved. The head teacher has developed a good system for supporting the development of those pupils with more challenging attitudes and behaviour and provides an informal mentoring service to promote and develop a more positive approach to their learning and personal development. This is having a positive impact on the behaviour of pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for assessing pupils’ academic performance are satisfactory. The school has a detailed policy setting out assessment procedures. Performance information is collected by means of Baseline Assessments carried out at the beginning and end of the Reception year and by regular use of optional tests in Years 3, 4 and 5. Information is also collected from the results of the National Tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 and the school now has a bank of valuable data from which to set future targets. The great majority of the assessment data available relates to the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and there is lack of a whole school policy on assessment in the other subjects. The role of the co-ordinators in the foundation subjects is insufficiently well established to allow for full monitoring of the curriculum and pupils’ performance. The assessment co-ordinator is particularly well

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

informed and has a very clear vision as to the future development of assessment throughout the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. A process of target setting, using the performance data, is in place but has not yet impacted fully on the results being achieved. Throughout the school writing has been identified as an element where standards are to be raised and pupils are aware of their targets in this area. Lesson objectives are clearly displayed and shared with pupils who are able to evaluate how far these have been realised at the end of the lesson or unit of work. Frequent meetings with parents also allow for the sharing of information regarding progress and encourage parents in the support of their child’s learning. The school also exercises a pastoral role through its assessment procedures and detailed files are maintained for each pupil in the school. These build up in each year and follow the pupil through the school. In addition to information relating to academic progress the files contain records of discussions with pupils and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

their parents concerning behaviour or noteworthy achievements and other aspects of life in school. Such information contributes to the high level of knowledge concerning individual pupils, which was apparent during the inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 25 41. Parents are very supportive of the school, hold the staff in high regard and believe their children receive a good level of care and education. This has been maintained from the last inspection. The school has worked hard to promote and develop the strong partnership arrangements that exist with parents and to encourage and support their involvement in all aspects of their children's education and personal development. The ongoing development of the school's partnership arrangements with parents is helping to promote closer working relationships with parents and to raise a positive awareness amongst parents to the contribution they can make to improve the pupils’ learning environment and individual development opportunities.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The school takes a proactive stance towards encouraging parents to be involved in their children's learning and the good attendance of a majority of parents at the monthly consultation meetings serves to demonstrate how successfully this objective has been achieved. Teachers make themselves available at the beginning and end of the school day to listen and talk with parents about any concerns or queries they may have. A number of parents praised the willingness and flexibility of teachers to arrange out-of-hours meetings to suit parents’ availability for discussions about their child’s progress in school. Most parents have signed up to the home-school agreement and many commented on the encouragement, guidance and support they had received from teachers to enable them to better help their children complete their homework assignments. However a small minority of parents display little interest in

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

taking up the many good opportunities provided by the school to be involved in the pupils’ education.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The school appreciates greatly the voluntary contribution of the few regular and many more occasional parent helpers and is grateful for the time and valuable input they provide to supporting pupils’ learning, both within the school and on out-of-school activities. The school encourages and provides work experience opportunities for those parents following courses in childcare. The role of community/parent co- ordinator undertaken by the Reception teacher has helped greatly in introducing parents to the routines of school life and promoting their role as partners in support of their child’s education. A number of parents of Reception children stated how valuable they had found the “guided reading” books and advice notes provided to help them share and support their child’s learning. Parents spoken with during the inspection expressed a high regard for the very good induction programmes the school organises for the quick and smooth introduction of new parents and pupils into

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

the daily routines of life in the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The parent, teacher and friends association, (PTFA) is very active in organising fund raising social events, all of which are well attended and provide quality opportunities for informal discussions between parents and staff. In addition the school supports and provides accommodation for the weekly meeting of the Bolton parents’ support group, where parents can discuss and share amongst each other aspects of good practice in bringing up children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The quality of information provided to parents is very good and enriched by the monthly opportunities provided for teachers and parents to discuss the progress of pupils. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection. Parents are kept well informed on a regular basis through the school newsletter and letters on all aspects of school life, from school events and pupils’ activities to school visits and pupils’ achievements. The school’s prospectus and the governors’ annual report are well detailed and provide valuable reference documents for parents about various aspects of the school. Very good use is made of the parents’ notice board and class St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 26 window posters to provide parents with timely reminders of forthcoming events and activities. The school has organised a number of curriculum awareness raising workshops that have been well attended, however only a few parents attended the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

most recent on the use of the new information and communication technology room.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The formal parent and teacher consultation procedures are very well organised, well attended by parents and used successfully to keep parents fully and regularly informed and involved in their child’s education and personal development. End-of- year progress reports are well detailed and provide a good level of information on pupils’ achievements and attainments during their year in school. However, there are some inconsistencies in the level of detail relating to pupils’ achievements and on perceived areas of weakness that pupils need to work on.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. This is satisfactory overall. Since the last inspection the Governing Body has increasingly played a more active role and now fully meets its statutory duties. The expertise and experience of individual members of the Governing Body are varied and are used well, for example in financial planning. Governors are conversant with the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and aware of what needs to be done. This is an improvement from the last inspection. An appropriate sub-committee structure is in now place, and through regular visits to the school, governors keep themselves informed about developments and events, but do not always rigorously follow up the progress made in school improvements.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The headteacher and the Governing Body have a clear vision as to what needs to be developed in the school. However, not all the planned developments and improvements have been fully realised due to a lack of direction from the headteacher, the use of the only other member of the senior management team as a full-time class teacher, and the under-use of the subject co-ordinators in monitoring standards and teaching. As a result good practice in teaching and learning across the school is not shared, and the progress pupils make differs between classes. The deputy head has played a major role in the management of the school and in maintaining and raising standards, but her role is curtailed by her full-time teaching commitment. The Governing Body has identified some of these shortcomings and has discussed different strategies for tackling these aspects, For example, there are appropriate plans to release the deputy head teacher from part of her teaching

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

commitment in the coming year so that she can extend her role of monitoring teaching and learning, and supporting specific pupils in order to further raise standards.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Procedures for monitoring and evaluating the school’s performance are in place and are carried out by the senior management team. However, they are unsatisfactory, as they have not had sufficient impact on raising standards or improving the consistency of the quality of teaching and learning. Not all the information gathered from monitoring and analysis is acted upon with rigour and urgency, either by the senior management team or the Governing Body. For example, the management is aware of the varying degrees of expertise amongst the staff in information and communication technology and the inconsistent use of the school’s behaviour policy by some staff but has not tackled these issues effectively. In addition, responsibilities amongst the staff are distributed unevenly and expertise is not always matched to areas of responsibility. For example, one teacher has responsibility for the Foundation Stage

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 27 and for English, while another has a responsibility for one subject only. Responsibility for two major areas of the school is too much and as a result the co-ordinator is not able to make enough impact on raising standards in English.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Financial planning and control are good and have improved from the time of the last inspection and the school budgets carefully for all expenditure. During the last year there has been an accumulation of a ten per cent under spend. The governors plan a budget that contains a five per cent contingency fund. This is appropriately held in reserve to cover extra damage caused by vandalism. Additional funding has come into the school for fifteen extra pupils and has swelled this contingency fund. The Governing Body has very clear long term strategic planning in place for this additional funding, such as, the release of the deputy headteacher from full time teaching commitment, and the replacement of the current roof of the school with a vandal proof alternative. These projects have been carefully costed out and alternative arrangements and costs looked at so that the best value can be achieved. Specific

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

grants are fully utilised for their intended purpose. The Governing Body and the financial sub-committee receive regular budget statements, satisfactorily ensure that they are getting the best value for money and evaluate the cost effectiveness of major spending decisions. The most recent auditor’s report has been fully implemented.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. There is a satisfactory appraisal system in place, and performance management of staff is about to start. The governing body has set realistic targets for the headteacher and targets for the staff have been set. An efficient and effective procedure is in place for the induction of newly qualified teachers to the school, and this year this has had a significant impact on the standards at Key Stage 1. The induction mentor meets regularly with the newly qualified teacher, and monitors her progress.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Teachers are appropriately trained in the primary phase and have attended relevant in-service training, except for the new training for information and communication technology, which the school has still to take part in. Support staff, when available, work well with small groups of pupils, but there are too few in the school to deploy them to all classes. This has a serious impact on the quality of the teaching and learning, especially in the Foundation Stage and in Year 1. Here both teachers share a classroom assistant, and given the difficulties of the pupils this is not sufficient. In addition, the behaviour of some pupils improves significantly when there is an additional adult in the classroom, and in other classes pupils have more access to information and communication technology when the classroom assistant is present.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The accommodation is unsatisfactory and inadequate for the needs of the curriculum and the number of pupils. The school is well maintained but there is not enough space available at Key Stage 2 to accommodate the number of pupils. Classrooms are not large enough for the teaching of art or for design and technology, and there are no areas large enough for whole classes of children to take part in investigation work, or large-scale group work. This restricts curriculum planning in these areas and ultimately hinders the progress pupils make. The school has allocated a space for teaching information and communication technology. This is not large enough to teach full classes of pupils together and is partly responsible for the unsatisfactory progress they make. 54. The class for the children in the Foundation Stage is too small for the number in the class. This leads to children not paying attention, becoming uncomfortable sitting

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

close to other children. There are sufficient resources for teaching but they are poorly stored as the there is inadequate storage in the classroom. Many items are stored St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 28 around the classroom and this further reduces the amount of space available for children to work in, and especially for creative work. The outside play facilities and resources for children in this stage are also unsatisfactory. When the children first come into the school they do not have a separate play area, or have the large play equipment with which to extend their physical development and learning. 55. The school occupies an open site and is prone to vandalism, such as the breaking of skylights that occurred during the inspection. It has a reasonable size outside play area and an adjacent playing field that the pupils use when the weather allows. The school is in the fortunate position of having a community centre in the grounds of the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school. It is presently used for the teaching of drama, but more use could be made of this as additional space for teaching specific subjects or projects. Resources for teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, but there is a lack of computer programs for some subjects, such as, art and design which impacts on the standards that are achieved. Most resources are stored so that they are easily accessible, but as the school is short of storage areas it limits what can be kept in school. Library books, mostly non-fiction, are generally in good condition, and each classroom has its own supply of guided reading books. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 29 56. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

In order to raise standards and the quality of education that the school provides, especially at Key Stage 2, the governors and headteacher should:

p.29

1) strengthen the effectiveness of the senior management team by:

• implementing the plan to allow the deputy headteacher more time to monitor and evaluate aspects of the school’s work; • using the information gathered from assessment and from the monitoring of teaching and learning to identify any inconsistencies and improve standards. (paragraphs 3, 14, 46, 48, 49, 75, 77, 80)

p.29

2) develop clearer and more precise roles for the subject co-ordinators so that:

• there is an improved balance of responsibilities between different co-ordinators; • they are fully involved in the monitoring of teaching and learning, and analysis and evaluation of assessment information; • they identify and share the good practice in teaching and learning and eliminate the inconsistencies between classes. (paragraphs 6, 14, 19, 23, 39, 48, 74, 81, 88, 89, 98, 107, 115, 118, 122)

p.29

3) improve the provision in the Foundation Stage by:

• updating the policy and curriculum planning; • improving the assessment procedures used; • identifying a separate outdoor area where children can play and take part in physical activities, and resource this appropriately; • improving the organisation of the classroom; • improving the quality of the marking and presentation of children’s work. (paragraphs 15, 21, 49, 52, 54, 58, 59, 60, 63, 64, 66)

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4) raise standards in information and communication technology by:

• providing resources in the classroom so that pupils can develop the skills to use them independently in all areas of the curriculum; • making greater use of the information and communication technology room; • ensuring that all teachers have the same level of competency and skills. (paragraphs 5, 17, 55, 74, 80, 91, 94, 101, 108, 109, 111, 113)

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4) raise standards in information and communication technology by:

In addition the school should consider the less important weakness in the action plan:

p.29

4) raise standards in information and communication technology by:

• A more consistent use of the behaviour policy. (paragraphs 18, 37, 78) • The development of spiritual and multi-cultural awareness . (paragraphs 28, 31) • The use of the accommodation at Key Stage 2. (paragraph 53) • The number and deployment of nursery nurses . (paragraphs 15, 16, 52, 58) St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 30 St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 31

p.29

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 29

p.31

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.31

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

5 17 40 33 5 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y R – Y6

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 193

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 40 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y R – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 40

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 15

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

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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 Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 32

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 12 10 22

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 12 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 8 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 91 (81) 91 (77) 95 (81) 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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 8 8

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 91 (81) 91 (81) 91 (81) 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

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 12 13 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 7 8 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 9 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 60 (82) 68 (79) 84 (85) 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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.32

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 7 7 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 10 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 68 (79) 68 (79) 88 (85) 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 Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 33

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 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

Qualified teachers and classes: Y R – Y6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.3 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 402682

p.33

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 2120

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 85 Balance brought forward from previous year 30758

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 44014 St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 34

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.34

Questionnaire return rate

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

p.34

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 45 48 7 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 36 10 2 4

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 48 16 5 0

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Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 41 9 2 0

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Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 20 13 0 1

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Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 38 0 0 0

p.34

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 45 41 12 0 2

p.34

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 62 29 2 2 5

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 45 2 0 3

p.34

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 45 40 10 0 5

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Questionnaire return rate

Other issues raised by parents • The unsatisfactory behaviour of pupils in Key Stage 2, including an isolated incident of racial remarks. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 35

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. There is one intake of children each year into the Foundation Stage and currently there are thirty children attending full time. Approximately one quarter of the children are on the special educational needs register. The school does not have a nursery attached to it, but the majority of children have experienced nursery provision or attended a pre-school playgroup. Because of this the quality of their pre-school experiences vary and with it, their achievements. When the children start school their attainment levels are below average, and a number have significant difficulties in communication and social skills. These two areas of development are appropriately emphasised in all sessions so that children make progress towards achieving the Early Learning Goals. A small percentage achieve the expected levels but despite the progress they have made most have not achieved the Early Learning Goals because

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and has been maintained from the last inspection. Teaching is overall satisfactory, and in some areas of learning, such as, physical development, social and personal development, and in music it is good. Teaching and learning are better in the lessons where there is a nursery nurse present, who is able to work with groups of children. There are a large number of children in the class and some do not have good concentration or listening skills, or the ability to work independently or in small groups, and when there are too few adults in the class the behaviour deteriorates. For example in literacy sessions when the children cannot work independently and all need the teacher’s attention in order to make progress, the nursery nurse is used in another class. In lessons, focussed on knowledge and understanding of the world, where there are two

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

additional adults working in the class, and all with specific groups of children, the quality of teaching, and the subsequent learning is better. The teacher and the others involved in the lesson do not to stop to remind children of the classroom rules, how to share and take turns or how to act appropriately. The quality of the marking and the presentation of the children’ work are unsatisfactory as pieces are not consistently dated, and they do not show in which lesson or curriculum area it belongs.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Although the lessons for these children reflect the necessary stepping-stones to reach the Early Learning Goals, and appropriately emphasise the areas of greatest need for children, the policy for the Foundation Stage has not been reviewed or updated. The planning documents are in the process of being amended to reflect these Early Learning Goals, but in their present state do not provide a framework for planning. Although baseline assessment is used to assess what the children know and can do when they enter the school, the assessment system used as children progress through the Reception class is too informal and does not give a clear picture of the progress they are making. There is an over-reliance on the teacher’s very good knowledge of the children and their needs. This does not provide enough ongoing information should another person need to take over the education of these children. The assessment procedures are unsatisfactory and need improvement.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. The classroom is small and its present organisation does not allow for all the children’s worktables to be located in one area. In addition, the carpeted area is too small for the number of children in the class and not all can sit around the teacher. This leads to children not paying attention, becoming uncomfortable sitting close to St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 36 other children, and as their concentration falls they start playing with items that are within reaching distance. There are sufficient resources for teaching but they are poorly stored as the there is inadequate storage in the classroom. Many items are stored around the classroom and this further reduces the amount of space available for children to work in, and especially for creative work. The outside play facilities and resources for children in this stage are also unsatisfactory. When the children first come into the school they do not have separate play area, or have the large play

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

equipment with which to extend their physical development and learning.

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Personal, social and emotional development

61. By the end of the Foundation Stage a small number of children achieve the Early Learning Goals in these areas of their development, but even though there is good emphasis on these aspects, and the quality of teaching and learning is good, a significant number have not achieved the goals. The majority of children are courteous, friendly and well behaved, but a number of children still find it difficult to share their space and resources with other members of the class. They know the class rules and routines but some have not yet understood the importance of these, or how to adhere to them. For example, they do not respond immediately to the instructions of the teacher, and in a literacy lesson children could not agree who would be responsible for recording the work. However, the majority of children have good relationships with each other, and the relationship they have with the teacher is very good. This has a positive impact on learning. Children show respect for the

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Personal, social and emotional development

school’s resources, such as books, toys and the computers. The majority of children, by the time they reach the end of their time in the Reception class are able to dress and undress themselves, and take care of their personal hygiene needs and property.

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Communication, language and literacy

62. Children make satisfactory progress in communication, language and literacy, but because of the low starting level many do not achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they enter Year 1. They have difficulty maintaining concentration and as a result they do not listen well. All children are given plenty of opportunities to communicate to other groups of children and to adults, for example, when describing what they have worked on, or what their drawings are about. These opportunities ensure that they make good progress. The teaching of the skills of speaking and listening is good and the teacher is very aware of the importance of communication, language and literacy as a basis for all other learning. She places great emphasis on this and insists that children listen to others, and diligently corrects poor articulation and the encourages children to use sentences containing more than a few words.

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Communication, language and literacy

However, not all children communicate well with each other, or with their teacher or with visitors. All sessions end with a plenary session where children are encouraged to talk about what they have learned and this helps children to improve their skills.

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Communication, language and literacy

63. The children make satisfactory progress in developing their early reading and writing skills. The national literacy strategy has been introduced but the organisation of the room and lack of support make the lessons difficult to organise. The overall quality of teaching and learning in literacy is satisfactory, and is better when there are more adults in the class who can supervise and motivate groups of children. Children have good opportunities to develop an awareness of books. They are given opportunities to sit and look at books, and show that they understand that the pictures can tell a story or provide information. They use these pictures as clues to answer questions. A few children are reading books from a reading scheme. They read fluently, recognise St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 37 punctuation, talk about the characters and predict the story. However, this is the exception and the majority of children do not know all the letter sounds, and very few

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Communication, language and literacy

are unable to suggest words starting with specific sounds. The higher attaining children fill in missing words to describe, for example, a Gingerbread man, identify the initial letters of words, and write simple sentences to describe their ideas and drawings. However, the majority of children are still at the stage of overwriting or copying. They find controlling a pencil difficult and this results in poorly formed letters.

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Mathematical development

64. The children make satisfactory progress in the area of mathematical development and a significant percentage achieve the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Foundation Stage. The majority of children count to twenty, add two digit numbers, recognise shapes such as, squares and circles, and understand that things are shorter or taller, and hold more or less. Most can accurately sort objects according to colour and type. The teaching is satisfactory, and there are many opportunities created, in activities other than the numeracy lessons for children to reinforce their learning. For example, in a musical session where children learn number rhymes and songs, and in physical education sessions they concentrate on learning positions of in front of and behind. The numeracy sessions are taught satisfactorily and because the space is too cramped for investigation or practical sessions, a great deal of effort

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Mathematical development

goes into the planning and organisation. However, the lack of space undermines the potentially good teaching and learning as not all children can see the activities so they can make predictions. This leads to deterioration in behaviour and a lack of concentration. The teaching and learning are enhanced by the use of a good range of practical resources, some of which are relatively new.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

65. The children make satisfactory progress in this area of learning due to the well- planned experiences. However, due to the restricted experience the children have when they come into the school, they still do not attain the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. Teaching is satisfactory overall. There are good opportunities for pupils to use the computers in the classroom but due to the low reading skills of many children they have difficulty using them independently. During the inspection there were limited opportunities to see children using computer. However, where it was seen, children show that they can locate individual keys on a keyboard and control a pointer using a mouse device. By the time they reach the end of the Foundation Stage, children appreciate that events may have happened in the past, and that people and places, such as, themselves have changed. Children, extend their knowledge and understanding of the world around them through studying

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

plants, animals, and materials. With differing degrees of accuracy, children draw and label a plant. Through examination of different fruits they discover words and tastes that are new to them, such as, grapefruit, melon and celery. The teacher uses these opportunities extremely well to fill in the gaps in the children’s’ learning and as a result the children’s’ personal development is well supported. For example, the teacher insists that all children taste all the fruit and say which they like or do not like, and they have to describe the taste and record the information. There are making satisfactory progress in their manipulative skills, such as cutting and shaping, and in using construction kits to make models.

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Physical development

St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 38 66. By the time they are at the end of the Foundation Stage, the children have made satisfactory progress overall in this area of learning, and attain the Early Learning Goals. However, the school lacks a separate outdoor play area equipped with large play equipment, and as a result children do not learn to use play equipment safely and with confidence. The present planning for physical development appropriately centres on co-ordination, purposeful movement and listening. Lessons are very well planned and address the difficulties that the children have in paying attention. The expectations that the teacher has are made very clear to the children and as a result all children pay attention and achieve. Activities become increasingly more difficult as the lesson proceeds, and children are eager to succeed, but do not become silly or noisy. The lessons take place in the hall where there is ample room for the number of

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Physical development

children. As a result the children do not get in one another’s way or find the close proximity of other children too much, and behaviour is good. They are given a wide range of opportunities to develop manipulative skills, through the handling of small objects in constructional play, making models, completing puzzles and using crayons and pencils.

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Creative development

67. Teaching is satisfactory and the majority of children attain the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception year. When there are extra adults in the lesson children make good progress. Through the regular opportunities to paint and use modelling materials, children are encouraged to be creative in their work. They mix their own paints and create paintings and drawings of themselves. While working with a visiting artist they use clay for modelling. During this session there are high expectations for communication, with children having to describe how they made their model, and what they used. This effectively supports children’s personal development and communication skills. In music, the children achieve good standards as a result of good teaching. They sing simple tunes, and by following simple conducting from the teacher, they repeat the rhythm, introduce loudness and softness and are able to

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Creative development

keep time with simple beats. They sing songs that they know very well, and demonstrate that they can sing rounds in two and three parts. The children enjoy this aspect of their curriculum very much and the behaviour is very good and they all concentrate for the full amount of time.

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ENGLISH

68. Results of the 2000 National Curriculum tests show that at the end of Key Stage 2 standards in English were below the national average when compared to all schools and well below average when compared to similar schools. Inspection findings indicate that standards for pupils currently in Year 6 are in line with the national average, which is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. At the end of Key Stage 1 the test results for the year 2000 show that standards in reading were above the national average and average compared with similar schools. Standards in writing were in line with both the national average and the average for similar schools. Inspection findings indicate that for pupils currently in Year 2 standards will be maintained. Standards in spelling are satisfactory throughout the school. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall, but in those classes where teaching is at its best

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ENGLISH

progress is often good or very good. Pupils with special educational needs make similar progress to their fellow pupils and there are no significant variations between the progress made by different groups of pupils or between girls and boys. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 39 69. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are satisfactory throughout the school and, in those classes where teachers have the highest expectations, are often good. For example, pupils in a Year 4 geography lesson were able to use a good subject vocabulary when describing changes that they had observed in the environment surrounding the school. The great majority of pupils respond well to questions and follow instructions without undue difficulty. The successful implementation of the national literacy strategy has had a positive impact on standards in speaking and listening across the school, and as a result pupils confidently talk about their work to

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ENGLISH

groups of pupils, and listen well to what others have to say. At Key Stage 2, pupils’ communication skills are greatly enhanced by the good opportunities the school provides for them to take part in school drama productions, which they perform to different audiences.

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ENGLISH

70. Pupils in Key Stage 1 read to a satisfactory standard and this represents a considerable improvement from their baseline test results on entry to the school. The majority recall and recount stories they have heard and by the end of Year 2 they identify favourites, such as ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Rapunzel’. By the end of Key Stage 2, the majority of pupils read a range of literature from a variety of genres, and are enthusiastic. They identify favourite authors such as J.K. Rowling, Roald Dahl and Gene Kemp. Many pupils have good library skills and can identify and select books for a variety of purposes. The school library is stocked with good quality, but often ageing, books, but its situation in the corridor means that it is not sufficiently accessible or well used at present. In addition pupils in Key Stage 1 have virtually no access to its resources, although there are ample reading books in each classroom.

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ENGLISH

Pupils’ general reading for information is further encouraged by the good quality of the displays around the school. These are labelled with key descriptive and explanatory vocabulary and contain samples of pupils’ own written work. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have an appreciation of their literary heritage and a respect for the printed word. However, pupils’ knowledge of the literature of other cultures is limited due to insufficient written resources in this area.

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ENGLISH

71. The standard of pupils’ writing is in line with the national average at the end of both key stages and the school has prioritised this area of work for further improvement. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have amassed a satisfactory collection of written work in their assessment writing folders that provides a very good record of their progress. Where teachers have high expectations and offer the right encouragement, pupils are effectively extending their writing skills in a number of directions. For example, they write descriptions, simple instructions and poems. Their use of punctuation is satisfactory, and they use dictionaries to find and correct spellings. In all year groups pupils are transferring their skills from their focussed literacy tasks into their extended writing. During the inspection pupils in Year 2 were basing their writing on their shared reading of the Tyrannosaurus story and were keen to share their

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ENGLISH

72. As they move through the school pupils are given good opportunities to write in a variety of forms and produce poetry, scripts, narrative humour and suspense. Higher attaining pupils produce written work that matches the style of different authors. In Key Stage 2, pupils in Year 6 have produced a ‘living history’ booklet as part of their history studies. They have based it on their discussions with a visitor, who was born in 1926. The book is well written and a tribute to their industry and zeal, and will form a valuable teaching resource for the future. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils have had a broad experience of writing in a variety of contexts, such as for drama productions, for assemblies and extended pieces of imaginary or descriptive writing. Pupils use punctuation satisfactorily and the majority of pupils show progress in their ability to St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 40

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ENGLISH

spell more complex words. This is well supported by their use of reference books. The school has successfully implemented the National Literacy Strategy and is successfully developing pupils’ literacy skills across the curriculum. The quality of writing in the other subjects of the curriculum benefits from the transfer of literacy skills. For example, in geography and history pupils are writing clear and detailed accounts of their researches. The school is beginning to see the results of prioritising this area of the curriculum as pupils’ vocabulary and use of grammatical structure are clearly improving.

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ENGLISH

73. The quality of teaching is satisfactory at both key stages and during the inspection there were some examples of good and very good teaching, especially in years 2 and 5. This is substantiated by the quality of the pupils’ work in their books, and it is clear that pupils respond to the quality of the teaching they receive and where this is good they are highly motivated to succeed. All teachers plan well, start lessons with an introduction that consolidates previous learning and forms a basis for assessment. Teachers’ planning generally ensures that the work for pupils with special educational needs is well matched to their differing abilities and this has a positive impact on their learning and achievements. Where teaching is at its best, as in Years 2 and 5, the style of teaching motivates and inspires pupils to do their best and to enjoy their work. As a result the quality of the writing has a feeling of creativity and freedom. Where

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ENGLISH

the best learning takes place there is a high level of expectation of achievement and behaviour, very good management of the pupils, and an excellent quality of relationships between the teacher and the pupils. Teachers and their pupils are increasingly involved in the setting of targets for learning and these are clearly increasing the levels of pupils’ motivation. However, in some classes there is an over- reliance on worksheets that do not challenge the higher attaining pupils. Where the teaching is better these pupils are fully stretched by the work demanded of them, and all pupils are expected to review their work and share their ideas with the rest of the class.

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ENGLISH

74. The co-ordination of the subject is need of strengthening. Although there has been some monitoring of teaching and learning in literacy across the school, the co- ordinator for English is also the co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage and this combination of responsibility makes it impossible for her to have a full overview of the teaching, learning and standards of English in both key stages. Throughout the school assessment is being used to assist in the planning of the work in English but the system of analysing assessment data is not yet fully embedded into the curriculum. The Drama Club is also providing a valuable extra-curricular activity, is popular with the pupils, and makes a positive contribution to pupils’ personal development.

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MATHEMATICS

75. The results of the 2000 National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds show that pupils’ attainment is below average when compared to all schools nationally and when compared to similar schools. In the 2000 tests for 7-year-olds, attainment is well above the national average and well above the level found in similar schools. Inspection findings show that attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is at an average level and above average at the end of Key Stage 1. The differences between test results and inspection findings can be explained by the differing percentages of pupils in different year groups with special needs, which impacts on the standards that are achieved from year to year. The progress that pupils of all abilities make, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory overall at both key stages and is St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 41 good in Years 2 and 5 because of the consistently good and often very good teaching

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MATHEMATICS

that is a regular feature in these classes. Although teaching in other classes was often good or very good during the week of inspection a careful and detailed scrutiny of pupils’ books indicates that teaching over time is satisfactory. The targets that the school has set itself for numeracy are appropriate and are likely to be achieved. The school does not sufficiently or consistently set challenging enough targets for the higher attaining pupils and as a result teaching does not always meet the demands of these pupils. Where targets are set and teaching is challenging, mainly in Years 2 and 5, the higher attaining pupils make good progress and achieve well. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have been maintained since the time of the last inspection and have improved at the end of Key Stage 1.

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MATHEMATICS

76. By the end of Key Stage 1 the pupils’ level of attainment is above average. The effective implementation of the national Numeracy Strategy means that pupils have increasingly been provided with opportunities to develop their mental agility skills. Pupils have good recall of addition and subtraction facts to at least ten with many pupils going well beyond this. Pupils have a good grasp of place value, count in 2s, 5s and 10s and recognise and name odd and even numbers to a 100. Pupils show a secure understanding of simple fractions. The best quality teaching is providing pupils with opportunities to examine different ways in which to solve number problems and many pupils recognise that there is more than one way of arriving at the right answer. The higher attaining pupils are confident in the manner in which they transfer their number skills to written problems although not all pupils are confident at solving

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MATHEMATICS

problems when problems are presented in different formats. Pupils have a satisfactory grasp of mathematical language and terminology. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of two and three-dimensional shapes and measure using standard and non-standard measures. Pupils’ ability to measure and to estimate is not always as accurate as it could be. Pupils present findings of surveys in graph and tabular forms with the higher attaining pupils able to interpret the data in an appropriate manner.

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MATHEMATICS

77. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ number skills are at an average level and pupils are becoming increasingly comfortable and confident with mental arithmetic calculations. The opportunities that are provided by the following of the National Numeracy Strategy mean that pupils are provided with tasks on a daily basis that test their mental agility and as a result the pupils are tackling calculations of increasing complexity with speed and accuracy. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of number facts and recall is at an appropriate rate. Pupils add and subtract decimals to two places and have a satisfactory grasp of fractions. Not all pupils are confident at carrying out division and multiplication of large numbers. Most pupils understand and use the language of probability and have a satisfactory understanding of shape and measures. Not all pupils are confident when asked to describe the properties of

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MATHEMATICS

shapes, for example in not being able to identify the fact that a rhombus does not have a right angle. Pupils are proficient when working with percentages and use this knowledge well to solve problems. Again an area of weakness is that pupils are not always accurate when measuring. Evidence of this was seen when pupils were asked to draw certain shapes or when asked to draw or measure angles. Pupils’ ability to record data using different formats is satisfactory. Although some good examples were seen of pupils enhancing their numeracy skills in other areas of the curriculum such as science and geography, this good practice is not as consistent across the school as it should be. This together with the fact that computers are not used enough to support pupils’ learning impacts negatively on pupils’ learning and prevents progress from being stronger. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 42 78. The vast majority of pupils display good attitudes to learning. The pupils really enjoy

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MATHEMATICS

the mental tasks that are feature of all lessons. They join activities with enthusiasm and enjoy the tasks that are set. Within lessons behaviour is good more often than not. The pupils work productively, and when work is demanding and challenging, they rise to the occasion and concentrate for long periods of time. Occasionally behaviour is inappropriate within lessons but the better teaching ensures that pupils are managed in a firm but fair manner and because of this the learning of the rest of the class does not suffer. The pupils are always ready to take on board constructive criticism to help them improve, whether this is verbal or through the marking of pupils’ books. When marking is of a high standard, comments clearly outline what a pupils needs to do to improve. There is clear evidence that pupils heed the comments and there is a visible improvement in the pupils’ work. This effective practice however is

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MATHEMATICS

not as consistent across the school and on occasions, impacts negatively on pupils’ progress.

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MATHEMATICS

79. The quality of teaching observed during the inspection was good at both key stages with some examples of very good practice. Analysis of pupils’ books shows that over time teaching is satisfactory at both key stages with good teaching in Years 2 and 5. Throughout the school the basic skills of numeracy are taught well and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. The best teaching is often characterised by a high level of expectation, very good management of the pupils and the direct teaching of a specific skill. In a very good lesson in Year 2 the excellent quality of relationships between the teacher and the pupils sets an excellent working ethos where learning was fun. After directly teaching the pupils strategies to add and subtract 19, 21, 29, 31 and so on, the teacher then gave the pupils time to investigate and explore their own methods. As a result the learning of the whole class was advanced. In an

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MATHEMATICS

excellent lesson at Year 5 the pupils were again directly taught the skills to enable them to solve prediction problems. In this lesson very good use was made of computers and very good links were made with previous work the pupils had completed in geography. The teacher used technical language, such as ‘tally’ and ‘spreadsheet’, and by the end of the lesson pupils were using similar language with ease and understanding. The quality of relationships was again a strong feature of this lesson, with the teacher and pupils clearly enjoying themselves and the pupils very keen to learn as much as they could. In another successful lesson in Year 3 the effective use of quick fire questioning and the setting of time deadlines throughout the lesson helped to keep the pupils on their toes and kept the pace of the lesson going to the very end.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Lessons have a good structure that involves a whole class activity, group work and a summing up session at the end of the lesson. The opening mental warm-up activities are usually taught well, with pupils responding positively when they are told what they are to learn. In the better teaching, the end of the lesson is used effectively to assess if the learning objectives have been achieved and this information is used to guide and inform future planning. However, this good practice is not consistent across the school. Time and resources are used in a satisfactory manner, but occasionally when worksheets make references to imperial as well as metric measurements within the same activity it leads to confusion amongst the pupils and impedes their learning. On other occasions too much time is spent on lesson introductions with the result that pupils either become restless, or quite simply not enough time is left for pupils to

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MATHEMATICS

consolidate or build on a particular skill or concept that they have been taught. Teachers use the setting of homework in an appropriate manner to enhance pupils’ learning, but the use of information and communication technology to support learning varies between classes. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 43 81. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has carried out lesson observations but at present the system is not rigorous enough. The procedures do not always ensure that targets for improvement for individual teachers are set. The headteacher monitors teachers’ planning on a regular basis. Pupils’ books have been scrutinised but this strategy is not carried out on a regular enough basis to have its biggest possible impact on helping to raise standards. Analysis of data does take place but the co-ordinator needs to be more actively involved in this

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MATHEMATICS

process. This would enable her to have a greater awareness of the strengths and weaknesses within the subject and, together with the senior management team of the school, could then help to devise and implement strategies to combat the weaknesses and in turn have a greater impact on helping to raise standards.

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SCIENCE

82. The results of the 2000 National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds show, that when compared to all schools and to similar schools, pupils’ attainment is in line with the average. In the 2000 tests for 7-year-olds attainment, on the basis of teachers’ assessment, was in line with national expectations. The inspection findings indicate that pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. The previous report indicated that attainment was satisfactory at the end of Key Stage 1 and only just at the expected level at the end of Key Stage 2, where progress was barely satisfactory. The current assessment of standards indicates an improvement since the last inspection, especially at the end of Key Stage 2. The majority of pupils are attaining the levels expected for pupils of similar ages. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls and pupils of all abilities

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SCIENCE

83. Pupils in Key Stage 1 experience a satisfactory range of practical activities that help them to develop their scientific skills. Most pupils are capable of careful observation and record their findings realistically, for example, when investigating flowering plants. They use hand lenses purposefully and their annotated diagrams indicate clearly the arrangement of leaves and flowers. Pupils in Key Stage 2 have a satisfactory understanding of the concept of fair testing. They know that some variables have to be kept constant, such as volume of water when investigating rates of evaporation from different materials. Most pupils can record their results accurately and draw realistic conclusions based on their findings. However, analysis of pupils’ work indicates that pupils in Year 6 do not have sufficient opportunities to develop their investigative skills through independent work.

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SCIENCE

84. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the difference between living and non-living things and group them according to observable features. Pupils name the main organs of a flowering plant, including leaves, stems, flowers and roots and the majority of pupils know that plants need water to grow and survive. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of life processes and can relate structure to function. When studying the body, they know the name of the main bones of the skeleton, and understand the system of joints and muscles that enables us to move. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of the major food categories, the functions of different foods and know that a healthy diet is conducive to a healthy life style. Pupils in Year 5 know the stages in the life cycle of a green plant and have a well-developed vocabulary enabling them to describe the difference, for example, between pollination and

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SCIENCE

fertilisation. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 44 85. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils know that materials change when heated, for example when making toast. They know that such changes are irreversible but in other instances, such as heating and cooling chocolate, the changes are reversible. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils have extended their understanding of materials. They know there are three states of matter and that these are interchangeable, such as when heating and cooling water. They know that the different properties of materials enables them to be separated, such as when separating a mixture of sand and salt and that the salt can be returned from a solution by evaporating the water. They have developed a good understanding of how these chemical changes and properties are used in everyday situations.

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SCIENCE

86. Pupils by the end of Key Stage 1 have a satisfactory knowledge of how to construct an electrical circuit so that a bulb lights. They understand that many household appliances use electricity and know and understand the dangers of mains electricity. Pupils’ knowledge of forces is satisfactory and they know that pushes and pulls are examples of forces and that different forces can cause objects to speed up, slow down or change direction. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils know that the position of the sun appears to change during the day and how shadows change as this happens. These pupils know that day and night are caused by the spin of the earth and that the earth orbits the sun once each year. They know that sound is caused by vibrations and that they require a medium through which to travel. Pupils know that pitch can be altered by changing the rate of vibration.

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SCIENCE

87. The overall quality of the teaching in science is variable but satisfactory overall. It is very good in Years 2 and 5 where pupils make very good progress. In these classes the expectations of pupils are high, and through carefully planned activities pupils are encouraged to make careful observations, to record their observations accurately and to draw realistic conclusions. Learning is focused through clear lesson objectives and the discussion at the end of lessons reinforces the main scientific principles. Good planning ensures that lessons proceed at a lively pace, and this effectively maintains pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. In these two classes teachers’ high expectations of pupils promote good learning and the pupils respond well to these expectations in terms of academic achievement and standards of behaviour. In other classes analysis of pupils’ work and lesson observations indicate that the quality of teaching is only

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SCIENCE

satisfactory and in one lesson seen during the inspection it was unsatisfactory. In these instances insufficient attention is given to developing pupils’ skills of scientific enquiry and investigation and the teaching is too prescriptive. Lessons lack pace and as a consequence pupils lose interest and commitment. In one lesson observed in Year 2, information and communication technology was well used to extend pupils’ knowledge but overall it is under used to support pupils’ learning in science.

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SCIENCE

88. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory, but there has been no monitoring of teaching and learning in different classes, and as a result the quality of teaching and learning varies according to individual teacher’s expertise in the subject. The co-ordinator has carried out a monitoring exercise of pupils’ books but this is not carried out regularly enough to have an impact on the quality of teaching and learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. Pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages in art and design is at an average level, and all pupils make satisfactory progress. However, the standards are not as high as reported at the time of the last inspection. With the introduction of the literacy St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 45 and numeracy hour the school took the decision to reduce the time allocated to art and design. The staff are finding it difficult to cover all curriculum aspects of the recently introduced national guidelines for teaching and learning in the time allowed. The new curriculum has not been in place long enough to have a positive impact on standards. Likewise the assessment of pupils’ achievements is changing from an end of year general statement to being directly linked to the scheme of work. The co- ordinator has recently returned from long-term absence, and during this time there has been no development in the subject, and especially in the monitoring of the

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ART AND DESIGN

quality of teaching and learning in the subject across the school. As a result the good practice and ideas that some staff have are not been shared or built on, and affects the quality of learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have acquired the basic skills in art and design. For example, they know that materials have different qualities and change appearance in different lights. They mix paints, know that shades can be obtained or varied by adding other colours. They use a range of materials, such as textiles, different papers and plastic to produce collages. For example in year 2, pupils make and use a template very well to produce shapes for a paper collage based on the designs of William Morris. They discuss the layout of the shapes; design a pattern repeat that is shade co-ordinated. They use their knowledge of specific words, such as ‘shiny’ and ‘shaded’ well to describe the materials and effects they have produced. In this class, there are planned experiences to use information and communication technology to extend pupils’ understanding of repeating patterns and enhance their creativity.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. Pupils in Key Stage 2 also make satisfactory progress, and their previous knowledge and skills are built on and extended both within art lessons and in other subjects. By the end of the key stage, pupils produce models in design and technology and decorate them. For example, clay pots in a Greek style have been designed and made, and these are decorated with patterns similar to those found in Ancient Greece. Pupils use watercolours, pastels, charcoal and different types of pencils in their work. They make observational drawings which are basic and keep sketchbooks in which they produce ideas. Pupils produce watercolour paintings in the style of a local artist who has visited the school. They continue developing their techniques and skills in producing pieces of collage work throughout Key Stage 2. For example in Year 5 pupils use their understanding of shape, texture and design to produce a class

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ART AND DESIGN

wall hanging which depicts a fairy story. However, there is no evidence to show that pupils use information and communication technology to support their creativity, and in this aspect their progress is unsatisfactory. Although planning shows that they study the work of other artists, such as Lowry and Van Gough, there is insufficient evidence kept to show pupils’ understanding of different artists.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. Teaching is satisfactory overall, but varies across the school and is very dependent on the skills and expertise of individual teachers. On the week of the inspection, teaching in the two art lessons that were observed, was at least good and in one lesson at Key Stage 2 it was very good. This is reflected in the progress pupils make in these lessons, especially in year 5 where there are a significant number of pupils who are disruptive. The teacher in this class is very skilled in capturing the imagination of pupils so that they become very motivated. Both teachers manage the behaviour of all pupils very well, and are firm but friendly. They remind pupils of the class expectations and because the pupils have developed respect for these teachers they readily conform to the expected behaviour. In both lessons the teachers introduce the lesson well, using examples of artists and creativity, such as William

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ART AND DESIGN

Morris, and in Year 5 a video of the Bayeux Tapestry. This expands pupils’ general St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 46 awareness of culture and has a positive impact on their overall personal development.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. The planning of the learning experiences is very detailed and shows that teachers have a good understanding of the requirements of the National Curriculum for the subject. The personal development of pupils is enhanced by the planned opportunities for some pupils to have responsibilities for completing the clearing up process. This they do very well and take pride in the fact they have been chosen. All lessons end with very effective plenary sessions, where the development of pupils’ communication skills is very well supported through the practice of evaluating their own and the work of others.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. Overall, pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages is in line with national expectations and this has been maintained from the last inspection. Improvements to some aspects of the subject have also been made. For example, the school has adopted the national guidelines for teaching and learning, so that teachers have a framework to plan from to ensure that pupils’ learning is based on previous knowledge and skills. However, as with art and design, with the current time-tabling arrangements it is proving difficult for the school to cover all the programmes of study. The co-ordinator has carried out a good audit of how the new scheme of work could be supported by information and communication technology. The resulting information has provided a clear indication to teachers of the links between the two subjects and the resources needed to support planning. This development is new and has not yet had an impact on standards across the school. Assessment is currently

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

being developed in line with the new planning and will replace the present outdated system .

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. Pupils of all ages and abilities, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. No judgement could be made about pupils’ progress in food technology, as there were fewer records of their attainment in this aspect of the subject. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have used different types of resistant materials, such as card, plastic and wood, and have a satisfactory understanding of how to draw a design and make a simple list of the materials they need. They have used some of the tools recommended for their age, such as scissors, glue and paper fasteners. However, there is no evidence that they experience, with supervision, using small hand tools, such as hammers and saws. They enjoy working with construction kits and produce models of cars and bridges.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress. The work of younger pupils in this key stage shows that they have discussed, designed and made puppets with moving parts, and have studied the design of a container by looking at how a ‘net’ can be used. In Year 4, pupils are presently carrying out an investigation into the design of chairs by examining the different types in the school. They are beginning to show their ability to link the design to the different purposes. For example, they describe why chairs used outside are made of specific materials and why others would not be suitable. By the end of the key stage, pupils extend this investigation further and through trial and error decide which materials and designs fit the design brief, for example, when designing slippers, or the wigs for characters in a production of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Design and technology is linked very well with

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

other subjects in this key stage and models of World War 1 shelters are displayed which show that pupils have given great thought to the types of materials they have St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 47 used to create life-like replicas. Displays of work and discussion with pupils show that pupils produce good designs of motorised models of fairground rides and in the last few years a number of pupils have been involved in a design project to create a ‘Peace Garden’. However, pupils have too few opportunities to use a wide range of materials, other than the resistant materials of wood, card and plastic, although there is some use of textiles in the art and design curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. In the majority of lessons seen during the week of the inspection, teaching was good in both key stages and had a positive impact on the quality of learning, especially in the investigation aspect of designing and the selection of appropriate materials. The majority of teachers have a good knowledge of the subject, the requirements of the National Curriculum, and are beginning to make good use of the new national guidelines to support their planning. Teachers use resources, including reference books, well to broaden pupils’ ideas but, as there are no computers in the classrooms, they do not encourage pupils to use information and communication technology for research or design. In addition, teachers do not produce alternative ways for lower attaining pupils to record their observations and ideas, and pupils have little written work or photographic evidence

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. The co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. The subject development plan is good and supports the raising of the quality of the provision and standards in the school. The policy has been fully reviewed and updated and therefore reflects the work of the school. However, whilst curriculum planning is examined regularly, there is no monitoring of teaching by the co-ordinator in order to share good practice and, as a result, the quality of teaching across the school varies. Since the last inspection, additional resources have been purchased and these are used satisfactorily to support pupils’ learning and development of skills. However, the classrooms at Key Stage 2 are small for the number of pupils in each class and the type of work completed by the pupils is therefore restricted. As is the case with art and design, large-scale projects cannot be left in classrooms to be completed at another time.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. Standards of work in geography are in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages, and have been maintained from the last inspection. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory progress in Key Stage 2.

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GEOGRAPHY

100. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils satisfactorily draw simple maps and write short paragraphs about what they have learned. The character ‘Barnaby Bear‘ has figured prominently in their work and they have a good knowledge of his travels and adventures. Pupils have created the imaginary world of the ‘Island of Struay’ and compare it with the reality of life in Bolton. The Mexican village of Tocuaro has come to life for the pupils in Year 2. They have responded to the high quality teaching by producing a range of good maps, pictures and written accounts. Although no teaching of geography was observed in this key stage during the inspection, analysis of the pupils’ work confirms that the quality of teaching and learning taking place is good.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress overall, and the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. However, where the teaching is particularly good, as in Year 5, pupils’ progress is also good. Pupils have a sound understanding of the principles of the water cycle and they recognise the effects of water on the landscape. They St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 48 understand the importance of weather and climate in economic activity, such as farming, and they understand the basics of global climate patterns. Through the collection of issues relating to geography in the news, many pupils have satisfactory insight into the moral dilemmas posed by human impacts on the global environment. Basic skills are not neglected, and all pupils have the ability to use and interpret maps, atlases and globes. For example, pupils in Year 4 use large and small scale maps to identify places in the local environment and enjoyed finding their own home

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GEOGRAPHY

on the large-scale maps. However, the atlases used in Years 5 and 6 are too simple and, as a result, pupils do not have the skills to tackle the complexity of a more advanced type of atlas. In addition, there is not a good range of computer based resources for this subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. Pupils have positive attitudes to their work in geography, especially where teachers are enthusiastic and use good strategies to promote learning. Where teaching is good, pupils are extending their appreciation of the relevance of geography to the understanding of the modern world, but many pupils do not have a general knowledge of the world. For example, pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 were unable to identify which country, out of France, Germany and Italy, was closest to Britain. Pupils demonstrate good investigation and data handling skills, when exploring rivers, for example, but they lack the ability to put their detailed information into the context of the real world. The recording of work in geography is good throughout the school and the pupils are proud of the quality of the work in their books and folders. It is apparent that the skills developed through the literacy strategy are being transferred

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GEOGRAPHY

103. The co-ordinator for geography has a good overview of the subject but does not monitor teaching and learning in the classroom. Resources are generally good and are being replenished as the new national guidelines for teaching and learning are being introduced into the curriculum. However, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities for fieldwork other than the incidental opportunities arising from the residential trips or from direct experience of the environment surrounding the school. This has a direct impact on their ability to apply their learning to the real world.

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HISTORY

104. Standards of attainment overall are in line with the national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and slightly above national expectations at the end of Key Stage 2. This represents a slight decline since the previous inspection when standards were higher in both key stages. Pupils have a good knowledge of the past, and evidence from their work suggests that they are transferring skills learnt in literacy to this subject. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress as they move through the school.

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HISTORY

105. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have a good appreciation of the linear nature of chronology. They can distinguish old from new and, when comparing past experiences with their own, recognise the differences and are aware of changes in their own environment. Year 2 pupils have completed some particularly good work in their study of the meaning of Remembrance Day and the Great Fire of London, and are currently deeply engaged with the life and work of Florence Nightingale. The quality of the teaching in Year 2 is especially good and pupils are being encouraged in the development of their historical skills and use of a subject vocabulary. They speak with confidence of the ways in which they seek out information and they have good research skills. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 49 106. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have progressed further in their knowledge of history and are able to discuss their ideas. Pupils in Year 6 have had the valuable

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HISTORY

experience of interviewing a visitor about a life that began in 1926. The resulting quality of the ‘living history’ book that they have produced is testimony to the good quality teaching that they have received. While studying the Tudors, pupils in Year 4 have been able to examine some of the significant social differences between people of the period. The higher attaining pupils are beginning to understand the significance of social differences in the modern world. In Year 5, their studies take the pupils further into an examination of the spirit of enquiry that has driven much of human history. By the end of Year 6, pupils have experienced an eclectic mix of history topics and, where they have been well taught, they have a good grasp of the links between the study of history and an understanding of the present day.

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HISTORY

107. The quality of teaching in history observed during the course of the inspection was good overall. Teachers have been zealous in their use of artefacts and display materials in their lessons although the school presently lacks good computer based resources to support learning. Good use is made of the immediate locality in the teaching of history but financial constraints have had a curtailing effect on fieldwork visits and opportunities. The co-ordinator has an overview of the teaching of history throughout the school, although no time is allocated for the monitoring of teaching and learning in each classroom. The subject has no school-based system of assessment.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. By the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, standards of attainment are below national expectations. The pupils have access to a computer suite but this is a recent facility and means that over time pupils have not been systematically and progressively taught the necessary skills across all elements of the subject to enable them to become effective users of computers. This, together with the fact that there are weaknesses in some teachers’ knowledge and expertise and that computers are not used to support pupils’ learning in other areas of the curriculum, is the main contributing factors to the below average standards. At the present time, however, pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, have not made the progress over time of which they are capable. Standards have not been maintained since the time of the last inspection because the school has not kept pace with the constantly developing nature of the subject in terms of knowledge and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. The school is aware of the deficiencies in the subject. The school has used the expertise of a member of the Governing Body to draw up a good quality action plan that addresses all the areas of weakness and outlines effective strategies to tackle the issues. If this plan is rigorously implemented and the quality of teaching and learning are monitored on a regular basis, the plan should provide a clear steer for helping to improve standards.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are familiar with the different functions of the keyboard and mouse. The higher attaining pupils load programs and save and retrieve their work. Some pupils know what a font is and can change the size and appearance of their text. Examples were seen in pupils’ folders of graphics being imported into a piece of text entitled ‘’The Sad Clown.’’ Pupils use computers to present work and have used a simple database in a satisfactory manner to depict the different foods that pupils eat. Discussions with pupils clearly show that the pupils who have access to a computer at home are more proficient than those who do not. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 50 Computers are used to support work in literacy and numeracy but the programs are at quite a simplistic level. There is less evidence of computers being used to support and enhance pupils' learning in other areas of the curriculum. The pupils have a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

limited understanding of the part information and communication technology plays in their lives and in the wider world. Their understanding of electronic mail is weak. Pupils have been provided with opportunities to program a screen turtle but their ability to explain the process or to use an appropriate technical vocabulary across many elements of the subject is limited. The quality of provision that pupils are receiving in Year 2 at the present time is satisfactory but evidence suggests that over time provision across the key stage has not been consistently at this level and this has impacted negatively on pupils’ learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. At the end of Key Stage 2, the attainment levels of the pupils remain below the expected level. When pupils use the computer suite, it has a positive impact on their learning and on their interest and enthusiasm. During the inspection, however, there were many times when the suite was not being used. Classes have a time-tabled lesson when they are directly taught the necessary skills in an appropriate manner to help them become more proficient computer users. However, there are many opportunities missed for pupils to use computers to carry out research, to present their work in different formats and to support their learning in all areas of the curriculum. These missed opportunities have a negative impact on pupils’ learning. Evidence indicates that pupils have used a database and have used a program to help design a bedroom. The work is of a satisfactory standard. Although pupils have used computers to carry out research tasks in subjects, such as history and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

geography, the information tends to be printed straight from the source. This means that opportunities to enhance pupils’ literacy skills by emphasising and teaching specific note-taking skills are missed. Pupils use computers appropriately to type up their written work, but not enough use is made of computers to edit and draft work. Pupils have too few opportunities to use electronic mail and show limited awareness of how information and communication technology can monitor and control change through simple programming, or how to use sensor equipment as part of their studies.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. When provided with opportunities to use computers, pupils do so with great enthusiasm and with good levels of concentration. They behave well and are ready to give a helping hand to others who might be struggling. Pupils are keen to explore the potential of computers and to find things out. The quality of teaching seen during the inspection was satisfactory and has a positive impact on the quality of pupils’ learning. When lessons are held in the computer suite, teachers use the opportunity to directly teach specific computer skills, such as locating certain keys and then explaining their uses. Sufficient time is then provided for pupils to practise and consolidate their learning. Occasionally, the noise level is too high and the teacher has to stop the lesson to make sure that a pertinent teaching point is heard. This is due to pupils’ exuberance and excitement rather than poor behaviour.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. The school benefits from the support provided by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic classroom assistant. He supports lessons well and uses his technical knowledge to enhance pupils’ learning and to deal with any problems that arise. However, the satisfactory level of teaching that is now prevalent has not been evident over a longer period of time. Pupils have not benefited from a programme of teaching where all the necessary skills and knowledge have been taught in a rigorous manner over time. Evidence indicates that pupils’ previous learning has not always been built on and developed. This is directly linked to the fact that not all teachers possess the knowledge, confidence or expertise to push on pupils’ learning at an appropriate rate. Over time, teaching and pupils’ learning have been unsatisfactory. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 51 114. The school is fully aware of the deficiencies and the co-ordinator has drawn up an

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

effective action plan. Plans are already at an advanced stage and, from Autumn 2001, the deputy headteacher is to be released from class teaching duties to, among other duties, work with groups of targeted pupils from Years 5 and 6 to help raise standards. The school is currently following national guidelines for teaching and learning in the subject, although the recency of this means that there has not yet been enough time to have the biggest possible impact on raising standards. An extensive programme of staff training has already been planned which is specifically aimed at increasing teachers’ knowledge and capitalising on the opportunities to use computers to enhance pupils’ learning across all areas of the curriculum. These initiatives, together with the school’s proposed procedures to more rigorously monitor the quality of teaching and learning across the school, indicate that, if successfully

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

implemented and followed, the school should be well placed to improve standards.

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MUSIC

115. There has been an improvement in standards in this subject since the last inspection. By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment is above national expectations, and pupils of all abilities make good progress. This is due to the many and varied opportunities for pupils to take part in musical productions which have a very positive impact on their performance skills. The co-ordinator is a music specialist and gives the subject a high profile in the school. However, her expertise and good teaching skills are insufficiently used to influence all teaching in Key Stage 2 and to raise standards further. 116. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have a good sense of rhythm and pitch. They know the difference between a sharp and flat note and recognise beat and rhythm in musical compositions. Through the many good opportunities they have to play both tuned and untuned instruments, pupils put together a sequence of sounds and

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MUSIC

rhythm based on someone’s name. They practise to improve and refine their composition and, working in small groups, they take turns at being the group leader. Pupils know the different sounds made by the instruments, have well-developed skills of evaluation, and understand the need to record their compositions. They are developing their understanding and use of musical vocabulary, such as pitch, tempo, volume and duration. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils talk perceptively about their favourite music, giving clear reasons for their choice. Year 6 pupils, when discussing how they had composed their own music using both tuned and untuned instruments, describe how they had refined their compositions to reflect mood and feelings. When listening to recorded music based on “Central Park”, pupils are able to evaluate the different phases and give reasons for their likes and dislikes.

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MUSIC

117. The majority of pupils sing tunefully, and this is particularly enhanced by the performance of the school choir, which has a wide repertoire of songs that it performs unaccompanied. The younger pupils maintain their parts well, and are very enthusiastic. A number of pupils play wind instruments that accompany some choir performances. Pupils’ accomplishments are well supported by the school’s good range of extra-curricular activities. There are opportunities for pupils to learn to play musical instruments and receive tuition from a peripatetic music teacher. The school choir has performed in regional concerts and the school has regularly performed musical shows in the school, for example, “The Wizard of OZ”. A notable feature of such productions is the large number of pupils that take part. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 52 118. Overall, the quality of teaching is good, but varies between teachers. For example, in

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MUSIC

Year 2 where the teacher has a very high level of expertise in music, the teaching is excellent. There are very high expectations of pupils’ achievements, participation and behaviour and, as a result, pupils’ attainment is above national expectations at the end of the key stage. In a lesson seen during the inspection, the lesson organisation incorporated aspects of composition, performing and appraisal. The pupils responded very well to the challenge and the teacher’s high expectations were fully realised. However, these high expectations are not consistent across the school and, because there is no monitoring of teaching or sharing of good practice between teachers, the quality of teaching varies.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. Pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages is in line with national expectations and standards are similar to those at the time of the last inspection. All pupils in both key stages, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Pupils continue to have access to a good range of extra-curricular activities that include gymnastics, netball, football, rounders and athletics. This provision has a good impact on the standards achieved in gymnastics, which is a particular strength of the school. There are good opportunities for the pupils to compete against local schools, and all pupils have experience of outdoor and adventurous activities at some stage.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. By the end of Key Stage 1 most pupils show that they have improved their co- ordination, their ability to listen, and to act on the teacher’s instructions. They listen, understand what is being asked of them and, as a result, are able to find a space in the hall to work in safely. They move around safely and purposefully, make good use of space and know the importance of warm-up activities. In gymnastics, for example in floor exercises, pupils show they have developed good control. They design a series of movements using different parts of the body. The majority of pupils refine their movements by practising and, at the end of lessons, they enjoy watching the performances of other pupils. They are beginning to evaluate their own activities but, overall, they do not have enough opportunities to appraise their own work and that of others.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ ball skills have improved and the majority are competent at throwing and catching. Standards are satisfactory. The majority of pupils have made good progress in working co-operatively in pairs and in small groups and, as a result, they are able to sensibly select members for teams. In gymnastics, pupils perform a number of floor exercises fluently showing good control. Higher attaining pupils vary the speed and direction of movement in their sequencing, and have made progress in their ability to analyse other pupils’ performances and to suggest ways of improvement. All pupils have opportunities to learn to swim and the school reports that practically all pupils can swim competently by the time they leave school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. The quality of teaching is satisfactory at both key stages. During the inspection, some good teaching was seen, especially at Key Stage 1. In these lessons, pupils who are showing good work are used effectively to demonstrate their techniques to other pupils, and this allows pupils to improve their skills. In this key stage, the management of the pupils’ behaviour is very good, especially in the Year 2 class, where the teacher gives pupils clear instructions. As a result, they all listen well, know what is expected of them and respond enthusiastically to the challenges set. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - 53 Teaching at Key Stage 2 is satisfactory overall. Teachers use warm-up exercises at the beginning of lessons but these are not rigorous enough. For example, in a hockey lesson, there were no stretching exercises, and not all pupils know why it is important to exercise before taking part in a sporting activity. In some instances, insufficient

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

attention is given to analysing performance and suggesting how improvements might be brought about. Good practice, as displayed by the higher attaining pupils, is insufficiently recognised or used as demonstration. In addition, the activities planned are not sufficiently challenging for pupils and do not extend their skills. Teachers have varying amounts of experience and expertise in teaching the subject, and there is no monitoring of teaching or sharing of good practice to improve teachers’ skills. Overall, good attention is given to safety, particularly when games equipment is used and pupils respond accordingly. Pupils have a good attitude to the subject and enjoy their activities.

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