St Andrew's CofE (Aided) Primary School

ST ANDREW’S C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 th – 10 th July 2002

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ST ANDREW’S C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST ANDREW’S C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Monmouth Street Hove East Sussex Postcode: BN3 3YT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs R Mattacks

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 4

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Team members

21854 Dr C Lee Registered inspector 9799 Ms S Smith Lay inspector 2521 Ms S Killman Team inspector 21313 Mr H Galley Team inspector

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Team members

Bench Marque Ltd National Westminster Bank Chambers Victoria Street Burnham-on-Sea Somerset TA8 1AN

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Andrew’s C of E Primary School is larger than the average primary school with 433 boys and girls in reception to Year 6. Comparatively few pupils join or leave the school other than at the start or end of a school year. Pupils are from a range of backgrounds and from many ethnic groups. Twenty different first languages are spoken by pupils at the school and extra support is given to the 20 pupils who are at an early stage of learning English. The main first languages of these supported pupils are Arabic, Farsi and Mandarin. Sixteen per cent of pupils currently have free school meals and this is slightly below average. Thirty-four per cent of pupils are identified as having special educational needs, a proportion that is above the national average. There is a range of needs, including physical disabilities, emotional and behavioural difficulties and complex speech and language difficulties. The proportion of pupils with a statement of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

special educational needs is in line with the national average. Children’s attainment on entry to reception is broadly in line with expectations but weaker in communication and language skills and mathematical development while personal, social and emotional development are slightly above expectations. The designation of Beacon School status is the latest in a series of awards to the school that have included two School Achievement Awards, the Quality Mark from the Basic Skills Agency, Eco School status and accreditation for Effective Early Learning.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with some excellent features. It serves its pupils and the community of which it is such an important part very well indeed. Pupils of all abilities achieve well in relation to their past attainment and reach standards in English, mathematics and science that are well above national averages by the time pupils reach the end of Year 6. This good achievement is due to consistently good teaching and a rich curriculum. All adults show high levels of care and concern for pupils’ welfare. The excellent leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff play a central role in the school’s success, as does the strong sense of teamwork between governors, teachers, learning support staff and non-teaching staff. Together they ensure that the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average by the end of Year 6 • Pupils’ personal development is excellent • Good teaching enables pupils to achieve well, and sometimes very well, in relation to their prior attainment • The overall quality and range of opportunities for pupils’ learning and personal development are very good • The headteacher and key staff provide excellent leadership and management of the school

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What could be improved

There are no significant areas for the school to address

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in June 1997. All of the action points for improvement highlighted by that inspection have been resolved successfully. The limitations in the curriculum have been overcome and documentation is now in place to support long-term planning of all subjects. Lesson planning identifies precisely what pupils are to learn in each lesson and how that learning is to be assessed. Previous shortcomings in the procedures for assessment have been rectified very successfully and all planning is now guided by information from assessment. There is thorough monitoring and evaluation of all aspects of the school’s work, including the quality of teaching and pupils’ standards. There are clear roles and responsibilities for all staff in managerial posts and, together with governors, they use detailed St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 7 monitoring and self-evaluation very successfully to identify priority areas for development. The last

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

inspection’s concerns about limited accommodation remain but will be resolved by the new school that is planned. The fact that many of the issues raised by the last inspection have been addressed with a rigour that now makes them significant strengths of the school means that the school has achieved very good improvement since the last inspection. Inspectors are confident about the school’s capacity for further improvement as a result of the excellent shared commitment to succeed that is demonstrated by the staff.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

One of the school’s most significant strengths is its success at achieving consistently high results in the national tests and similarly high standards in pupils’ work in lessons by the time they reach the end of Year 6. As pupils move from class to class there is a progressive increase in achievement that ensures that no pupil fails to reach potential and that, through very well-targeted support for any pupils with specific learning difficulties, such difficulties are overcome. Current Year 6 pupils demonstrate this well and, with 39 per cent of the year group having some form of special educational need, the recently- announced results of their performance in the 2002 national tests represent exceptional levels of achievement. The results show the percentages gaining the expected Level 4 to be as high as in the past in mathematics and science and only slightly lower in English. The very challenging targets that

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Key

had been set were exceeded in science and mathematics but not achieved in English. Inspection judgements confirm that Year 6 pupils’ work in English, mathematics and science is well above average overall and that the standard of pupils’ writing across the curriculum as a whole is higher than the level achieved in the 2002 national writing test. Standards in art and design and information and communication technology are above expected levels by the end of Year 6.

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Key

By the end of Year 2, standards reflect good progress since the end of the reception year. The inspection judges standards to be average in English overall, above average in mathematics and average in science. Results in the 2002 national tests reflect these judgements. The results are slightly lower in English than in 2001 but 29 per cent of the current Year 2 group have special educational needs and 13 per cent have English as an additional language. Most of those with special educational needs have learning difficulties related to literacy. Standards in art and design and information and communication technology also exceed expectations.

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Key

On entry to reception, children’s attainment matches overall expectations of four-year-olds. Their personal, social and emotional development is slightly above expectations but there are weaknesses in their communication, language and literacy skills and in mathematical development. Good teaching helps children to catch up and, by the end of the year, most have achieved the ‘early learning goals’ established for the end of the Foundation Stage and personal, social and emotional development continues to be above expectations. Levels of attainment on entry are declining over time.

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Key

Different groups of pupils are making at least good progress in relation to their prior attainment. Those with English as an additional language are supported very well and this helps them to make very good St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 8 progress in a comparatively short period of time. The specific learning difficulties of pupils with special educational needs are gradually overcome, again as a result of very good support, and their progress is good. Higher attaining pupils are challenged well by their work at all ages and the percentages achieving higher-than-expected levels for their age gradually increase with time.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ very good attitudes are reflected in their obvious enthusiasm for the school and the work they do.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good overall in lessons, around the school and during recreation.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent relationships exist among pupils and between pupils and staff, contributing to pupils’ excellent overall personal development. There is a very high quality of racial harmony among pupils. Those pupils with specific responsibilities carry them out very conscientiously and pupils of all ages are quick to show initiative.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Attendance figures are above national averages while unauthorised absence is below average.

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

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

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

There is a consistency of good teaching throughout the school although the overall quality in Year 6 is particularly high and, by subjects, English and especially mathematics are taught very well in all years. Very good implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies is having a very good impact on pupils’ learning of literacy and numeracy skills. These skills are additionally used and extended well through work in other subjects.

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

Teaching is matched well to the needs of different groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. These groups make good and very good progress respectively. Provision for higher attaining pupils is also good and the challenging learning activities that are planned for such pupils enable them to achieve very high standards. Good teaching of the basic skills of most subjects prepares pupils well for their future learning. All teachers assess very thoroughly what pupils have learned on a day-to-day basis and at the ends of units of work. The information from assessment is used very well for setting targets for individual pupils and for planning the next stage in their learning. In all years, pupils work hard to achieve their targets and show good acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding. Pupils maintain good levels of concentration and

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the The breadth and balance of learning opportunities are good at the St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 9 curriculum Foundation Stage and for Years 1 and 2 and very good for Years 3 to 6. For all pupils the curriculum is enhanced well by educational visits and a good number of visitors who make valuable contributions to lessons. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is very good overall and the Code of Practice is implemented fully. There is early identification, good liaison with parents and regular review of pupils’ progress towards the targets that are set for them.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good provision that meets individual pupils’ needs very successfully.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall with strong emphasis on and very good provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development that encourages respect for others and promotes all aspects of development very successfully.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides very good support and guidance and attends well to all aspects of pupils’ welfare. This includes good procedures for child protection. There is very good monitoring of all aspects of pupils’ development, especially through detailed assessment of their learning. The information from assessment is used very practically and successfully to guide curriculum planning and for setting targets for pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Parents play a very important role in the life of the school and a strong partnership exists. The school works hard to promote links, providing a very good variety of information and involving parents very well in their children’s education

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide outstanding leadership and receive excellent support from subject and other co- ordinators.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its responsibilities very well and provides very constructive guidance. Governors have a very clear vision of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good self-evaluation procedures and analysis of relevant data enable the school to identify priorities, set itself targets and pursue effective courses of action for future improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good use of physical and human resources and very efficient management of the limited finances available.

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Aspect Comment

The school applies the principles of best value very well through very appropriate use of challenge, comparison, consultation and competition. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 11

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school • Children’s good progress • Children’s good behaviour • The good standard of teaching • How the school deals with their questions or problems • The school has high expectations of its pupils • The way the school works closely with parents • The good leadership and management • Children are being helped to become mature and responsible • The information provided about their children’s progress • The homework set • The range of activities outside lessons

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors endorse all the positive views of parents and, in the inspection team’s judgement, parental concerns are unfounded. The type and amount of homework set for pupils are suitable and consistent with the school’s policy. The school provides both good information about pupils’ progress and a good range of opportunities for consultation with teachers. The range of activities that supplement the curriculum is extensive and the clubs and activities outside lesson time are similar in number to that provided in most primary schools. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 12

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Year 6

1. The standards that Year 6 pupils achieve in lessons are for the most part reflected in their results in National Curriculum tests. The one exception is the quality of writing which, when scrutinised in the broader context of pupils’ work in other subjects, is better than test results would suggest. The school has invested heavily in both teacher training and resources in order to improve writing standards and these are having a good impact on the overall quality of writing.

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Year 6

2. The national tests of 2001 are the latest for which there are national comparisons. The school’s results were well above the national averages in English, mathematics and science. When compared with schools that are similar in terms of the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, the results were again well above average. More significantly, if the similar context is interpreted as schools where Year 6 pupils had similar results four years ago when these pupils took the national tests at the end of Year 2, results in all tests were again well above average. This indicates that pupils have made much more progress between Years 3 and 6 than pupils of similar prior attainment in other schools.

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Year 6

3. National results in the 2002 tests are not yet available but current Year 6 pupils have maintained the high overall standards. Slightly fewer pupils have gained the higher- than-expected Level 5 in English and mathematics but more pupils have gained this higher level in science. However, these results are exceptional insofar as 39 per cent of pupils in the year group have special educational needs that, in the case of all except two pupils, are related to specific learning difficulties. The success with which these difficulties are overcome by the end of Year 6 is due to the very high quality of teaching in the two Year 6 classes and the similarly very good support that the special educational needs teacher and assistants provide. This support is very well managed and ensures that individual pupils’ specific needs are addressed thoroughly and very successfully. These pupils, like all others, are very highly motivated by the short-term

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Year 6

targets that are set for them. A high quality of provision also exists for pupils with English as an additional language and this has good impact on standards and achievement. Very good support by the specialist staff has the effect of enabling these pupils to make very good progress and achieve test results that, overall, match those of their peers.

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Year 6

4. Lesson observations and scrutiny of the work of Year 6 pupils this year reflect their teachers’ very good implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and also the many opportunities that pupils have for using speaking, listening and writing skills in other subjects. In all lessons, teachers make very good use of questioning and pupils consider responses carefully so that, when they answer, they do so clearly and confidently. This deliberation was evident in all lessons seen during the inspection, for example the extended answers given in a lively, challenging lesson on the use of imagery in poetry. Very good use of technical vocabulary was evident when pupils answered questions and explained their reasoning in a scientific investigation to find out if changes are reversible or irreversible when different substances are combined. The maturity of pupils’ speaking and listening that was evident in these lessons reflected

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Year 6

their positive attitudes and very good attention to teachers and to one another. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 13 5. Pupils’ writing demonstrates very good understanding of different writing techniques and use of a rich and broad vocabulary. Pupils are able to write often very lengthy pieces of work while successfully retaining the reader's interest, for example some fascinating autobiographies that were the product of extensive research and very good organisation of information. Pupils’ book reviews provide thoughtful, lively summaries of plots that are compared constructively with the same and other authors’ work. Many pupils create powerful imagery through their use of a broad vocabulary in their poetry. The many opportunities for writing in other subjects enable pupils to apply and extend their literacy skills and the variety of such opportunities develops in pupils a confidence and enjoyment of writing. This is reflected in the imaginative explanations of ‘Why the

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Year 6

leaning Tower of Pisa leans’. Other work reflects good understanding of the power of words when they are used selectively, as in pupils’ advertising ‘flyers’ for the school and in the very high standard of multi-media presentations that integrate English, geography and information and communication technology so successfully.

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Year 6

6. Year 6 pupils’ levels of mathematical knowledge and understanding are well above average overall. Their work shows successful attainment, by over 90 per cent of pupils, of all the objectives set for the age group by the National Numeracy Strategy and many are working confidently at the work that has been developed to aid the transition between Year 6 and the first year of secondary education. Excellent teaching of strategies to identify pairs of two-digit numbers that can be multiplied together to produce a given total resulted in pupils demonstrating successfully their very good understanding of how to apply knowledge of the principles of multiplication. The clarity of pupils’ explanations confirmed this understanding. They also use information and communication technology very competently as a tool to support their work in mathematics. When working out how data could be represented by different-sized

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Year 6

segments of a circle (a pie chart), they showed very good understanding and technical skill when calculating exactly how many degrees should be measured with protractors. The finished chart was quickly produced by selecting an appropriate computer program and rapid entry of data.

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Year 6

7. Pupils’ work in science reflects high standards and a very good breadth of knowledge. They have an excellent understanding of basic principles of scientific investigation and explain how results can only be considered to be valid if these principles are followed with precision. They use scientific vocabulary consistently, as they are expected to by their teachers. Thus, in one lesson, the changes that occurred when substances were combined were referred to as a reversible or irreversible change. The standards being achieved across the subject as a whole are indicated by the 2002 national test results in which 60 per cent of pupils gained the higher-than-expected Level 5.

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Year 6

8. The well above average standards of Year 6 pupils in English, mathematics and science are the culmination of the consistently good teaching throughout the school that is built on so successfully by the excellent and very good teaching in Year 6 itself. The effectiveness of teaching in other years, and the standards being achieved by pupils in those years, are discussed in a later section of this report.

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent

9. As a result of the school’s very good provision for pupils’ personal development and the high priority placed on the development of positive attitudes, good behaviour and the acceptance of personal responsibility, pupils’ response is excellent. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 14 10. Within a broad ethos that actively promotes a sense of family and community, pupils are valued as vital contributors to the smooth running and overall success of the school. The overwhelming view of parents that their children enjoy school is evident at all ages. The confidence and happiness of reception children is testament to the success with which the reception teacher and support staff have helped children to settle quickly into school routines. The children are helped by the attitude of older pupils who actively look out for them during recreation periods.

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent

11. Two features of lessons throughout the school that contribute to good levels of learning are the positive attitudes that pupils show and their very good behaviour. The desire to learn and the respect shown for teachers result in no wastage of time, very quick settling down to work and smooth transitions from one phase of a lesson to the next. These responses are encouraged and praised by teachers, all of whom communicate very clear expectations of how life should be in classrooms. This is one of many contributions to the excellent relationships that exist between pupils and staff. The boundaries of acceptable behaviour are clearly established by both the school policy and all teachers’ very effective management of behaviour. Outside the classroom, pupils’ behaviour is very good. At lunchtimes, pupils frequently work independently around the school and do so knowing that a high level of trust is placed on them by

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent

12. A very impressive feature of pupils’ personal development is the extent to which they show initiative and carry out any responsibilities that they are given. This is initiated from the start of their life in school when children in reception classes, as in other classes, are given a range of responsibilities within the classroom. The expectation that pupils contribute to the smooth running of the school is extended to a wider context once pupils are in Year 2. Here they are given specific responsibilities such as preparing the hall for collective worship and organising playground equipment at lunchtimes. Year 5 pupils have the specific responsibility of maintaining the tidiness of the school library. By the time pupils are in Year 6 they are ready for the wide range of responsibilities that they are given. For example, these include various roles in daily worship, monitoring resources for subject co-ordinators, recycling of waste materials,

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent

organising lunch box trolleys and ensuring that the computer suite is ready for use at the start of each day. Pairs of Year 6 pupils are attached to reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes for the first thirty minutes of each afternoon. Roles vary, for example they may prepare resources for the teacher or supervise pupils’ drinks. In all classes they show interest in what younger pupils are doing, offer help if appropriate and carry out their duties very conscientiously.

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent

13. Beyond the wide range of responsibilities as a monitor, pupils’ sense of responsibility and community involvement is promoted very successfully through three whole-school organisations. The school council has elected representatives from each class. It meets each half term and is recognised and welcomed by all pupils as an important opportunity for views to be expressed. It has a good record of achieving change, for example in relation to extending extra-curricular activities, securing play equipment for use at lunchtimes and getting a homework club established.

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent

14. The school has recently had its status as an Eco school re-assessed successfully. The Eco committee of pupil representatives from Years 2 to 6, parents, governors, teaching and non-teaching staff has a very strong commitment to environmental education and awareness. Its influence on the life of the school is considerable and this is particularly evident in the areas of recycling of materials and energy conservation. The enthusiastic and knowledgeable monitoring by pupil members of the caretaker’s water and electricity meter readings has resulted in all water taps being changed to St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 15 push-type, controlled supply. Nominated pupils have the responsibility of ensuring that all computers are switched off at the end of morning and afternoon school. Pupil members of the committee are inspired by the guidance that they receive from the teacher co-ordinator. This has resulted in the pupils’ high level of commitment and the

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent

importance that they place on using opportunities such as their own notice board and input to school assemblies as means of developing whole-school awareness. The current Year 6 members have a strong motivation to establishing a similar committee at the secondary school to which they are transferring.

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Pupils’ personal development is excellent

15. Enhancement of the school environment is the declared aim and successful achievement of the school gardening club. Currently a particular interest of Year 5 pupils, with the knowledgeable guidance of a teacher these pupils work enthusiastically at their horticultural activities. The attractive flower boxes alongside external pathways and the school garden are both the product of these pupils’ interest and a resource for learning opportunities in, for example, science and art and design, that are of benefit to the whole school. This club, like the school council and the Eco committee, is a clear statement by the school that initiative is encouraged and pupils know that, through these opportunities, their suggestions for improving the school will be considered and wherever possible be acted upon.

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their prior attainment

16. The good academic standards and excellent personal development achieved by pupils are the result of the consistently good quality of the teaching and support staff. Good teaching is the norm and, during the inspection, 82 per cent of teaching was good or better and no teaching was unsatisfactory. All teachers possess a wide range of strengths that enable pupils to achieve good levels of learning. As a consequence, pupils are often achieving more than could reasonably be expected in relation to what they have achieved in the past. This is shown by comparing assessments of pupils’ attainment at the beginning and end of key stages in their education.

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their prior attainment

17. Children enter the reception classes with attainment that, although average overall, has specific weaknesses in the areas of communication, language and literacy skills and mathematical development. The good attention to skill development in these areas, with imaginative learning activities that focus on aspects in which children are comparatively weak, inspire children, develop their confidence and enable them to make good progress. By the end of the reception year, nearly all children have reached the early learning goals that are the levels that children should be at before moving into Year 1.

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their prior attainment

18. In Years 1 and 2 the good progress is maintained. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests in reading, writing and mathematics is consistently above the results in other schools. In 2001, results were above the national average in reading and writing and well above average in mathematics. Compared with similar schools, results in both reading and mathematics were well above average while writing was above average. Standards in science, as assessed by the teachers, were average. The recently completed 2002 tests show a slight fall in reading and writing, a slight rise in science and a good rise in mathematics. These latter results reflect three key factors. The percentages of pupils with special educational needs (29 per cent) or with English as an additional language (13 per cent) are higher than in 2001 and this accounts for slightly lower results in reading and writing. In contrast, the

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their prior attainment

exceptionally high quality of teaching of mathematics has enabled all pupils to make very good progress. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 16 19. Mathematics teaching is a notable strength of the school and its foundation is the excellence of the work of the subject co-ordinator. Although a Year 2 teacher and co- ordinator of Years 1 and 2, her influence is substantial throughout the school. As the subject co-ordinator, her analysis of the data on pupils’ performance in annual tests and evaluation of all ongoing assessment of pupils’ learning leads to very accurate diagnosis of areas to be addressed. The action taken to rectify comparative weaknesses is established for all year groups and teachers are guided successfully through the training that the co-ordinator provides. Overriding this very effective subject leadership is the excellence of the co-ordinator’s own teaching from which Year 2 pupils gain maximum benefit. As a consequence, while inspection judgements are of

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their prior attainment

standards at the end of Year 2 being average overall in English and science, they are above average in mathematics.

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their prior attainment

20. Pupils’ good progress is maintained throughout Years 3 to 5 and accelerates in Year 6. This is again a reflection of the quality of teaching. In all these year groups, pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress and pupils with special educational needs make at least good progress. These rates of progress are due to the high quality of support for these groups of pupils, the excellent liaison between class teachers and support teachers and staff and the success with which target setting is used to guide pupils’ learning. The latter is a strategy that is used very successfully to motivate all pupils’ learning. Class teachers have more input to the planning of work outside the classroom for pupils with English as an additional language than they do for the pupils with special educational needs and these differences are an aspect of provision that are due for review.

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their prior attainment

21. Throughout the school, good teaching is based on common strengths. These include the consistency and good effectiveness of behaviour management, the good attention to the teaching of basic skills and the very good co-operation between teachers when planning and evaluating lessons. All lesson planning is thorough and the statement in all plans of what pupils are to learn in a lesson is clear and precise. This is an improvement on planning at the time of the last inspection. In all lessons, the learning ‘objectives’ are reinforced by being displayed on the board or wall. Teachers’ constant references during lessons, encouraging pupils to ‘remember the objective’, enable pupils to gain a very good knowledge of their own learning. This knowledge is consolidated further by very good marking that informs pupils of their successes and also how their work can be improved. This marking and the informal feedback provided

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their prior attainment

during lessons establish clearly the targets that pupils should work towards in the short term. Longer-term targets are also well established and often displayed inside the front cover of pupils’ books. There are good systems for informing parents of the specific targets to be achieved by pupils.

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their prior attainment

22. In all lessons the work planned for pupils is matched very carefully to the specific needs of individuals or groups of pupils. This enables all pupils to make maximum progress in their learning as they are working at a level that is right for them. At the same time, teachers always plan work that will extend learning as much as possible in a lesson and pupils know that their completion of one task will lead to provision of another activity that will help their learning even further. Pupils respond to this very well and apply very good effort, working with good concentration and producing a good volume of work. All good or better lessons proceed at a brisk pace and have a constant element of challenge that reflects teachers’ high expectations. Challenging questioning is a common characteristic of all teachers, and pupils are constantly being encouraged to explain their reasons for answers to questions or choice of working methods.

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their prior attainment

St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 17 23. Teachers carry out good, continuous assessment of pupils’ learning and, within lessons, make excellent use of pupils’ ideas to guide the next stage in learning, This was evident in a Year 4 science lesson that constantly used pupils’ ideas on what might happen when different solids were added to water. By encouraging prediction and by building successfully on each pupil’s ideas, whether right or wrong, the teacher was able to very skilfully guide pupils to learning the key points that the teacher wanted to establish in the lesson. The valuing of all pupils’ contributions to lessons was evident in a Year 2 mathematics lesson when pupils were asked to calculate a sum mentally and whisper the answer to their partners. The teacher then recorded all the answers that had been whispered before using the computer to demonstrate the correct calculation. This gave all pupils the confidence to ‘have a go’ and quickly get to a point

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their prior attainment

where they understood the strategy and were consistently correct. These methods establish very successfully what has been learned and ensure a smooth transition to the next stage in learning as a result of the continuous assessment of pupils’ progress. An additional form of assessment that is also being encouraged by teachers in Year 6 is self-assessment by pupils. Written statements about the extent to which targets have been achieved provide valuable information for pupils and teachers alike. The success of this work in literacy is to be extended into numeracy and information and communication technology. The use of varied forms of assessment to guide planning of pupils’ learning has improved considerably since the last inspection.

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development are very good

24. Detailed long- and medium-term planning of each subject provides a very good foundation for pupils’ learning, ensuring that it is broad, balanced and systematically building on what is learned at each stage. By teachers checking that all time allocated to the teaching of each subject is used with maximum efficiency, the range of learning opportunities provided for pupils has been broadened in order that all aspects of pupils’ development are fully catered for. This has enabled a weakness at the time of the last inspection to be fully eradicated.

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development are very good

25. Pupils’ learning in the individual subjects of the curriculum is developed very successfully by the provision of a broad range of experiences. These extend their knowledge and understanding through first-hand practical experience and instruction by personnel with high levels of expertise. This is partially achieved by the regular flow of visitors and use of educational visits but also by the timetabling of specific weeks during the year when the whole school focuses on a particular subject. One objective of such a week is to enable pupils to experience learning activities that would not normally be part of the long-term planning of a subject. For example, during a Languages Week, pupils of all ages were able to work with the many parents and other visitors who demonstrated aspects of their language and culture through art, storytelling and dance and gave talks about dress and food. Book Weeks and a Mathematics Week have also

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development are very good

been organised for a whole-school focus on specific aspects of pupils’ learning. The learning opportunities that such weeks provide, combining practical activity, workshops and performance, are a significant enrichment of the statutory curriculum that develops very significantly the breadth and depth of pupils’ learning.

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development are very good

26. Within all year groups, educational visits are planned as significant opportunities for first-hand experiences that will have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. These visits occur both locally and further afield. For example, for study of housing and architecture, the local environment and museum are important resources while London’s Science and British Museums are visited for their contribution to related subjects. A visit to St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 18 Gatwick Airport enhances Year 2 pupils’ studies of transport while Year 6 pupils’ physical education is extended through dance workshops.

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development are very good

27. A very significant development within the school curriculum has been the progress made in the last two years in improving pupils’ learning in information and communication technology. The range of this learning is planned in detail in two ways. Firstly through a detailed progression in the skills, knowledge and understanding that are to be acquired in lessons on computing and other forms of information and communication technology. Secondly, the ways in which computers in particular are used as a tool to help pupils’ learning in other subjects is also planned in detail. The establishment of this thorough planning, combined with good levels of knowledge being acquired by all teachers through recent training, has had significant impact on the quality of learning opportunities provided for pupils. It has also had the additional effect of raising pupils’ standards to levels that exceed expectations at all ages.

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development are very good

28. The school arranges several residential visits that serve to extend learning opportunities for pupils. Year 4 pupils visit an activity centre, Year 5 go to the Isle of Wight and Year 6 travel to France. Pupils’ learning in subjects such as physical education, geography, history and French is extended well by such opportunities and these experiences have significant impact on pupils’ personal development. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. There are, for example, many planned experiences that are intended to influence one or more of these aspects of pupils’ development. The awe and wonder that can arise from pupils’ experiences within the creative arts or scientific discovery are seen as deliberately-planned spiritual experiences. An additional, very strong focus on spirituality is present in the Christian ethos and faith that permeates all aspects of the school’s

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development are very good

work. The ever-present reminder that is very visible around the school and on all its communications is of a school that is ‘Learning together, praying together’. Daily service, whether led by staff, pupils or clergy, is an important sharing of a spiritual experience. The quality of this experience is especially high when service is led by the vicar of the school’s own church. His excellent relationships with pupils and enthusiasm for their responses and ideas enables pupils to enjoy and learn from the act of worship.

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development are very good

29. The school has equally effective procedures for providing for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development and the outcomes of some of these have already been referred to. Pupils recognise the importance of the procedures for promoting good behaviour. They respect the rewards and sanctions that operate. They also show interest and enthusiasm for the many cultures of pupils in the school. The school itself celebrates this cultural diversity and works hard at developing a strong sense of partnership with all parents and carers. A recent meeting to inform Arabic-speaking parents about the National Numeracy Strategy was held in Arabic.

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school

30. All teaching staff have areas of specific responsibility within the management structure of the school. The successful performance of roles and responsibilities by individual staff results from a combination of their own enthusiasm and expertise, the school’s very good policies and procedures and, above all else, from the outstanding example set by the headteacher. The clarity of her vision of the school’s aims and values is reflected in practical terms through the success with which these aims permeate the school’s work. She sets high standards for all members of the school community and St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 19 the resultant shared sense of purpose and commitment enables these high standards to be realised. Parents refer very positively to the headteacher’s ‘open door’ policy and they, like pupils and staff, are appreciative of the approachability that this encourages. The headteacher’s excellent leadership style aims very successfully for ongoing school

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school

improvement through purposeful direction, team spirit and respect for the views of pupils, parents and staff.

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school

31. The school also benefits from an excellent deputy headteacher who combines insightful support to the headteacher in matters of strategic planning, the highest standards of co-ordination in all his areas of responsibility and an exemplary model for colleagues through the very high quality of his classroom teaching. He and the headteacher are joined by the co-ordinators of Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2), Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) and special educational needs to form a very effective senior management team. These three co-ordinators carry out their specific roles and responsibilities with considerable expertise. This is indicative of the reasons for such dynamic and successful management systems within the school in that they are the product of individuals carrying out specific responsibilities very successfully while also being able to work with equal success in collaborative groupings.

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school

32. Subject co-ordinators are providing very good support through their thorough knowledge of performance in their respective subjects. This is achieved successfully by scrutiny of pupils' work and monitoring of teachers’ planning. Co-ordinators have clear action plans for developments of their subjects that are constantly being reviewed. Through interviews, the inspection has established the high levels of expertise and effectiveness of the co-ordination of the Foundation Stage, assessment, literacy, numeracy, science, information and communication technology, art and design and special educational needs. Through the evidence provided by other co-ordinators it is possible to judge that their leadership and management are of similarly high standards.

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school

33. The headteacher and chair of governors constantly encourage the governing body to take an active role in all forms of ongoing review. This has had a very positive response from governors and led to staff and governors working in close and successful partnership and to governors developing their collective managerial role very successfully. As a consequence, the governing body is a vital part of the school’s management structure, providing well-informed constructive guidance. At all levels, the school’s leadership and management achieve considerable success due to the detailed knowledge that all personnel have of every aspect of the school’s work, of the work and progress of individual pupils and of the priority placed on the highest quality relationships between pupils and staff. This achievement is personified by the headteacher’s very skilful leadership that has earned the obvious respect of all

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school

members of the school and the wider community.

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school

34. Under the headteacher’s leadership the school has developed very good procedures for monitoring and evaluating many aspects of its work. There is now a wide and very effective range of procedures for evaluating pupil and staff performance that is applied successfully by staff. These procedures identify relevant targets and predictors of future performance that enable resources and teaching to be focused on improvements in standards, both of pupils’ work and of the quality of teaching and subject co-ordination. Pupils’ standards are subject to constant evaluation, both by the pupils themselves through self-assessment of progress towards targets, and by senior management through analysis of pupils’ performance in the programme of regular testing. This thorough analysis by the headteacher and the literacy and numeracy co- ordinators is used to establish the results and progress being achieved by all groups of

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school

St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 20 pupils. The data is used very well to establish targets for development which, after discussion by all teachers, lead to appropriate action for improvement. In addition to test data, the manageable programme of regular assessment of pupils’ work in all subjects means that teachers have a very thorough knowledge of all areas of pupils’ learning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

35. There are no significant areas for the school to address.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

36. The school’s very good procedures for self-evaluation lead to correct identification of the priorities in school improvement. These are presented in appropriate detail in the school improvement plan. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 21

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 18

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 433

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 70

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 147

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 64

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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 18

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

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Attendance

School data 5.8 School data 0.6 St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 22 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 36 25 61

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 31 34 35 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 25

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (97) 92 (95) 98 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 31 33 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 22

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (94) 90 (90) 90 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 32 32 64

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 26 29 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 32 29 32

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

Percentage of pupils School 91 (88) 91 (84) 97 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 27 30 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 30 32

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

Percentage of pupils School 91 (75) 94 (84) 98 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 24

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 9 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 39 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16.88 Financial year 2001/2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 913,516

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 20 Total expenditure 907,246

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 364 Expenditure per pupil 2,086

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 41,931

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 48,201

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.8

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Andrew’s C of E Primary School - 25

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 49 47 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 53 44 3 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 52 15 3 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39 49 11 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 30 4 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 35 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 45 45 6 3 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 70 29 1 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 43 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 27 35 18 13 7

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