St Mary's Kilburn Church of England Primary School

ST MARY’S CE (AIDED) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 196139 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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ST MARY’S CE (AIDED) 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 Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Quex Road Kilburn London Postcode: NW6 4PG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: July 1997 St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 5

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

22453 Brian Gosling Registered inspector Mathematics Design and technology History Equal opportunities The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 19660 Deborah Pacquette 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? 16831 Marcia Ewart Team inspector Physical education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 30705 Graham Stephens Team inspector English Geography 22476 Sue Vale Team inspector Foundation Stage English as an additional language 21351 Peter Lewis Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Music 18283 Sandy Brown Team inspector Art and design Special educational needs

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Full Circle The Brow 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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 Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 6 WC2B 6SE St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 7

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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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Mary’s is a one form entry primary school with a nursery that is about the same size as most primary schools. There are 223 pupils: 117 boys and 106 girls. Approximately two thirds of the pupils come from minority ethnic families, predominantly black Caribbean and black African heritage, although some pupils have Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese backgrounds. More than half of the pupils have English as an additional language and just over a quarter of all pupils are at an early stage of English language acquisition. Over 30 languages are spoken by the pupils; the most common being Yoruba, French, Arabic and Bengali and more than one tenth of all pupils are refugees, mainly from Africa but also from Eastern Europe. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is well above average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is above average, whilst the proportion of pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need is well

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

above average. The most common special educational needs of pupils are specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, emotional and behavioural problems and speech and language difficulties.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school has established a more settled teaching staff that is working well as a team. In common with many schools, there has been a high turnover of teaching staff and the school has experienced difficulty in recruiting teachers. There are also a significant number of pupils who join the school after the nursery. These factors contribute to the substantial challenges faced by the school.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

When children first enter the school, their attainment is low in general and they make steady to good progress until they leave the school. The nursery was opened in 1998 and this has had a significant impact on the school. It has particularly improved the progress of pupils in reception, Year 1 and Year 2. However, those pupils currently in Years 3 to 6 (including those who took the Key Stage 1 national tests in 2001) did not have the opportunity to benefit from the nursery.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Mary’s Primary School is an effective and improving school. It is a very caring school that sees the difficulties its pupils face as challenges to be met, together. The headteacher has a clear understanding of what is needed and her very good leadership has established a strong and effective management team that is focused on improving teaching and learning, which is good across the school. Although this team has been in place for less than one year, its impact on raising standards of attainment and behaviour is clear. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Taking into account their attainment on entry, many pupils achieve very well by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6. • The headteacher’s leadership and commitment have established a very effective senior management team that is having a significant impact on teaching and learning, and this is raising standards. • Teaching is good throughout the school. • The good provision by the nursery and reception classes is making a positive contribution to pupils’ progress in the school. • Good and wide ranging provision is made for pupils with special educational needs. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 9 • The stimulating curriculum reflects the wide variety of cultural backgrounds of the pupils. • The school cares very well for its pupils and relationships are good throughout the school. The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school.

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What could be improved

• The school day is not organised well enough and there is insufficient balance between the subjects of the curriculum. • Standards in information and communication technology and physical education are not high enough. • The library is not good enough to effectively promote pupils’ learning skills. • Despite the school’s best efforts, too many parents bring their children to school late. 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 was last inspected in July 1997 and has made good improvement since then, as well as managing effectively a high level of pupil mobility and teacher turnover. The most significant improvement to the school has been the addition of a nursery class. The school has used this opportunity very well to develop pupils’ learning skills, particularly their personal and social skills, by the time they begin work on the National Curriculum in Year 1. The areas identified for improvement in the last inspection report have been addressed with commitment and enthusiasm. The planning of the curriculum is better and national guidance has been confidently amended to meet the particular needs of the pupils at the school. The needs of more able pupils are recognised through the introduction of a policy and more challenging work is provided for them. The success of this initiative is found in the fact that

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

almost a third of the pupils in Year 6 last year attained the higher Level 5 in English in the national tests in 2001. The school has perceptively focused its development on improving the quality of teaching and learning with the development of policies for teaching and learning, marking and homework. This work has benefited from the appointment last autumn of two new teachers who make a significant contribution to the senior management team as well as in their role of co-ordinators for literacy and numeracy. The school has also received good support from the local education authority. The commitment of the whole staff, who work well as a team, indicates that the school has a very good capacity to improve further.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

English D C C A well above average above average A B Mathematics C C E C average below average C D St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 10 Science D E E D well below average E

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schools

Although the results shown in the table are generally satisfactory when compared to similar schools, they are more impressive when important facts are taken into account. For example, more than half of this year group had special educational needs. When this proportion is reduced so that it is closer to the national average, the school’s results were close to the national average in mathematics and science and well above the national average in English. This begins to show more clearly how well the school does, particularly in English, despite the pupils’ many and varied learning difficulties. Indeed, almost a third of the pupils in Year 6 in 2001 attained a higher level in English than is expected nationally for pupils of their age. Standards are higher in English because that is where the school has placed the emphasis of its development programme. The trend in the school’s results is below the national trend, primarily because of the results in 2001. Standards in Key Stage 2

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schools

are not high enough in information and communication technology and physical education. Nevertheless, some pupils attain well in other subjects and all pupils sing together to a high standard.

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schools

The results at the end of Year 2 in 2001 were not high enough: well below average in reading and very low in writing and mathematics. (Very low indicates the results were in the lowest five per cent of schools.) Teacher assessments also showed very low attainment in science. It should be remembered that these pupils had not benefited from the nursery. Nevertheless, the school is not complacent. It freely accepts that the results are not high enough and is determined to raise standards. This is being achieved through the very capable, new teachers at the school and very good management that is focused on improving teaching and learning in the school. Standards in Key Stage 1 are now generally satisfactory, except in science and information and communication technology, and the work of the nursery is having a significant effect on preparing children for the work they do when they enter Year 1. Consequently, pupils generally achieve well in each key stage and,

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schools

considering their attainment when they start school, many pupils achieve very well.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Satisfactory. Pupils’ attitudes vary and sometimes they do not fully involve themselves in activities. However, the good organisation of most lessons promotes their active involvement.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory, overall. There are occasions when pupils’ behaviour is unsatisfactory, but the skilful management of pupils by teachers ensures that these occasions are infrequent.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. The school is committed to supporting the personal development of its pupils and helps them to become mature and responsible, developing good relationships in the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. However, too many pupils are brought to school late by their parents. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 11

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

More than half of the lessons seen, and all of the lessons in the nursery, were good or very good. Three-quarters of the lessons in Years 1 to 2, and just over half of the lessons in Years 3 to 6 were also good or very good. The reasons for this successful teaching are the high expectations that teachers have for pupils’ work and behaviour, and the effective way in which pupils’ behaviour is managed. Lessons are planned carefully, setting tasks that match the different learning needs of the pupils and most pupils complete the tasks that they are set. A few lessons were unsatisfactory and one lesson was poor. This occurs when pupils’ behaviour is not managed well, particularly in outdoor physical education lessons, pupils’ concentration lapses and they do not learn effectively.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well and this is improving because the school has reconsidered its use of the national strategies with the intention of more closely matching the work set to what pupils need to learn next. In this way, teachers carefully plan work for each pupil with particular attention to those pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language. As teachers are very aware, the pupils learn best when they are actively involved on tasks that provide them with a sense of achievement.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum There is a wide range of activities to motivate and engage pupils that reflects and celebrates the cultural diversity within the school. However, the appropriate focus on English and mathematics has led to an imbalance between the subjects of the National Curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The needs of these pupils are provided for well and they make good progress through the school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. More than a quarter of the pupils are at an early stage of learning English and the school places an appropriate priority on ensuring that these pupils are included in all aspects of the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The provision for pupils’ spiritual and moral development is good. The provision for pupils’ social and cultural development is very good and they understand the need for the school rules that the great majority adhere to, whilst celebrating the wide diversity of cultural backgrounds in the school and the wider community. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 12 How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. This is a very caring school that goes that extra mile to enable pupils to develop as mature and responsible people.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher’s leadership is very good because she has a clear vision of how the school needs to develop to meet the needs of the pupils. She has established a very effective senior management team in the last year and, together, their very good management of the school’s focus on improving teaching and learning is proving to be effective.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good and improving. The governing body is led well by a very committed and supportive chair of governors. They have a clear understanding of what the school is doing well and the areas that could be better, and they are well organised to develop their roles further.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school makes detailed evaluations of its performance to identify areas of weakness and governors join members of the staff in analysing test results.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. All resources, including personnel, are deployed well to benefit the pupils’ learning and funds for specific purposes are used effectively. The school applies the principles of best value well.

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Aspect Comment

There is a good number of both teaching and non-teaching staff who use the school’s satisfactory resources well. The accommodation is good and offers a range of opportunities to enhance pupils’ learning. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 13

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Only a small proportion of parents returned the questionnaire. These parents are most pleased that their children like school, behave well and are becoming mature and responsible. They also agree that the school is approachable. Although some parents were unable to express an opinion, parents also like the progress their children make and the standards they achieve. The good quality of the teaching, the amount of homework provided, the range of activities outside lessons and the leadership and management of the school also pleases them. They appreciate the close links with parents. There are no areas of significant concern for parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors are in general agreement with parents’ views of the school. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 14

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. All of the year groups currently in Key Stage 1 have benefited from the introduction of the nursery, which has made a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. When children start in the nursery, their attainment is well below average in comparison with that expected for three year olds. In the Foundation Stage, children make good progress overall and, by the time they enter Year 1, most children attain the Early Learning Goals 1 in physical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and in their personal, social and emotional development. Whilst children’s attainment does improve significantly in other areas of the curriculum during their time in the nursery and reception classes, they do not attain the Early Learning Goals in language and literacy, mathematics, and creative development. Overall children achieve well. The provision for children with special educational needs and for

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

children with English as an additional language is good, and these children also achieve well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The school’s results 2 in 2001 at the end of Key Stage 1 were well below the national average in reading and very low in writing and mathematics. (Very low indicates that the school’s results were in the lowest five per cent of schools.) These results compared a little better in reading to schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, but remained very low in writing and mathematics. However, this does not take full account of the very high proportion of pupils with English as an additional language. When this and the pupils’ low attainment on entry to the school are taken into full account, it is a mark of their achievement that almost three-quarters attain the nationally expected Level 2 3 in reading and mathematics, and over half of the pupils attain this level in writing and science. Unsurprisingly, few pupils attained Level 3 in the tests and teacher assessments for science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 On Early Learning Goals: QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of Early Learning Goals for children in the Foundation Stage of education. These outcomes are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the time they start the National Curriculum in Year 1 in six areas of learning: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; creative development; physical development; and personal social and emotional development. The Foundation Stage continues until pupils enter Year 1, when they begin Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 On the school’s results: An average points score provides schools with a single statistic with which to compare the overall grades attained by their pupils with the grades attained by pupils in other schools. At Key Stage 1, the National Curriculum levels of attainment are given a score. For example, in mathematics Level 1=9 points and Level 2=15 points, and so on. The average test score achieved by a school is calculated by adding up all the scores achieved by the pupils and then dividing by the number of pupils who took the test. These comparisons are the ones used in the figures printed in the summary of the report. When the percentage of pupils attaining a particular level is compared to that in other schools, this is stated clearly in the text.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 On Levels: The National Curriculum has been written on the basis that, by the end of Year 2, pupils are expected to attain Level 2 in all National Curriculum subjects. Those who achieve Level 3 are therefore attaining above nationally expected levels. It is a national expectation that all pupils should reach Level 4 by the end of Year 6. Pupils who reach Level 5 are therefore attaining above the nationally expected level for their age. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 15 3. At the end of Key Stage 2 in 2001, the school’s results were close to the national average in English but well below the average in maths and science. When compared to similar schools, however, the results were significantly better: well above average in English and close to the average in mathematics, although below average in science. Again, many pupils achieve well by the time they leave the school. Almost three-quarters attain the nationally expected Level 4 in English and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

science, and over half attain this level in mathematics. Few pupils attain the higher Level 5, except in English, and this is why the school’s overall results are generally below average in mathematics and science. The school gives priority to developing pupils’ language skills and this leads to better attainment in English than in mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Although the trend in the school’s results is below the national trend, the results vary and are sometimes higher in recent years. The school maintains very detailed records of pupils’ attainment and progress and these show that results in the national tests are generally linked to the proportion of pupils in Year 6 with learning difficulties. For example, in 2001 more than half of the pupils who took the tests were on the higher stages of the register of pupils with special educational needs. To gain a more accurate comparison with other schools, the school has analysed the test results at the end of Key Stage 2 after removing half of the pupils with special educational needs. (This leaves 30 per cent with special educational needs, which is still well above the national average.) When this is done, the school’s results are well above the national average in English and close to the national average in mathematics and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Inspection judgements of standards are complicated by the fact that the proportion of pupils with special educational needs varies greatly between different year groups. For example, the proportion of pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need is more than four times higher than the national average in the current Year 6 and, not surprisingly therefore, their overall attainment is similar to last year. However, there is a more average proportion of pupils with special educational needs in Year 5 and this group of pupils demonstrates much higher attainment. Judgements of standards in Key Stage 2, which have taken account of both these year groups, are generally close to the national average in English, mathematics and science. At the end of Year 2, where these pupils have benefited from the good provision in the new nursery class, standards are already close to the national average in English, mathematics but

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

below average in science. This is better than the attainment of pupils in Year 2 last year and is predominantly due to the additional benefits of a year in the nursery class as well as improvements in teaching, particularly for English and mathematics. If the current rate of progress demonstrated by all pupils throughout the school is maintained, this will lead to rising standards by the time these pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school is committed to ensuring that all pupils are fully included in the full range of curriculum opportunities. The progress of all pupils is monitored closely and those with special educational needs or English as an additional language are identified early and good provision is made to support their learning. Gifted and talented pupils are identified and teachers are aware of the extra challenge that is needed for these pupils. The curriculum identifies opportunities to celebrate the variety of cultural backgrounds that is to be found in the school and the wider community and a number of guests to the school promote positive role models from different cultural backgrounds. Pupils with English as an additional language or special educational needs, including those pupils who have Statements of Special Educational Need, make good progress towards meeting their individual targets. The attainment of boys

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 16 and girls varies from year to year and no clear picture emerges. The school compares the results of different groups of pupils but these groups are too small to provide reliable information. Consequently, the school is considering comparisons of the average results over a number of years. 7. Standards are good at the end of both key stages in music. They are satisfactory at the end of both key stages in all other subjects except for information and communication technology, and physical education at the end of Key Stage 2, where standards are below national expectations. There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement of standards in design and technology at the end of Key Stage 2. Taking account of their low attainment when they start school in the nursery (or reception class for those pupils in Key Stage 2), pupils make good progress throughout the school and their achievements are high. This is particularly so for

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

those pupils who attain the higher Level 5 in the national tests in Year 6 and in music.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils’ attitudes to school are satisfactory overall but not as good as they were at the time of the last inspection. This may be due to a change in the nature and background of many of the pupils currently at the school. Nevertheless, their behaviour is rarely less than satisfactory because of the good management of pupils by teachers who apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently. Most pupils enjoy coming to school. They are interested in learning and participate well in the many activities of the school. This includes pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language, all of whom have positive attitudes to learning and are integrated well into the school. Nevertheless, there are a significant number of pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2, who are disruptive in lessons and find working independently difficult.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and when moving around the school is satisfactory. There are some pupils who cannot sustain concentration during lessons. These pupils’ needs are identified well and the school has clear and positive strategies for managing their behaviour. Teachers work closely with learning support assistants and the special educational needs co-ordinator to ensure that the disruption to the lesson is minimal. Parents support the view that the school is working hard to promote good behaviour. There were only two temporary exclusions last year, which is a clear reduction since the last inspection. No incidents of bullying or harassment were observed during the inspection. No litter was seen in the school and most pupils respect and care for the school’s property and environment.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils in general are polite, friendly and courteous to visitors, greeting them warmly, holding open doors and offering directions when asked. When invited to do so, they speak freely about life in school and willingly share their experiences. Most pupils are honest, trustworthy and show respect for other’s feelings and beliefs. Overall, positive attitudes and behaviour are encouraged by the school system established to reward pupils’ efforts as well as sanctions for unacceptable behaviour. The introduction of a ‘sanction room’ allows pupils time to reflect on why they are there, and gives them an opportunity to discuss their difficulties with the adults present. This was seen on more than one occasion when the headteacher very caringly discussed a pupil’s difficulties and possible solutions with them in a quiet area. Generally pupils with special educational needs have good attitudes to learning, with

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

pupils showing good responses to their teachers and learning support assistants. The response of other pupils towards pupils with special educational needs is also good. In lessons where learning is interrupted by restless behaviour, pupils with St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 17 special educational needs are often amongst the first to lose concentration and this restricts their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The personal and social development of pupils is good. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility when given the opportunity. For example, pupils take responsibility for setting up the hall for assembly, as monitors, school council members and reading partners for younger pupils. When asked to work in pairs or groups in lessons, most pupils do so successfully. They co-operate well with each other and the adults present, and they share resources responsibly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The relationships formed between pupils are good overall. Similarly, the relationships between pupils and adults are warm and respectful, and there is a tolerance of other people’s beliefs and values. Most pupils co-operate with each other and teachers in lessons. They are often observed helping and supporting each other, and they also interact well with each other in the playground, engaging in a number of games and other social activities. However, there are a few pupils who display poor relationships with their peers and with adults.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Attendance is satisfactory and in line with the national average. Most pupils enjoy coming to school. However, there are a significant number of unauthorised absences and late-comers to school. The headteacher and the educational welfare officer closely monitor attendance and comprehensive strategies have been implemented to reduce unauthorised absences and lateness. However, this has not been entirely successful as some parents do not comply with the school’s requests. Nevertheless, attendance has improved since the last inspection and this is making a positive contribution to the quality of learning in the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The quality of teaching is good across the school. Two-thirds of the lessons seen were good or very good, although a few lessons (five per cent) were unsatisfactory and one lesson was poor. Almost all the lessons seen in the Foundation Stage were good or very good and none were unsatisfactory, whilst most of the lessons seen in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 were good or very good. This good quality of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection despite a high turnover of teaching staff. This is because the headteacher has a very clear understanding of the challenges that face teachers in the school and this leads to the careful appointment of new teachers to the school. The school development plan focuses on teaching and learning and this is improving teaching. New policies have been introduced recently for teaching and learning, marking and homework. All teachers are monitored in their classrooms regularly and written feedback is given that includes

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The major reasons for the good quality of teaching and learning are the very good management of the pupils and the improving use of assessment to plan tasks and activities that are matched to the learning needs of pupils. This is important because many pupils lack the ability to apply themselves fully to a task and maintain concentration for long periods. When pupils’ behaviour is not managed well, the lesson loses its focus and pupils’ learning becomes unsatisfactory. This was the cause of the unsatisfactory lessons seen.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good and teachers are supported very well by the nursery nurses and learning support assistants. There are high expectations of St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 18 children’s behaviour and attitudes to learning. Lessons are planned well and teachers use good techniques to support children’s early language development. There is a strong emphasis on developing children’s social skills and this has a significant effect on the progress that they make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teachers generally have a sound understanding of the subjects of the National Curriculum. They plan lessons well, matching the tasks to the needs of the pupils. The use of the assessment of pupils’ prior learning to plan tasks is good and improving. All lessons in literacy and numeracy plan tasks at three different levels of difficulty, as well as work for those pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language. Some teachers have extended this strategy to all lessons and this practice is growing across the school. For example, in a design and technology lesson on winding mechanisms and pulleys in Year 2, the ‘simplification’ group (lower attainers) make a winding mechanism with construction equipment, whilst the ‘challenge’ group (higher attainers) plan a moving dinosaur.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good and basic skills are developed well. There is some good teaching of these skills in other subjects. In mathematics for example, each class establishes the ‘words for the week’, such as vertices and perpendicular. These are displayed clearly and the spelling and meaning of the word is taught securely. However, short language sessions reduce the time for the teaching of other subjects and there is insufficient focus on teaching literacy across the curriculum. Furthermore, the insufficient provision in the library restricts opportunities for teaching and learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The planning of tasks with different levels of difficulty ensures that teachers maintain high expectations of pupils’ attainment as well as their behaviour. The school has clear strategies for managing pupils’ behaviour and, generally, teachers insist on high standards. For example, any form of disruption is reprimanded and a warning given. If this persists, the pupil is removed from the lesson and escorted to another class by a classmate for a period of reflection. Teachers support each other well and the strict application of this practice is effective in moderating pupils’ behaviour as is shown by the fewer numbers of exclusions employed by the school since the last inspection. Many pupils exhibit challenging behaviour and when this is not managed well, as in some outdoor lessons in physical education, pupils do not apply themselves sufficiently to the activity and their learning becomes unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The limited ability of many pupils to maintain concentration means it is also important that teachers organise lessons with a brisk pace and that resources are readily available when needed so that pupils are not inactive for periods of time. This is done satisfactorily and teachers use a variety of methods that includes whole-class work as well as group work and individual activities. However, some lessons do not maintain a suitable pace and, sometimes, too long is spent on introductions and giving instructions before pupils are actively engaged or activities go on for longer than the pupils are able to maintain concentration. This often happens when lessons are too long, particularly during the afternoons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language, including the teaching by those providing additional literacy and other support, is good overall.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers keep detailed records of pupils’ learning and they use this well when planning lessons and to inform the next class teacher what each pupil has learned. The new marking policy seeks to improve this area of assessing pupils’ work. All St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 19 teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is satisfactory but some teachers are better than others in showing pupils how they can improve. They insist on high standards in the presentation of pupils’ work and this has a significant impact on the care that pupils take over their work. The new homework policy establishes clearly what should be given to each year group to support their learning and this is applied consistently throughout the school. 23. The use of learning support assistants is improving. For example, one of the teachers new to the school is leading the improvements and, in her class, daily meetings are held with them to inform them of the learning objectives of the day. At

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the end of each lesson, they evaluate the learning of each pupil in their group, which they share with the class teacher. Although this is not yet a common practice throughout the school, it has a significant impact on the effectiveness of learning support assistants.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. It has not been possible to make secure judgements on the quality of teaching in some subjects or at a particular key stage. These subjects are information and communication technology, art and design, history, music and at Key Stage 2 for design and technology. The reason for this is that some subjects were not taught during the inspection and, because of the high turnover of teachers, there is no clear link between the standards attained and the quality of teaching currently. Nevertheless, teaching is good in the Foundation Stage, English, mathematics and in Key Stage 1 for design and technology. Teaching is satisfactory in science, geography and physical education in Key Stage 1 but unsatisfactory in Key Stage 2 for physical education.

p.19

PUPILS?

25. The school provides a broad curriculum that is enriched by the involvement of outside visitors and by the visits which pupils make. Community artists make a regular contribution in working with pupils on projects in art, music and drama. Pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 also benefit from a week’s residential visit that broadens their learning experiences. There is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities, including a gym club, football club, art club and choir, and parents pay for their children to take part in a French club. Homework is set for all pupils and those who have difficulty completing this at home are welcome in school before the beginning of the school day. Statutory requirements are met.

p.19

PUPILS?

26. The Foundation Stage curriculum has been adopted successfully in the nursery, where provision is very good. In the reception class, the provision is good but there are periods of more formal literacy and numeracy teaching which are too long for the age and stage of language acquisition of most of the pupils.

p.19

PUPILS?

27. Particular attention is paid to making the curriculum relevant to the experiences and cultural backgrounds of the pupils in the school. For example, the study of famous people in Year 2 includes Mary Seacole, and in the literacy hour, texts are selected to reflect different cultural traditions. Pupils study a range of Islamic and African art and parents have made story tapes for the nursery in their home languages.

p.19

PUPILS?

28. Partly in recognition of the high percentage of pupils speaking English as an additional language, the school has chosen to allocate extra time in the curriculum to English. The benefit of this decision may be seen in the higher standards attained in English at the end of Key Stage 2. However, this means that there is less time available for St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 20 other subjects and explains why the school attains better results in the national tests for English than for mathematics and science. There is a further imbalance in timetabling within the school day when too much time is spent on similar activities, when lessons regularly extend beyond an hour or when one language lesson follows another without a break. In these cases, pupils can become inattentive and their work rate slows. On the other hand, some studies require long periods of time and the school has sensibly recognised the occasions when this is appropriate and provides

p.19

PUPILS?

a block of time over two or three days. Good examples of this practice are when a visiting artist works intensively with a class or when outdoor pursuits are undertaken on a specialised school visit.

p.20

PUPILS?

29. The school has adopted both the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and these have had a positive impact on teachers’ planning and on raising standards. Pupils use the skills they acquire across the curriculum. For example, pupils in Year 1 write invitations to their parents to join them for a tea party, for which they have prepared the food as part of their design and technology studies. These opportunities arise incidentally and as yet are written into only a few schemes of work and do not feature in teachers’ planning.

p.20

PUPILS?

30. A criticism in the last inspection was that there was a fragmented approach to teaching speaking and listening, reading and writing and that this led to timetabling difficulties with too much time being spent on English. This has been partially addressed through the literacy hour, where there are very good examples of teachers using pupils’ speaking and listening skills as a way to help pupils think about what they have read and to prepare for writing. In Year 5, a pupil was put in the ‘hot seat’ as a character from the story being read and had to answer questions in the role from other pupils, in preparation for writing the story from another point of view. The issue has not yet been fully addressed as the timetable still shows unrelated pockets of English occurring throughout the day. The school development plan shows that a full curriculum review is scheduled for the summer term. The headteacher has already

p.20

PUPILS?

begun to collect evidence of how much time is spent teaching each subject, although the use of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum has not been part of the audit. The use of information and communication technology is developing and has clearer cross-curricular features, although the limited number of computers restricts opportunities for teaching and learning in the subject.

p.20

PUPILS?

31. The school uses the resources available to ensure that pupils have access to a suitable curriculum that is appropriate to their needs. For pupils for whom English is an additional language, more emphasis is placed on pictorial instructions and home languages are used in class signs and occasionally in spoken classroom language. For example, in Year 3, pupils took home paper so that parents could write the key words for their first language to accompany displays. Further, in the nursery, registration consists of teacher and pupil saying, ‘Hello’ to each other in a variety of languages.

p.20

PUPILS?

32. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is good and the requirements of the Code of Practice 4 for special educational needs are met fully. The school is suitably prepared for the

p.20

PUPILS?

4 On SEN Code Of Practice: This gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 21 implementation of the new Code of Practice. There is a clear focus in the good level of support for these pupils in lessons. This is particularly evident in the class support books, which are in place for those pupils with special educational needs. There are well-established arrangements for collaborative working with class teachers so pupils’ learning opportunities are often maximised.

p.20

PUPILS?

33. There is a satisfactory health education programme that includes aspects of healthy eating and keeping safe, with drugs education and formal sex education lessons in Year 6. Personal and social education is of a good quality, designed to integrate pupils into the school ethos and build their self-esteem. Curriculum planning for physical education, however, does not provide sufficient guidance for teachers when planning lessons.

p.21

PUPILS?

34. The school’s links with the parish community are strong and they benefit pupils. The parish priest of St Mary’s church is closely involved in the work of the school and the church facilitates an art workshop for pupils each week. The school’s hall is used to host some external activities, such as the ‘Sure Start Social Inclusion Program’. The school’s association with local businesses and industry is good. For example, local bakers and a fast food restaurant popular with children have sponsored the school for events. Effective use is made of local and national events and the school participate in the Kilburn Festival and the Camden Music Festival annually. The school has constructive links with its neighbouring secondary schools and work with them on a number of projects to enrich the curriculum in both schools. For example, secondary school pupils visit the school to talk to pupils on bullying and its impact. In addition,

p.21

PUPILS?

there are appropriate relationships with a number of local secondary schools, which ease the transition to the next phase of education for pupils at the age of 11. The school has close and effective links with a teacher training college and student teachers, as well as nursery nurses, successfully complete practical training in the school.

p.21

PUPILS?

35. The provision for spiritual development is good. Pupils gain good insight into the beliefs and values of Christianity and other world religions through religious education lessons, assemblies and other curriculum activities. For example, in one lesson a Muslim boy showed the class how he prays. Also, the children in the reception class express tremendous awe and wonder when they discover mini beasts during their lesson in the school’s environmental area. The school is a very caring institution and much is done, not least in the way pupils’ achievements are displayed around the school, to raise their self-esteem and this contributes to their spiritual development.

p.21

PUPILS?

36. The provision for moral development is good. There is good promotion of the principles that distinguish right and wrong. This is an area that particularly pleases most parents. Clear rules are displayed around the school and in the classes and pupils contribute to establishing these rules. Pupils are given the opportunity to discuss the issue of right and wrong and moral development is also encouraged through lessons. For example, Year 2 pupils discuss the Wisdom of Solomon found in the Bible and they talk about issues, such as what is fair and unfair. Circle time 5 and personal, social and health education sessions provide good opportunities for pupils to discuss wider moral issues and to establish codes of behaviour. Through these discussions, pupils learn how to keep safe in a range of situations. They develop a good understanding of citizenship, through discussion about rules, responsibilities and community.

p.21

PUPILS?

5 On ‘Circle time’ - this is the provision of a discussion period which provides good opportunities for pupils to talk about issues that face them in everyday life. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 22 37. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils to develop socially and to increase their understanding of living in a community. In lessons, group work gives pupils the opportunity to share information, work collaboratively and support each other. Many pupils come into school with limited social skills but they suitably develop their social skills during their time in the school. All pupils, including those with special educational needs or English as an additional language, are encouraged to take responsibility and to help each other. For example, they prepare the hall for assemblies and older children walk with younger ones to St Mary’s church hall. Pupils gain an understanding of citizenship by electing class representatives for the

p.21

PUPILS?

school council. Pupils act as officers of the council, holding meetings, which have an agreed agenda and recorded minutes. Through discussion of matters, such as school dinners, pupils are actively involved in school development and are made to feel that their opinions count. This is an extremely effective opportunity for social development.

p.22

PUPILS?

38. The provision for cultural development is also very good. There is very good provision for pupils to appreciate national heritage and culture through the very good range of visits and participation at events both locally and nationally. Pupils attend the Kilburn Festival, museums and arts festivals. There is a very good range of posters, books, artefacts and other information, which reflect the many cultures and languages spoken in the school. Cultural diversity is promoted in lessons. For example, there is information and displays in the classrooms on various ethnic foods, Caribbean music and African art. The school successfully helps pupils to appreciate their own culture and other cultures represented in the school.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school has very good procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare. There is a staff member with overall responsibility for child protection and all members of the staff team are aware of lines of accountability. Procedures are well established and clear guidelines are available to all staff. Members of staff know their pupils very well and they are genuinely interested in the pupils’ welfare. There are very good measures in place to ensure that pupils are well cared for and they are supervised very well during the entire school day. The provision for medical care and first aid is very good. The school works closely with the school nurse who visits the school at least once a week to see pupils and parents and to ensure the health needs of all pupils are met. Routine checks of the school premises are carried out regularly and health hazards are quickly identified. A rolling programme of maintenance is in

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory. The school uses good strategies to promote full attendance, such as the weekly punctuality cup, the late book, regular contact with the education welfare officer and follow-up letters to parents. The importance of regular attendance and being punctual is also promoted through newsletters, posters around the school and stickers that proclaim, ‘Attending school is cool’. However these strategies are not fully effective, as the school continues to have high percentages of latecomers and unauthorised absences.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school has good procedures to monitor and promote acceptable behaviour and to eliminate bullying. These have a positive impact on the attitudes and behaviour of most pupils. The school uses the strategy of a ‘sanction room’ for inappropriate behaviour and this system is effective for most pupils. The school has clear systems St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 23 for rewarding good behaviour and sanctioning unsatisfactory behaviour in lessons. Self-discipline and inclusion are also promoted through one-to-one discussions, comprehensive individual education plans and working in partnership with parents. The school displays prominently its clear rules to ensure good conduct and discipline.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good. All pupils are encouraged to be fully involved in the classroom and in play activities outside. Pupils’ educational and personal development is also developed through personal and social education, games, singing, assemblies and the school behaviour policy. They offer pupils opportunities to discuss issues and participate in activities where they are required to make a positive contribution. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early and given good support by staff in the school. Support is also available from the local authority and the special educational needs co-ordinator works with professionals from the health and education departments to provide relevant programmes for pupils with special educational needs.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school’s procedures for assessing attainment and progress are good and are being developed well and implemented by the headteacher and members of the senior management team. Similarly, the systems used to identify, assess, support and review pupils’ special educational needs are good, as are the procedures for assessing and supporting pupils for whom English is an additional language. The school has made good progress since the previous inspection in the use that it makes of a broad range of assessment information, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Assessments of pupils on entry to the school is used well in planning appropriate work and in assisting effectively in the early identification of children with special educational needs. The school makes good use of the results of national tests at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, and of a range of appropriate tests in helping to assess attainment and the progress made by pupils at the end of Years 3, 4 and 5. A

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

good range of analyses of the relative performance of different groups within the school is also undertaken, making skilled use of the helpful information supplied by the local education authority, and national and school data. This information is included in the ‘handover’ files, prepared for each teacher, which contain a range of valuable information about all pupils, enabling teachers to plan appropriate work from the outset of each year.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Teachers’ planning in English and mathematics reflects the information that is gained from assessment and, as a result, work is appropriately matched to the different needs of pupils. Teachers have been given appropriate levels of support in making use of this data in analysing trends in performance. As a result, a good start has been made in setting targets for groups of pupils in English, and the school wisely plans to develop this further to support individual pupils and in other subjects. Marking of pupils’ work is usually undertaken appropriately and, in the best practice, indicates clearly where improvement is required and how success may be achieved. Similarly, there are examples of very good use being made of learning support assistants in recording specific assessments of pupils’ learning. In other subjects, the school recognises that the use made of assessment information in planning appropriate

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

work is inconsistent and plans to review its assessment policy to ensure that all teachers are confident in assessing their children’s learning in relation to planned objectives for each lesson. Although assessment information in the non-core subjects is comparatively less developed, co-ordinators are beginning to build up examples of pupils’ work that can be used in assessing how well they are learning.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The planning of work for pupils with special educational needs is securely based on assessment information and is closely linked to the progress they make against their St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 24 individual targets. As individual education plans are reviewed, the special educational needs co-ordinator and staff evaluate pupils’ success in reaching targets and set new ones that are accurately based on their progress. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 25

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents’ views of the school are very positive overall. This was confirmed when talking to parents in the playground, at the parents’ meeting and through the questionnaire analysis. Most parents are pleased with the progress their children are making. They feel welcome in the school and listened to. Parents are happy with the daily activities of the school and the ‘open door’ policy that operates. Teachers, including the headteacher, are present at the start and end of the school day to greet pupils and parents. Most parents feel that the school is well led and managed and the school contributes positively to their children’s lives.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The impact of parents’ involvement on the work of the school has improved since the last inspection and it is satisfactory overall. The school has taken important steps to encourage more parental involvement and a working party of governors has been set up to specifically address the issue of parental involvement. Some parents participate as volunteers in the school through reading, art, environmental projects and extra-curriculum activities, for example. The school has a parent teacher association, the Friends of St Mary’s, that is successful in fund raising and organising social events.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Information provided for parents is good. They receive regular letters, information on the class curriculum and reports about their children’s progress. Newsletters are well designed and comprehensive. Parents’ meetings are organised to keep them fully informed of new initiatives, such as the literacy hour. The nursery held an open afternoon of making and finding out about the resources. The school also displays the information for parents at strategic points in the school where parents can easily gain access to it. Reports to parents about their children’s progress are good. They give detailed information about pupils’ achievement and targets for improvement. The school’s prospectus and governors’ annual reports to parents are attractive in presentation and meet statutory requirements.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The parental contribution to pupils’ learning at school and home is satisfactory. It consists mainly of a few supportive parents helping in the school, reading diaries, homework schemes and occasionally workshops for parents. Currently, not all parents use the home/school schemes. Parents who have children with special educational needs are kept informed of their progress at consultation evenings and other occasions as necessary. They are informed about and invited to annual reviews and their views are taken into account. Some parents, however, regularly bring their children to school late and this has a negative effect on the learning opportunities.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The leadership and management of the school are very good. The headteacher has a very clear vision of what is needed for the school to develop and her very good leadership has created a committed and enthusiastic team that is mutually supportive and shares a good capacity to succeed. The senior management team includes the deputy headteacher and two senior teachers, who joined the school this year as literacy and numeracy co-ordinators and are making an effective contribution to the very good management of the school.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The role of subject co-ordinators has been improved since the last inspection. There are improved arrangements for co-ordinators to establish standards in their subjects St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 26 and to identify strengths and weaknesses in teachers’ planning. Teaching and learning is monitored in all subjects over a three-year programme and annually in English and mathematics, where the co-ordinators report general areas for improvement to the teaching staff and deliver a written report to the governors. These findings inform the school development plan. The establishment of the ‘handover’ files provides each class teacher, as well as subject co-ordinators, with good information about each pupil’s prior attainment.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. There are two nominated governors for special educational needs. They work with the special educational needs co-ordinator, who is also the deputy headteacher, to ensure the best possible provision for pupils with special educational needs. The special educational needs co-ordinator is efficient and she manages provision well, ensuring that targeted consistent support is available throughout the school to support pupils with learning and medical needs.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school monitors its performance well. In addition to the co-ordinators, the headteacher monitors teaching and learning in each class each term. Written feedback is provided for teachers with developmental areas identified clearly. Governors are informed of the findings through the curriculum committee. Pupils’ progress is assessed regularly and this is tracked in detail as they move through the school and the results of national tests are analysed to identify strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning as well as the relative performance of different, identifiable groups. However, due to the small size of these separate groups taking the tests, no clear pattern emerges and the school intends to increase the sample size by taking the average of a number of years. The governing body evaluates the success of the school development plan as well as the results of the national tests. As a result, the governors have a clear idea of the standards attained in the school.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school development plan is an effective working document. All members of staff and the governors are involved in identifying developmental items and a three-year overview is established. The school has focused its development on raising the quality of teaching and learning. This has been enhanced by the appointment this year of new co-ordinators for literacy and numeracy who have reviewed the school’s use of the national strategies with effective results. This includes developing new systems for the use of assessment to match learning tasks to the different learning needs of pupils and this is evident in the planning for lessons. The clear focus of the school development plan is having a positive effect on raising standards.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The governing body has developed its role well to play an effective part in school development. Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and actively contribute to the school development plan, which they monitor and evaluate well. They are well informed about curriculum developments by the subject co-ordinators and they monitor the school’s spending closely with the guidance of the bursar. The chair of governors provides effective leadership of the governing body and her close and very supportive professional relationship with the headteacher has established a good link between the work of the school and the governing body. Statutory requirements are met fully.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Good procedures are in place to ensure that the principles of best value are applied. The governors, following advice from the local education authority, employ a part time bursar who oversees the day-to-day expenditure well, working very closely with the school administration officer and the headteacher. Governors receive regular reports and monitor expenditure against spending targets that are detailed and prioritised in the school development plan. All specific grants are used for their designated St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 27 purposes. In the last financial year, the amount carried forward was understandably a little over the recommended limit. This was caused mainly by an overestimate for supply teacher costs and a grant received late into the budget for playground equipment. Satisfactory use is made of new technology to support management and there are clear plans to update the office system soon.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school has a good number of teaching staff whose qualifications and experiences are well matched for the demands and range of the National Curriculum. Appropriately, there are co-ordinators for all subjects, special educational needs, English as an additional language and assessment. Good and effective use is made of senior and experienced staff to act as key stage leaders, who co-ordinate and manage literacy and numeracy, and special educational needs. Responsibilities are generally well matched to the interests and expertise of the teachers. All teaching and support staff have agreed job descriptions.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school has very experienced and committed support staff for pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need, who are informed, skilled and effective. They work closely with the teachers and provide good assistance, particularly when supporting literacy and numeracy. The school administrator carries out duties efficiently. The conscientious premises officer maintains the school in good order and the dining staff, midday supervisors and cleaners are all valued members of the school who perform their duties in a friendly and competent manner.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Arrangements for professional development of staff are good. They are overseen by the headteacher and the senior management team and reflect both the identified needs of the school and the personal needs of the staff. Documentation and discussions confirm that teaching and learning support assistants regularly attend a wide range of relevant courses. The school has good procedures for the induction of new staff to the school under the supervision of identified mentors. The school has good and effective provision for the training of new teachers.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Accommodation is good. The school has ample accommodation for numbers on roll and this allows the curriculum to be taught effectively. Both the internal and external buildings are well maintained and kept in good condition by the very able and committed premises officer and cleaning staff. Classrooms are well planned and corridor walls are enlivened with displays and examples of pupils’ work. The whole school is light and airy and gives a feeling of spaciousness with the well-organised ‘atrium’ area. This is problematic only when lessons require the use of projections and the light becomes restrictive, as there are no window blinds. The school has good quality playground facilities with access to grass areas, picnic benches, fenced pond area and a fenced hard surface section.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Learning resources are satisfactory in most subjects, with the exception of resources for information and communication technology and the library. The limited range of books and computer equipment available prevents children from achieving as well as they could. Children in the Foundation Stage have access to safe and secure areas and are able to participate in many planned activities, which has a positive impact on learning. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 28

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. In order to continue to raise standards, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Reconsider the organisation of the school day and the time allocated to different subjects, as well as opportunities for teaching literacy and numeracy across the curriculum, in order to raise standards. (Paragraphs 18, 26, 28-30, 112, 120) (The school has recognised this need and a curriculum review is included in the current school development plan.)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise standards in information and communication technology by increasing the number of computers and the time given to the subject, and improve the programmes of work for physical education. (Paragraphs 7, 24, 30, 33, 61, 122-127, 133) (The development of information and communication technology is included in the current school development plan.)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Develop the library to improve pupils’ research skills and provide opportunities for pupils’ independent study. (Paragraphs 18, 61, 88, 93) (This is also reflected in the school development plan.)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Explore ways to encourage parents to bring their children to school on time. (Paragraphs 13, 49)

p.28

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

63. A high percentage of pupils come from bilingual family backgrounds and are learning English as an additional language. Some families are refugees; some children have had disrupted schooling. The school responds positively to this situation and ensures that the curriculum is an inclusive one and that all pupils benefit from the learning experiences as they acquire competence in English.

p.28

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

64. In the nursery and reception class, the very rich language environment helps pupils make good progress in speaking and listening. Staff encourage pupils to talk with their classmates in highly visual and practical activities, for example gardening, construction tasks and a wide range of imaginative role play. These allow pupils to make good progress in speaking and listening, which from their very low baseline, is all the more impressive.

p.28

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

65. The large numbers of pupils with English as an additional language throughout the rest of the school are supported well by class teachers, through the good use of questioning and clear explanations to support their learning. The majority of teachers identify vocabulary that needs specific explanation to enable all pupils to have full access to each lesson. For example, in a literacy lesson in Year 3, the teacher clearly explained the meaning of specific words, such as ‘evolution’ in the text the pupils are reading, so that all pupils can follow and understand what it means.

p.28

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

66. There is a teacher specifically for the support of pupils learning English as an additional language. This part-time teacher adapts her time and support to the classes where the most need has been identified. This specific English as an additional language support is also extended through Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant for pupils in Years 5 and 6 from black African and Caribbean communities. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 29 This ensures that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum and that individual needs are met. For example, when working with pupils in Year 2 on revision for the national tests, the extra help and support they receive enables them to have full and equal access to the curriculum. This is an improvement since the last inspection, where the specific teaching for pupils with English as an additional language was a key issue for development.

p.28

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

67. Teachers have satisfactory knowledge, through training, of how to support pupils with English as an additional language. The specific teaching of basic skills in the literacy hour and the emphasis that the whole school puts on increasing pupils’ knowledge of language, literacy and the spoken word are all positive contributors to the raising of pupils’ attainment.

p.29

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

68. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress. This is particularly noticeable for younger pupils in the Foundation Stage. Their learning is supported well by teachers and other adults who work very hard to ensure that children’s basic language skills are supported effectively. For example, in a mathematical activity in the nursery class, children were asked to sort objects in piles according to their size, and each time they chose an object they were asked to say whether the object was ‘big’ or ‘little’. This re-enforced their early language acquisition well. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 30

p.29

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 35

p.30

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.30

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 one percentage point.

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 197

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 82

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 6

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 68

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 127

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 20

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 13

p.30

Attendance

School data 6.0 School data 1.8 St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 31 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.30

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 32

p.31

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 16 14 30

p.32

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.32

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

Boys 12 10 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 7 7

p.32

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (60) 57 (68) 70 (80) 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 11 14 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 8 6

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

Percentage of pupils School 67 (64) 73 (76) 53 (68) 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 12 12 24

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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 8 7 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 6 10

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

Percentage of pupils School 71 (77) 54 (67) 75 (70) 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 8 9 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 8

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

Percentage of pupils School 71 (67) 75 (77) 67 (90) 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 Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 33

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 46 Black – Caribbean heritage 1 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 46 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 17 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) 10.7 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 643,132

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 630,487

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 176 Expenditure per pupil 2,853

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 23,383

p.33

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 36,028

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 35

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 7

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 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) 1 St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 34 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 35

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.35

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.35

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 63 25 13 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 50 4 0 4

p.35

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 38 4 8 8

p.35

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 33 8 8 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 79 13 4 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 58 25 0 4 13

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 58 29 8 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 58 29 0 0 13

p.35

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 46 4 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 46 4 4 4 St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 36

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. The introduction of the nursery since the last inspection has made a very strong and positive difference to the school. Attainment on entry to the nursery is well below that expected for children of this age. In nursery and reception, children make good progress overall and by the time they enter Year 1, most children attain the Early Learning Goals in physical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and personal, social and emotional development. Whilst children’s attainment does improve in other areas of the curriculum during their time in the Foundation Stage, they do not attain the Early Learning Goals in language and literacy, mathematics, and creative development. Nevertheless, children achieve well. The provision for children with special educational needs and with English as an additional language is good, and these children also make good progress.

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Personal, social and emotional development

70. Children make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Standards for most children by the end of the reception year are in line with what is expected for children of this age. Development of this area of learning is given high priority and this makes a good contribution to children’s achievements across the curriculum. In nursery in particular, children with English as an additional language and those for whom language acquisition is difficult are supported well by all staff. Activities are planned well and specifically targeted to support children’s development in this area. For example, many children enter nursery unable to use a knife and fork or even knowing what they are for. However the well-organised activities, particularly in role play for example, support areas such as this where pupils’ knowledge and understanding are lacking. This area of learning is also supported by the fact that

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Personal, social and emotional development

nursery children eat their dinner together in the nursery and are involved in helping to lay the tables and to find their name places at lunchtime. In both nursery and reception, most children work well in small groups and often choose to be with a friend. They are very keen and eager to join in activities. In nursery, children already know the systems and routines well and play imaginatively with the train set and the outdoors construction set. In reception, they play well together in larger groups, showing good imaginative skills when travelling on the bus they have made in the classroom. Although many have difficulties in speaking clearly about what they are doing, often because of a lack of language skills, they are not shy and are very willing to share the pleasure and enjoyment which they are experiencing from their activities.

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Personal, social and emotional development

71. Teaching is good in reception, and very good in the nursery. Teachers are supported well by the very good nursery nurses and classroom assistants. Good behaviour is promoted through effective teaching. Members of staff have consistently high expectations of children’s behaviour and attitudes to learning and children respond accordingly. They explain and reinforce good behaviour and explain why it is important. Staff place strong emphasis on the development of social skills, and activities are appropriate to the ages and needs of the children. For example, in nursery, children had a wonderful time working as a team, making a delightfully muddy, wet hole in the garden in order to paint the playhouse with the concoction they had made. Assessment of children’s needs is good and assessment is mainly undertaken through observation. It is recorded very well indeed in nursery through pupils’ files of sampled work, which are shared with parents and used as a record of

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Personal, social and emotional development

individuals’ abilities for when they go on to the next stage of their learning. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 37

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

72. By the end of their time in the reception class, the attainment of children in reading, speaking, listening and writing, whilst it has improved, is still below what is expected for this age.

p.37

Communication, language and literacy

73. Reception children know how to sound out alphabetical sounds and can pick out other children’s names around the classroom. All children in reception choose books that they can take home to support their learning, but few are able to read them, although they are all willing to talk about what they can see in the books. In nursery, children also enjoy books and they particularly enjoy listening to stories, such as ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. They respond with excitement in these situations. They listen well and look at the person who is speaking. When using books themselves, they know how to look at them from the front to the back of the book and from the top to the bottom of the page. Children in nursery and reception take books home regularly. In both nursery and reception, children follow simple instructions and carry out tasks, such as laying the table in the home corner and making ice cream out of sand! This

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Communication, language and literacy

particular activity created a great deal of discussion amongst the children and their visitor.

p.37

Communication, language and literacy

74. The classes are well set out, with paper and pens readily available so that children can engage in free writing. This is particularly well used in the reception class, where pupils playing imaginatively in the ‘bus’ they have created, and make lists of the names of the passengers who are on the bus. Older children can write their name independently, but others are still at the stage of putting marks on paper to represent words. All children are encouraged to re-tell stories they have heard in their own words. This is a good technique that supports the children’s early language development.

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Communication, language and literacy

75. The quality of teaching in this area is good. Lessons are planned well to foster enjoyment and to encourage speaking and listening skills. This contributes to improving children’s attention to tasks. Teachers are very good at encouraging pupils to listen when whole group activities are taking place and when new skills are being taught, such as in the introduction to a mathematics lesson in the reception class when a new concept was being introduced on heavy and light objects. The teacher very successfully captured the children’s imagination and concentration through the playing of a game of pass the parcel, where they then chose objects out of a bag when the music stopped and said which was the heaviest and the lightest. This not only supports the learning of new concepts in mathematics but also successfully increases pupils’ levels of concentration and listening skills.

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Communication, language and literacy

76. Elements of the National Literacy Strategy are introduced gradually in the reception classes and well used by teachers to meet the needs of the children, although the more formal aspects can be challenging for these children. A good understanding of letter sounds is developed through both formal and informal activities. Supplies of paper, pencils and crayons are readily available for children to use both in the nursery and reception class. Although older children in the reception classes are beginning to successfully use their knowledge of letter sounds when they try to write unaided, many are still at the early stages of ascribing meanings to marks and find it difficult to form recognisable letters. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 38

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Mathematical development

77. Children’s mathematical abilities are very varied when they start in the nursery and many have difficulties in using and understanding the vocabulary associated with practical mathematics. Consequently, many children are unlikely to reach the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. However, good teaching in the nursery and reception classes helps all children to extend their knowledge and understanding and achieve well. In the nursery, good use is made of opportunities to extend their knowledge and understanding. For example, through singing songs such as, ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, once I caught a fish alive’. The children are provided in both classes with a wide range of practical experiences such as building with bricks, printing simple patterns, counting games, matching activities and play with sand and water. The more formal activities for mathematics are introduced to the children in the

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Mathematical development

reception class through the framework for teaching numeracy. This area of learning is taught well and, although attainment in mathematics is below expectations by the end of reception, the children make good progress in their number recognition. Most children are beginning to count to 10 and older children can recognise simple shapes, such as a circle and a triangle. For many children, however, their use and understanding of mathematical language, such as ‘more’ or ‘less’ to compare two numbers or the use of everyday words such as ‘before’ and ‘after’ to describe position, are below expectations for their age. The work is well planned in both classes and children are encouraged to see mathematics all around them. Classrooms are also used effectively to display numbers and give sorting and counting opportunities.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

78. Although most children in the nursery show curiosity in their surroundings, many need encouragement to explore, investigate and ask questions. The good curriculum offers them a wide range of experiences to expand their knowledge of the world around them and most children attain the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. Activities are planned well to enable children to explore aspects of the environment and to relate the work to their own experiences. Discussion forms an important part of their work and children are encouraged to be observant and describe what they see. In the nursery for example, children plant cress seeds and they are encouraged to look at them closely and describe what they can see through a magnifying glass. In reception, some very good work is undertaken by the nursery nurse who takes small groups of children at a time out into the garden to look at what they can see in, on and around the pond. This is an excellent way of not only

p.38

Knowledge and understanding of the world

developing the children’s observation skills and knowledge of the world around them but also their language and speaking skills. For example, one little boy kept asking, ‘What’s that, what’s that?’ After offering many explanations the nursery nurse finally understood what he was looking at and explained that what he was looking at was called a shadow. The boy repeated the word ‘shadow’ several times to himself. This sort of practical activity becomes much more relevant to the children than just being told what a shadow is, and ensures that their learning is relevant and practical to their own needs.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

79. Children in the nursery show good ‘making’ skills and, by the time they enter the reception class, they have developed a good sense of how things join together and make imaginative models. Children learn to operate the computer confidently using the mouse to select items they want. They are given adult help as required. The programmes give good opportunities for children to develop and reinforce their skills in a variety of areas. Careful consideration is given to supporting children. The quality St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 39 of teaching is good, lessons are planned well and all adults use good questioning skills to develop children’s knowledge and understanding.

p.38

Physical development

80. Children in the nursery achieve broadly what is expected for children of this age. They show increasing control and skills when using the wheeled toys outdoors and develop an awareness of space around them.

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Physical development

81. There is a large, safe, interesting outside play area attached to the nursery which provides a good amount of challenge to enable all children to gain confidence and extend their skills in running, jumping, climbing and balancing for example. Every day there are different activities. For example, the pulley system created for ‘Teddies’ to be lifted off the floor and lowered again, kept several pupils completely absorbed and really stretched their levels of concentration, whilst at the same time developing their knowledge and awareness of their own strength in working these pulleys. In the reception class, children’s physical development is in line with expectations for their age and they continue to make good progress. Although the children do not have their own designated play area outside, they share the nursery play area and mix and play with them once a week. They also join the older children in the school playground at

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Physical development

break times and have physical education lessons. Good opportunities are provided for the children to develop their finer manipulative skills in both the nursery and reception for example, in cutting and sticking paper to make pictures, modelling with scrap materials, threading beads and using different tools for painting. They are also provided with an appropriate range of modelling materials such as play dough. Teaching is good throughout this area of the curriculum.

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Creative development

82. A good range of activities with well-focused adult support and encouragement means that children make good gains in learning and most reach the standards expected. Children start from a fairly basic level of skill when they enter the nursery and make good progress through a wide range of experiences in art, music, story making and imaginative play. The children play alongside others who are engaged in the same theme and use props and resources with imaginative skill. For example, in reception they act out the role of bus conductor and people on the bus. Adults join in role-play activities and help children to develop their ideas and gain confidence. Children use paint imaginatively and print with different objects. In the nursery, for example, they learn that when mixing the two colours blue and yellow together they get green. Many children enjoy playing with toys to act out their own stories.

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Creative development

83. The nursery and reception classrooms provide a stimulating environment for children to work in and this aspect of learning is very well supported by the sensitive intervention of all adults and the good teaching that children receive.

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ENGLISH

84. From their entry to school in the nursery, pupils achieve well and by the end of Year 2 standards are in line with those expected nationally. This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards in writing were below. Standards have improved because of: • the renewed focus on the National Literacy Strategy; • a school focus on improving the quality of writing; St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 40 • the improvement in teaching; • the impact of the nursery that opened in 1998; (The pupils who took the national tests in Year 2 in 2001 had not benefited from the nursery provision.) • the extra time given to the teaching of English; • the good working relationship established between home and school.

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ENGLISH

85. At the end of Year 6 currently, standards are broadly in line with those expected nationally and above average when compared with standards in similar schools. This is also an improvement since the last inspection. In the 2001 national tests, the performance of 11 year olds, which was close to the national average, was adversely affected by the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language, a factor that also impacts on the current group of pupils in Year 6. However, pupils in other classes demonstrate higher standards. Pupils from Year 3 onwards have not had the benefit of time in the nursery but have gained from both the good teaching overall and the extra time devoted to the subject and, therefore, they continue to achieve well.

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ENGLISH

86. Standards in speaking and listening for the majority of pupils are satisfactory at the end of both key stages. Many of them are easily distracted but teachers have high expectations, establishing effective class routines that ensure pupils concentrate and listen well to stories, explanations and instructions. For example, Year 2 pupils are encouraged to talk to their partners and then explain their partners’ views to the rest of the class. In Year 6, the teacher is sensitive to the fact that one pupil is confused and she suggests that, ‘It will help you understand if you talk to me about it’. A few pupils have a limited ability to express themselves using extended, sophisticated vocabulary and speak in short, simple sentences. Others do not have the range of descriptive language that many pupils possess at the same age and some teachers record words and phrases on flip charts and white boards in order that these pupils can refer

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ENGLISH

to the words later and use them when completing writing tasks. A pupil in Year 6 shows good progress by using words such as ‘progressive’ and ‘siblings’ when describing a story plan he has prepared. Teachers act as very good role models when speaking to pupils, repeating instructions and explanations and, in the best lessons, questioning well to ensure that pupils understand.

p.40

ENGLISH

87. Standards in reading meet national expectations at the end of both key stages. Reading is taught systematically and well during the literacy hour in the infant classes and extra time is given for reading activities at other times, including the opportunity to listen to stories being read every day. This helps develop a positive attitude towards books and pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they read. Teachers try hard to involve parents in supporting reading at home and reading records indicate that this policy is successful. For example, in one record book the parent wrote, ‘He read this quite difficult text very well indeed. He is now determined and enthusiastic towards reading’. The teacher responds ‘Excellent! Well done Mum and (pupil’s name)’. Recently, a new scheme has been introduced to support the teaching of letter sounds and this is also having a positive impact on pupils’ progress in reading.

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ENGLISH

88. In Key Stage 2, pupils read for pleasure and also to gain information from text. They work well with the teacher during the literacy hour and pupils in Year 5 analyse text and discuss the feelings of the main characters. Other pupils in Year 3 read text prepared by the teacher which has alternate sentences written in different colours to emphasise the need to write in sentences and to help pupils express themselves well. Pupils in Year 6 read with enthusiasm and discuss the plot and predict events often using picture clues to help them. They discuss their favourite authors but only a few belong to libraries in the area and they rely mainly on the school for their reading St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 41 material. Pupils identify and use the contents and index pages when searching for information but none could recall the last time they used the school library and they are not familiar with the retrieval system.

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ENGLISH

89. Pupils’ attainment in writing is satisfactory at the end of both key stages. A scrutiny of pupils’ work confirms that pupils achieve well throughout the school. The school places much emphasis on presentation with classes devoting time to handwriting practice most days. The result is that by the age of seven most pupils are attempting to join letters in all written work and by the age of 11 pupils have developed their own cursive style and are able to write quickly, presenting their work very well. The school has also developed daily routines for the teaching of spelling. In Year 2, they learn to spell the most commonly written words and by the time they reach Year 6, many pupils develop very effective strategies for spelling unknown words. Good support for this is found in mathematics where the words for the week are displayed clearly and pupils are helped to learn their spelling as well as their meaning. During the

p.41

ENGLISH

inspection, these words included vertices and perpendicular.

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ENGLISH

90. Pupils are given the opportunity to write for a range of purposes and audiences. In Year 2 they write descriptions, letters, stories and reports. Many are able to write in complex sentences. For example, one pupil writes, ‘It was a very sunny day on the farm and all the animals were hot but the ducks weren’t!’ Cross-curricular links are beginning to be established and, in science, one pupil writes, ‘Next we learned amazing information about the pond animals. Soon we went pond dipping. Finally we arrived back at school. Phew, what a journey!’ In Year 6, the range of writing incorporates work on Shakespeare, poetry, writing play-scripts, re-telling stories and writing in different styles. Pupils develop a real sense of audience and one pupil captures the reader’s interest at the beginning of a story by writing, ‘Wow, this place is great! Dad and I had just moved to an island just off the coast of Ireland’. Pupils

p.41

ENGLISH

regularly plan their work with care and all pupils, including those with English as an additional language, develop the ability to structure their writing well.

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ENGLISH

91. Many pupils, some from different cultural backgrounds, join the school at various times during the school year and good arrangements are in place that help them assimilate quickly into school routines and, thereby, be fully included in the full range of activities. These pupils and others, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, are very well supported by learning support assistants who work with both small groups and individuals. They explain the meaning of words and phrases, encouraging pupils to attempt to answer questions and aiding them with their written work. As a result, most are developing positive attitudes to their work and make good progress.

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ENGLISH

92. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall throughout the school. Teachers have high expectations and establish good relationships with the pupils. They plan work well, matching activities carefully to their pupils’ needs and abilities. These are identified through the marking of work and regular assessment. Most comments in pupils’ books, such as ‘what a sad story,’ or ‘cleverly written’, provide encouragement but they support learning more when they evaluate the work with such comments as, ‘don’t forget the paragraphs - good use of speech marks’. Another outcome of regular assessment is the setting of group targets that are recorded at the front of some books. However, targets that meet individual needs are not yet recorded and shared with pupils throughout the school. When learning objectives are made clear in lessons, pupils, with encouragement from their teachers, are always keen to

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ENGLISH

celebrate success and often break into spontaneous applause when their friends produce work of a high standard. Teachers have a good knowledge and St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 42 understanding of the literacy hour and generally apply its principles well but some lessons are too long and this impacts on the pace of the lesson, with pupils occasionally sitting for too long either listening or writing. This in turn affects their ability to maintain high levels of concentration towards the end of the lesson.

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ENGLISH

93. The English co-ordinator, who joined the school this year, leads this subject very well. She is aware that the school library is unsatisfactory in terms of the number of books, some of which contain out of date information, but she is working well with the local library service to resolve the problem. They have recently loaned the school 400 books and spending on new books is a priority for the school. The co-ordinator has, through regular monitoring, gained a good overview of teaching and standards throughout the school and continues to oversee the continued development of literacy throughout the school as highlighted in the school development plan.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Standards in mathematics are satisfactory at the end of both key stages. This is similar to the last inspection and better than the results in last year’s national tests. This demonstrates good progress in both key stages because the pupils in Key Stage 2 did not benefit from the good provision in the nursery and entered Year 3 with below average levels of attainment. Furthermore, the group of pupils in Year 6 in 2001 contained over 50 per cent with special educational needs. When this is reduced to 30 per cent, the school’s results were close to the national average.

p.42

MATHEMATICS

95. The reasons for the improvements in standards are: • a leading mathematics teacher with the local education authority was appointed in September as numeracy co-ordinator to teach Year 2; • the positive effects of the nursery that opened in 1998; (The pupils who took the national tests in Year 2 in 2001 had not benefited from the nursery provision.) • improvements in teaching throughout the school including clear learning objectives and planning activities with different levels of difficulty; • the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy has been reviewed and revised.

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MATHEMATICS

96. In Key Stage 1, pupils develop a secure grasp of place value and a good mental recall of number bonds to ten and often to 20. This is developed through regular practice in school and at home. This good mental recall helps the pupils to develop their understanding of number well. They use inverse operations well and explore different methods to add numbers. For example, to add 15 and six one group of pupils added 10+5+5+1, which quickly became 10+10+1=21. They know odd and even numbers and work well with halves and quarters. This quick mental recall, which is a strong feature of the school’s work, and secure understanding of the number system underpin their good progress. Pupils recognise and name common two-dimensional shapes, such as square, circles, rectangles and triangles. They develop their knowledge of triangles by recognising triangles with right angles and they are familiar with the properties of shapes, counting the number of sides, corners and angles.

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MATHEMATICS

Pupils measure with both standard measures including grams and centimetres, and non-standard measures, such as cubes for weighing.

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MATHEMATICS

97. In Key Stage 2, pupils develop their quick mental recall and understanding of the number system well. As in Key Stage 1, there is frequent practice and most pupils develop a good recall of multiplication facts to 10x10. This provides a secure basis for their learning and, by Year 6, they work confidently with the multiplication and St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 43 division of large numbers. They explore square and triangular numbers and they convert decimals to fractions with few mistakes. Pupils develop their understanding of area and perimeter and some work out the areas of different triangles, including using protractors skilfully to identify the size of angles. Their understanding of graphs develops well and they interpret these accurately. Pupils are beginning to understand terms such as median and mean.

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MATHEMATICS

98. A feature of pupils’ work in both key stages is their limitation in presenting their work. For example, a significant number of pupils in Key Stage 1 have difficulty writing numerals correctly, which they tend to reverse, and spelling words correctly such as centimetres, which one pupil wrote as ‘sentermetrse’. In recognition of this difficulty, teachers identify clearly the mathematical words for the week and these are clearly displayed, along with learning objectives, and emphasised for pupils. During the inspection, these words included vertices, parallel and perpendicular. Teachers encourage high standards of presentation and this enables pupils to avoid mistakes that arise through untidy presentation of their work.

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MATHEMATICS

99. The quality of teaching is good in both key stages. Teachers plan lessons well, taking full account of pupils’ previous learning to plan tasks that meet different learning needs within the class. Learning objectives are clear and shared with the pupils and this helps them to understand what they are doing and why. Many pupils have difficulty concentrating for more than short periods and matching tasks to their ability helps them. Nevertheless, some pupils do not manage to maintain concentration and teachers manage their behaviour very well. They do not tolerate any form of disruption and they apply sanctions consistently and firmly. Although this does not always please pupils, they know exactly where they stand and unacceptable behaviour is kept to a minimum. Teachers use resources well, particularly the adult help that is available to them in lessons, although some introductions and tasks last

p.43

MATHEMATICS

too long and challenge the ability of many pupils to sustain concentration. Teachers mark pupils’ work satisfactorily but the very good practice of some teachers that is developing to guide pupils’ understanding of how they can improve has yet to be established consistently across the school. Homework is used effectively to develop pupils’ numeracy skills.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The co-ordinator is very able and is having a significant effect on raising the quality of teaching. She has established improvements to teachers’ planning by establishing clear learning objectives for all lessons and the setting of all tasks with different levels of difficulty to meet the varied learning needs of pupils. She is leading improvements to the subject effectively through a revision of the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy and she sets high standards in her own practice for the teaching of mathematics.

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SCIENCE

101. In 2001, teachers’ assessments showed that the proportion of children in Year 2 who gained the expected Level 2 and above was well below the national average. When compared with similar schools, they were also well below national averages. No pupils gained the higher Level 3. Results at the end of Key Stage 2 were well below average in comparison with schools nationally and below average when compared with schools in similar contexts.

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SCIENCE

102. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are below the national average although standards are average at the end of Key Stage 2. These judgements demonstrate St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 44 improvement from the tests and assessments undertaken last year. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are appropriately supported in all lessons and, as a result, make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment. The apparent anomaly in standards can be explained initially by the fact that the cohort of pupils in Year 2 in 2001 was the last year not to have benefited from the nursery. Other factors that account for an improvement in standards are changes in staff, the emphasis placed on the improvement of teaching and learning, and the high proportion of Year 6 pupils in 2001 who had special educational needs. Inspection evidence shows that the school is working effectively

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SCIENCE

103. Year 1 pupils investigate different sounds and how they are made. Most pupils recognise that objects can make sounds and they describe some of the differences. Although some describe the characteristics of the sounds that they hear accurately, many average and lower attaining pupils are unsure of more complex descriptors, such as ‘beat’, ‘blow’, ‘shake’ and ‘pluck’. Pupils in Year 2 follow up on a visit to a local nature park by investigating different habitats. Some pupils show an appropriate knowledge of why animals need particular features in their habitat and of the way in which some have adapted to take advantage of their environment. Most pupils have difficulty in describing the environmental features preferred by different animals, although their knowledge and understanding are developing well as a result of clearly focused discussion from their teacher.

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SCIENCE

104. In Key Stage 2, younger pupils know that the earth is formed of different rocks and that these differences create the variety of soils. They follow instructions carefully in setting up experiments to look at the way in which different soils separate in water and know, for example, that denser particles will settle first. Higher attaining pupils use words such as ‘bedrock’ and ‘layers’ in describing the structure of the landscape, but none is able to describe what ‘fair testing’ is, or why it is important in scientific experimentation. By Year 6, however, pupils are secure in their understanding of fair testing, and are keen to ensure that it is applied in their experiments to discover, for example, the degree of different friction caused by different surfaces. Although most accurately describe what friction is, and the friction generated by some different surfaces, the limited ability of most pupils to measure angles accurately inhibits the

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SCIENCE

105. The quality of teaching, at both key stages, is satisfactory, although examples of good teaching were seen during the inspection. In the more effective lessons, teachers plan appropriate tasks and link these well to previous work. Good lesson structures balance instruction and discussion well, with questioning being well linked to different pupils’ knowledge of the subject. In these lessons, teachers take care to describe the objectives planned within each lesson and manage behaviour well, so that the high proportion of potentially disruptive pupils are fully engaged in learning. Resources are used effectively, and appropriate scientific vocabulary is used and encouraged consistently. All of these features enable pupils to learn well and support good progress in the acquisition of new knowledge, skills and understanding. In those lessons where teaching was satisfactory, a weakness was that planned activities

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SCIENCE

failed to support the learning objectives that were set. In these lessons, pupils were interested in the work that was set but had too little opportunity to predict or to discuss their findings. As a result, the pace of learning was slower than it could have been, and particularly so for higher attainers. In all lessons, teachers and learning support assistants work well together to support pupils in their experiments. In one class, moreover, there is evidence of the contribution made by learning support assistants to assessment during introductions and plenary sessions. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 45 106. The assessment of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding is developing, but the use of assessment to give teachers a clear view of what has been learned and what should be taught next is underdeveloped. While teachers have a clear awareness of what has previously been taught, there are inconsistencies in their understanding of

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SCIENCE

what has been learned. Marking rewards pupils’ efforts, but, except in Years 2 and 3, rarely helps them to understand what they need to do in order to improve their work. As a result, pupils are not always sufficiently challenged at appropriate levels, particularly in investigation, prediction and recording. This is an area that the school has recognised as an area for improvement, and plans are being developed to improve teachers’ knowledge of how well their pupils are performing and their ability to set consistently appropriate targets.

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SCIENCE

107. The curriculum meets statutory requirements. Although planning covers all the required elements of the Programmes of Study, the school is aware that time allocated to scientific study is not sufficient to allow for in-depth research or for utilising scientific skills to support other areas of the curriculum. For example, experiments are frequently recorded in a worksheet format, rather than allowing pupils to develop their English skills by planning and recording hypotheses and descriptions in written form. Similarly, although some opportunities are planned for pupils to use information and communications technology in their work, there is little evidence that this takes place consistently or with sufficient frequency for pupils to benefit fully.

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SCIENCE

108. The school has been unable to appoint a science co-ordinator and, as a result, the headteacher is leading the subject in addition to her other duties. She is keen to see standards and provision in the subject improve further and, following an evaluation of the subject, she has identified an appropriate range of actions designed to improve provision. She is aware that a clearer understanding of standards in science across the school would be appropriate in evaluating the effectiveness of the subject and, to this end, has begun to analyse available data in line with priorities identified within the school development plan.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. Only two lessons of art were planned for the period of the inspection and so it is not possible to make a secure judgement on the standard of teaching. Judgements of standards of attainment are made from a scrutiny of pupils’ work, displays around the school and discussion with the art co-ordinator. Standards meet national expectations at the end of both key stages. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. The high standards reported in the last inspection have not been maintained, which may reflect the lack of continuity of staffing.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. The attractively displayed art work in corridors and on classroom walls shows how pupils have used a wide range of media such as paints, pastels, textiles and clay. Displays reveal links between art and other subjects such as the pencil sketches of Hampstead Heath by Year 2 in their current geography project. The Year 3 work on reflective collage and the Year 6 work on Islamic patterns link with numeracy. Throughout the school, emphasis is placed on working in the styles of various artists, such as the cubist self-portraits in Year 3, the William Morris designs in Year 5 and the Lowry paintings in Year 6. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 46 111. Pupils in Year 2 use sketch books to record their ideas. These tend to be used as a means of practising work they are about to undertake in lessons and they do not have enough unrestricted opportunities to use them on a more adventurous basis. The co-

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ART AND DESIGN

ordinator has collected work that provides a useful start in monitoring standards and progression throughout the school, although currently only a few examples are represented. There are, as yet, only limited assessment opportunities built into the planning, delivery and monitoring of art and design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. Pupils’ attainment meets national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1. However, no lessons were taught in Key Stage 2 during the period of the inspection and there was insufficient evidence to make secure judgements about standards and teaching in this key stage. This indicates that standards are not as high as they were reported at the time of the last inspection and this may be an indirect result of the school’s focus on literacy and numeracy.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. In Key Stage 1, pupils make simple levers using split pins and card. At this stage, they experiment and evaluate their product in greater detail than they plan. However, in Year 2 they begin to plan and evaluate their products in greater detail. For example, they recognise a diagram as different from a picture and they use this to plan simply the product they intend to make. Pupils plan and make winding mechanisms, using pulleys, to lift ‘Barnaby Bear’ off the table. Not all efforts are successful and pupils discuss the reasons for this and they consider how things can be improved. In Year 1, pupils plan and prepare food for a party to which they invite their parents.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. In Key Stage 2, pupils develop their planning and making skills. In Year 3, pupils use simple pneumatics to make models of monsters that move, such as opening their mouths. They evaluate this well, with one pupil commenting, ‘I would change the moving part because it’s not interesting’. Older pupils in Year 5 plan and make their own musical instruments that includes stringed instruments, pan pipes and rain sticks. The plans for their designs, however, do not contain any measurements or details of how separate sections will be joined.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is good. Teachers plan the lessons well and the resources to be used are readily available to the pupils. Pupils’ behaviour is managed well and suitable standards are maintained. In one class, the teacher uses a rain stick to gain pupils’ attention. This is very effective and also provides a gentle calming sound to which pupils respond. In this very good lesson, the task was set with different levels of difficulty to ensure that there was suitable challenge for the most able pupils and also allowed all pupils to be successful. For example, one group simply experimented with winding mechanisms, another experiments with pulleys, whilst the higher attaining group plan a moving dinosaur using pulleys. Although this practice is not common in all classes, it is having a significant effect on the good progress that pupils make. Learning support assistants are deployed well to

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Standards in both key stages meet national expectations, an outcome similar to the last inspection. A programme of work has been introduced since the last inspection. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 47 117. Pupils in Year 2 receive very good support from both the teacher and learning support assistants. They worked in small groups, each supported by an adult, as they study aerial photographs with the aid of a magnifying glass. They are focused and interested and discuss their observations, commenting on features such as the countryside, coastline, towns and rivers. At the end of one lesson, a pupil explained that ‘The road is probably there so that people can get to the beach when they go on holiday’. In Year 3, pupils discuss life for a child who lives in Benin, Nigeria. They can identify Nigeria on a map of Africa. The teacher manages the class well and through very good question and answer techniques, she encourages pupils to contribute to

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GEOGRAPHY

the lesson, drawing on their own cultural background. In Year 6, pupils use secondary sources to compare life for a family in a village and city in Pakistan with life for the pupils in Kilburn. They talk confidently about the impact of climate on agriculture and the importance of irrigation for crops to grow.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Pupils’ work shows good links with information and communication technology. For example, Year 3 pupils draw bar graphs and pie charts to show the outcome of a survey about local employment, and with English in Year 2, a pupil writes, ‘It was a warm and sunny day and the pyramids were tall. There was sand everywhere. The sky was blue and there were not many clouds’. Marking has a limited impact on learning as it is restricted to ticks and occasional positive comments in most books.

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HISTORY

119. Standards meet national expectations at the end of both key stages, which is similar to the last inspection. Although only one lesson was observed in Key Stage 2 and none in Key Stage 1, judgements are made on the evidence of this lesson, a scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, and talking to pupils. However, it is not possible to make a secure judgement on teaching due to the many recent changes to the teaching staff, which means that pupils’ learning cannot be linked securely to the quality of teaching.

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HISTORY

120. The effect of the school’s focus on literacy and numeracy has been that less time is available for the subject. Although a suitable breadth of study has been maintained, there is insufficient time to develop the depth of pupils’ understanding fully. For example, the school includes topics on the history of Benin and Pakistan to reflect pupils’ cultural backgrounds, alongside more common topics on the Romans and the Tudors. However, pupils have limited understanding of the effects of historical events.

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HISTORY

121. The study of history is enhanced by a number of stimulating visits that are linked to the topic. This includes a museum visit in Key Stage 1 during a topic on ‘homes’. In Key Stage 2, pupils visit the British Museum, the Imperial War Museum, Hampton Court and the Museum of London. Many of these visits include a teaching session at the museum. Further study is conducted of a Norman castle during a school journey to Norfolk and Years 5 and 6 visit Hook Courte in Dorset during their residential visit. Pupils greatly enjoy these visits and they talk about them with enthusiasm.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. It was only possible to observe a few introductory lessons during the inspection and, considering pupils’ attainment, it is not possible to make a secure judgement about St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 48 the quality of teaching and learning across the school. Judgements relating to standards and learning are based upon the lessons observed, a scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work, and discussion with pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. Standards at the end of both key stages are below national expectations. This is primarily a result of significant gaps in pupils’ previous learning. Until recently, information and communication technology had a low profile within the school and money was not invested effectively in updating resources or in training teachers to teach the subject. Currently, although provision is improving rapidly, pupils still have insufficient opportunities to use computers in their learning, both in the acquisition of skills and in applying those skills in other subjects. Progress in learning, from a low level on entry to the school, is satisfactory overall. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make progress that is similar to their peers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. Pupils at Key Stage 1 use the computer to develop keyboard skills to label and annotate their work. Nearly all open and print their work and, by the end of Year 2, know that different information is displayed on the screen, that the keyboard allows them to enter text, and that the mouse helps them select a position in their work. They have some recent experience of controlling programmable toys and of using the computer to draw and to enter data but these experiences are infrequent and not sufficiently integrated with their work in other subjects. Pupils’ skills in word processing improve appropriately through Key Stage 2 and, by the end of Year 6, nearly all pupils have appropriate knowledge and understanding of handling text, and many accurately describe ways of creating or capturing images using the computer. Pupils have experience of using an appropriate range of skills in handling and interrogating data. They know that information can be presented in a variety of ways

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

and that those presentations can be changed in order to focus upon different elements of information. There is, however, little evidence of pupils making use of these skills in other subjects. In mathematics or science, for example, pupils draw graphs of results, or tables of numerical information that hamper the degree to which they can interrogate or compare their data. Most of the older pupils show appropriate confidence and skill in using cell co-ordinates to enter data. They are aware that spreadsheets will perform a range of mathematical calculations, but very few suggest ways in which this may be achieved. They write some modelling instructions to direct the screen cursor in different directions and a minority describe their limited experience in using computers for communication using e-mail or the World Wide Web. In these areas, pupils’ experience is less than is expected, which slows the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. In the lessons observed, the teaching was satisfactory or better. However, insufficient time is given to the subject to ensure that teaching is satisfactory across the key stages. In one good lesson in Year 5, the teacher had the confidence to explain tasks carefully so that no time was wasted. This resulted in an effectively paced lesson that enabled pupils to concentrate well on planned learning. In other lessons, pupils’ work was limited by the problems of gaining access to the single computer in the classroom. Computers were seen in use in both literacy and numeracy lessons but individuals and groups had only a limited time at the computer. As a result, more able pupils are not able to progress at an appropriate rate.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Teachers’ planning includes appropriate references to information and communication technology at the long-term level, but this becomes much less consistent in short-term planning. The curriculum, as planned, includes all elements required by the National Curriculum. Across the school, the lack of coherent St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 49 assessment information hampers teachers in planning work that is appropriate for all pupils. The school is fully aware of the weaknesses within the subject and appropriate plans are in place with the aim of securing improvement. Teachers have received some training under the New Opportunities Fund scheme and the school plans to develop staff training programme further. 127. The recently appointed co-ordinator is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the subject. She is very aware of the weaknesses that exist and knows what needs to be done in order to secure improvement. Much has been achieved in a short time.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Following an audit of the subject, an effective action plan has been developed focused on improving resources and extending staff training. There is, currently, an insufficient number of computers. The school has recognised this and more computers have been ordered. The school also recognises that the amount of time allocated to the subject needs to be increased in order to improve standards. Consequently, plans are in place to use the new computers that are on order to extend classroom provision as well as providing for a small group of centrally based computers to facilitate skills teaching in small groups. The co-ordinator has revised the allocation and distribution of software, ensured that computers are ready for use, and plans to monitor teachers’ planning to ensure appropriate coverage.

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MUSIC

128. It was not possible to observe any music lessons during the inspection. Judgements about the standards achieved and pupils’ learning are based upon the observation of assemblies and a singing practice session, as well as on a scrutiny of teachers’ planning and discussions held with pupils. Standards at both key stages are above those expected, and pupils achieve well.

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MUSIC

129. Pupils across the school achieve good standards of singing. In whole-school singing, pupils sang known songs with good phrasing and control. They responded with high levels of enthusiasm and motivation. Younger pupils showed a good understanding of rhythm and beat when clapping in time, while older pupils demonstrated a well- developed understanding of rhythm and pulse through their maintenance of the structure of the songs. By the end of Year 2, pupils have already learned to recognise and explore sounds, and can keep their part when singing with others. In an assembly, their singing of ‘Shalom’ demonstrated good control of volume and rhythm. Older pupils in Year 6 develop their singing abilities further and held their own parts in complicated rounds with assurance and considerable clarity, taking descant parts accurately. Their understanding of musical structure was indicated by the clarity that

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MUSIC

they brought to leading younger pupils in singing and clapping, following and giving instructions well.

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MUSIC

130. An analysis of previous work shows that pupils across the school have opportunities to play percussion instruments and to make music. Pupils sing and play in the community and older pupils describe their pleasure in taking part in a local singing festival held at the Royal Albert Hall. A good range of opportunities is provided for pupils to listen to music from a range of cultures, which promotes their cultural understanding well. In the junior singing practice, the quality of teaching was very good. This had a positive influence on pupils’ abilities to develop and modify patterns in their singing, showing a good awareness of when and how to sing their part. They responded very well to the high levels of challenge that were provided.

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MUSIC

131. There is a good level of awareness amongst staff of the requirements of the curriculum. The subject is co-ordinated by a member of staff who is enthusiastic, St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 50 and aware of the strengths of the subject and where improvement is needed. This is particularly so in relation to assessment, which the school recognises is underdeveloped. St Mary’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 51

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. The standards attained by pupils are satisfactory in Key Stage 1 but unsatisfactory in Key Stage 2. Only about half of all pupils can swim 25 metres by the time they leave the school. The school is aware that pupils could achieve more and is considering how to improve performance by rearranging swimming provision.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. In Key Stage 1, pupils move with an awareness of space and the needs of others. They roll and jump with suitable control. Schemes of work used in games and gymnastics are out of date and do not match all the requirements of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. As a result, pupils are underachieving in these two aspects of the curriculum in Key Stage 2. In particular, there is little opportunity for pupils to select and plan how to use skills in games and gymnastic sequences or to evaluate their performances. The subject policy contains inadequate guidance on suitable dress. While a record sheet is provided to note assessments of pupils’ attainment, no support has been given to guide teachers in understanding the expected standards that pupils should be attaining.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. To compensate for the siting of the school in an inner city area and the restrictions imposed by the lack of a grassed area on athletics in particular, the school makes good provision for outdoor and adventurous activities for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 during specialist residential visits. Here, pupils take part in a wide range of activities including orienteering, rock climbing, abseiling and archery.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. The lesson seen in Key Stage 1 was good, with the teacher organising the lesson well and giving suitable attention to the management of pupils. However, unsatisfactory teaching in Key Stage 2 contributed to the low standards being attained by pupils because teaching objectives are too broad and pupils do not have an overview of the purpose of their activities. Consequently, their behaviour deteriorates. Teachers then spend too much time in behaviour management and insufficient time in coaching to improve skills.

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