Other · Ofsted report

St Mary's Catholic Primary School

Inspected — · published 5 Oct 2001 · URN 104927

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Star Farm

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Full report text

ST MARY’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST MARY’S CATHOLIC 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 Catholic Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Back Lane Little Crosby Liverpool Postcode: L23 4UA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev Fr W Mills

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19/03/97 St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 4

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Team members

16041 O L Thomas Registered inspector 19344 D W Jones Lay inspector 17711 J B Thomas Team inspector

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Team members

Network Management Services Star Farm Llangynhafal Ruthin Denbighshire LL15 1RU

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 9

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is smaller than other primary schools; set in a rural farming area on the outskirts of Liverpool. The school serves the community of village families but does draw its pupils from elsewhere. There are 43 boys and 60 girls, total 103 taught in 4 classes of mixed year groups. The school has no nursery and there is the full time equivalent of 15 pupils in reception. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average at 5 per cent. The percentage of pupils with English is an additional language at nil is low. The percentage of pupils on the register of special educational needs at 9.3 per cent is below the national average. The number of pupils with statements of special educational need is zero and this is below national average. Census data sets the school above national figures for socio-economic circumstances. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is above what is usually found. The school is oversubscribed and the admission list

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This school provides a safe, secure environment for all pupils in difficult accommodation. Pupils’ good attainment is effectively sustained and the basic skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught. The dedicated leadership of the Headteacher and generally good teaching serve the pupils well overall. Pupils’ progress is good and they achieve well from entry to Year 4 but progress plateaus in the upper school and is not as good as it could be given their prior attainment as further challenge is needed in the work set. The management of the older pupils’ behaviour is not firm enough to support learning effectively for all pupils in the class. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in English, mathematic. • The teaching of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. • The high quality of care and pastoral guidance, which encourages very good attitudes to work and fosters their personal development very well.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information technology and design and technology by the age of 11. • The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’ behaviour and accelerate learning for the oldest pupils. • The use of assessment to challenge all pupils particularly the highest attainers. • Pupils’ understanding that they live in a multicultural world and preparing them for life in it. • The accommodation detracts from provision in the Foundation Stage of learning and in physical education and practical subjects. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the last inspection the school has very effectively implemented the national strategies in literacy and numeracy. Improvements have been made to policies and resources for information and communication technology and design and technology but these developments have failed to impact on raising standards to national levels although some progress has clearly been made in improving curriculum delivery. The school has been hindered in its efforts because newly purchased resources have been stolen and not yet replaced. The accommodation is still restrictive to pupils’ learning in spite of the school’s best efforts. The school is soundly placed to develop but further thought is needed as to how the monitoring of teaching and learning and the effective impact of school policies can improve provision for pupils.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

Science A A C D very high well above average above average average below average well below average A* A B C D E These results should be treated with some caution as the number of pupils tested makes statistical comparisons unreliable.

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STANDARDS

Pupils attain well in English and mathematics in comparison to national averages and similar schools. However, attainment is low in science when compared to other schools. Pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 attain very good levels in reading, writing and mathematics. This echoes the inspection findings, which show that pupils are above average attainment on entry, progress well and at times very well from Years R to 2. In Years 3 and 4 this good progress is well maintained and built upon. However, progress plateaus in Years 5 and 6 for a number of reasons; the work offered does not sufficiently build on what pupils already know to challenge and encourage them to use their acquired knowledge and skills and keep an active pace to their learning. Poor pupil attitude and immature social skills of a small group of Year 5 pupils slows down learning regularly and takes up too much teacher time. Pupils have insufficient opportunities to investigate for

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STANDARDS

themselves and use their good knowledge of scientific phenomena.

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STANDARDS

The school’s targets are challenging but realistic. Results have been consistently good except in 1998 when they fell across all subjects because the attainment of the year group was not as good as usual for the school.

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STANDARDS

The inspection finds that the proportion of pupils attaining at the expected levels at the end of the key stages is higher than usually found in English, mathematics and science. In information and communication technology and design and technology pupils do not attain as expected by the age of 11. Evidence suggests that standards in the other subjects are at least average by the age of 11. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very positive from the vast majority of pupils but some in Year 5 are noticeably silly, immature and fail to concentrate well.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Generally very good but lack of self-discipline and concern for others by some older pupils detracts from the good picture.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good overall. Personal development is sound and relationships are overall very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Most pupils enjoy coming to school.

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

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

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

Seventeen lessons were seen. Twenty four per cent of teaching was very good; 35 per cent good and 41 per cent satisfactory. No teaching was judged unsatisfactory. The teaching of English and mathematics are good. The skills of literacy and numeracy are very well taught and pupils learn well although this is not capitalized on well enough for the older pupils. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and are effectively served but the higher attainers are not well challenged although they produce good amounts of work. The oldest pupils mark time in their learning as the work teachers provide is at times too easy and lacking in opportunity to apply skills and challenge pupils’ thinking. Time is lost when teaching is too regularly interrupted by the poor response of some pupils. The management of some older pupils’ behaviour is not firm enough. The marking of pupils’ work is not showing them how to improve for themselves.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Range is good; depth and quality are only adequate because acquired skills are not used effectively. ICT and DT do not meet requirements.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good provision and pupils make good progress. Some pupils, who have specific needs, are not on the register.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good in spiritual, good overall moral and social development. Cultural development has not improved since last inspection and is satisfactory although multicultural development is weak and pupils’ preparation for life in a multicultural society is unsatisfactory. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 9 How well the school cares for its pupils Pastoral care is very good. Use of assessment is not driving learning forward well enough for the higher attainers.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the Headteacher and other key staff Very effective implementation of the national strategies for literacy & numeracy. The Headteacher carries a heavy burden of responsibility of being a classteacher, coupled with daily school management. She has no Assistant HT support; the impact of all of this is to hinder the use of her skills, to ensure school policies and her vision of high expectation are consistently applied.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfill their responsibilities Not yet fully met. ICT and D&T do not meet requirements.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school is beginning to track pupils‘ progress but monitoring performance from key stage to key stage is not supporting the measurement of value added well enough to then challenge all pupils according their needs. Development planning does not pay enough attention to how success will be measured.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good overall. However, some resources are limited and outdated. The school has been stifled in improving ICT resources by theft. The accommodation is poor and detracts from pupils’ effective learning.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The standards the pupils attain. • The teaching quality. • That their children like school. • The school expects pupils to work hard and they make good progress. • The school is helping pupils to become mature and responsible. • Behaviour is good. • For the school to provide extracurricular activities. • The links with parents and information to them. • The leadership and management of the school. • Homework provision.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team largely agrees with the parents’ positive views. However, the report makes clear that there is scope to raise teaching to the highest levels to further pupils’ progress. Not all pupils come to school prepared to learn or to behave well. Homework provision, which is not compulsory for primary age children, is at least satisfactory. The provision of information to parents is satisfactory but no better. In relation to the range of extracurricular activities discussion with pupils reveals that they would like more involvement in teams and after school activities. Out of school teacher time is allocated to St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 10 planning and preparing for learning and this impacts strongly on standards. It is for the governors to consider how they might respond to parents’ concerns without diminishing teachers’ impact on standards. The Headteacher has effectively led the school but time for

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

her to carry out all of her responsibilities is too limited. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 11

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

1. The very good results of the 2000 national tests for 11 year old pupils are a reflection of the school’s success in placing the raising of standards as high priority. The school exceeded national targets in English, mathematics; the proportion of pupils attaining at the higher Level 5 was double national figures in English and mathematics and equal to it in science. Not only does the school perform well within the national picture but also when compared with similar schools the results remain well above average. The pupils are used to success and this is confirmed by their performance in the Key Stage 1 tests, which were particularly outstanding, and in the top five per cent nationally against both national results and similar schools. The Headteacher who teaches the reception class for part of the week has an unswerving vision that these young pupils must succeed in the basic skills of reading and writing and numeracy by the age of seven; her

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

vision is firmly upheld by the pupils’ consistent performance over time.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

2. The school’s cohort is small each year and, therefore, measurement against national trends lacks validity. However, the picture is upward in all except science, which was lower last year, and this needs to be seen in perspective. The proportion of pupils attaining Level 4 or above was above average but the fact that the school only had an equal number of pupils who attained Level 5 is the reason for the apparent lowering of the average point scores; one pupil expected to gain Level 5 did not and with so few pupils this can represent a high percentage difference. The performance of all 11 year old pupils has been consistently above the national average in English, mathematics and science, at times peaking to very high in English and showing constancy in well above average scores in mathematics and science. Seven year olds’ results have been very high consistently for the last four years. There is no doubt that the school

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

is successful in taking pupils on to achieve good standards and any slight variations in performance need to be seen in perspective. The important factor to bear in mind is that in spite of minor differences year on year, which must take account of the fact that different groups are being tested, the school manages to support its pupils in performing at higher than expected levels.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

3. The school sets targets based on thorough knowledge of the pupils, and a comprehensive range of on-going tests and assessments; this is at the heart of identifying what works well and what needs improvement.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

4. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve well given their prior attainment. The high quality support for special educational needs by class teachers is another factor in measuring the school’s success and recognising that pupils of all abilities do succeed with the right support.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

5. In the sample of lessons and books seen during this short inspection, work was mainly of good quality. There are some very good profiles of pupils’ writing from Key Stage 1 and these show most make at least satisfactory and at times good efforts at writing independently. Spelling skills are sound. By the age of 11, pupils have a good grasp of the conventions of using Standard English, write for a range of purposes, read fluently and expressively and have a broad knowledge and understanding of how to find things out for themselves. They use their literacy skills well in the other subjects. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 12 6. Pupils’ knowledge, understanding and use of numbers are markedly good. Most have an affinity with and confidence in mathematics and when asked, ‘what do you like to do best at school?’ ‘Maths’ was often the answer. The range of mathematical activities is broad and the amount of work completed by even young pupils is surprising. Mental calculations are given high

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

priority and pupils demonstrate their abilities well. They make rapid responses of their tables up to five in the lower juniors and by the time they are 11 the swiftness of their recall up to their 10 times table is very good. Pupils’ work in mathematics shows evidence of challenge to use their basic skills to solve problems and investigate.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

7. In science, young pupils can sort materials according to characteristics and describe how they feel and look. Keen attention to developing their vocabulary and supportive questioning by the teacher helps them to verbalise their ideas. The pupils in Year 2 can recognise that some materials have more than one property, for example , ‘shiny and smooth’ or ‘it’s natural but people have made it into something’ . The oldest pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 have a good knowledge through regular experimentation of electrical circuits, friction, magnetism, and types of rocks. The weakness found in science during the inspection was that too often the work had prescribed outcomes rather than allowing the pupils to engage in open ended investigations. Many have the ability to do this.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

8. Attainment on entry to the school is mainly above average and pupils achieve well in the Foundation Stage class, in Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2. However, pupils’ achievements in upper Key Stage 2 are satisfactory in comparison and there is scope for some of the work to be more challenging to both deepen their knowledge and understanding and to take them onward and upward to use their acquired skills.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

The teaching of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

9. The teaching of literacy and numeracy has a positive impact on standards and is good overall with examples of very good teaching in lower Key Stage 2. The most striking feature is the consistently high expectation for pupils to listen, understand and make progress in their work. The teachers know the pupils well. The national strategies have been well implemented. The direct teaching of basic skills is structured, consolidates and builds upon what they already know; the good standards achieved enable pupils to cope well with their other work and move forward in their learning even when not directly supervised by teachers.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

10. In literacy, in the reception class pupils quickly learn the names of the alphabet and the sounds the letters make. They can read many common and some more complex words. The work is linked well to make it meaningful. For example, the children retell the story of ‘Farmer Barnes and the very old tree’; they produce artwork linked to it and make moving trees in design and technology using paper fasteners. All of these experiences aid the pupils’ learning in referring back to what they know and in ensuring what they do is coherent. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have consolidated the good start made to learning. The teacher provides well-structured tasks; the expectation and drive for pupils to use and understand technical vocabulary is high. For example, they learn what nouns, adjectives and verbs are and when challenged by the teacher can turn statements into questions and offer synonyms for adjectives to describe the ‘seagulls’ in

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

the story of the Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch. In Years 3 and 4 teaching of literacy is very good because the teacher sets the scene for the lesson clearly, reads very well so showing pupils how to read with fluency and expression; then effectively questions them to assess their understanding and extend their thinking about how characters might feel. The teaching of Standard English is very thorough; the practice of using flashcards to build up an aide memoire for pupils to refer to, if needed to support learning, is highly effective. In Year 5 and 6 the teaching of English is satisfactory overall but the management of pupils’ behaviour weakens its effects and slows the pace of the lessons for all pupils; this is also the case for mathematics St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 13 lessons. In addition, the tasks are rather mundane and pupils admit that they find them ‘easy’. Work is too similar across the age and ability groups for pupils to make the good progress in their

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

learning, which they have been accustomed to.

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

11. In mathematics, pupils acquire very good recall of number facts from an early age. They enjoy manipulating numbers and are competent to do so. By the age of seven, pupils have been well taught how to compute numbers for example, they learn to add numbers to ten and, understand that 4 and 6 make ten then 6 and 4 must also make ten, they move onto add higher numbers such as 10 and 20, some can multiply 10 by 10 and subtract 90 from 100 knowing that the remainder is ten. They are taught how to work simple algebraic problems and identify missing numbers in a sum. Most use their numeracy skills well to solve money problems, many can add to 50p and in some cases using pounds and pence. Pupils across the range of ability achieve well in number and many are adept in discussing and using numbers for addition, subtraction and multiplication to 100. By the age of 11 pupils have learned well how to compute the four rules of

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Pupils’ performance in the national tests by the age of seven and 11 are high in

number. They know their multiplication tables and can answer questions related to them with quick fire response. Pupils use their knowledge of number to calculate fractions and percentages and they support their learning in using pie charts to represent data by identifying what fraction/percentage of the chart shows pupils’ favourite TV programmes. The teaching is well planned and shows secure subject knowledge in all numeracy lessons. Classroom assistant support is well used to support individuals who have difficulty in applying themselves to the tasks. Pupils persevere well with their learning and apply themselves to the job in hand, they are confident in handling large numbers and this mature attitude has a beneficial effect on their progress.

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The high quality of care and pastoral guidance, which encourages very good attitudes

to work and fosters their personal development very well.

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The high quality of care and pastoral guidance, which encourages very good attitudes

12. The school offers a family ethos, which makes pupils feel safe and secure. Relationships between teachers and most pupils are very good. All staff know the pupils well and are sensitive to their individual needs and their backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs receive good quality support and classroom assistants form a bond with their charges to establish routines and give guidance which help the pupils understand what they need to do and consequently enable them to focus on learning in measurable steps. During lessons and about the school there is a calm, happy atmosphere. Most pupils behave very well and show good degrees of self-discipline. They are polite and welcoming to visitors and a credit to the school’s vigilance of high expectation for good behaviour. This rosy picture is lessened by a small group of boys who let themselves down by immaturity and a desire to disrupt. Nevertheless, all other pupils, even the youngest show very positive

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The high quality of care and pastoral guidance, which encourages very good attitudes

attitudes when the good teaching motivates them. For example, the youngest pupils take on responsibility well by giving out equipment fairly, checking to see who needs what and showing high level skills of independence when cutting and good skills of cooperation in helping each other with sticking activities. In a Year 1 and 2, science lesson pupils’ behaviour was exemplary; they discussed the characteristics of the materials and came to corporate agreement of which materials were man made, natural or natural but altered by man. These pupils showed good initiative in re-examining some of the materials when there was doubt expressed about their origins. In Year 3 and 4 pupils are developing their work ethic very well indeed. In a mathematics lesson focusing on rapid recall of number of facts the lively, brisk pace grasped their attention and they were enthusiastic and keen to share their answers. Pupils responded very well to the friendly competitive spirit. Most Year 5 are

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The high quality of care and pastoral guidance, which encourages very good attitudes

well behaved but generally show less maturity in their attitudes; there is too much niggling conversation between them and they are easily distracted by silly behaviour from the less productive few. The oldest pupils in Year 6 are friendly, well disciplined in work strategies and mature in their approach. They are open in sharing their work and need little St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 14 encouragement to get on with it. The school makes very good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral and social values. They are tolerant pupils who do not harbour any discrimination for each other. Their knowledge of face to face encounters with other cultures, faiths and ethnic groups is very limited and, therefore, their respect and tolerance in these situations is untested.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Standards in information and communication technology and design and technology.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

13. Standards in both of these subjects, which were deemed to be key issues at the time of the previous inspection, continue to be below national expectations by the age of 11. Despite the drawing up of an action plan, the attendance of coordinators on in-service training and the establishment of a programme for the funding of much needed resources, progress in raising standards has been disappointing. Pupils within Key Stage 1 continue to gain experience of word processing and a range of keyboard skills. Some are able to research information. For example, in Year 2 a pupil has researched information about Oman, where he was born. However, overall they have had very limited experiences of control technology and in this respect do not attain anywhere near as expected. By the end of Key Stage 2, access to information and communication technology and design and technology is not regular, broad or systematic enough to enable pupils to achieve as

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

expected in all aspects of the subjects; this restricts their abilities to make progress in line with their abilities. Many pupils are able to word process, edit text and print their work. In discussions with Year 6 many are able to talk in depth about the use of the Internet, text messaging and research using a CD ROM, however, these experiences have come from home not school use. They cannot talk in any depth about the use of data handling and interrogation of information in the subjects of the curriculum nor have they any worthwhile experience designing procedures, monitoring and controlling events or modeling using simulation programmes. In design and technology there are some examples of Year 5 and 6 pupils having disassembled slippers and designing their own; Year 1 and 2 have made hand puppets, Year 3 and 4 have designed sculptures to place in the school grounds. In spite of these examples pupils’ understanding of the plan, design, make, evaluate and

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

14. The teachers’ levels of confidence to teach subject skills are variable. It is fair to say that where the school had acquired new computers their efforts were sadly thwarted by theft leaving the school severely under resourced. The school has not yet received the nationally available additional funding to improve resources and there are currently too few computers for pupils to have sufficient access to them. Plans and funding have been drawn up and agreed for the building of additional accommodation, which will afford appropriate space for the location of the computers to be networked to support greater access for pupils and staff.

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The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’

behaviour and accelerate learning for the oldest pupils.

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The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’

15. The monitoring of teaching and curriculum development, along with the analysis of national tests has been sustained since the last inspection. A shortfall in the number of pupils attaining at the higher Level 5 in science in comparison to English and mathematics highlighted the need for a review of teaching methods and evaluation of work being St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 15 achieved. This is being undertaken with the added support of the local authority. Long term tracking of pupils’ progress identified a shortfall in the attainment of a significant group of Year 5 boys whose poor behaviour, attitudes and immature social skills has blighted their test progress since their relatively poor test results at the end of Key Stage 1. Although much has been done through the involvement of external advisory staff, focused behaviour management strategies by the staff involved the pupils’ adverse behaviour is

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The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’

having a negative effect on their own and their classmates progress. The school has not acted with sufficient rigour in monitoring the teaching techniques to manage behaviour, drawing up targets for disruptive pupils, in tracking their progress diligently to meeting them and in involving all relevant personnel including parents to ensure goals for improvement are met. The school operates a system of praise to support behaviour, which works very well for most; its current provision for sanctions is not working because the school has not applied rigorously the full frame of sanctions available to it and this is causing too much unnecessary disruption for too many pupils. The school’s behaviour policy needs strengthening; it does not currently include exclusion as the final sanction when all other reasonable and fair strategies have been seen to fail.

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The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’

The use of assessment to challenge all pupils, particularly the highest attainers.

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The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’

16. Although the school is extremely successful in that pupils’ attainment by the age of 11 years in the national test in the core subjects is above the national average, the higher attainers, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2 are not challenged well enough and mark time given their good attainment on entry. The comprehensive, informative assessment procedures as described in the previous inspection report have been sustained and successfully developed to incorporate target setting for groups. Assessments of the pupils’ attainment on entry to the school are effectively used to inform planning through the Foundation Stage and continue to support pupils’ progress well through Key Stage 1 and into lower Key Stage 2. Assessment is used effectively across the age and ability ranges to match work to pupils’ needs but for the higher attaining pupils in upper Key Stage 2 work is not challenging enough to enable pupils to use their acquired skills particularly in applying

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The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’

their literacy and numeracy skills to solve problems. Pupils are not being engaged in the evaluation of their work or encouraged to understand how they may improve with personal targets. Too many activities are prescriptive and, at times at too low a level for the Year 6 pupils to work independently and at a pace, which drives them forward and extends their thinking.

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The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’

Pupils’ understanding and preparation for living in a multicultural world.

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The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’

17. The school continues to provide broad provision for the development of pupils’ cultural values through a range of activities as outlined by the previous inspection report. However, opportunities to become aware and sensitive to the multicultural dimension of the world in which they will grow and to gain respect for the religions and faiths of other cultures are limited. Resources and artifacts, which could help increase the teachers’ and pupils’ understanding and knowledge of other cultures and faiths are insufficient in a school where its population is not ethnically diverse. Paying tribute to the diversity and richness of multicultural Britain in the past and present is not actively pursued as a valuable goal. Outings to the theatre, concerts, exhibitions and visits by various personalities who could extend the school’s understanding of the effects of all forms of discrimination including stereotyping, prejudice and racism could be more focused. Pupils’ understanding of the

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The monitoring of teaching and learning through the school to improve some pupils’

effects of diversity of the society in which they live is underdeveloped. The school does not have a clear strategy on how to combat racism should it occur in any form. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 16

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The accommodation detracts from provision in the Foundation Stage of learning and

in physical education and practical subjects.

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The accommodation detracts from provision in the Foundation Stage of learning and

18. Whilst there are sufficient classrooms for the number of pupils, the accommodation is cramped and difficult to access without disruption to some year groups. The teaching space for pupils under five is unsatisfactory; it is small has no access to an outside secure play area where pupils may use large climbing apparatus and develop physical skills safely; there is no space for wet/dry sand or water play and no open area for large construction apparatus to be used. Children have to sit for all activities, which is unacceptable for this age group. The class space does not allow for appropriate role-play, creative or imaginative activities which are important activities that help form a firm base to the future learning of all pupils. Other classrooms are cramped also. Year 1, 2, 5 and 6 classes can only be reached through the reception class. This disruption is unhelpful to the concentration of these young children. There is no hall and although the school makes use of what is

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The accommodation detracts from provision in the Foundation Stage of learning and

available it nevertheless cannot provide the full range of activities required by the National Curriculum. Space in all classrooms for creative and practical work is minimal and unsuitable.

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technology by the age of 11 by ensuring that:

• the full requirements of the National Curriculum are met in each subject; • staff knowledge and competence to teach the subjects are improved; • resources are improved as funding allows; • governors monitor the standards achieved more closely; • the suitable allocation of time to direct teaching of subject skills, particularly ICT, is improved. Reference to these areas for improvement can be found in para. no’s 13 and 14.

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ensuring that;

• the Headteacher has sufficient time to fulfill her role; • clear criteria for monitoring curriculum delivery are used which all staff are aware of; • targets are set for improvement, individuals held accountable and actions evaluated for success; • governors take an active role in ensuring school policies are implemented; • the behaviour management policy is implemented fully and appropriate action taken if pupils do not comply with school and teacher expectation to safeguard the learning of all. Reference to these areas for improvement can be found in para.no. no: 15

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attainers by ensuring that:

• teachers mark pupils’ work more critically; • pupils are set targets for improvement and these are checked for success; • outcomes of tests are analysed to identify what pupils know, understand and can do; • the work is matched to pupils’ needs and designed to challenge the highest attainers; • pupils’ progress is carefully tracked to measure added value. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 17 Reference to these areas for improvement can be found in para. no: 16

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them for life in it by ensuring that:

• the school develops a strategy to address racism and discrimination; • teachers plan more specifically for pupils’ cultural and multicultural awareness; • planning, delivery and pupils’ understanding is assessed; • the range of resources is reviewed to ensure they reflect the diversity of our society; • the school is vigilant in ensuring that its revised aims are rigorously implemented. Reference to these areas for improvement can be found in para. no: 17

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practical subjects and in the Foundation Stage of learning by ensuring that:

• governors, staff and parents continue their best efforts to seek improvements to the poor accommodation. Reference to these areas for improvement can be found in para.no: 18 St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - 18

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