Rawtenstall St Paul's Church of England Primary School

OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 22 nd – 25 th April 2002

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OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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OF ENGLAND 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 Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hollin Lane Rawtenstall Lancs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr D Hampson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 15 th September 1997 St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

28076 Mr D Byrne Registered inspector Science Design and technology Special educational needs English as an additional language The schools’ results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 31729 Mr B Harrington 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? 8263 Mrs M Forsman Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology How good is the curriculum and other opportunities offered to pupils? 31807 Mr D Carpenter Team inspector Foundation Stage Religious education Physical education 17767 Mrs S Power Team Inspector English Art and design 25352 Mrs G Taujanskas Team inspector Geography History Music Equal Opportunities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 5 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 6

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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? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 33

St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Paul’s Constable Lee CE primary school is situated one mile from the centre of Rawtenstall in Lancashire. The number of pupils on roll has declined since the last inspection from 298 to 249 and this is attributed to a general decline in numbers in the Rossendale valley. The majority of pupils are from white UK heritage but a significant percentage is from other cultural backgrounds. The school takes, on average, 13% of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. There are currently 31 pupils with English as an additional language of whom 22 are at an early stage of English language acquisition. The percentage of pupils claiming free school meals is well below the national average being 11%. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs (32%) and the percentage of pupils with statements of educational needs is above average at 2.6%. The existing head teacher took up post in January 2001. There have been significant staff changes in the last 12 months after many

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a rapidly improving school that provides a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. Until recently, however it has not been as effective as it should be because academic standards have been too low. Pupils have good attitudes to school and behave very well. The head teacher and governing body provide very good leadership for the school and the quality of teaching is very good in the Foundation Stage and satisfactory in Key Stages 1 and 2. The school provides satisfactory value for money the school has a good capacity for future improvement.

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What the school does well

• Children in the Foundation Stage receive a very good start to their education • Pupils achieve good standards by the end of Year 6 in science. • Pupils have good attitudes and levels of personal development, form very good relationships with others and behave very well across the school. • Good provision is made for promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • Good procedures exist for ensuring pupils’ welfare and for monitoring good behaviour and promoting better attendance. • The school works closely with parents and has gained their support. • The head teacher and governing body give very good leadership to the school and are taking essential action to raise standards.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English and mathematics across the school and science in Key Stage 1. • The standards achieved in information and communication technology and music across the school and in design and technology and art and design in Key Stage 1. • The management of non-core subjects by improving the quality of curriculum planning and making better use of assessment. • Resources across the school. • Attendance The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There has been a major disruption in the school’s leadership and staffing since the last inspection in September 1997. This has reduced the progress made in some areas of the school namely in raising standards in some subjects e.g. design and technology in Key Stage 1 and music across the school and also in developing a school curriculum plan. Some improvements have occurred however. The quality of teaching has improved and the quality of leadership by the head teacher and governing body is much better, but these improvements are very recent and have not yet had a measurable impact upon standards. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is now very good. The overall attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has improved at a satisfactory rate but in Key Stage 1 progress has not been fast enough. The school development planning process is much better and is good overall but the use of assessment to target individual improvements and to inform teachers’

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

planning has not developed as far as it should have done. Links with parents are much better and communication with them is now good overall.

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

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schools

Over recent years, the impact of disruptions in staffing and leadership has adversely affected the standards achieved by pupils across the school and standards in English and mathematics have fallen below the national average as a result. Although there is still some instability in Key Stage 1, the appointment of the new head teacher is leading to an improvement in standards. The table above indicates that in 2001 the performance of pupils in Year 6 in 2001 was close to the national average in science, below the national average in mathematics and well below the national average in English. In comparison with similar schools the pupils’ performance was close to the average in science, below the average in mathematics and well below the average in English. The percentage of pupils achieving the nationally expected standard for eleven year olds of level 4 in English, mathematics and science improved steadily between 1997 and 2000, although they dipped slightly in

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schools

mathematics and English in 2001. Inspection evidence is that in Key Stage 2, progress is now satisfactory. Attainment is still below average in English and mathematics but in science inspection evidence shows that pupils have a knowledge and understanding of science that is above the nationally expected standards with a strength in the ability of pupils to perform scientific investigations. Inspection evidence shows that pupils are reaching the nationally expected standards for their age in art and design, design and technology, geography, history and physical education. In religious education pupils achieve the standards expected by the Locally Agreed Syllabus. In information and communication technology and music, pupils’ attainment is lower than expected for their age. The school has set suitably challenging targets for the attainment of pupils in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 in 2002

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schools

St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 9 and the school has established a strong work ethic amongst pupils and this continues to raise standards. The performance of pupils in Key Stage 1 in 2001 was well below the national average in English, mathematics and science and in comparison with similar schools, attainment was also below the average. In reading results were in the lowest 5% when compared to similar schools. The impact of disruptions in staffing is a significant factor in the low results. Inspection evidence indicates that standards are rising but in reading and writing they are still below national average with a weakness in writing. In mathematics, although standards are improving, based upon the trends in results since 1997, attainment is still below the national average. Standards in science are below what is expected for pupils at the end of Year 2. In other subjects, pupils’ attainment is below expectations in art and design, design and

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schools

technology, information and communication technology and music whilst in other subjects, pupils do as well as expected for their age. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well. By the time they start Year 1 they exceed the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, in their knowledge and understanding of the world and their creative and physical development. Across the school, pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make satisfactory progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and show an interest in class activities. Most are keen to do well. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave very well in lessons and in and around school. Personal development and relationships Good. The school makes good provision for personal development by expecting them to work on their own and take responsibility for duties around the school. Relationships are very good throughout the school. Attendance Unsatisfactory. Attendance rates are below the national average and unauthorised absence is above the national average. Recent measures to improve attendance are starting to work.

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

Quality of teaching Very good Satisfactory Satisfactory Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection in 1997. Teaching is very good in the Foundation Stage and some very good and excellent teaching was observed in Key Stage 2. During the inspection, every lesson with the exception of one was satisfactory or better. The very good teaching in the Foundation Stage is based upon very thorough planning that makes allowances for the range of abilities of children in the Reception class. Very good teamwork exists between class teachers and support staff in the Foundation Stage and this adds to the quality of activities and day-to-day support during lessons. During the inspection,

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

teaching was particularly good in Years 3/4 and Year 5/6. Across the school, there are strengths in the way that lessons are planned and managed and this enables pupils to work St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 10 confidently and enjoy learning. Good use is made of resources in many lessons, for example, in science and design and technology, and this motivates pupils and adds to their enjoyment. Teacher’s planning is thorough and usually detailed enough that pupils know exactly what they are expected to do and therefore they work with purpose and commitment. In some subjects where teachers’ knowledge and understanding is not as good as it might be for example in music and in Key Stage 1 design and technology, art and design and science, planning is not as detailed and this results in pupils not achieving as well as they could. The teaching of English and literacy and of mathematics and numeracy is currently satisfactory

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

although in the past, it has fallen below the required standard, hence the low levels of achievement in these subjects in recent years. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory and ensures that the pupils make satisfactory progress towards the targets in pupils’ individual education plans. Pupils with English as an additional language are given satisfactory support that ensures that the pupils are able to participate in all aspects of school life and make satisfactory progress. Learning is better in Key Stage 2 than Key Stage 1 because the impact of staff changes has been less marked and pupils are clearer about what is expected pf them.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall although gaps in the curriculum in the past have adversely affected the progress made by pupils in some subjects, especially in music across the school, and art and design and design and technology and science in Key Stage 1. The national strategies for Literacy and Numeracy are being satisfactorily implemented. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage is very good. Pupils benefit from access to a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. The school works hard to ensure that everyone is included in each element of the curriculum but in some mixed age classes, planning does not guarantee that the same curriculum is always provided. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Pupils are identified at an early age and, where necessary, individual education plans with suitable targets are established. Pupils are supported satisfactorily in class.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Pupils requiring support, mostly in Key Stage 1 make satisfactory progress in their oral and written English.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Spirituality is successfully promoted through the life and work of the school. Good moral values are fostered and social awareness is developed through good links with the community. Pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of other faiths from studies as part of religious education and from visitors to the school and the excellent contribution of members of the school community. How well the school cares for its pupils Good overall. Health and safety and child protection procedures are well established. Day-to-day first aid and care for pupils is good. Good procedures are in place to promote better attendance. Assessment procedures are satisfactory in English, mathematics and science but unsatisfactory in other subjects. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 11 Parents have positive views about the school and applaud the improvements that have been

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Aspect Comment

made recently. The school is working hard to build up close links with parents and to involve them in their children’s education. The range of information provided by the school is good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff Satisfactory overall but the head teacher provides very good leadership. She sets high standards for the school community and maintains a high profile throughout the school. Disruptions in staffing in the past have meant that responsibilities for monitoring the standards in some subjects have not been able to be delegated but the head teacher knows exactly what is going on and is in the process of delegating responsibilities to key staff as they are appointed. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Many governors are new including the chair and he provides very good leadership and has very accurately identified where the school needs to improve. The work of the governing body and its committees is very effectively supporting the determination of the head teacher to raise standards within the school. The school’s evaluation

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Aspect Comment

of its performance Good overall. The head teacher and chair of governors know exactly what is going on in the school and are using this knowledge to take steps to improve standards. The school development plan is of a good quality and effectively focuses the minds of staff and governors on where the school does well and where it needs improving. There is a clear recognition of the need to raise standards. Assessment data in English, mathematics and science is appropriately analysed and used well. The strategic use of resources Good overall. The head teacher, staff and governing body have very good procedures for ensuring that all spending decisions are wisely made and the school development plan is used to check that the best value is gained from spending. All staff are very effectively deployed. The school has a significant number of temporary teachers and new support staff, but the head teacher ensures that all pupils are taught the national curriculum. The school has

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Aspect Comment

spacious accommodation but the design makes it difficult to make maximum use of what is available. Large, well maintained school grounds enhance many aspects of learning especially science and geography. Pupils in the Reception class have insufficient access to a separate outdoor play area. This limits the progress they make. The range and number of library books is unsatisfactory and there are weaknesses in resources for aspects of design and technology, geography, history and music. The resources for supporting pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language need of updating.

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improved

• The strong leadership of the head teacher. • The caring, family atmosphere of the school. • The attitudes and behaviour of pupils. • The quality of communication and the way that staff are approachable. • That pupils are expected to become responsible. • Appointing a permanent teacher in Year 2 • Information about homework and how they can help at home. • Clubs for pupils in Key Stage 1. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 12 The findings of the current inspection support the positive views of parents. The team agrees with the concern that expectations and the range of homework are not sufficiently. The school provides a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities and a good range of visits appropriate for all ages.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Since the last inspection the academic standards achieved by pupils have declined. This is a direct result of major disruptions in the leadership and management of the school resulting from illness of the previous head teacher. Although standards could still be better, inspection evidences shows that since the appointment of the new head teacher, standards have improved rapidly and pupils are now making satisfactory progress overall across the school. The head teacher, staff and governing body recognise, however, that there is still more to be done to ensure that every pupil achieves as well as they could. Many successful measures have been introduced to ensure that standards will continue to improve, the results of which are particularly evident in the standards attained by children in the Foundation Stage.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The children start school in the Reception class, with below average skills for children of their age and a small number are in the early stages of acquiring English as an additional language. By the end of the Reception class, the majority of children have made good progress and reached or exceeded the early learning goals in all areas of their development. The majority exceed the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. They attain the early learning goals in their mathematical development and in their physical and creative development. In the key skills of reading and writing, many of the children in the Foundation Stage make particularly good progress as a result of very good teaching and this prepares the children well for the added challenge of the National Curriculum when they start Year

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children with English as an additional language make good progress overall as a result of the additional support offered by teaching and support staff, especially a bilingual assistant. Children with special educational needs are given good levels of support and make good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 2 have declined since the last inspection in 1997 and in 2001 they were particularly low. In the 2001 National Curriculum tests attainment was well below the national average in reading and writing, mathematics and science and in comparison with similar schools, attainment was in the lowest 5% nationally in reading and well below the average in writing, mathematics and science. A significant reason for the decline is because of the negative impact of major disruptions in staffing and in the leadership and management of the school. At the time of this inspection, the Year 2 class has not had the benefit of a permanent teacher all year and this has disrupted the pupils’ education and adversely affected the achievement of pupils in the class. Good measures have been rapidly taken by the head teacher to reduce the impact of these disruptions and pupils in Key Stage 1 are now making satisfactory and improving

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

progress in most subjects but there is still scope for higher achievement in English, mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology and music.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. By the end of Year 2 pupils’ speaking and listening skills are satisfactory. In reading pupils have a limited range of strategies for reading unfamiliar words and pupils often St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 13 find it difficult to recall events they have read about. They tend to only understand the literal meaning of what they read and have difficulty extending this by interpreting and predicting what has happened and will happen. Recent initiatives to improve handwriting and the quality of independent writing are starting to have a positive impact on standards. By the end of Year 2 most pupils write in a good cursive style but many have difficulty with spelling and punctuation. Because not enough time has been given until very recently for pupils to write on their own, many pupils lack the confidence to produce extended pieces of writing and this means that standards of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

writing overall are below average. In mathematics, recent improvements in teaching arising from the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy have improved the progress of pupils in Key Stage 1. Pupils are now learning at a satisfactory rate, but this improvement is recent and although pupils are progressing satisfactorily in lessons, gaps in their knowledge and understanding resulting from past disruptions have reduced the overall attainment of pupils in mathematics. Pupils at the and of Year 2 are attaining standards that are close to national expectations in number but in the other aspects of mathematics i.e. in their application of mathematics and of shape, space and measurement, their knowledge and understanding are below national expectations. Inspection evidence is that the standards currently achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 are below the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In science, although pupils in Key Stage 1 have the potential to work well during practical investigative tasks, a lack of experiences offered in the past means that most pupils struggle to work at the level expected for their age. In terms of their knowledge and understanding of scientific facts, many pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of plants and animals, materials and aspects of physical science such as forces, electricity, light and sound, but few have been challenged by the teaching in the past and as a result there are no pupils exceeding the levels expected for seven year olds. In this sense pupils are not achieving as well as they should in science and inspection evidence is that attainment in science is currently below the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The head teacher, staff and governing body know that standards at the end of Year 2 are still not good enough. They recognise the need to build on the good foundations laid in the Reception classes. The issue of ensuring that there is a suitably experienced teacher in Year 2 in particular is in hand and will be resolved in the new academic year. The head teacher and the newly formed senior management team are carefully monitoring what goes in each Key Stage 1 class and the expectations of pupils have been significantly raised. The quality of teaching in Year 2 is currently good and much more attention is now given to challenging all pupils including those who are higher attaining pupils and as result overall progress is improving and is satisfactory or better in lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The results of the end of Year 6 National Curriculum tests for 2001 were in line with the national average in science, well below the national average in English and mathematics. In comparison with similar schools pupils standards were average in science but below average in mathematics and well below average in English. Despite these low results, the overall percentage of pupils achieving the nationally expected standard for eleven year olds has steadily improved since 1998 especially in mathematics and science. This improvement merited the school achieving a school Achievement Award in 2000.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Inspection evidence is that by the end of Year 6, despite the rapid improvement that is now occurring, standards in English are currently below the national average. Pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening is close to national expectations. The majority St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 14 read with reasonable levels of competence but the ability of pupils to interpret and draw inference from text is not as well developed for their age as it should be. Also, pupils’ independent research skills are unsatisfactory mainly because of too little planned opportunity for pupils to use the library and a lack of suitable books. Standards in mathematics are also improving rapidly and many pupils are achieving standards that are in line with national expectations for their age, but overall, attainment is still below average and pupils could do better. There has been a greater emphasis upon teaching number and algebra, in order to improve test results, but as

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

a result, pupils knowledge and understanding of other aspects of mathematics i.e. shape, space, measurement and investigations, has not improved at the same rate and should be better.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In science, the inspection evidence is that by the end of Year 6, pupils are achieving well and reach standards that are better than those expected nationally for their age. These findings differ from the end of key stage National Curriculum test results because the inspection evidence included a much closer look at the way that pupils perform scientific investigations than the tests do. Pupils have a particularly good knowledge and understanding of how to perform practical investigations with the minimum of adult support. In so doing they demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the content of science and apply this well to make informed hypotheses and also to explain what the results of the investigations tell them. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make good progress in developing their understanding of science and develop a particularly good knowledge of ideas about living things, materials and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

states of matter and forces and their effects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In other subjects, the impact of a period of instability in staffing and leadership has adversely affected the progress made by pupils in some subjects. In geography, history, and physical education pupils are making satisfactory progress and achieving standards that are close to those expected for their age by the end of both key stages. In art and design and design and technology, progress is unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1 and pupils do not achieve as well as they should and standards fall below the nationally expected standards. In Key Stage 2, standards and progress are satisfactory in design and technology. In music progress is unsatisfactory across the school and the levels of achievement are low in comparison with nationally expected standards. In information and communication technology, the picture is more complex, the standards achieved by pupils at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

below those expected nationally, but as a result of significant improvements in resources and the impact of staff training, the rate of learning is rapidly improving and pupils currently make satisfactory progress across the school. In religious education, pupils are attaining the levels expected in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. There is very little statistical difference in the performance of different groups in the school. The pupils who need support for special educational needs make satisfactory progress overall towards the targets in their individual education plans, which are mainly linked to literacy and numeracy. Pupils with English as an additional language do not do quite as well as other pupils in Key Stage 1, because of the impact of their difficulties with English, but by the end of Key Stage 2, in Year 6, these pupils do as well as their peers. There are slight differences in the performance of boys and girls at the end of both key stages, but the differences are not statistically significant except in Key Stage 2 science. In science, over the last three years, boys have done better than girls. Inspection evidence indicates that this is because of the good emphasis given to practical, problem solving work which seems to inspire boys more than a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

more formal sort of curriculum. The school has set challenging targets for pupils’ St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 15 achievement in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. Good steps have been taken to develop amongst pupils a strong work ethic and this, coupled with the directed support of booster funded staff indicates that the school is likely to reach the targets.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils have good attitudes to school and most parents agree that their children like school. Pupils generally display an enthusiasm for their work and, in some classes they take over the management and organisation of the resources necessary for the task in hand. Most pupils are prepared to persist when tasks are difficult and to accept guidance and supporting comments, for example, when drawing figures in art lessons. Pupils throughout the school have good attitudes to almost all subjects and to each other. All pupils, regardless of gender or cultural background, treat each other equally. The levels of racial harmony are excellent. Children in the foundation stage have very good attitudes to all aspects of their curriculum. The children in the Reception classes display excellent relationships with each other and, as a result of the outstanding quality of support and teaching, show excellent levels of personal

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Throughout the school, pupils are very well behaved which allows lessons to progress without undue interruption, and eliminates all forms of oppressive behaviour. Most pupils are aware of their teacher’s expectations and work hard to meet them. Pupils play well together and move around the school in an orderly and careful manner. There are a few pupils who have difficulty in managing their own behaviour, and they receive support to enable them to learn effectively and to develop their self- discipline. Most parents agree that behaviour in school is good. In the last year, the school has not found it necessary to exclude any pupils

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ personal development is good overall but in Key Stage 1, pupils have not been expected to think for themselves and this has reduced their confidence to act on their own. Across the school, teachers and other adults set very good examples and take all opportunities to help pupils to understand how their behaviour influences the actions of others, and of how others see them. The school has identified a number of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties who face barriers to learning arising from an inability to concentrate. The school has adopted an imaginative approach to helping them by engaging them in yoga sessions at the beginning of the day on Mondays. These sessions are conducted by a health visitor and are providing the pupils with strategies to help their learning. Pupils have a very good respect for the feelings and beliefs of others, recognising from their study of art and literature that

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

body language and spoken language can convey meanings beyond the literal. They readily accept the cultural differences that exist in modern society and, during their study of Islam within their religious education lessons, showed great interest in and respect for the preparations for prayer.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Very good relationships exist between both pupils and pupils and adults. These very good relationships exist because of high levels of trust and politeness amongst people in the school. As a result, pupils are sensitive when evaluating the work of others, and take pride in their own work and in the work of their groups. They are confident when presenting their findings and enjoy discussing their work with adults. The school council enables pupils to make their views known in an organised manner and teaches them the rules of democratic decision-making. During celebration assemblies, pupils take pleasure in the achievements of their classmates and pupils modestly accept the praise given for their success. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 16 16. The attendance rate at the school is unsatisfactory but improving rapidly. During the last recorded year of 2000/2001 the rate of attendance was 92.9% and the rate of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

unauthorised absence exceeded the national average. A significant number of absences derive from the distances that pupils travel to school, family holidays taken during term time, extended holidays overseas, and difficulties associated with organising siblings who attend different schools. The rates of both attendance and unauthorised absence in the current academic year have, to date, been in line with the national averages. Targets set by the school to reduce further the level of unauthorised absence seem achievable

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. Even though a third of teachers are currently temporary, the overall quality of teaching in the school is satisfactory with very good and excellent teaching observed in Key Stage 2 and very good teaching in the Foundation Stage. Of the 52 lessons observed during the inspection a quarter were very good with one excellent lesson, four out of ten were good and a third satisfactory. Only one lesson was unsatisfactory. Many examples of good teaching were seen across the school with very good teaching in Reception, and some very good and excellent teaching observed in Years 3/4 and 5/6. The quality of teaching is better than at the last inspection and there has been a significant increase in the proportion of good and very good teaching and reduction in the proportion of unsatisfactory teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good overall. The quality of teaching of personal, social and emotional development is very good and has a significant impact upon the excellent progress the children make. Both teaching and support staff work well together to motivate and enthuse the children to learn and promote good levels of independence from an early age and excellent levels of social and emotional confidence. In communication, language and literacy, teachers and support staff provide a very good range of activities that ensure that children develop a knowledge and understanding of books and start to recognise and tread sounds and simple words. By making good use of an emergent writing book, children start to develop the confidence to make marks and develop the first stages of writing. Mathematical development is taught very well too. Children are encouraged to use mathematical language as part of their everyday speech and a range of stimulating

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

games and group activities are provided to enable pupils to develop a secure knowledge and understanding of mathematical ideas.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The very good use of the local environment by teachers in the Foundation Stage for example, by visiting a local farm, contributes to the knowledge and understanding of the world around the children. Teachers make very good use of outside visitors to their classes for example when a parent brought a horse to school and connected with this the class playhouse was transformed into a barn complete with bales of hay. Daily routines enable pupils to build up a good knowledge of the computer key board and nature activities in class such as growing seeds provides pupils with basic scientific ideas. Teachers make sure that religious education is taught in accordance with expectations for this age. Pupils’ creative and physical development is taught well although a lack of a suitable outdoor play area and resources means that some children miss out on some important experiences of physical growth and development. The creative quality of teaching, however, makes up for this deficit very

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

well. Very good teaching of creative development ensures very good progress by the children. Children have good opportunities to develop their skills of painting and also St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 17 learn about the work of some famous artists. As part of a class composition of a musical accompaniment to, “We’re all going on a Bear Hunt”, pupils learnt how to compose and perform music. Teachers make very good use of opportunities for singing and rhyming games and also provide children with opportunities to listen to recorded music.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. In Key Stages 1 and 2, lessons are generally well planned across the school. There are clear objectives that are shared with pupils at the beginning of lessons so that they know what is expected of them. The needs of pupils with special educational needs are generally planned for but too often, not enough thought is given in planning to the way that higher attaining pupils will be challenged and extended. The analysis of pupils work over recent months indicates that teacher’s expectations for pupils to work on their own and to think for themselves has improved, although in some classes, for example, Year 2, there is still an overuse of worksheets. This reduces opportunities for pupils to practise and improve their writing skills. Although teachers recognise the need to improve standards in English and mathematics, planning only rarely identifies opportunities to teach pupils how to apply the basic skills of literacy

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

and numeracy alongside other subjects. Some teachers make good use of information and communication technology to support learning in all subjects, for example, in Year 6 science, but there is still not enough attention given to enabling pupils to practise their computer skills across the curriculum. The head teacher is aware of the need to promote the development of cross-curricular skills and is in the process of identifying how this should be done.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The head teacher has quickly established high expectations for teachers and gained the respect and confidence of both teaching and support staff. Although there is still a significant proportion of temporary staff, the head teacher has managed to improve the quality of education that the school provides. Teachers generally have high expectations of pupils and expect them to learn and behave well. In the majority of lessons, the relationships between staff and pupils are good and ensure that everyone can learn. In most lessons, teachers have established a good working atmosphere in which pupils are expected to work quietly and with good levels of concentration and attention to the teacher. This is contributing to improvements in the standards of pupil’s work and the level of attainment across the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. There have been difficulties employing suitably qualified and experienced teaching staff in Key Stage 1 in this academic year following staff absence due to illness and retirements. The head teacher has made a good job of ensuring that the impact of the changes in teaching staff upon the pupils’ education has been reduced. The most challenging situation has been in ensuring that pupils in Year 2 are given suitable cover and this has been achieved by employing good quality teachers on a part-time basis. Despite this, the quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 has not been as good as a stable teaching force gives and this has affected the progress made by pupils. The head teacher and governing body have the situation in hand and a resolution to the matter is imminent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The quality of teaching and learning of English and literacy is satisfactory overall although over time, there has been unsatisfactory teaching, evidenced by the below average attainment and achievement. In Years 1 and 2, reading is taught but disruptions in staffing have resulted in many pupils not having as complete a picture of the sounds and key words as they should have. In Key Stage 2, not enough time is given to teaching pupils library research skills. There is a comparative weakness in the way that writing has been taught in the past. Not enough time was given to enabling pupils to gain experience of writing extended pieces of work. Recent St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 18 initiatives to improve the quality of pupils’ writing are having a positive effect in Key Stage 2 and handwriting in Key Stage 1 has rapidly improved recently. More attention is being given to identifying different ability groups within classes. In Year 6, the newly

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

appointed deputy head teacher teaches the lower attaining group in English in preparation for the end of key stage National Curriculum tests. This recognition of the need to identify groups of differing abilities so that their needs are better met is a significant step forward. Pupils are starting to develop a sense of pride in their work and work hard to ensure that they do their best. In English lessons, pupils acquire skills, knowledge and understanding at a satisfactory rate and at times at a very good rate. The emphasis though in Key Stage 1, is heavily weighted to asking pupils to complete fairly short pieces of writing, and although improvements are occurring, teachers do not give enough time to giving pupils opportunities to write on their own. This reduces standards attained in writing overall.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Recent initiatives such as the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy have improved the confidence and knowledge of teachers to teach numeracy. The staffing difficulties in Key Stage 1 still pose an obstacle to learning in Years 1 and 2 although satisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection. In Key Stage 2, some good teaching was observed where teachers demonstrated confidence in the teaching of calculation strategies and encouraged discussion between pupils about their own approaches to mathematical problems. Pupils work hard in lessons and enjoy the challenge of solving mathematical problems. Across the school, there has been an emphasis upon teaching numeracy rather than the areas of space, shape and measurement and this has reduced progress made by pupils in these areas of mathematics. Although teachers provide suitably challenging work for the majority of pupils, the needs of higher attaining pupils are not always recognised or catered for

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

and this reduces the progress these pupils make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. In science the quality of teaching differs between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is good overall because teachers know what is expected of them and everyone works in a similar way. Staffing changes in Key Stage 1 have meant that over time the teaching of science has been unsatisfactory even though during the inspection some good teaching was seen. In Years 1 and 2, not enough value has been given by teachers to developing pupils’ skills of working on their own. This has adversely affected the progress made by pupils in performing their own investigations and also reduced the quality of work recorded in their science books. In Key Stage 2, however, pupils have very good levels of independence as a result of teachers expecting pupils to work in a systematic way in each class on scientific problems. In lessons pupils work hard and enjoy the responsibility that they

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. In information and communication technology lessons the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and is satisfactory overall. In other subjects, however, the use of information and communication technology is not as good as it could be because of limited access to computers other than during timetabled lessons in the information and communication technology suite. In other subjects the quality of teaching is generally satisfactory in geography, history, physical education and religious education but in design and technology and art and design it is unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. The quality of teaching and learning in music is unsatisfactory across the school because staff lack the necessary subject knowledge to teach all aspects of the National Curriculum programmes of study. In design and technology and art and design the unsatisfactory teaching is also because of weaknesses in the subject knowledge of teachers as well

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 19 as weaknesses in some resources and a lack of suitable assessments procedures to inform planning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. Across the school, the support for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Class teachers and Learning Support Assistants work together to ensure that pupils with learning difficulties and with emotional and behavioural difficulties are included in lessons. The individual education plans are usually referred to by teachers and used to gauge the needs of pupils and the progress they make towards the targets in the plans. The quality of teaching for pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory overall. The needs of pupils are identified at an early stage and by combining class support with withdrawal, pupils are given adequate support so that they manage to improve their knowledge and understanding of English.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. The disruptions in teaching have adversely affected the way in which teachers make use of assessment to guide their teaching. Whilst procedures for assessing pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science are satisfactory and guide teachers to recognise the needs of pupils with differing levels of ability, teachers make very little use of the information to establish targets for improving the performance of either individuals or groups of pupils. Marking is mostly cursory and only occasionally directs pupils as to how to improve or demand that corrections are completed. The use of marking to improve the pupils’ knowledge of how well they are doing and to be involved in setting targets for improvement is unsatisfactory. Although teachers value homework as a way of supplementing and extending school work, there are variations between the way different teachers use it.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The curriculum has been improved recently and all subjects are now taught and each part of the subjects planned for. The disruptions and uncertainties in the past in leadership and management contributed to a time when the curriculum was unsatisfactory and the effect of this is still evident. In some subjects, for example, art and design, design and technology and science in Key Stage 1 and music across the school, there have been departures from the programmes of study of the National Curriculum. The head teacher and governing body have worked hard to rectify the situation and whilst the school only has a rudimentary whole school curriculum map, each subject is now taught and each part of each subject planned for. The school is currently providing a broad curriculum for its pupils, with a satisfactory range of learning opportunities offered outside the formal curriculum. There is appropriate emphasis on the inclusion of all pupils in planned curriculum activities.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The curriculum meets statutory requirements in ensuring that all subjects of the National Curriculum, and religious education are taught in both Key stage 1 and 2. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good, and relates appropriately to the Early Learning Goals. This enables children to experience a good range of learning opportunities. The formal curriculum throughout the school is enhanced through a series of visits and visitors throughout the year. This helps to motivate and interest pupils.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The school has successfully implemented the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. It has rightly prioritised raising standards in literacy and numeracy and allocated substantial amounts of time to these subjects in order to achieve this. However, while some teachers plan effectively to incorporate chances for pupils to St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 20 use their literacy and numeracy skills in other lessons, overall there are too few examples of pupils’ making good use of their developing skills in literacy and numeracy in other subjects. There are subject policy documents for most subjects, although some have not been updated to take account of recent developments. Schemes of work have been introduced, based on the nationally approved guidance and these are having a positive effect on the pupils’ learning. Some difficulties occur through teachers’ own lack of confidence and expertise. In music the curriculum

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

policy is in place, and supported by a new, commercial scheme of work, but the planning for this is limited by teachers’ own lack of knowledge, and until recently has resulted in patchy provision across the school and, therefore, a reduction in the standards reached by pupils in music.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school has a rudimentary whole school curriculum plan. There are still significant issues in devising systems for guaranteeing appropriate coverage of the curriculum where there are mixed-age classes. For example, provision for history and geography is unclear, resulting in the pupils in Year 4 and 5 receiving different levels of challenge, according to which class they are in. The school is aware of the need to address this as a priority. Recent staffing difficulties, resulting in a series of temporary staff in a number of classes across the school, and some subjects left without a co-ordinator have contributed to some weaknesses developing in the past.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school makes satisfactory provision for supporting pupils with special educational needs and for those with statements of educational need. The quality of individual education plans has improved significantly recently and includes satisfactory levels of detail to guide teachers and to inform pupils and parents about what needs to be targeted to improve the performance of the pupils. The curriculum for pupils with English as an additional language is adapted by class teachers and support staff according to the pupils’ needs. The part time teacher for English as an additional language makes satisfactory adaptations to the curriculum so that pupils needing English as an additional language support can participate equally in all lessons.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is satisfactory, with a suitable planned programme currently being introduced throughout the school. This is better established in some classes than others. Drugs and sex education are covered appropriately. Each year, drugs awareness is presented to all year groups through study modules delivered by the teaching staff from the Life Education Centre. These modules, which are developed by the class teachers, include such topics as self esteem, nutrition and personal safety. The school is strengthening its provision by pursuing the Healthy School’s award.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school provides a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. Sporting, musical, drama, computer and art and design clubs are offered on each weekday. Due to other commitments of the staff to school development, these clubs are only available to older pupils. This year, an activity day is being organised for Year 6 pupils and the school plans for this to develop into a residential activity in the future. Most parents agree that the school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The school has good links with the community that enrich pupils’ learning experiences and provide them with an insight into the society to which they belong. Pupils regularly visit the church to celebrate major Christian festivals and to acknowledge the school’s achievements at the Leavers’ Service and on Education Sunday. The vicar is a frequent visitor to school. He takes assemblies and makes a contribution to the St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 21 religious education syllabus. Pupils also visit the church as part of their topic studies in religious education, art and design and history.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. All classes make study visits to museums, the theatre, cinema and other local places of interest that are linked to their curricular topics so that they can apply their experience to understand more about their work. At the local library, pupils undertook a workshop with a writer, and at the local stately homes have studied Shakespeare and the Tudors. Sporting and musical events are held with other primary schools. Pupils of the school choir benefited from performing publicly when they joined with choirs from seven other local schools to perform at the Rossendale Music festival.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The links with other schools and institutions are very good. In-service training and an attendance initiative are being shared with a local primary school. Several teachers have formed curricular links and have visited other schools, especially where leading teachers of literacy and numeracy are practising. Very strong links exist with the adjacent high school whose deputy head teacher is the school’s chair of governors. The high school provides information and communication technology support, and the use of some facilities is timetabled. Due to the popularity of the Hosanna Rock performances at Christmas, with all pupils taking part and 300 parents attending, these were held in the high school. Most pupils transfer to the adjacent secondary school and the transition arrangements are very secure. They include the involvement of the behaviour manager at an early stage, bridging units in Science and

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Mathematics, and regular visits rather than sample days. These visits are particularly effective for those pupils with special educational needs because they reduce the fear of the unknown when they move to the secondary school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. The school makes very good use of the resources available through the technology partnership that exists with the local Grammar School. The information and communication technology teacher supports Year 6 pupils and conducts tutorials for members of staff as an extension of their training. The school welcomes students from a number of organisations to undertake training in school. These include teachers in training, secondary school pupils on work experience placements, and Pathway personnel gaining office experience. A past pupil is undertaking classroom support for a half-term prior to teacher training, and is a very good role model for pupils, presenting them with new and rich experiences in Islamic studies.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. The school cultivates pupils’ personal development including spiritual moral social and cultural development well. There is an underlying theme of the value of the individual and the importance of respect for others. From the earliest years pupils are encouraged to become independent and show initiative. The quality of spiritual moral social and cultural development promotes good attitudes to learning. The formation of a school council has contributed significantly to the quality of provision. The provision for spiritual development is good. The school ethos encourages pupils to develop feelings, exercise empathy and understand how they interact with others. The Head teacher recently led a series of discussions and assemblies with the pupils in which they shared their ideas about the kind of school they wanted. The result was four key words “Caring, Happy, Safe, Tidy” which demonstrate their aspirations for their school

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

community and their developing insight. The curriculum provides good opportunities for pupils to explore values and beliefs through both the religious education syllabus and the personal, social and health education programme. There are natural moments of reflection and prayer in the school day and the strong links with the local parish allow for special celebrations such as the Leavers Service in the church. Pupils have the confidence to express their wonder when they see unusual artefacts in religious education or physical changes in science experiments. The school has St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 22 attractively landscaped grounds and has recently developed a Quiet area. Pupils appreciate its purpose and enjoy sitting quietly there. Teaching styles throughout the school encourage pupils to share their ideas and to become secure in their self- esteem There are however some missed opportunities for exploration of spiritual

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

response to art and music in Key Stage 1 at present.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

41. The school effectively promotes pupils’ moral development. Pupils are aware of the school’s expectations of conduct and understand the impact of inconsiderate behaviour. All pupils in the school have been involved in drawing together rules or codes of conduct for their own classes. As a result pupils developed an understanding of right from wrong and the importance of respecting and tolerating others. This discussion has been extended through the School Council to the development of a set of School rules. Council members considered this to be their most important task to date and were confident that pupils shared fully in the final outcome. The school provides opportunities for pupils to take responsibility in school routines and in extra-curricular activities. The pupils are encouraged to contribute to the quality of life in the local community for example in joining litter-picking campaigns with other schools.

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

42. The provision for pupils’ social development is good. The school successfully encourages pupils to learn the skills of social interaction for example through the extra-curricular activities and also gives them the opportunities to employ them. The Drama group for example performed their own play on the theme of being an individual to the whole school in assembly. Pupils regularly work with adults and share in community events such as the Music Festival. Pupils share many events with other schools. The local nursery school was invited to join the Harvest Festival celebration. The election of the School Council has helped pupils to develop an understanding of the democratic process of selecting representatives and of the responsibilities of these chosen representatives. The council members display mature attitudes and discuss issues with assurance.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

43. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. Study of other world faiths is covered systematically in the Religious Education programme. Special events such as the visit from a former pupil describing his pilgrimage to Mecca provide first hand stimulus to pupils. The school has also established good links with the local Mosque and this contributes to pupils having the opportunity to understand the views and beliefs of people with Islamic beliefs in their community. Teachers encourage pupils to value the differences between cultures rather than criticise them. Teachers make use of opportunities to develop awareness of other cultures for example in music and geography. Younger pupils in Key Stage 2 have made a special study of music “Out of Africa”. Older pupils collect funds on a weekly basis to sponsor children in less developed countries through the TEAR fund. Pupils know who these children are and

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maintain contact with them. The school encourages pupils to appreciate the special features of their own culture. They are familiar with the music and dance of the local Coco-nutters and the heritage of Rossendale.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. There are good procedures in place for child protection and to ensure the health, safety and welfare of pupils and staff. The head teacher has been nominated to deal with any concerns relating to child protection and has received recent training in this aspect. She is supported in that role by her deputy. The head teacher supervises and monitors the needs of “looked after” children and attends the social services reviews St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 23 of these children. She is currently arranging with the LEA for the provision of personal education plans for these pupils. New and temporary staff are made aware of the child protection procedures during their induction and through the staff handbook. Teachers’ diaries are used to monitor pupils whose behaviour is causing concern.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Health and safety checks are carried out regularly and the site manager has received training in the control of hazardous substances. Safety equipment is checked annually and fire drills are conducted each term. Teachers ensure that pupils understand the potential hazards involved in activities such as outdoor games, by detailing good practice beforehand and emphasising the need for vigilance. Three members of staff have received first aid training and another is a trained nurse. First aid procedures are understood and records of accidents and head bumps are kept. First aid boxes are placed about the school in strategic places. Although the school recognises the need for risk assessment, no formal records are generated for presentation to and resolution by the governing body.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. There is a common approach to behaviour management that effectively promotes good behaviour across the school. Rewards are used to good effect and are valued by pupils. The school has demonstrated the effectiveness of its inclusion policies by helping pupils to develop academically, emotionally and behaviourally. The school maintains regular communication with the parents of pupils who are identified as having special educational needs for emotional and behavioural difficulties. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good overall and have been significantly improved in the last twelve months. These procedures are beginning to take effect, and the school has also set targets for reducing unauthorised absence.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. During the current year, the new head teacher has instigated a wide range of initiatives in an attempt to improve the rate of attendance. Daily monitoring of unauthorised absence results in parents being contacted on the first day of absence. Parents are also reminded of their duty to send their children to school, through regular newsletters. The bilingual assistant in school ensures that this message is conveyed to parents whose first language is not English, and the effect of this communication is monitored each half-term by the co-ordinator for ethnic minority children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The Primary Attendance Support Team (PAST) has provided training for staff and led assemblies for pupils in an attempt to raise the importance of attendance and punctuality. This has been supported by the fortnightly visits of the Educational Welfare Officer during which pupils in need of support are identified, and by the school’s shared initiative with another local primary school to involve the services of a bilingual Educational Welfare Officer in the promotion of positive attitudes to school within the community. Pupils value the certificates that are presented for 100% attendance in each half-term.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Assessment procedures in the Foundation Stage are effective and used well to guide planning and direct teaching. In Key Stages 1 and 2, despite major recent improvements in the procedures for assessing pupils’ academic performance in English, mathematics and science, procedures are still unsatisfactory overall. Recently, substantial efforts have been made by the assessment co-ordinator to collate the information available about pupils’ progress and this has been largely successful. As a result there are files available holding information about each year group. This is an improvement. A useful start has been made in tracking pupils’ progress as they move through the school in English, mathematics and science. The co-ordinator has a clear view of what still needs to be done to improve matters St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 24 further. For example, overall, insufficient use is made of the collated assessment

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

information to monitor how well pupils are progressing, and to plan future lessons. Few procedures are in place to show how pupils are progressing in non-core subjects. Other than in English, mathematics and science, teachers’ planning shows that little is planned for different abilities within the class and to take account of different age-groups within a class. This particularly affects higher attaining groups of pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The procedures for assessing pupils who require support for English as an additional language are satisfactory overall but the procedures are still not accurate enough to always identify pupils who have difficulties arising from general learning difficulties as opposed to problems with acquiring English. The records of the progress of pupils with English as an additional language are satisfactory.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. Procedures for supporting pupils with special educational needs and statements of educational need are satisfactory. All required plans and records of the pupils’ progress are adequate and enable pupils’ development to be tracked and monitored. The school is in the process of reviewing the current procedures that could do with updating to ensure that the guidance of the revised Code of Practice is fulfilled.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. In teachers’ planning, objectives are set in core subjects and often shared with pupils. This helps pupils to understand what they are going to learn. Planning shows activities that are generally matched to pupils’ differing attainments. In other subjects this is not always the case and teachers’ planning does not clearly show what pupils will learn in the lesson. This makes it difficult for teachers to assess pupils informally and plan their next steps. Pupils are not sufficiently clear about what they are expected to learn. Target setting is beginning to be used in some classes. However, targets are often very general, for example, they begin with ‘Continue,’ or give a very vague area for improvement such as ‘Write more,’ instead of a smart and sharp aspect for a pupil to consider and work towards. Although targets are written in some exercise books the pupils themselves have little knowledge of them.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. The previous report identified the need to improve assessment procedures and the use of the information provided. Overall, although a satisfactory improvement has been made, not enough time has been given to developing ways of assessing the attainment and progress of pupils in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Parents have positive views of the school and most believe that it is well led and managed and that teaching is good. Parents indicate that there have been radical changes in the school in the last eighteen months that have led to significant improvements. The majority of parents responding to the inspection survey state that they would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem, but a small number do not yet feel that the school works closely enough with parents. Most parents believe that their children are making good progress, that the school expects their children to work hard and achieve their best, and that the school is helping their children become mature and responsible. A significant number of parents do not feel that their children receive the right amount of work to do at home; they express a view that there is a sense of inconsistency between classes in the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

amount and quality of work. Parents are agreed that they would like an improvement in the communication of homework details. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 25 55. The school provides parents with good quality information and opportunities to discuss the progress of their children. In addition to the formal school documents, parents are provided with weekly newsletters that keep them informed of events and details of the life of the school. The head teacher and her staff recognise the need to keep all parents informed as to how their children are getting on, and make themselves available to parents and carers at the beginning and end of each day to address promptly any concerns that have arisen. The school administrator is generally the first contact for visitors to the school, providing a friendly and considerate reception. Parents’ consultation evenings take place in October and June

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

at which pupils’ progress is reviewed. The school’s open door policy provides parents with intermediate meetings should they so wish. Parents appreciate the quality of induction provided for them when their children start in Reception. The quality of information and personal contact with staff are said to be helpful and supportive. Parents with pupils receiving support for English as an additional language are kept fully informed about the progress their children make. The parents of pupils with special educational needs and statements of educational need are invited into school to share in the targets set for their children and so that support can be given at home.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. Parents involve themselves well in the life of the school. Several parents help in school on a regular basis. Their involvement is planned and their presence provides opportunities for additional learning experiences. Parents help on school trips such as accompanying the reception class on a visit to a farm, and transporting pupils to the cross-country race. One parent is the school librarian and another has arranged for pupils to visit the local mosque. There is a very active Parents’ Association that organises social activities and helps to raise funds for the school. Fundraising is linked to the priorities identified in the school development plan, and recently has enabled the library to be refurbished.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The leadership and management of the school is satisfactory overall with the head teacher providing very good leadership. She has a very clear vision of the way the school needs to develop and there is a passion to make the school as good as it can possibly be. Through her determination, energy and commitment, the key elements of managing the school have been successfully implemented so that the school has started to improve rapidly. Since the head teacher’s appointment just sixteen months ago, some difficult decisions have been taken to improve the quality of education but they have been necessary. The head teacher has gained the respect of pupils, staff governors and parents and despite a lack of a clear senior management team structure due to staff retiring, the head teacher has created a strong team spirit amongst both teaching and support staff that is starting to drive standards up to the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

level they should be. As well as establishing a clear focus upon raising academic standards, the head teacher has also successfully promoted an environment in which there is great respect for individual needs, differences and beliefs within the school community. This commitment to educational inclusion pervades all aspects of school life.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The head teacher has achieved significant improvements to the school since her recent appointment despite not having a secure senior management team to work alongside her. Staffing changes and illness have meant that many teachers are temporary. A deputy head teacher has just been appointed and her experience and skills complement the head teacher’s very well. Each of the core subjects, English, St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 26 mathematics and science, are now well managed but although the head teacher has very accurately analysed the strengths and weaknesses of the school, the ability to delegate some of the essential monitoring role to subject co-ordinators has been severely restricted because of past changes in staff and weaknesses in the leadership of the school. This weakness contributes to the standards in some subjects being lower than they should be. The school, however, has a good school

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

development planning process and it has identified the need to strengthen and improve the management of subjects.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The management of the school’s provision for special educational needs is satisfactory. The acting special educational needs co-ordinator ensures that the pupils with special educational needs receive the support they need. The Learning Support Assistants, many of whom are recently appointed to the school, work alongside teachers to ensures that the needs of pupils are met. The school makes appropriate use of the funds it receives for pupils with statements of educational need. The policy is in need of updating to the recently revised national recommendations.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The management of support for pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory and ensures that the funds received are appropriately spent to benefit those pupils with difficulties in acquiring English. The part-time teacher who manages support for English as an additional language ensures that the available time is effectively used to analyse the needs of pupils so that the pupils concerned make satisfactory progress in improving their English knowledge and skills.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The impact of the governing body upon the education provided for the pupils has improved significantly since the last inspection. There have been many changes in the personnel in the last two years and the current members show very high levels of commitment and a determination to improve the school. Under the very good guidance of the recently appointed chair of governors, governors have recognised that until recently there were weaknesses in some aspects of the school and that the standards attained by pupils could be higher. Governors are very supportive of the head teacher in her quest to raise standards and many governors keep themselves very well informed about what is going on in the school by regularly visiting the school during the day. The governing body is very well informed and knowledgeable and it ensures that it meets all statutory requirements. Governors have clearly delineated roles and responsibilities, and there are effective ways of making decisions and

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

establishing agendas for future discussions. The head teacher and staff are held to account for how well the school is doing and good use of all available performance data provides a forum for analysing standards across the school.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school has recently introduced effective procedures for monitoring and evaluating what is going on in the school overall although staffing difficulties in the past have meant that there are some weaknesses in the formal monitoring of some non-core subjects. The head teacher and the chair of governors have an excellent overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, including the areas of weakness in the non-core subjects. As the staffing situation improves, the head teacher is ably delegating the formal allocation of monitoring of subjects. The governing body very carefully monitors all other aspects of the school’s management and provision to ensure that the best value for money is being provided. A detailed programme of lesson observations by the head teacher, governors and local education authority consultants that are followed up by detailed evaluations is helping teachers to consider ways of making their teaching even better. Annual reviews between the head

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teacher and all staff offer a chance to talk confidentially about what individuals feel St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 27 they do well as well as identifying where they might do better. The head teacher and governors have adopted a strong policy for getting the most out of staff through a well planned and directed staff development programme that meets both the school’s and the individual’s needs. There is a clear policy for performance management. The monitoring and evaluating processes contributes directly to the school’s development plan. The plan is used to guide the actions of staff, to target areas for improvement such as the academic standards in some subjects, the quality of teaching and staff development, the curriculum and the need to improve the accommodation as well as making better use of academic and personal assessment.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Financial management is very good with educational priorities being closely linked to the school development plan. The head teacher has overall responsibility for financial control but the governing body, through its finance committee, keeps a close watch on spending and is very well informed about what is happening. The governors make sure that all spending plans are challenged to ensure that best value is gained and through regular consultations with the head teacher and staff, they ensure that money is well spent. Specific grants for the funding of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are used effectively for the designated purposes. Other income received through the Standards Fund grant is also wisely and effectively deployed to directly benefit the education of the pupils. The governing body is active in its constant checks on spending. The deployment of staff is good

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and the accommodation and available learning resources are used well to raise standards. The head teacher and governing body are very aware of all aspects of the principles of best value and are successfully following them. There is currently an above average budget surplus (8.7%) which has been earmarked to improve aspects of the accommodation and strengthen resources.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The attainment in some subjects could be better but standards are now improving rapidly under the guidance of the new head teacher and the very good support provided by the governing body. When these factors are combined, together with the improving quality of teaching considered, the school is well placed for further improvement in the future and the school is currently providing satisfactory value for money.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The match of teaching and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is satisfactory except in music. Teachers are appropriately qualified. At the time of the inspection however one third of the teaching staff were on temporary or supply contracts. Although teaching is effective at present, changes in personnel have impacted negatively on pupils’ learning in the recent past. There has been a recent increase in the number of teaching assistants and support staff. A part-time designated teacher and also a bi-lingual assistant support the pupils with English as an additional language satisfactorily. Learning assistants give satisfactory levels of support for pupils with special educational needs and this ensures that each pupil can participate in all aspects of school life. The support staff working with pupils in booster classes for numeracy and literacy contribute to better progress and standards in

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

these subjects. There has been valuable support for information and communication technology through the employment of a technician.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The quality of accommodation is satisfactory. The school has attractively landscaped and well maintained grounds that offer a range of learning opportunities. There is at present no secure outdoor play area for the foundation stage but plans are in hand for a new area when the re-surfacing of the playground is complete. The present internal accommodation is adequate but presents some problems for example in storage, access to sinks and general movement. The condition of the school was recently St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 28 surveyed for suitability for the delivery of the National curriculum and funds have been made available for remodelling. Two classes are housed in temporary classrooms, which will be removed in the next stage of development. The internal décor is basically drab and in need of repainting. Praiseworthy efforts have recently been made to brighten the interior for example with the murals designed by pupils and

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

painted by students from the neighbouring secondary school. Resources are unsatisfactory in aspects of English where the range and number of books is unsatisfactory as well as in aspects of design and technology, geography, history and music. The resources for supporting pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are in need of updating. The school now has a fully operational computer suite and the ratio of computers to pupils is close to the national average.

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

67. In order to improve the quality of education offered to pupils and raise standards, the head teacher, governors and staff should:

p.28

in English by:

• devising and implementing a policy that identifies ways of improving opportunities for pupils to write for a wide variety of audiences and purposes. • improving the way reading is taught so that pupils develop a better understanding of what they read and by ensuring that reading progress is monitored across the school. • establishing ways of setting individual, group and class targets for improvement. (paragraphs 23, 98 - 109)

p.28

in mathematics by:

• ensuring that all teaching staff are confident to teach the National Numeracy Strategy • establishing a policy that identifies how numeracy can be taught across the curriculum • establishing ways of setting individual, group and class targets for improvement. (paragraphs 24, 110 - 119) St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 29

p.28

in information and communication technology by:

• ensuring that the existing subject development plan is implemented so that better use is made of computers across the curriculum • establishing a manageable way of assessing, recording and tracking pupils’ progress. (paragraphs 26, 108, 116, 134, 140, 146, 148 - 154)

p.29

in music:

• ensuring that the school has access to a suitably qualified teacher for music • making sure that the school is appropriately equipped with suitable resources. (paragraphs 26, 31, 155, 160)

p.29

design and technology by:

• ensuring that existing curriculum guidance is systematically taught. • making sure that there are suitably qualified staff with the appropriate knowledge to teach each subject. (paragraphs 25, 121, 122, 124, 126 - 130, 132, 33)

p.29

subjects by:

• devising a management plan that ensures that subject co-ordinators are given training and time to perform their role of monitoring and evaluating their subjects • improving the procedures for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment and using the information to improve planning. (paragraphs 49, 53, 58, 130, 134, 142, 147, 154, 160, 165, 170)

p.29

music and for supporting pupils with special educational needs and

English as an additional language. (paragraphs 109, 134,142, 160)

p.29

6) improve attendance by continuing with the existing good procedures

for monitoring absence and rewarding good attendance. (paragraph 16)

p.29

Other issues that the school may wish to consider:

• Clarify the homework policy and communicate it to parents (paragraph 54). • Update the special educational needs policy and accompanying pupil records in accordance with the new Code of Practice recommendations (paragraphs 51, 59). St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 30 • Improve the quality of marking so that targets can be set for individual improvement (paragraphs 28, 108).

p.29

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 32

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

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) 0 249

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 26

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 0 79

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 31

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 10

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 15

p.30

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

School data 6.3 School data 0.8 St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 31 National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.30

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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 23 21 44

p.31

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.31

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

Boys 11 11 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 18 19

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 64 (73) 66 (80) 82 (73) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.31

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 10 16 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 18 19

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 61 (65) 77 (75) 93 (83) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 91 (88)

p.31

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

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

p.31

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 22 22 44

p.31

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 12 15 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 10 20

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 64 (70) 57 (78) 89 (85) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.31

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 15 17 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 15 20

p.31

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

Total 31 32 42 St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 32 Percentage of pupils School 70 (65) 73 (74) 95 (83) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.31

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

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

p.32

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.32

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.32

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

p.32

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.

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11 Financial year 2001-2002

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.6

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 542,840

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 542,840

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 178.5 Expenditure per pupil 2180

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 47,632

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0 Balance carried forward to next year 47,632

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 33

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

p.33

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

p.33

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.33

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 3.5

p.33

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

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

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 62 29 3 2 4

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 74 18 2 2 4

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 56 19 12 8 5

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 54 34 8 2 2

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 77 18 2 2 1

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 28 3 3 2

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 62 23 9 3 3

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 81 11 3 2 3

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 68 22 2 3 5

p.33

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 56 30 5 3 6 St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 34

p.33

Other issues raised by parents

The comments attached to the questionnaires indicated that there have been radical changes in the school in the last eighteen months and these have improved the school significantly. Some suggestions were made namely from a significant minority of parents of pupils in Key Stage 1 who feel that more access to extra-curricular clubs needs to be considered. There were also comments about homework with a feeling of inconsistencies between classes in the amount and quality of work although in Year 6, some parents stated there was too much whilst others stated the opposite! St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 35

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. At present the school has no nursery provision and accepts children into the reception class in the year of their fifth birthday. When they start in the reception class the attainment of most of the children is below the level expected for their age and a small number are in the early stages of acquiring English as an additional language. Inspection evidence indicates that, by the end of the Foundation Stage, the children in the Reception class will exceed the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development, in their development of communication, language and literacy, in their mathematical development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Children attain the early learning goals in their creative and physical development.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. The teaching of the children in the Foundation Stage is very good overall. Planning pays full attention to the recommended curriculum for children of this age. The teaching maintains a good balance between learning through structured play and the need to prepare children for learning the National Curriculum programmes of study in Key Stage 1. Learning support staff and classroom assistants are especially well briefed and make a significant contribution to the very good quality of teaching and learning in the Reception class.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Very good use is made of the LEA’s baseline assessment procedures both when children enter the Reception year and when they transfer to Key Stage 1. Assessment throughout the year is particularly good and teachers’ planning takes good account of the consistently good quality of children’s records maintained by the teachers. Particularly good records are kept of children’s progress through each area of learning and measurements of their academic and social development.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. The Reception classes have the use of two spacious, well-equipped, adjoining classroom areas that are linked by a resource/role-play area that is in regular use. At present children do not have access to a secure outside play area and there is not enough large play apparatus for use in the playground. There is access to the very attractive and extensive grass play area that serves the whole school, and the Reception children use this. Use of the field area compensates to some degree for the lack of a dedicated play area but it is unsatisfactory that children of this age group lack the facilities for the further development of their physical skills. Teachers are inventive in their use of the facilities available and during the inspection children were observed spending part of their time in the school hall and part on the field as a contribution to their physical development.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. Links with parents are very good. The very good quality of the on-going assessment means that parents have up-to-date information concerning the progress being made by their children. Teachers are available before and after school to speak informally with parents. Parent helpers are well trained and very comprehensively briefed and make a significant contribution to the learning of the children in the Foundation Stage.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. Overall the provision for the children in the Foundation Stage is very good. The standard of teaching is very good overall and the Foundation Stage is imbued with a discernible team spirit as all adults work effectively together to enhance the education of the young children in their care. At the present time the Foundation Stage is a strength of the school. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 36

p.35

Personal, social and emotional development

74. By the end of the Reception year the vast majority of children attain beyond the Early Learning Goals in the area of the personal, social and emotional development. The quality of the teaching is very good and has a significant impact on the excellent progress made by the children.

p.36

Personal, social and emotional development

75. Children are fully engaged in the tasks they are given. They are motivated to succeed and they love sharing their achievements with each other and with visitors. Teachers are able to concentrate on focus activities because they can rely on the strong independent learning skills of the children. The help provided by the support staff is also crucial in this area and the children are confident in approaching them for assistance when they know their teachers are engaged elsewhere in the classroom. During role-play activities the children were observed creating detailed scenarios through which they acted out a variety of roles, often supported by elaborate dressing up costumes. A further sign of their independence of thought is to be found in the way in which they have brought the experience of their farm visit into the classroom. By their own choice they have converted the play-house into a barn which now fills the

p.36

Personal, social and emotional development

76. The children listen to each other with a quiet respect when they are in circle groups and they take much pleasure in the sharing of their achievements. Individuals are keen to help each other and there is a community of helpers for those children who are coming to grips with English as an additional language. A great deal of information is shared during these sessions and children take this with them to inform their independent activities in other parts of the classroom. Children from the Reception class take a full part in whole school assemblies and are enthusiastic in their singing. Their social and emotional confidence in these settings is a mark of the impact of the good role models provided by their teachers.

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

77. By the end of the Foundation Stage, the majority of the children will attain beyond the Early Learning Goals in this area. The very good quality of the teaching and the contribution of support staff play a significant part in the good progress being made by the children.

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

78. The children are good communicators and they are willing and eager to converse with adults and with each other. Throughout the day they are surrounded by language experiences that foster their development. The classroom environment is language rich in labels and markers and the children are very proficient at reciting these to visitors. The language bus is full of words and children are very conscious of the use of high frequency words in their vocabularies. Children have many opportunities for singing and speaking rhymes and are fond of the alliterative construction of many of them. In assemblies they sing with gusto and are happy in tackling the most difficult words. Opportunities for the development of spoken language arise not only in the setting of role-play but also in the more structured activities. Children using the water play area were observed being monitored for language and conceptual development

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

and good records are kept of progress in all activities. When interacting with the whole class both teachers use mature and encouraging dialogue with the children and assist them in acquiring the specialist vocabularies of science and mathematics. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 37 79. Storybooks are very popular in the Reception class and children use them for individual as well as group pleasure. The children happily identify the books that have had the biggest impact on them during the course of the year. Stories with animals are especially popular and are frequently recounted in summary form. New sets of reading scheme books are being purchased and these are well used to raise the children’s reading above the expectations for their age group. During the course of the inspection some of the children composed a musical accompaniment to the Big Book “We’re all Going on a Bear Hunt”, their enthusiasm having been roused by the very

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

good use made of the story by the class teacher. They are familiar with the main conventions of literature and know that the text runs from left to right and from top to bottom of the page. All children in the Reception class also have regular access to the library area and are acquiring a good knowledge of the way in which a library is structured.

p.37

Communication, language and literacy

80. Each member of the class has an emergent writing book that is a source of great pride to them. The books contain aspects of their earliest mark making and carry through to the current position where the most able are now writing very clearly and productively. These books have been significant in fostering a sense of independence amongst the children and writing from the imagination holds no fears for them. The very good support from the teachers for this form of writing has ensured that children have grown in confidence without being encumbered with the need for obeying formal rules before they have acquired a writing style. Teachers have paid attention to the need for spelling and grammar and have added it to the repertoire of experiences available to the children. The children have a good awareness of the grammatical conventions of spoken as well as written English.

p.37

Mathematical development

81. The children exceed the Early Learning goals in the area of their mathematical development. The very good quality of the teaching ensures that children make very good progress and achieve a good conceptual knowledge and the ability to apply it to solving problems.

p.37

Mathematical development

82. The Reception classrooms are as rich in the vocabulary of mathematics as they are in language in general. Teachers have made a great deal of their own apparatus to support their teaching of number and this is very popular with the children. The Number lines strung across the classrooms are a source not only of information but also of great fun when teachers make ‘mistakes’ that can be corrected by the children. As they play children use a mathematical vocabulary as part of their everyday speech. Objects are often sorted by size and the more able children can be observed adding additional criteria such as colour to their sorting. They are happy with relative size, length and quantity and can distinguish lighter/heavier, long/longer and more/less than. In using numbers they can reorder a sequence that has been placed out of order. All children count easily to twenty and often beyond. They can count back

p.37

Mathematical development

from ten with confidence and use countdown procedures to add drama to their activities. In their artwork and their games they use patterns with alacrity and in sorting a number of children were observed making patterns as they sorted objects.

p.37

Mathematical development

83. Teachers create good opportunities for the children to apply their understanding of number and during the course of the inspection a number of children demonstrated their understanding of commercial transactions as they disputed the cost of items for sale in their museum shop. The most able children showed an ability to relate cost to the size of the item for sale as well as to its popularity and they believed that the big dinosaurs should, logically, cost more than the small dinosaurs. When sitting on the St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 38 carpet they enjoy the group experience of rhymes and games and are also familiar with the tunes and rhymes on the computer when they access number games there.

p.37

Knowledge and understanding of the world

84. By the end of the Foundation Stage children are attaining beyond the level expected for the age group in this area of their development. Very good teaching promotes very good progress.

p.38

Knowledge and understanding of the world

85. Throughout the inspection children were observed exploring the nature of the world around them. Following their visit to a local farm they have transformed their playhouse into a barn complete with bales of hay and have a detailed knowledge of feeding time, egg collection and other parts of the daily routine of the farm. There is an air of mounting excitement as they await a ‘visit’ from a horse owned by one of their parents. Additionally the school receives regular visits from a group of geese resident on a nearby pond and foxes cross the school grounds at intervals. The world of nature also takes the form of their plants and flowers and they are growers of beans and other fast growing plants such as mustard and cress. They have created an imaginary landscape using a large compost tray and each area of the model is labelled with the appropriate term, such as summit or valley, to encourage their

p.38

Knowledge and understanding of the world

86. Role-play areas are used very well to help children to develop their imaginations and apply a wide range of skills and knowledge. In one of the classrooms children have access to a corner that recreates the corner of a traditional sitting room. They are confronted by a rocking chair and an imaginary fire whilst looking at old sepia photographs on the walls. From this activity they have grown considerably in their appreciation of time and change and they talk with great respect about the lives of people older than themselves. Through their paintings of themselves and their families they have developed their understanding of their own place in the world although many of them cling to the endearing thought that some adults have experienced every phase of history.

p.38

Knowledge and understanding of the world

87. Very good use is made of the local area to extend their general knowledge. Walks around the area and particularly their visit to the farm have introduced them to aspects of the history and geography of the area in which they live and they are also aware of the beautiful views from the classroom windows. The large-scale contours of the area are reflected in the rise and fall of the levels in the school grounds and the children are very appreciative of the quality of their surroundings. As they view the world around them they have a good understanding of the days of the week, the calendar and the seasons of the year. The proximity of the Pennine Hills enables them to talk easily of the contrasts between the weather patterns of summer and winter.

p.38

Knowledge and understanding of the world

88. As part of their routine the children are given plenty of opportunities for using the computer and also for the making of constructions using commercially made kits. They have a good understanding of the basics of the computer keyboard and can use the mouse to select from the menus available. Models are built and shared with each other and teachers encourage the experimental use of materials of this kind to increase scientific understanding. Encouraging children to think widely is a notable feature of the teaching and during the course of the inspection some of the children were clearly experimenting with paints of different viscosities to see how they mixed on the paper. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 39 89. The school meets statutory requirements in the teaching of religious education at this stage and the children are able to listen to Bible stories and stories from other faiths

p.38

Knowledge and understanding of the world

and cultures. During the course of the inspection the children were observed listening to and acting out the meeting between Jesus and the fishermen. Sympathetic teaching allowed the children to bring their own understanding to the story and they were able to shake Jesus by the hand to thank Him for helping to increase their fish catch. The teacher also used the opportunity to make reference to stories from other faiths and the session included all children, including those from other cultures.

p.39

Physical development

90. By the end of the Foundation Stage the children attain the early Learning Goals in this area of their development. There is no dedicated outdoor play area or associated apparatus which means that the children miss out on some of the important experiences of physical growth and development. The creative quality of the teaching makes up for some of this deficit but, if the facilities for outdoor play were available, the teaching and learning could be better. Overall teaching is very good and pupils make very good progress.

p.39

Physical development

91. When working in the school hall the children show good awareness of space and safety and have no difficulty in co-ordinating their movements to the instructions given by their teachers. The children know the importance of warm-up and cool-down activities and they know there is a link between physical exercise and healthy bodies. When using a ‘parachute’ on the school field they showed great fluidity of movement and confidence in each other as they happily rushed under the parachute to change places.

p.39

Physical development

92. In the classroom movement and space are well controlled and children are very well co-ordinated in their use of equipment. Teachers help when requested to do so but children are given the freedom to experiment and make their own mistakes and, as a result, have an impact on the extension and development of their own physical skills. The vast majority already use cutting, drawing and painting equipment with consummate skill for their age group.

p.39

Creative development

93. By the end of the Foundation Stage the children attain the Early Learning Goals in this area of their learning. The very good teaching introduces the children to a range of creative activities and they respond with confidence.

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Creative development

94. Painting figures prominently as an activity and the children are able to mix and match colours to add tone and texture to their paintings. They handle paintbrushes with skill and are very dextrous when using the paintbrush as a drawing instrument. In their paintings of themselves and their families they show an appreciation of size and some perspective in illustrating the family group. They are able to identify the age of the members of the family from the size that they portray and the activity has contributed to their vocabularies and their knowledge and understanding of the world. There are signs that they are beginning to appreciate the work of famous artists and some of the children are beginning to layer their paint in an attempt to give an extra dimension to their work. 95. During the course of the inspection children were observed composing and performing a musical accompaniment to the story “we’re all Going on a Bear Hunt”

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Creative development

using a range of untuned percussion instruments that they chose for themselves. Having composed they performed for the rest of the class who sat and listened St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 40 respectfully as the short piece was played. This short activity illustrated, very effectively, the level of confidence the children are able to bring to their creative activity and the good quality teaching that allows them to experiment in this way.

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Creative development

96. Teachers use a variety of opportunities for singing and rhyming games and the children are confident in their singing. They take a full part in the school assemblies and have an ear for the alliterative rhymes from some of their books. They also listen to a range of recorded music and are able to co-ordinate their movements to musical accompaniments.

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Creative development

97. The creative development of language and knowledge and understanding of the world through role-play is very evident on a daily basis and the children slip into and out of character with great skill. The presence of the history corner and the barn help in the creativity of play and teachers encourage children in their use of them. Whenever the children engage in activities of this kind the teachers use their own observations of them to record areas of development and areas needing further support and this contributes to the overall good quality of the teaching and learning.

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98. The results of the 2001 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2 in reading and writing and at the end of Year 6 in English are well below the national average and well below average when compared with similar schools. The standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 2 have declined since the last inspection in 1997 and in 2001 they were particularly low. In the 2001 National Curriculum tests, attainment was well below the national average and in comparison with similar schools it was in the lowest 5% nationally in reading and well below the average in writing. A significant reason for the decline is because of the negative impact of major disruptions in staffing and in the leadership and management of the school. The inspection findings indicate that current attainment is slightly better than the test results show but is still below the levels expected for the ages of the pupils and could be higher. The

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appointment of the new head teacher has led to recent rapid improvement in teaching and this is beginning to have an impact on the standards seen in lessons.

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ENGLISH

99. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress in the development of their reading and speaking and listening skills but progress in writing remains unsatisfactory. In Key Stage 1 the progress made by the majority of pupils is satisfactory in speaking and listening but unsatisfactory in reading and writing, although progress in lessons is improving due to better teaching. The majority of pupils with special educational needs or with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress due to the levels of support they are given in lessons. Throughout the school the attainment of boys is slightly lower than that of girls in writing but there is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls in other areas of the subject. Provision for inclusion in lessons is generally good but in some lessons the most able pupils do not have appropriate challenge to meet their learning needs. The support of the teacher and

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ENGLISH

support staff for English as an additional language ensure that pupils having difficulty acquiring English as an additional language make up ground so that by the end of Year 3, these pupils have caught up and are learning as well as other pupils.

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ENGLISH

100. Standards in speaking and listening at the end of Year 2 are in line with those expected for the age of the pupils. They speak confidently to adults and each other in an appropriate range of situations, although there are insufficient planned opportunities in lessons for the pupils to develop their oral communication skills using St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 41 more formal vocabulary, for example in discussions, presentations or role play. The pupils are often given opportunities to answer questions posed by their teachers and, when encouraged to do so, they are able to give extended answers and explanations. When required to read out the work they have done in lessons to the rest of the class, most do so with reasonable clarity and confidence.

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ENGLISH

101. By the end of Year 6 standards in speaking and listening are at least in line with those expected for the age of the pupils and a significant number of pupils exceeds these levels due to the good opportunities planned for them in lessons and other activities. They give thoughtful and articulate answers to questions and express themselves clearly and confidently in group discussions. They are able to express views and opinions with great confidence to a range of audiences, using appropriately formal vocabulary. The drama club makes a valuable contribution to the development of the pupils' speaking and listening skills by providing opportunities for the pupils to perform in formal situations to a wider audience. During the inspection, a group of Key Stage 2 pupils performed a moral drama in assembly, with high levels of expression and confidence that entranced their audience. Other activities, such as ‘hot seating’ and

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ENGLISH

art evaluation discussions, provide valuable opportunities for the pupils to develop their oral communication skills.

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ENGLISH

102. Standards in reading at the end of Year 2 are below those expected for their age. The pupils relate well to the texts used in lessons but they do not all show the same enthusiasm for books they choose for themselves. Most pupils can recognise many frequently used words on sight but many pupils have a limited range of strategies for reading unfamiliar words and their phonic skills are not well developed. Consequently their reading loses fluency and they are not sufficiently good at recalling and interpreting what they have read beyond the literal sense of the text.

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ENGLISH

103. By the end of Year 6 standards in reading are closer to those expected for the ages of the pupils. They have become more independent in their reading and have developed satisfactory levels of literal understanding of the books they read. However, the ability of many pupils to interpret and draw inference from texts is not well developed for their age. The progress made by a significant minority of pupils is unsatisfactory due to the limited range of strategies they are able to use for reading unfamiliar words. Many pupils have developed satisfactory attitudes to reading and are able to express preferences and personal reading tastes. They show high levels of enjoyment of poetry and are able to evaluate poetry and comment critically on its impact. In a literacy lesson seen during the inspection some older pupils thoroughly appreciated the poem ‘Unwillingly to School’ and were able to explain how the poet created its

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ENGLISH

humorous appeal. Overall, the pupils’ independent research skills are not well developed and library skills are generally unsatisfactory due to insufficient opportunities to use the library.

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ENGLISH

104. Recent initiatives to improve the quality of pupils’ writing are beginning to have an impact on standards but writing remains unsatisfactory throughout the school. By the end of Year 2 most pupils’ are able to write in a good cursive handwriting style and use this consistently in their written work. However, many pupils are still unable to sustain correct spelling and punctuation in their independent work. Only a few pupils use interesting or ambitious vocabulary and the structure of stories and accounts is usually in short, simple sentences with little awareness of the reader. However, most pupils are able to communicate meaning in writing at a simple level. They spell many short, common words correctly and know some of the appropriate spelling conventions to represent longer words so that they are recognisable. Most pupils know how to use capital letters and full stops to demarcate sentences but many do

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ENGLISH

St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 42 not apply this knowledge consistently in their writing. They are given too few opportunities to put what they have learned into practice in their own extended writing.

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ENGLISH

105. By the end of Year 6 the majority of pupils have reached standards in writing that are close to the expected levels for their ages but many pupils are still unable to sustain the effort and independence required to write longer pieces of work and their written work does not always do justice to the knowledge and understanding they display in discussion. Progress during this key stage is very uneven. Pupils make better progress in the mixed Year 3/4 class and in the mixed Year 5/6 and Year 6 classes due to better teaching and sufficient opportunities to practise and develop longer pieces of writing for different purposes. The recently introduced strategies for improving handwriting have not yet had an impact at the upper end of the school. Consequently the handwriting of many pupils is erratic, sometimes incorrectly joined and uneven. The most able pupils communicate effectively in writing, using

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ENGLISH

substantially correct spelling and punctuation in complex sentences and formal language patterns. However, many pupils still write in short, simple sentences and there is little use of ambitious vocabulary or planned structure in their work. Written work in other subjects reflects the unsatisfactory standards in writing and often fails to reflect the knowledge and understanding displayed by many pupils in their spoken communication.

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ENGLISH

106. The quality of teaching and learning is currently satisfactory overall. In the lessons observed during the inspection there were some examples of good teaching and one example of excellent teaching. However, over time there have been some unsatisfactory aspects in the teaching that have contributed to the current unsatisfactory standards in English. Recent initiatives to improve the quality of literacy teaching, such as teaching in ability groups in Year 6, are beginning to have an impact and progress has accelerated as a result, but there are still some weaknesses in the teaching in some classes. Planning for all literacy lessons follows the structure of the National Literacy Strategy and is based on broad learning objectives but it is inconsistent in its effectiveness from class to class.

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ENGLISH

107. Teaching is most effective when specific learning objectives are shared with the pupils at the start of lessons and used to help them evaluate the progress they make. In the best lessons the teachers are adept at promoting the pupils’ speaking skills by encouraging them to give extended answers to questions and explain their thinking. The pupils show better levels of productivity and interest in their learning when teachers have high expectations of what they can do and plan appropriately challenging work based on assessment of previous learning levels. This was evident in a lesson on poetry evaluation in Year 5/6 when the teacher planned carefully matched work that excited and engaged the pupils and stimulated very productive learning in all ability groups. 108. In the less successful lessons, teachers do not engage the pupils fully in the shared text work and the guided reading sessions are not used effectively to promote

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ENGLISH

understanding and interpretation of the text. Productivity in the independent tasks is often low because the work lacks appropriate challenge. Teachers do not make their expectations clear and pupils lack a sense of urgency in their work. Plenary sessions do not give pupils the opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved in relation to the targets for the lesson and their own literacy targets. Marking of work fails to indicate what pupils need to do to improve their work and meet their targets. In some classes there are too few planned opportunities for pupils to write independently and at length, in English lessons and in other subjects. This restricts the progress they are able to make in developing their skills in writing for different purposes. Not enough St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 43 use is made of information and communication technology across the school to

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ENGLISH

109. The school has recently taken appropriate steps to improve the standards of work in English. These include the use of individual writing targets for the pupils, standardised handwriting and professional development opportunities for teaching staff. The writing targets have not yet had an impact on standards because staff and pupils are not yet fully conversant with their purpose and use. However, the improved teaching of handwriting is already having a beneficial impact on standards, particularly with the younger pupils. The subject leader has identified the correct priorities for development in order to raise standards and move the subject forward. These include the development of a whole school policy for teaching English, an improvement in the currently unsatisfactory quality and range of library books and resources, and finding ways of making better use of assessment procedures. The present procedures for

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ENGLISH

assessing and recording the progress of pupils in reading and in speaking and listening are unsatisfactory. The subject leader’s role in monitoring standards and teaching in English is still in the early stages of development but is already beginning to positively influence the quality of teaching.

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MATHEMATICS

110. In 2001, pupils’ performance in the end of key stage National Curriculum tests was well below the national average by the end of both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 1. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ performance was below the average by the end of Key Stage 2 and well below the average by the end of Key Stage 1. Across the school, too few pupils attained standards that exceeded the nationally expected levels for their age. Over the last five years, standards in mathematics have improved by the end of Year 6 in terms of the percentage of pupils achieving the nationally expected standard of level 4 but over the same time, there has been very little improvement in the percentage of pupils reaching the nationally expected standard of level 2 by the end of Year 2. Standards in the school are starting to improve as a result of the impact of the head teacher who sets high expectations of staff and pupils

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MATHEMATICS

and the school is on course to achieve the targets set by the local education authority in mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2.

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MATHEMATICS

111. Previous inspection judgements reported that standards in mathematics at the end of both key stages were in line with national averages. Although there has been an improving trend over the last four years as indicated by the School Achievement Award in 2000, improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory overall because of the adverse impact of uncertainties in the educational direction of the school resulting from past weaknesses in management and significant absence and changes of staff. Current inspection evidence is that pupils of all abilities are now making satisfactory progress and some classes in Key Stage 2 are making good progress. There is no significant variation in the progress of girls and boys or of those with special educational needs and English as an additional language.

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MATHEMATICS

112. Pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 are attaining standards which are close to national expectations in Number but below in Shape, Space and Measures. This cohort has not had a permanent teacher for two years and the experience has adversely affected their previous study of the curriculum. There are gaps in their knowledge and understanding. There has been more emphasis on the study of number than on the attainment targets relating to shape and space and application of mathematics. The improvement initiatives for numeracy have had less impact in this key stage because St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 44 of the changes in teaching personnel. Pupils are familiar with the order of numbers up to 100 and readily identify odds and evens. They deal confidently with addition of tens and units but have less experience of subtraction. They are familiar with their tables for 2, 3, 5, and 10 and use them to divide numbers between 10 and 20. They are

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MATHEMATICS

beginning to use this knowledge in calculations for example in solving shopping and money problems for example how many pencils can be bought for a pound.

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MATHEMATICS

113. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have had little opportunity to record for themselves or to develop confidence in laying out calculations. Most of their recorded work is based on worksheets and prepared templates and pupils have not been expected to record their own work. They are not developing a range of strategies for example using doubling and halving or repeated addition. There is a lack of emphasis on speed for mental recall and calculation. Pupils identify simple lines of symmetry in objects such as butterflies and ladybirds but have had few opportunities to study the properties of geometric shapes or to learn about ways of measuring. They have limited knowledge of the properties of shapes and units of measure.

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MATHEMATICS

114. Attainment by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 is below national expectations. There has been a greater emphasis on number and algebra than on the other attainment targets and this is reflected in pupils’ knowledge and understanding but standards are still below expectations by the time pupils complete Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

115. Pupils recognise and extend number sequences including decimals but their experience with square numbers and prime numbers is limited. They recognise negative numbers on scales. Most pupils recognise equivalent fractions and percentages and relate them to decimals. They have strategies for solving problems involving percentages and fractions and a minority reliably apply these skills to real-life problems for example in calculating money-off discounts. This aspect has not yet been extended to ratio and proportion. The majority apply efficient methods of column addition and subtraction for numbers, money and decimals and the majority demonstrate appropriate methods for long multiplication and division. Teachers encourage pupils to use calculators appropriately for example to check mental calculations and encourage discussion of approaches to problems. Expectations for the speed in mental calculations are not sufficiently challenging. Pupils are familiar

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MATHEMATICS

with line and bar graphs but do not have the higher order skills for reading and interpreting data. Pupils measure and draw angles to the nearest degree and use some of the conventional geometric symbols. Pupils can locate points with co- ordinates in a single quadrant but have limited experience with work in four quadrants. Younger pupils in Key Stage 2 are achieving standards in line with national expectations and demonstrate confidence and flexibility of thought in their calculations. They have high standards in presentation and representation. 116. Overall the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. Recent initiatives have improved teachers’ knowledge and confidence in numeracy. The school recognises that there have been weaknesses in the past in mathematics teaching that have created obstacles to learning. The new head teacher has motivated the staff to rectify these and improvements are now occurring. The National

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MATHEMATICS

Numeracy Strategy is being fully implemented and this is having an increasingly positive effective impact on standards and achievement. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory but there are still consistencies in the expectations made of pupils because of the impact of temporary staff. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 is at least satisfactory. There were very good examples of numeracy teaching in Key Stage 2. These were when teachers confidently taught calculation strategies and also encouraged dialogue among pupils about their own approaches to mathematical problems. At times, the quality of teaching varies in the way that St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 45 teachers treat pupils in mixed aged classes and the head teacher is aware of this and is monitoring the situation to ensure that all pupils receive the same quality of teaching and curriculum. The level of challenge in some areas of the curriculum aspects such

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MATHEMATICS

as the properties of 2D and 3D shapes and co-ordinates is not high enough. At times there are missed opportunities for the use of numeracy skills in other areas of the curriculum for example in geography and history. Information and communication technology is used occasionally to support numeracy for example with graph building but overall its use is insufficient.

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MATHEMATICS

117. The implementation of the Numeracy Strategy has made sure that the curriculum for mathematics has an appropriate focus on numeracy. This represents an improvement since the last inspection when there was no scheme of work for mathematics. The teachers’ weekly and medium term planning has been scrutinised by the co-ordinator who is introducing planning formats for mixed age classes. At present there is some inconsistency in the delivery of the curriculum where pupils of the same age are in different classes. There are instances where teachers’ expectations are noticeably different and pupils of the same ability do not face the same level of challenge.

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MATHEMATICS

118. Assessment data from National Curriculum tests and other tests is shared among staff and there is an increasing use of long-term tracking of pupil progress through commercially managed data analysis. These arrangements are an improvement since the last inspection because the data is starting to be used to identify groups and individuals so that targets can be set to raise standards of the pupils. Teachers are now expected to maintain individual records of pupils’ progress and to carry out half- termly updates. The teaching assistants also maintain informal records for the groups they support.

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MATHEMATICS

119. The mathematics co-ordinator is providing good leadership and is implementing an improvement plan that is starting to raise standards. The subject policy has been written and the long term planning has been reviewed. Monitoring and evaluation procedures have been introduced to ensure that there is a consistency in what is taught although this is not always the case for pupils in mixed age classes. The co- ordinator and head teacher have adopted a number of good strategies to raise standards in mathematics with an emphasis upon raising teacher’s confidence and subject knowledge. The support of outside help has been harnessed very well with help sought from local education authority advisers and arranging visits for staff to observe leading numeracy teachers in other schools. Teachers’ ability to use their skills and understanding in teaching numeracy has been improved by providing better learning resources for teachers. There has been an improvement in the way the

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MATHEMATICS

school approaches its weekly planning and staff are starting to make much better use of assessment information to guide planning. There is an on-going plan for staff training in numeracy that will address identified weaknesses such as the lack of a whole school strategy for teaching of calculations.

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SCIENCE

120. The results of the 2001 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 were in line with the national average and the average for similar schools. Standards in science have improved since the last inspection in 1997. The inspection findings indicate that in Years 3 to 6 pupils are achieving well and attainment is better than the test results indicate. By the end of Year 6, the standards achieved in science are good and they are above national expectations. Pupils perform very well in practical, investigative St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 46 work and have good knowledge and understanding of essential scientific ideas and facts. The good standards in Key Stage 2 are due primarily to the good leadership and direction provided by the subject co-ordinator. Her input has had a marked impact on attainment since the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

121. By the end of Year 2, the teacher assessments for 2001 indicated that attainment matched the national average and the average for similar schools. Inspection evidence, however, does not support this and indicates that pupils are not achieving as well as they could in science and attainment is below the nationally expected standards by the end of Year 2. Standards in Key Stage 1 have declined since the last inspection because of the negative impact of instabilities in leadership and staffing. The appointment of the new head teacher has led to recent rapid improvement in teaching and this is beginning to raise standards.

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SCIENCE

122. The changes in staffing have meant that the coverage of the programmes of study for science in Key Stage 1 has been disrupted and pupils have not had the chance to learn all that is expected for their age. Across the key stage, pupils make unsatisfactory progress and do not achieve as well as they should. The current pupils in Year 2 lack the confidence to perform simple scientific investigations and do not do as well as they can in this aspect of their science. During a lesson in which pupils were learning about aspects of forces associated with moving vehicles, pupils worked with great enthusiasm and vigour but needed a lot of adult support to perform simple tasks such as measuring the distance a toy moves and recording the results. Pupils showed that they have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of how a force is a push or pull and competently explain the way the speed of an object can be altered

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SCIENCE

by applying a force. Pupils also know and understand about the need to have a complete electrical circuit in order to light a bulb and pupils have a rudimentary knowledge of ideas associated with light. Throughout Key Stage 1, pupils develop a basic knowledge of materials and their properties but the majority of pupils do not have enough skills to carry out scientific investigations into the materials. Pupils know that some materials can change from a solid to a liquid and are aware of the differences between natural and manufactured materials. Because of weaknesses in the curriculum in the past, very few pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of living things although there is an understanding of how to keep fit through exercise and by eating sensibly.

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SCIENCE

123. By the end of Year 6, however, standards are above national expectations. Pupils make good progress as they move through the key stage, especially in the development of the skills required to perform scientific investigations. By the end of Year 6, pupils are very comfortable with the process of making hypotheses, planning activities to prove or disprove these and using a good range of skills to record what they have done and what they have found out. Across the key stage, pupils respond well to teachers’ expectations for them to work on their own with the minimum of adult intervention and support. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a good capacity to apply a range of skills from literacy, numeracy and, at times, from information and communication technology to make accurate and useful plans and records of what they have done. Pupils know how to use data to explain their findings and draw conclusions. As a result of good teaching, pupils have a secure knowledge and

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SCIENCE

understanding of living things and a good understanding of ecological principles such as food chains and webs and key ideas about habitats and life cycles. As part of a lesson in which pupils explored the thermal properties of different materials, many pupils displayed a good knowledge of thermal conduction and insulation. Pupils have a good understanding of the key words such as evaporation and condensation and use them correctly to explain processes such as the water cycle. Some higher St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 47 attaining pupils have a very good knowledge and understanding of how simple particulate theory can be used to make sense of the way water can change from a solid to a liquid to a gaseous state. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a secure knowledge and understanding of physical sciences, forces, light, sound and earth and space.

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SCIENCE

124. The quality of teaching has been unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1 because of the turnover of staff and this has reduced the progress of all pupils resulting in pupils not achieving as well as they should. In Key Stage 2, where greater stability in the teaching force has been maintained, the quality of teaching in science is good and promotes good progress and high levels of achievement. The recent changes in teaching in Key Stage 1 are raising the expectations for pupils to have the confidence to work on their own and to learn to work with others to solve simple scientific investigations. These changes are too recent to register as improved attainment. In Key Stage 2, however, teachers work as a team to promote independence. Lessons are well planned so that the skills and ideas of the class are valued. During a lesson in Year 3/4 pupils responded very well to the confident and clear explanations offered

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SCIENCE

by the class teacher prior to performing investigations to find which household materials would and would not dissolve in water. The secure subject knowledge of the teacher ensured that pupils knew what they were doing and therefore pupils got on quickly. In Year 6, the class teacher knows exactly what the pupils are expected to do and has established good classroom routines that contribute to good levels of behaviour and attention from pupils. In response to the very clear expectations, pupils work hard, co-operate well as pairs or as a team and show very good attitudes to science. Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils respond very positively to the systematic approach to performing scientific investigations. All pupils are familiar with a common planning and recording system and this helps pupils, throughout the school, to work hard and do well.

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SCIENCE

125. The subject is well managed by a committed and dedicated co-ordinator. Planning is of a good standard across Key Stage 2, although the disruptions in Key Stage 1 have made consistency in Year 1 and Year 2 difficult in recent years. Science is successfully promoted by the co-ordinator in a variety of ways. Science focus weeks are organised, educational visits to places such as Eureka, in Halifax are organised and good use is made of the school grounds to give meaning to environmental studies. There is a satisfactory system for assessing the attainment and progress of pupils as they move through the school. Although the co-ordinator has a sound knowledge and understanding of what goes on in Key Stage 2, opportunities and expectations to perform her monitoring roles are currently not sufficient.

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ART AND DESIGN

126. Standards are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 6 and most pupils make good progress in the development of art and design skills and knowledge. However, standards are below those expected at the end of Year 2 due to limited opportunities for pupils to develop the necessary skills and knowledge. Pupils make satisfactory progress in individual lessons but provision is too limited to enable pupils to experience a full curriculum for art and design. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. Appropriate provision is made for all pupils to have full access to lessons. There has been little improvement in standards since the time of the last inspection, due mainly to changes in staffing and leadership in the school. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 48 127. At the end of Year 2 the pupils are able to communicate their ideas in drawings and

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ART AND DESIGN

paintings using a limited range of tools and media. Although art skills are used to support work in other curriculum areas, for example in illustrating stories and creating mathematical patterns, there is insufficient opportunity for pupils to develop the full range of skills and knowledge specific to the subject. As a consequence, the pupils are unable to reach the standards expected for this age group.

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ART AND DESIGN

128. By the end of Year 6 the pupils have considerably extended their creative experiences into a wider range of media. They evaluate the work of other artists, such as Hockney and Hokusai, to good effect and attempt, with some success, to imitate and adapt their styles in their own work. Pupils in Year 3/4 were particularly successful in creating sensitive and evocative studies of birds in flight, using chalk pastels. Throughout this key stage the pupils develop increasingly good observational skills in detailed drawings of shoes, self-portraits and studies of Victorian architecture, using accurate perspective. They make good progress in the development of their designing skills. Their models and designs for features to improve the school environment and for chairs for different purposes show great imagination and aesthetic sense, combined with practicality. The Year 6 pupils displayed very effective use of textiles to

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ART AND DESIGN

reflect impressionistic ideas from ‘The Secret Garden’. Most of the older pupils make satisfactory use of sketchbooks to record and develop their ideas. The Year 5/6 pupils used their sketchbooks very effectively to note natural and man-made textures in order to develop studies of the local environment.

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ART AND DESIGN

129. The quality of teaching is good overall in Key Stage 2 but unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1 where teachers lack sufficient subject knowledge to teach art and design effectively. In the best lessons the teachers show good levels of subject knowledge and are confident in teaching the necessary skills for the subject. They enthuse their pupils by providing challenging tasks and an interesting range of media. They make good use of the work of well-known artists, photography and artefacts to stimulate interest and positive attitudes to the subject. In these lessons the pupils are immersed in their tasks and strive to meet the teachers’ expectations. In one of the lessons observed, the pupils expressed great disappointment when the lesson came to an end, so great was their absorption in their work. The best teaching provides opportunities for the pupils to evaluate the work of well-known artists, as well as their own work and they

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ART AND DESIGN

are encouraged to say what they like about the work of other pupils. This has the positive effect of raising the pupils’ self-belief in their own abilities and raises standards as a result. In the less successful lessons a lack of subject knowledge and understanding by teachers results in the pupils not being taught the necessary skills or exposed to an appropriate range of media. Insufficient attention is given to the National Curriculum requirements in planning for art lessons.

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ART AND DESIGN

130. The subject leader provides satisfactory leadership for the subject. A recently written policy provides an appropriate structure and rationale for teaching art and design. The recent adoption of the national scheme of work is helping to provide a progressive curriculum structure in Key Stage 2 but is less effective in Key Stage 1 due to a lack of subject knowledge and the recent instability in staffing. The present assessment arrangements for the subject are unsatisfactory. The subject leader has identified the need for staff development as an urgent target for action and has the necessary expertise to support her colleagues and raise standards. The head teacher is now providing some time for some monitoring to occur within the subject. There is a good range of materials and resources to support the requirements of the art curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 49 131. Since the last inspection standards in design and technology have improved by the end of Key Stage 2 and they are now in line with national expectations. In Key Stage 1 there has been unsatisfactory progress since the last inspection and by the end of Year 2 standards remain below national expectations. In Key Stage 2, all pupils including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language make satisfactory progress but in Key Stage 1, progress is poor. The impact of disruptions in teaching and leadership, coupled with the school focussing more on Literacy and mathematics has reduced the time given to design and technology in Years 1 and 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

132. There is very little evidence of appropriate design and technology work occurring in Key Stage 1. Pupils have made simple moving vehicles and used construction materials to make simple models, but the process of evaluating, designing, making and evaluating products has not been taught and pupils therefore do not make satisfactory progress. By the end of Year 2 pupils are not able to generate their own ideas or to make simple designs. Their knowledge and understanding of different materials and accompanying tools are very weak and pupils are unable to suggest how to improve what they do. In Key Stage 2, progress improves because the programmes of study of the National Curriculum are regularly taught. By the end of Year 6, pupils are familiar with the design process and have learnt how to use a range of basic materials and tools to make their own products. Pupils in Year 3/4 disassembled a battery torch and in so doing they showed a skill of evaluating existing

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

products and revealed a satisfactory ability to plan their own ideas for making a torch. By the end of Year 6, pupils competently show skills of planning and labelling their own designs and talk about how they can realise their ideas. As part of work on textiles, pupils showed a good knowledge and understanding of how to select suitable tools for the job as well as finding ways of building quality into a product. In making some slippers for themselves, pupils showed that they had a sound grasp of how to join fabrics with glue and sewing and also showed that the process of making a “mock up” or prototype can be vital when transferring a design into reality. By the end of Year 6, the only area of significant weakness in design and technology is that pupils are not sure about some of the key ideas about structures and mechanisms.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

133. The quality of teaching reflects the standards and progress of pupils across the school. In Key Stage 1 it is unsatisfactory whilst in Key Stage 2 it is satisfactory. In Key Stage 2, teachers make good use of national guidelines for design and technology to ensure that by the end of Year 6, pupils have received a satisfactory range of design and technology opportunities. Teachers in Key Stage 2 have a sound knowledge and understanding of how to teach design and technology and recognise the need for pupils to evaluate real objects and to be given time to consider ways of improving what they do as well as just making things. Pupils like design and technology and they work hard to tackle activities provided by teachers. In Year 3/4 pupils really enjoyed evaluating their bulbs. Lessons are well planned by class teachers to be part of a series of lessons culminating in the pupils designing and making their products e.g making their own torch. Teachers inspire pupils to want to

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

learn and subsequently they all share very well their ideas and resources. In Key Stage 2, the teacher prepared a good range of resources and this enabled the Year 6 pupils to make their own decisions about which fabrics to use and how to join them. By gathering together a range of slipper patterns from a nearby mill, pupils were able to evaluate a range of possible solutions to the challenge of making their own slippers. Teachers expect that pupils should make simple designs on paper and this helps pupils to learn that design is planned and also it enables them to use the plan to evaluate how well they have done and suggest ways for improvement in future. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 50 134. The subject is satisfactorily managed, but because of staffing disruptions, procedures to monitor what goes on in design and technology across the school, especially in Key Stage 1, are unsatisfactory. There is a clear curriculum plan to promote design

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

and technology across the school, but it has not been possible to put this into practice in Key Stage 1. A weakness is that there are few references in planning to ways of using information and communication technology to support learning or to identifying ways of using design and technology to apply skills of numeracy or literacy. Resources are generally adequate but there is lack of suitable resources to teach ideas about structures and mechanisms. The school has not yet established an adequate way of assessing and recording pupils’ level of attainment and progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

135. Standards are in line with those expected nationally by the time pupils reach the end of Year 2 and Year 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress overall. This maintains the standards found in the previous inspection. However, the weaknesses identified in the last inspection remain. It was noted that pupils in parallel classes did not always cover the same work and that in mixed age classes different year groups covered the same work. Little has been accomplished to deal effectively with these issues. Weaknesses in management of the subject, currently with no co-ordinator, and limited resources also have a negative impact on the subject across the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

136. By the time pupils are seven years old they have a basic understanding of the features of the area in which they live. Pupils have investigated and found out about the school and the area around it. They have suggested improvements, such as ‘a gate so children don’t get out.’ Some pupils have studied a plan of the school and identified the basic features. Pupils in the single age class have studied the shops in Rawtenstall. They have looked at features of Southport and know that it is different from Rawtenstall, although there was no chance to visit the town.

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GEOGRAPHY

137. Pupils in the Key Stage 2 continue to learn about their own locality and to compare it with more distant places, but in one class this is the Scottish island of Iona whilst in the other parallel mixed age class pupils compare the local area to Beijing. It is not clear why the classes have been taught a different topic, and what this means for future organisation. Older classes make different comparisons, such as Bangor and Bangladesh, when they look at populations and language. However, the comparison of a country with a city is not clearly distinguished in the pupils’ recorded work. When pupils reread work, reinforcing their knowledge, confusion could arise, thus limiting learning. The oldest pupils learn about the water cycle and they begin to understand some of the technical terms such as confluences, delta and estuary. Pupils begin to use co-ordinates in their comparison of Bristol and Brazil, and use atlases in their

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GEOGRAPHY

138. There is no clear curriculum plan for the school and there is no clear system for ensuring that all pupils receive the full curriculum over both key stages. For example, work currently undertaken by younger pupils in Year 1 and 2 on the local area and a contrasting town does not fit in with the overall school curriculum map. This is further complicated by teacher absences and changes of staff in both classes this year. During the week of the inspection neither class had a permanent class teacher. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 51 139. Teaching is currently satisfactory overall although in the past it has been unsatisfactory. Classroom management is generally good, and this leads to good behaviour overall. Relationships are well established and positive. This helps motivate pupils effectively to learn. Teachers usefully revisit previous learning at the start of the

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GEOGRAPHY

lesson so pupils begin to think about what they will learn next. Planning is variable. Some lessons are planned carefully and show attention to the varying levels of attainment in the class. Others have much less detail, and simply show a range of activities. These are not linked to pupils’ prior attainment.

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GEOGRAPHY

140. Good teaching is characterised by efficient organisation and preparation focused on what pupils will learn. For example, in the older junior class, soil samples were collected prior to the lesson, in order to concentrate on analysing them in the time available. All materials and equipment was sorted out and available before the lesson started, so that the lesson ran smoothly. Support staff are used effectively and this gives lower attaining pupils good chances to learn effectively. However, in some classes support staff are less effective, sometimes receiving little direction from teaching staff, and do not get sufficiently involved in the pupils’ learning. Teachers sometimes make ineffective use of the limited resources available, which limits pupils’ progress. For example, in a lower junior class only one aerial photograph of the local area was available. Too many pupils crowded round it and this meant it was

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GEOGRAPHY

useless as a resource. Different organisation and planning could have given pupils varying opportunities to make use of the photograph at different times. Some teachers plan to extend pupils literacy and numeracy skills in geography lessons but this is not widespread. The use of information and communication technology to extend pupils’ learning is very limited. The subject provides satisfactory opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development especially when pupils study other countries such as Bangladesh and through discussions about the impact of the lifestyles of those in the West upon the life of people born and living in the developing world.

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GEOGRAPHY

141. Visits are sometimes used to enhance the curriculum including a residential visit, in the summer term, which happens annually, but these are not extensive. Although the extensive school grounds are used from time to time for geography, they are not well- developed overall. The headteacher is aware of the opportunities to make more extensive use of the school grounds overall.

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GEOGRAPHY

142. Leadership and management of the subject is unsatisfactory overall because there is no permanent member of staff responsible for co-ordinating geography. This means there are few checks on planning, the teaching of the curriculum and on pupils’ progress. Staff have little opportunity to seek help and support in their planning and organisation. Resources are unsatisfactory and at times this has a limiting effect on how geography is taught and this reduces the rate of pupils’ progress.

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HISTORY

143. By the time pupils reach the end of Year 2 and Year 6 their standards in history are in line with those expected nationally. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress overall. This maintains the standards found in the previous inspection. However, some of the weaknesses identified in the last inspection have not been tackled successfully. These weaknesses are the provision for higher attaining pupils, provision in mixed age classes for differing ages and abilities, and limited resources. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 52 144. By the time pupils are 7 years old they have a satisfactory understanding that history is about events that happened in the past. They know that life was different in the past. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 have looked carefully at home life and compared the past with now. For example, some pupils note that in times gone by people used candles

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HISTORY

for light in the past where we use light bulbs. Pupils are looking at why things happened in the past, so being introduced to valuable enquiry skills. They learn about the Great Fire of London. Pupils know that it began in a baker’s shop and spread quickly. However, there are clear differences in the way pupils in the different classes learn. In the single age class pupils have work that is appropriate for their levels of attainment. Some cut and stick pictures of the events in the right order, while others order sentences to tell the story correctly. Some pupils in other classes copy long and complicated sentences about the fire which does little to improve their knowledge or understanding of history. For example, they record the ‘ the fire spread rapidly because of the direction of the wind.’ Too little use is made of pupils’ own literacy skills to help them to learn effectively.

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HISTORY

145. By the time pupils are eleven years old they have studied a range of periods in the past. Pupils continue to develop satisfactory historical enquiry skills, asking why things happened in some classes. They learn about invasions in ancient times by Romans and Vikings. Older pupils study the Tudors, and the Aztecs. Pupils of all levels of attainment record their work neatly and illustrate it carefully. However, much recorded work is copied, and too little use is made of pupils’ own literacy skills. There are examples in all pupils’ books of complex wording which is not at the appropriate level for pupils this age, ‘… to impose their civilisation on the barbarians who were not yet part of their empire.’ This means that recorded work, when revisited will not reinforce pupils’ learning effectively. There are notable exceptions to this. In one class Year 5 and 6 pupils have written imaginatively as a Tudor monarch and also

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HISTORY

developed their own plays, using ‘Tudor‘ language. These are effective, both in providing an interesting vehicle for pupils to record their work, and in informing the teacher about the level of understanding of the pupils.

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HISTORY

146. Teaching is satisfactory overall but varies from class to class. Teachers plan for the whole class, and they generally provide activities which motivate and interest their pupils. For example, in the Year 3 and 4 class pupils demonstrated what they knew about living in Roman Britain, by ‘hot seating’ where pupils took on a role, such as a slave, and other pupils asked questions. This was a very effective activity, with pupils demonstrating that they knew about food in Roman times, ‘roasted thrush’ and how the public baths were used. This also gave opportunities to check on some assumptions, such as a most treasured possession being a family photograph. Relationships are good and pupils behave well. Where activities, such as the hot seating engage pupils' attention, they work enthusiastically and are keen to learn. However, generally teachers do not always plan effectively for the full range of

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HISTORY

attainments in their class. In particular, work that is provided for the class is not challenging for higher attaining pupils. Sometimes too little account is taken of the need to cater for mixed age groups. Teachers’ marking is often minimal and lacks constructive comments to help pupils to improve their work. Homework in some older classes provides pupils with opportunities to work independently. This is a good feature, and the results, for example, in the Year 4 and 5 class provide a range of very interesting reading, showing independent research and organisation. Displays are colourful and informative, helping pupils to fix information in their minds. Visits to places of interest, such as Ribchester and Preston museum, helps to bring history alive and enthuse pupils to learn. Too little is planned to enable pupils to use information and communication technology to support their learning. Teachers make

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HISTORY

St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 53 good use of history to develop pupils’ cultural awareness of the local area and of the UK.

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HISTORY

147. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and clear about the issues for development but, due to a lack of leadership within the school in the past, there has been little training to develop subject management skills or opportunities to monitor what goes on across the school. As a result, aspects of the management of history are unsatisfactory overall. For example, teachers’ planning is not monitored, books are not scrutinised and pupils’ progress is not monitored. There is no effective system of assessment or recording of achievement. This means that the co-ordinator has a fragmented view of how effective the teaching and learning of history is throughout the school. Resources have not been sufficiently audited, replaced and updated, and are lacking in some areas. This means that teachers have little to support them in some aspects of their teaching, which affects the quality of teaching and learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

148. Standards of attainment at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 are below national expectations although the majority of pupils at the end of both key stages are approaching the nationally expected levels. Standards were below national expectations at the time of the last inspection but with recent developments, the progress made by all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language has improved and is now satisfactory. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. Each year group now has at least one session a week in the computer suite. The present arrangements have not been in operation long enough for pupils to fill the gaps in their knowledge and understanding arising from the past weaknesses in the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

149. Standards achieved by pupils at the age of seven are below national expectations. This is because of gaps in the pupils’ learning in the past. In the work pupils are currently doing in lessons they are achieving standards close to national expectations and are making satisfactory progress because teaching is regular and systematic. Teachers are following the scheme of work and are ensuring that pupils acquire appropriate skills. Pupils in year 2 are familiar with the use of the keyboard and the mouse and recognise the icons for their usual programs. They select options using the mouse and for example build up sentences using an on-screen word bank, but they have limited opportunities to develop personal confidence in creating longer pieces of text. Pupils know work can be altered, saved and retrieved but need support. With adult supervision they enter data about birthdays into a table and create

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

a graph of their birthday months. Younger pupils select clipart and match captions. Teachers make regular use of digital cameras and these examples give pupils insight into the breadth of applications. A significant degree of teacher direction is required in all activities in Key Stage 1 and pupils are not yet demonstrating independent capability.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

150. By the age of 11, pupils achieve standards that are just below the national expectations. This is because of gaps in their teaching and learning in the past. The provision of regular sessions in the computer suite with appropriate learning objectives and suitable equipment is enabling them to make steady progress. Pupils have satisfactory basic word processing skills and are able to combine text and clipart but they have few opportunities to produce substantial text at school. Teachers are beginning to enhance pupils’ learning by integrating information and communication technology skills into other areas of the curriculum. Pupils used data- St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 54 logging equipment to monitor temperature change in insulation investigations for science. They have used information and communication technology to create graphs but higher order data handling skills have not yet been covered and pupils’ attainment

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

in this aspect of the curriculum is unsatisfactory. Pupils have little experience of interrogating data and testing plausibility. This current Year 6 class have not had the opportunity to cover the units of work that appear in earlier years and consequently there are gaps in their knowledge and understanding which prevents their attainment being higher. Pupils have little experience of control technology for instance. The curriculum is now being improved and younger pupils are experiencing a more coherent and comprehensive curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

151. The quality of teaching in both key stages is now satisfactory. This represents an improvement since the last inspection. New Opportunities Funded Training for information and communication technology was undertaken in 2001 but not by all the present teaching staff. This training has been supplemented by skills training with external consultants and expert secondary colleagues. As the scheme of work has not yet been worked through, there are still areas of the curriculum which are new to staff. Teachers are acquiring effective skills in whole class teaching in the computer suite. Continued development of the information and communication technology provision is a long-term priority in the School Development Plan.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

152. The assessment arrangements are informal and do not provide enough information for curriculum planning or for matching the challenge of tasks for higher attaining pupils. A number of pupils clearly use information and communication technology at home at a higher level than they are expected to do at school. Individuals produce high quality projects as homework incorporating scanned images, digital camera pictures, and CD reference material and extensive word-processed text. There is no provision at present for adapting the school’s curriculum for pupils with this level of skill but some are offered specialist classes at the neighbouring secondary school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

153. The program of study for information and communication technology is being delivered through a recognised scheme of work that ensures that pupils are taught skills systematically and progressively. Although the curriculum is now secure, the use of information and communication technology to support other subject areas is not regularly planned for. There are instances of good use for example when pupils in Year 5 used the advantages of a spreadsheet to cost a party with a set budget but there is little evidence of information and communication technology supporting literacy overall.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

154. At the time of the inspection the Head teacher was undertaking the responsibilities of the subject co-ordinator temporarily and was providing a satisfactory quality of leadership and management for the subject. Resources are good and the ratio of computers to pupils is close to the national average. There are detailed plans for the improvement of the subject with priority being given to the installation of modern machines in classrooms.

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MUSIC

155. Standards of attainment by the end of Year 2 are below national expectations and by the end of Year 6, attainment is well below that expected nationally. Progress is variable throughout the school and unsatisfactory overall. This is a weaker picture than found at the previous inspection. The previous inspection identified the need to improve music by teaching the full curriculum at Key Stage 2. Some improvements St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 55 have been made in purchasing a commercial scheme for teachers to use throughout the school. However, the scheme assumes too much expertise on the part of teachers who are not specialists, and who do not always understand the technical aspects of the scheme clearly enough. This places a heavy burden on teachers who do not have the skills and confidence they need and are often acutely aware of this. The new head teacher has recognised the need for improvement and a specialist

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MUSIC

teacher now offers choir to junior age pupils once a week. This provides an inspirational and very worthwhile activity for the large numbers of pupils who take part. Nevertheless, standards remain below average.

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MUSIC

156. By the time pupils are seven years old they know a range of hymns and songs, which they sing enthusiastically in assembly. When teaching is good and singing is modelled well, pupils are well-motivated. However, pupils have limited opportunities to develop skills in instrumental work, and listening and composing. Pupils do not know that the names of common percussion instruments and there are limited opportunities for pupils to experiment with sound. Lessons that do use instruments are carefully controlled and chances for pupils to play and improvise are limited.

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MUSIC

157. By the time pupils are eleven years old their skills are limited. Pupils do not sing well, and lack tunefulness. They cannot sing in parts or in rounds successfully. Pupils comment that their class cannot sing. However, those pupils who attend the choir sing well, and their developing skills are not used well in class lessons. Useful work has been completed with a lower junior class on Africa with instruments and the areas they come from displayed along with very attractive artwork. Experience of listening to a range of music, composing and performing is limited. Few chances are available for pupils to attend concerts or to have specialist visitors in school. Pupils have no opportunities to learn a musical instrument. A specialist teacher has recently been employed to improve the quality of singing in junior hymn practice but the current organisation of this session limits the use of this expertise. The whole of the

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MUSIC

junior school attends one session and the management of the large numbers of pupils involved makes it difficult for the teacher to concentrate upon the good quality singing skills. This session is not yet effective in ensuring that the pupils have a high quality experience, which enhances their musical skills.

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MUSIC

158. Pupils behaviour is satisfactory in lessons overall. Pupils are polite and take turns. They show interest although they lack the conviction that they can do well in some cases.

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MUSIC

159. Teaching is unsatisfactory overall, although both satisfactory and unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection. Planning is generally brief, and it relies on copies of the relevant part of the scheme and lacks detail overall. Although there is time allocated on the weekly timetables for music, many class teachers are nervous and lacking in skills. There is no opportunity to ‘swap’ subjects as teachers already usefully do in other subjects, to ensure that their pupils get the best teaching available. The new commercial scheme of work is comprehensive and detailed, and intended to support staff in their planning. However, it is not easy for a non-specialist or teachers who lack confidence to tackle. A number of teachers are working on a temporary or supply basis and there is little to support them if they attempt to teach music in their class. Frequent changes of staff in some classes, and the effect this

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MUSIC

has on teachers’ planning, means that these pupils are unlikely to experience a carefully planned and organised music curriculum.

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MUSIC

160. Management of the subject is poor because there is no subject co-ordinator in post at present and this has had a detrimental effect on standards. No monitoring of planning St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 56 is carried out and there is no system to check the quality of teaching and learning. Support for staff who lack confidence is very limited and there is no check on the unsatisfactory quality of resources and equipment. Music is now part of curriculum targets for the future, and the head teacher recognises and has already taken some action to improve the position recently. However, this is insufficient as yet to improve the quality of class teaching and pupils‘ learning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

161. Pupils’ attain standards that are in line with national expectations for pupils aged 7 and 11. The standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress as they move through the school. Performance in team sports is a matter of pride for pupils and is also well supported through the programme of extra-curricular activities provided for pupils in Key Stage 2.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

162. By the end of Year 2 pupils have experienced a good range of activities including dance drama, large apparatus work, team games and gymnastics. The vast majority have an understanding of the importance of exercise and the need for healthy bodies. Good use is made of indoor apparatus and pupils are well briefed as to the need for safety when using it. By the end of Year 2 pupils have a good sense of bodily co- ordination and they are confident in performing sequences of activity both in floor work and on apparatus. Some pupils, notably in Year 2 presently lack the ability to co- ordinate physical movement in group work with other pupils although they can co- ordinate their own movements when working alone. Pupils in this age group have had a number of different teachers during their time in school and the teaching of physical education has lacked continuity. As a result there are gaps in their achievements, but

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

these are now being filled, and inconsistencies in performance are being levelled out.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

163. By the end of Year 6, pupils have acquired further experience in areas first visited in Key Stage 1. Older pupils receive swimming instruction and the majority are able to progress beyond the minimum standard for pupils of this age by the time they leave school. Pupils throughout the key stage gain more experience of team games and engage in competitive sports with other schools in the area. Skill levels rise overall throughout the Key Stage, particularly in gymnastics and dance drama. Pupils in all year groups develop the habit of co-ordinating their movements to the accompaniment of music. During the course of the inspection a volunteer group of older pupils was observed in a yoga session, conducted by a visiting practitioner, and they found they were confident in co-ordinating unfamiliar movements to the music being played. In outdoor sports and games pupils increase their understanding of the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

rules of competitive sport and also practise their skills using the equipment available. The school is fortunate in having an attractive and extensive field area that can be used for outside games and this is much valued by the pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

164. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and pupils are well motivated and keen to learn. In discussion pupils express a great deal of satisfaction with their experience of all aspects of the physical education curriculum. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. During games lessons and through paired and group activities pupils learn social skills and the need to follow rules in games promotes an awareness of right from wrong. St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 57 165. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory although it is currently undergoing a period of change. The newly appointed co-ordinator has not yet had sufficient time to make an impact on the direction to be taken by the subject and has had no time in which to monitor teaching and learning. Resources are satisfactory

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and include the significant bonus of the size and quality of the outdoor grassed games and play area. There is no effective system for assessment in place for physical education and the development of this aspect of the subject will be an important part of the role of co-ordinator. Use of an assessment scheme will enable the school to identify the performance of potentially gifted and talented pupils at an early stage.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

166. Attainment is in line with the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus at the end of Years 2 and 6. The school has maintained the standards described by the previous inspection report and pupils continue to receive a broad and balanced curriculum as they progress through the school. The school ensures that pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs and those for who English is an additional language, are fully included in the educational process and make satisfactory progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

167. By the end of Year 2 pupils have made satisfactory progress. The main focus for the study of religious education is Christianity, but pupils also have an introduction to other faiths through the study of festivals and ceremonies and through an introduction to Islam and Buddhism. In discussion pupils are able to recall the central facts of the areas they have studied. They know, for example, that all major faiths have a great deal in common and that membership of most of them is open to any who wish to embrace the doctrines of those faiths. The central position of stories and parables and the special status of Holy Texts and places of worship are an integral part of the experience of religious education. The importance of water in religious ceremonies is approached through the study of religious symbols and as part of the understanding of the role of baptism. Most pupils are aware that first names are given to Christian

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

children at their christening and have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of other faiths and cultures and the fact that there are different ways of choosing and giving names to their children.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

168. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress as they move through Key Stage 2 and attainment is in line with the expected level by the end of Year 6. Christianity remains central to the study of religion and pupils become more familiar with the significance of the Bible as a Holy Book. Pupils from Year 6 have a clear understanding of the structure of the Bible and the importance of the historical material contained within it. They know that the Old Testament also has great significance for Judaism and are also aware of the Torah as the sacred text of the faith. Pupils have a good knowledge of the parts of the Christian Year and they know that festivals are an important part of the way in which religious calendars are divided up in all faiths. The importance of Jesus to Christians is fully emphasised and pupils are also aware that He has a special place as a prophet for Muslims. During the course of the inspection a former

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

pupil and member of the local Islamic community returned to the school to talk with pupils in Key Stage 2. The visit was a great success and was received with enthusiasm by the pupils. In the mixed age Year 5/6 class pupils showed an appreciative awe and wonder as their visitor recounted his recent visit to Mecca and Medina and shared artefacts of his faith with the class. The interaction made a significant contribution to the spiritual and religious development of the pupils and left them buzzing with enthusiasm. Pupils in all classes show an interest in the St Paul’s Constable Lee Church of England Primary school - 58 similarities and differences between the major faiths of the world and are very aware of the multi-faith character of Britain.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

169. The teaching of religious education is satisfactory in both key stages. Pupils record their studies in books and in some classes are beginning to make useful links between religious education and personal and social education. Some of the breadth and richness of the lessons is lost by an over-reliance on worksheets where pupils tend to record short answers to programmed questions. The insights gained from their classroom discussions are lost through this limited form of recording which also fails to do justice to the quality of much of the teaching. Teachers successfully ensure that pupils grow in their understanding of the need for tolerance and respect and in discussion all pupils are reverential in their attitudes towards the central beliefs of the faiths they are studying. As part of the curriculum pupils are able to examine the wider social and historical impact of religion and they know that it has been both a force for

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

tremendous good and terrible destruction at different times in history. The quality of the marking of pupils’ work is satisfactory but does not go far enough in the setting of targets for improvement and there is little evidence for the use of homework to extend learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

170. The leadership and management of the subject currently lacks a named co-ordinator who is able to monitor teaching and learning and offer support to teachers throughout the school. As the school stabilises after a period of much change the role of co- ordinator and the development of procedures need developing. Good use is made of the resources available for the subject and links with the local churches and other faiths are good. The subject is effective in promoting aspects of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and, as the visit of a former pupil demonstrated, cements greater understanding of the multi-faith nature of modern society.

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