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Other · Ofsted report

St Michaels Catholic Primary & Nursery School

Inspected — · published 12 Jun 2002 · URN 111393

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Strathblane House

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  • Inspectorssingle source

    Strathblane House

  • URN verified

    111393

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+76Very positivemore positive than 76% of reports of this type

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Praisevery wellgood progresssuccessfulexcellentmake good progresseffectivehigh expectationsstrong
Criticismbelowweaknessespoorconcernsseriouslyshortcomingsnot effectiveinsufficient

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings3943w+69
  • What needs to improve1306w+89

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Pages
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Words of findings
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longer than usual (typical 1049)
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Flesch 52, typical 45
Average sentence
18 words
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8
typical 5
Hedged sentences
4%
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Findings 69%What needs to improve 23%About the inspection 9%

Full report text

St MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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St MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 3 - March 2002

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: St Michael’s Road Ditton Widnes Cheshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Father John Walsh

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1997 St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 4 - March 2002

p.3

Team members

21285 Mr F Carruthers Registered inspector 9981 Mr. S Hussain Lay inspector 21066 Mr B Bowen Team inspector

p.4

Team members

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 5 - March 2002

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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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 16

St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 6 - March 2002

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This voluntary aided Catholic primary school has 266 pupils on roll aged four to 11. This is about the average for primary schools nationally and is slightly fewer than at the time of the last inspection. There is an equal balance of boys and girls. All pupils are of white ethnic background and have English as their first language. The locality has high levels of social deprivation and has access to initiatives funded through the Single Regeneration Budget. On the current roll 20 per cent of pupils did not start their education in the reception classes. This is because a high number of pupils transfer into the school. Approximately 45 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals and this is more than twice the average of schools nationally. About the same proportion of pupils are on the school’s register of pupils with special educational needs and this is above the national average. Five pupils have statements of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

special educational need. Their needs are varied and include moderate learning difficulties, visual impairment, minor hearing impairment and physical difficulties. Children enter either the reception class or the mixed reception/Year 1 class at the start of the school year in which they are five. Most have had some pre-school experience. For instance many have attended the pre-school playgroup that the school hosts. The attainment of the children on entry is below the average of four-year-olds nationally and some children have personal, social and emotional skills that are well below average. At the time of the inspection, an acting deputy headteacher was supporting the headteacher and senior management team, and two staff were on temporary contracts.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school. It is very well led and managed and staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they behave. Because the quality of teaching is good throughout the school, pupils achieve very well during the time they are at the school and standards by the end of Year 6 are well above those of pupils in similar schools. The cost of educating a pupil at the school is above the average of schools nationally. Nevertheless, the school gives good value for money.

p.6

What the school does well

• Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The school is particularly successful at motivating boys as well as girls to achieve well. • There are very good opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities in school as they get older. These, together with very good provision for pupils’ personal development, help the pupils to behave in a mature and independent manner. • There is a rich range of learning opportunities for pupils. • There are strong links with parents and as a result, parents appreciate and support the work of the school well. • Leadership and management by the headteacher, senior staff and governing body are very good. The school is very successful in identifying where improvements should be made and taking action to resolve them.

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What could be improved

• The school sets out clear priorities for development. As a result, the inspection team has identified no further issues for improvement.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in September 1997. Since then improvement has been very good. The first key issue identified in the last report was to raise standards by the end of Year 6. The school has been especially successful in this respect and standards are now much better than those found in similar schools. This improvement has been acknowledged in the School Achievement Award that the school received in 2001. The school has made good progress on the other key issues, relating to teachers’ planning, systems to check how well pupils are doing and to appraise the performance of teachers, and provision for pupils to learn about other cultures. In addition, the good behaviour and St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 7 - March 2002 attitudes of pupils have been maintained, standards in infant classes have improved and teaching is better in junior classes than at the time of the last inspection. Further improvements have been made to

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

the variety of learning experiences for pupils, provision for pupils’ personal development and links with parents.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Standards by the end of Year 6 are similar to the national average in English and mathematics and above that in science. Compared with the results of schools with similar backgrounds, the school achieves very well and has striven to improve since the time of the last inspection. Children enter the reception classes with attainment that is below and in some aspects, such as personal development and communication skills, well below the average for four-year-olds. They make good progress in the reception year, so that most are on target to achieve the early learning goals by the end of the year, though a large minority are still working towards them in communication, language and literacy, and mathematics. Good progress continues in infant classes and by the end of Year 2, standards are above and often well above those of similar schools. Boys do better than the average of boys in schools nationally. This good progress is maintained in junior classes. In Years 5 and 6, pupils achieve very

p.7

Key

well and this is true of both boys and girls, from the higher achieving to those with statements of special educational need. This is because teaching is consistently good and junior-aged pupils benefit from being taught English and mathematics in groups organised according to their prior attainment. The school sets challenging targets for pupils to achieve and it is successful in reaching them. Pupils are encouraged to write legibly and at length. Work is well presented with a good degree of accuracy in spelling and punctuation. Pupils’ understanding of numbers is sound. They multiply and divide large numbers successfully and can calculate using decimal fractions. The higher attaining pupils work well with angles and degrees of turn. In science, pupils achieve very well and this is partly the result of good arrangements for teaching groups of pupils by prior attainment in Years 5 and 6. Pupils understand how

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Key

to make a test fair and have a good grasp of concepts such as living things, materials and physical processes. Standards in information and communication technology are similar to those found in most schools and pupils use their computer skills effectively across other subjects such as English, mathematics and science. Attainment by the end of Year 6 in design and technology, geography and information and communication technology has risen from below expected levels at the time of the last inspection and is now in line with expectations. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 8 - March 2002

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good attitudes to their work. Boys as well as girls become very well motivated and are very interested in all that they do. As a result, they achieve well in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good throughout all classes and around school. Staff have high expectations of the pupils’ behaviour and are very good role models for the pupils to follow.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. As the pupils get older, levels of personal responsibility and independence develop well. Pupils’ relationships with staff and among themselves are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Was well below the national average last year. An analysis of current levels of attendance shows attendance is similar to the national average, as a result of effective procedures to monitor and improve attendance. Satisfactory.

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

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

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

Teaching is good across the whole age range and leads to the very good progress that pupils make from the time they enter the reception classes to the end of Year 6. Teaching is particularly effective in Years 2, 5 and 6. This is partly the result of high expectations that the teachers have and partly because of very good arrangements in the older age groups to teach in groups organised according to the prior attainment of pupils. These arrangements mean that pupils are challenged to do as well as they possibly can in English, mathematics and science. Staff make good use of the co-ordinator for special educational needs and teaching assistants in these arrangements. Teachers’ skills of managing the pupils are very good and as a result, pupils’ behaviour in class and their personal development are good. Teachers and support staff also make a good contribution to the work of small groups of pupils in other

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

age groups, for instance in sessions of reading recovery, early literacy and additional literacy support. Consequently, the learning of lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs is good and they make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Particularly effective is the support provided by the teaching assistant whose time is shared between the two reception classes. Skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well and there are good opportunities in older junior classes especially to use these skills in other subjects, such as science, geography and religious education. Relationships in lessons are relaxed and based on mutual trust, so the pupils’ learning is good. Pupils are conscientious and work hard. They become independent in their working and staff make good use of homework assignments, especially in Years 5 and 6, to consolidate their

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

learning in class. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 9 - March 2002

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school is involved in a number of initiatives such as the Sports Activemark and the Healthy Schools Award to develop its provision further. There is a good range of visits, visitors, out-of-school activities and residential opportunities to interest and challenge pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is very good and very well organised by the co-ordinator. As a result, pupils, including those with statements, make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Provision for the pupils’ spiritual and social development is very good. There is a highly supportive atmosphere which encourages the pupils’ personal development very well. Provision for moral and cultural development is good and teaching about other cultures is now good, which is an improvement since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Staff know the children well and are very good role models for pupils. They provide good opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities, the result of which is the high level of motivation evident in oldest pupils. Procedures to promote good attendance and behaviour are effective.

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Aspect Comment

Links with parents, including courses for parents, are good. Parents feel very confident in the work of the school and comfortable about approaching staff over concerns or problems.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher’s excellent leadership has resulted in the school making very good progress since the time of the last inspection. There is very good support from the acting deputy headteacher and other senior staff. Planning for the school’s improvement is very clear and well prioritised.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governing body is very well led and makes very good use of the expertise and commitment of individual governors to fulfil its responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. All members of staff and governors have a good awareness of how well the school is doing and what are its priorities. Senior staff and governors consult with relevant agencies, compare the effectiveness of services and resources, and monitor the school’s achievements very well.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. All aspects of funding are clearly used for the benefit of the pupils’ education. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 10 - March 2002

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• There is very strong support from parents for all aspects of the school’s provision. • Parents consider their children make good progress and behave well, becoming mature and responsible. • They think the school is very well led and managed and they are kept well informed about their children’s progress. • Nothing significant emerged from the parents’ meeting or the questionnaires.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors fully support the parents’ positive views of the school. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 11 - March 2002

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Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The

school is particularly successful at motivating boys to achieve well.

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Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The

1 Children enter the reception classes with attainment that is below and in some aspects, such as personal, social and emotional development and communication skills, well below the average for four-year-olds. Because of the good teaching in the reception year, most children settle into the routines of school quickly and make good progress. Some take longer to settle and need patient handling. Staff, including the nursery nurse whose time is shared between the two classes, are very skilled in this respect. The children develop early skills of literacy and numeracy at a steady pace. Speaking and listening skills develop satisfactorily, though a minority of children have immature and very indistinct speech. The children are encouraged to have a go at writing from the start. They become aware of letter sounds and arrange pictures in sequences to make simple stories. Children in one class were reading together

p.11

Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The

Three Billy Goats Gruff and the teacher devised an effective range of activities to develop the children’s understanding. For instance, one group re-enacted the story using small figures in the water tray. Teachers reinforce the children’s awareness of number very well through very good discussion, for example about birthdays, and the children learn to count using good-quality resources, such as number lines. Most children are on target to achieve the early learning goals by the end of the year, though a large minority are still working towards them in communication, language and literacy, and mathematics.

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Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The

2 Good progress continues in infant classes. The pupils’ writing develops well and confidence increases. Pupils become aware of punctuation and spelling so that they make good attempts at writing down their own ideas. For example, one pupil wrote, I wud play hayd in siyk (hide and seek). There is clear progress in their work. A Year 2 pupil wrote, The wolf is verry selfish because he dosen’t share. Progress in mathematics is similarly good and by Year 2, pupils are confidently using numbers to 100, and learning to count forwards and backwards in fives. They can add three numbers up to 36, use standards measures for length and time, and make a simple graph of their favourite drinks. Boys make particularly good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and do better than the average of boys in schools nationally. Staff have for many years focused attention on capturing the interest of boys through

p.11

Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The

effective use of topics and stories designed to appeal to them. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading in recent years have hovered between below the national average and in line with it. They are consistently above the standards found in similar schools. In writing, because the subject has been a whole-school priority, standards have risen to being in line with the national average. They are well above the average of similar schools. Performance in mathematics has been especially good in recent years and has always been in line with or above the national average. In science assessments, almost all pupils attain the nationally expected level and they achieve well in the infant years. Improvement in standards since the time of the last inspection has been good.

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Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The

3 Good progress continues in junior classes. Grouping the pupils by their prior attainment in English and mathematics in Years 3 and 4 helps the teachers to challenge the pupils well. For instance higher attaining pupils write well-constructed play scripts and their own performance poetry. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to write in other subjects, such as history, when pupils imagine life as a St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 12 - March 2002 child labourer, and geography, when they write postcards from hot and cold places around the world. In mathematics, pupils are well challenged in lessons. For example higher attaining pupils apply their skills to solve practical problems well.

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Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The

4 In Years 5 and 6, pupils achieve very well and this is true of all pupils, including those with statements of special educational need. This is because teaching is consistently good and pupils benefit from being taught English, mathematics and science in groups organised according to the pupils’ prior attainment. In order to reduce the size of groups, the co-ordinator for special educational needs contributes to the teaching and her expertise is used very well for this purpose. Effective sessions of additional literacy support and booster classes also help pupils to achieve their best and there is very good one-to-one support for pupils with statements of special educational need. Consequently, all pupils are well motivated. A further feature is the way classrooms have informative displays, which help the pupils to focus on important teaching points, such as technical vocabulary and the components of good writing.

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Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The

5 During the junior years, girls catch up with the boys’ achievements and both are achieving well in mathematics and science compared to the average for girls and boys nationally by the end of Year 6. Their performance in English is similar to one another, but just below the average for boys and girls nationally. Older pupils’ work in English is clearly written, well presented and with a good degree of accuracy in spelling and punctuation. Their understanding of numbers is sound, they multiply and divide large numbers successfully and can calculate using decimal fractions. The higher attaining pupils work successfully with angles and degrees of turn. They have a sound grasp, for instance, of the difference between acute, obtuse and reflex angles. In science, pupils achieve very well and this is partly the result of the good teaching arrangements. They understand how to make a test fair and have a good

p.12

Pupils achieve very well and this is because of consistently good teaching. The

grasp of concepts such as living things, materials and physical processes. Overall, improvement in standards since the time of the last inspection has been very good and this was acknowledged when the school received a School Achievement Award in 2001. Standards in information and communication technology are similar to those found in most schools and pupils use their computer skills well across other subjects such as English, mathematics and science. The school has made good progress in developing provision since the time of the last inspection and standards have risen. Further plans are well advanced to develop a computer suite, using specific grant aid. Improvements in planning have also produced a rise in attainment by the end of Year 6 in design and technology and geography, both of which were below expected levels at the time of the last inspection.

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they get older. These, together with very good provision for pupils’ personal

development, help the pupils to behave in a mature and independent manner.

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they get older. These, together with very good provision for pupils’ personal

6 An important strength of the school is the way that it helps the pupils’ personal skills to develop so successfully. Parents greatly appreciate the work of the school in this aspect. At the meeting with inspectors, parents stressed how well pupils from St Michael’s do when they transfer to secondary school. It is their maturity and sense of responsibility that they have learnt at school which helps them to adjust well.

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they get older. These, together with very good provision for pupils’ personal

7 The school is committed to promoting positive attitudes to learning and good relationships, and the provision for pupils’ spiritual and social development is very good. Staff are very good role models and older pupils are encouraged to behave similarly. From Year 2, pupils are voted on to the School Council. Representatives take their job seriously and seek the views of pupils through Suggestion Boxes before St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 13 - March 2002 meetings. Communication between teaching staff, midday supervisors and pupils is very good. Decisions have been taken which improve the quality of learning in lessons and the environment for pupils, which make playtimes more pleasant, and which hold pupils to account themselves for their behaviour.

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they get older. These, together with very good provision for pupils’ personal

8 There is a very well established role for older pupils acting as play leaders for younger pupils. Again, this role is taken very seriously and pupils apply in writing to the deputy headteacher for posts. Their role is reviewed and they discuss improvements with staff. All pupils from their earliest weeks in school are encouraged to be responsible for their own behaviour and to take on specific responsibilities in class. Younger pupils appreciate how older ones help them and they are keen to do likewise when they are older too. In addition, the very good range of activities outside lessons and residential experiences contributes significantly to the pupils’ inter-personal skills, teamwork and levels of independence.

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There is a rich range of learning opportunities for pupils

9 At the time of the last inspection, there were shortcomings in the curriculum. For example there was insufficient time given to science in junior-aged classes, and teachers’ planning was not effective enough in many subjects. These weaknesses have been fully resolved and the taught curriculum is now well planned and balanced. Staff continually refine the content of what is taught and look for ways of extending the links between subjects. They have introduced very effectively all aspects of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy, as well as nationally recommended guidelines for other subjects.

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There is a rich range of learning opportunities for pupils

10 Staff at all levels are committed to getting the best for the children. Examples of this are evident in the number of initiatives that the school is participating in successfully. Some are national programmes which endorse the quality of the provision, such as The Basic Skills Award, Healthy Schools Programme, Football Association Charter Mark and Sport England Activemark. Others involve projects that include other local schools, such as Sure Start, Excellence in Cities and New Opportunities Funding for out-of-school activities. Future programmes include developing provision for information and communication technology. Governors, senior managers, teachers and support staff all contribute time and effort to these initiatives so that the taught curriculum is wide ranging and includes plenty of hands-on experiences, visitors to school and visits to places of interest in connection with topic work. There are

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There is a rich range of learning opportunities for pupils

popular residential experiences for junior-aged pupils, and the range of out-of-school activities is very varied, open to both boys and girls and catering for all interests. There are several sporting and music clubs, dance, drama, art and craft clubs and a club promoting librarianship.

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There is a rich range of learning opportunities for pupils

11 This rich range of learning experiences is a key factor in how successful the school is in motivating pupils to try their best at school. Inspectors were very impressed with the level of commitment that older pupils showed in lessons and conversations. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 14 - March 2002

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There are strong links with parents and as a result, parents appreciate and support

12 Parents have very positive views about the work of the school and this is evident from an analysis of questionnaires returned and from the meeting that inspectors held with parents. Parents welcome the daily contact with staff when they bring and collect their children. They know they can discuss their child’s progress and any concerns they may have at any convenient time. Parents at the meeting stressed how proud they are of the school’s achievements in recent years and appreciate the welcome they receive from staff. Parents feel fully involved in their children’s learning through twice yearly interviews and regular newsletters, which include information on what is being taught as well as about events in school. They are kept informed about their children’s targets for improvement each term, and end-of-year reports give a full picture of how their children are doing. There is strong support for the school’s

p.14

There are strong links with parents and as a result, parents appreciate and support

homework policy and parents of older pupils report that the amount given in Years 5 and 6 makes a good preparation for secondary school. The conscientious way that homework is completed by pupils, especially older ones, helps their progress significantly.

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There are strong links with parents and as a result, parents appreciate and support

13 There are opportunities through the Friends of St Michael’s Association to contribute to the work of the school by fund-raising. As a result of successful community and parish links, the school has been presented with several thousand pounds towards the planned computer suite. This project is being funded through a specific community development grant, which means parents and other members of the community will be able to have access to it to learn computer skills. The school runs other courses for parents and is keen to provide a wide range of services for them. For instance, the school hosts a pre-school playgroup which benefits the children’s early development and helps to support families. At the time of the inspection, the school had recently set up a Breakfast Club, run by support and ancillary staff, which was proving very popular with pupils and was welcomed by their parents.

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good. The school is very successful in identifying where improvements should be

14 The strengths of the leadership and management of the school identified at the time of the last inspection have been maintained and in some aspects improved. Leadership by the headteacher is excellent. She has the full confidence and respect of governors, colleagues, parents and pupils and has been crucial in the very good levels of improvement evident since the last inspection. School improvement planning is very thorough and actions taken are successful in achieving their goals. She is very well supported by a senior management team consisting of the acting deputy headteacher and the manager of the infant department. There is a strong team approach to all that the school does and all members of staff feel part of a successful team. Teaching assistants, for instance, make important contributions to the life of the school and are valued for their work. One achieved a national award for the quality of her work.

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good. The school is very successful in identifying where improvements should be

15 Governors are very involved in the day-to-day life of the school and have a very good grasp of the school’s performance. The effectiveness of their role has improved since the time of the last inspection. There is very good leadership by the chair of governors and the expertise of individual governors is used very efficiently to help their committee work. Governors are well involved in all forward planning and have a clear vision of how the school is to develop. They examine the cost effectiveness of St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 15 - March 2002 financial decisions and monitor the budget carefully. The current balance results from unanticipated grants from central government and some end-of-year insurance payments, which were added to the budget late in the last financial year. This is to be used to maintain staffing levels when there is a slight fall in pupil roll next September. A number of governors work in school on a regular basis in roles such as teaching

p.14

good. The school is very successful in identifying where improvements should be

assistant, midday supervisor and voluntary helper. This gives them an intimate knowledge of how the school is progressing and opportunities to set up specific links in aspects such as provision for special educational needs, and the teaching of literacy and numeracy.

p.15

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

16 The school is very effective in identifying priorities for development in its improvement plan and takes action to resolve them successfully. This is a strength of the leadership and management of the school. Consequently, inspectors have not identified any further issues that require the school’s attention.

p.15

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

17 There are no key issues for action. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 16 - March 2002

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 6

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 266

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 119

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 120

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

p.16

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 17 - March 2002

p.16

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 15 28 43

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 15 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 28 25

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 100 (100) 93 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 15 14 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 21 25

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 81 (100) 93 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 24 21 45

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 22 21 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 17 20

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (70) 84 (76) 98 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 16 21 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 18 20

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

Percentage of pupils School 69 (57) 87 (78) 98 (80) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 18 - March 2002

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13.1 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 649 136

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 585 680

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 130.25 Expenditure per pupil 2161

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Michael’s Catholic Primary School - 19 - March 2002

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 74 25 0 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 68 29 2 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 60 36 3 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 68 26 5 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 83 15 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 82 17 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 66 28 4 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 82 16 1 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 75 24 0 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 61 29 4 1 5

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Other issues raised by parents

Several parents in written responses to inspectors consider the school to be outstanding and note how well the children do when they attend secondary school.

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