St Bernadette Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 th –18 th October 2001

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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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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 Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Gladstone Road Hengrove Bristol

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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: Rev Dr J A Harding

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22 nd September 1997 St Bernadette Catholic 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

7230 Rob Crompton Registered inspector Information and communication technology Music What sort of school is it? How high are standards? The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

9079 Ann Moss Lay inspector How high are standards? 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? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20326 Peter Clark Team inspector Equal opportunities Special educational needs Mathematics Art and design Design and technology

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

31029 Peter Thrussell Team inspector Science Geography History How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

23056 Terri Manzi The Foundation Stage English Physical education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

WES World-wide Education service Canada House 272 Field End Road Eastcote Middlesex HA4 9NA

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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 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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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 25

St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This voluntary aided Roman Catholic school for boys and girls has 250 pupils aged from four to eleven. Most children live locally but several come from nearby parishes. As they start school, children’s social skills are well developed and their language and mathematical development is a little above that usually found at this age. Eight pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds. The six pupils who have English as an additional language are fluent in English and make the same good progress as other pupils. Twenty-four pupils – below the national average − have special educational needs, including learning difficulties and behavioural problems. Two pupils have a statement of special educational need.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school where challenging teaching leads to high standards in the key subjects of English, mathematics and science. The head teacher and governing body work in close partnership and provide very good leadership. Relationships are excellent; all staff pull together and support one another. Pupils are well motivated, behave very well and try their best. The school’s aims and Catholic ethos are reflected in the strong sense of community and mutual respect which permeates the school. Parents hold the school in high regard. It gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Good teaching leads to high standards. • Under the very good leadership of the head teacher and governors, there is a strong commitment to succeed and the capacity to do so. • Excellent relationships and planned provision for personal development lead to very positive attitudes and behaviour. • The school’s inclusive approach provides equal opportunities for all pupils to meet their potential. • Pupils are very well cared for and feel valued. • The strong partnership with parents enables them to contribute significantly to their children’s learning.

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What could be improved

• The standards achieved by eleven year olds in art and design, and design and technology do not meet the expectations for this age. • Co-ordinators’ roles need strengthening in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Very good improvement has been made since the school was last inspected in September 1997. Standards have risen significantly and the quality of teaching has risen dramatically. All the issues identified in the previous report have been addressed. Standards in geography and music have been raised. Attainment by seven year olds in art and design and design and technology is now satisfactory, although there is still room for improvement at age eleven. Writing standards have gone up and pupils now use these skills well across the curriculum. Planning is now detailed and contributes to pupils’ progress and attainment. Whole-school developments are clearly set out following wider consultation between governors and staff. The school day has been extended to comply with recommendations and resources are now adequate. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 7

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The Foundation Stage provides children with very worthwhile experiences and a strong basis for work in the National Curriculum. Children build well on the good social skills they have on entry and make rapid progress in early literacy and numeracy skills.

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STANDARDS

Overall standards are high. The A* grades in the above table indicate that more pupils attained the expected standards in English than in 95 per cent of similar schools 1 . The picture is similar for seven year olds. The same very high proportion achieved the expected results in reading, writing and mathematics. Higher attaining pupils also do very well. In 2001, an above average proportion achieved the higher level 3 at seven in reading and writing, with a substantial proportion doing so in mathematics. The proportion of eleven year olds attaining the higher grades in English was better than 95 per cent of similar schools. Higher levels in mathematics and science were well above average. Science results are similar with both seven and eleven year olds achieving above average results. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are very good and they use them well in other subjects.

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STANDARDS

The standard of work seen in English, mathematics and science were well above average at both key stages, in line with recent test results. Teachers’ high expectations are evident in the level of content, the amount and depth of work covered and in pupils’ careful presentation.

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STANDARDS

All groups of pupils achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress toward their individual targets and higher attaining pupils generally reach their potential. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls, and pupils from minority ethnic groups achieve as well as other pupils. Pupils with English as an additional language are fluent in English. They do not need extra support and make good progress.

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STANDARDS

Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are above average. Attainment in all other subjects is broadly average, other than in art and design and design and technology, where eleven year olds are not achieving the expected standards.

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STANDARDS

From 1996 to 2000, National Curriculum test results increased at about twice the rate of the national trend. Year group targets have been met and exceeded in recent years and the school has set suitably ambitious but achievable targets for the future.

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STANDARDS

1 Comparisons are based on the number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good; pupils happily come to school and are very keen to learn.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in and around the school is very good, and sometimes excellent.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Excellent; pupils work and play together extremely well and they co- operate and collaborate when necessary. They treat each other and adults with courtesy and respect.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good; above the national average.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils’ attitudes and values exert a positive influence on their learning; classrooms have a purposeful atmosphere and teachers are able to concentrate on the work in hand without dwelling on behaviour.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Good Very 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 AND LEARNING

Consistently effective teaching means that pupils learn quickly, make good progress through the school and achieve high standards. Teaching is very good in Years 1 and 2 and is matched by the rate of pupils’ progress in these classes. Lessons are well planned and most provide suitable challenges for all pupils. Individual progress is closely monitored by teachers, with the help of classroom assistants. Teachers manage lessons effectively and use resources well. Their excellent relationships with pupils contribute much to the purposeful atmosphere in lessons. Pupils respond positively to the high expectations that teachers have in the key subjects of English, mathematics, science and ICT.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

English and mathematics are taught very well across the school. The teachers’ lively approach sustains pupils’ attention and keeps them motivated and eager to learn. Appropriate attention is given to the basic skills in literacy, such as spelling, and number facts, including multiplication tables, are well taught.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers and classroom assistants provide good support for higher attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. The small number of children from minority ethnic groups receive the same attention as other pupils. Teachers skilfully provide for different groups and generally succeed in enabling all pupils to reach their potential. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 9

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good; all pupils have equal access to the broad and balanced curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good; pupils with special educational needs are taught effectively within lessons and benefit from extra support outside the classroom.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The small number of pupils with English as an additional language are well integrated into all school activities. All are fluent in English and do not need special provision.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development The overall provision for pupils' personal development is very good, and is a strength of the school. Pupils are well supported in spiritual development and provision for social and moral development is very good. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school has very good procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare and has very high standards of pastoral care. Effective assessment systems enable the school to give feedback and encouragement to individual pupils and clear information to their parents.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

There is a good partnership with parents. Newsletters are informative, reports are detailed and there are ample opportunities for parents to consult teachers. The school responds immediately and positively to any enquiries made or concerns that parents might have. Pupils have a reasonable range of activities outside the classroom but there are few extra- curricular activities.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff The head teacher gives very good direction for the educational work of the school. Her strong, calm leadership is central in implementing the school’s aims. She is well supported by the deputy and all other staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors contribute substantially to the effectiveness of the school and carry out their responsibilities conscientiously.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Governors have a very good understanding of how well the school is doing and where improvement is needed, and play a strong role in helping to set priorities and manage the available finances.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Resources are carefully allocated in line with the school’s priorities.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Strong leadership and efficient management have a positive impact on pupils’ attainment and personal development. The school runs smoothly and all staff work together very well to achieve high standards of teaching and learning. Governors apply the principles of best value in order to make optimum use of available funding. The school has a good level of teaching and support staff. Accommodation is satisfactory and resources overall are adequate. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 10

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Children like school and make good progress • Teaching is good and pupils are encouraged to do their best • The school is well led, open and welcoming • Pupils behave well and are learning to be mature and responsible • Activities outside lessons • The school to work more closely with parents • More information about how their children are getting on.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agreed with parents’ positive views. Activities outside lessons mainly involve educational visits and visitors to school. These opportunities are satisfactory. Sporting activities are open to older children but the school acknowledges that there are few alternative after-school activities. Plans are in hand to extend musical activities once the new music co-ordinator takes up her post after Christmas. The inspection did not support the view of a significant minority of parents that they are not informed and the school does not work closely with them. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The overall picture is one of high standards. The achievements of seven and eleven year olds are much better than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. In the 2001 national tests, all seven year olds achieved the standard for their age, putting the school in the top five per cent of the national results. The proportion achieving the higher level 3 was above average in reading and writing and very high in mathematics. Teacher assessments in science were also very high. Similarly, eleven year olds have done very well recently in national tests. Both the proportion of pupils achieving standards expected at this age and the number gaining the higher level 5 were well above average in English, mathematics and science. These outstanding results represent a very significant improvement since the previous inspection where standards at seven and eleven were broadly average in these

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are very good. They are reflected in their articulate comments and confidence in taking part in discussions, the quality of writing in other subjects and the assurance with which they tackle mathematical problems. These key skills provide a solid base for work in other subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The high standards owe much to the good start children make in the Foundation Stage. Baseline assessments indicate that many children are slightly above average in speaking, listening and early numeracy when they start school. Social skills develop well as children settle into school routines and most children use their developing communication skills with increasing confidence. They make good progress through the reception year in these and other areas of learning so that they get off to a good start as they begin the National Curriculum in Year 1. For example, their knowledge of the world outside home and school provides a good basis for history and geography. They learn to use computers, which means they are confident when tackling work in ICT later on.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The school strives to enable all pupils to do well, reflecting its inclusive approach. There are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls, and the small number of pupils who have English as an additional language make similar progress to other pupils. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support and most achieve well in developing their literacy and numeracy skills which are the main focus of their individual education plans . Pupils who are especially able are provided with suitably challenging work, which satisfies their thirst for knowledge and keeps them well motivated. As a result, they achieve standards in line with their ability.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in ICT are above average. Pupils at both key stages have good general computer skills and progress is increasing rapidly since new computers and software have been acquired. Attainment in all other subjects is broadly average, except that eleven year olds are not achieving the expected standards in art and design, and design and technology. This is due mainly to the appropriate focus on improving English, mathematics and science, which has meant less emphasis on other subjects. Plans are in hand to give art and design, and design and technology a higher priority. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 12 6. From 1996 to 2000, the school’s National Curriculum test results increased at about twice the rate of national trend − a commendable achievement. The improved standards at both key stages are due to significant improvements in teaching, rigorous monitoring of progress, careful planning and support especially targeted on particular

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

individuals and groups. The year group targets set recently have been met and exceeded. The school wishes to raise standards even further and has set ambitious goals for future years. Given the school’s positive characteristics and shared determination, it is well placed to accomplish them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The good standards of attitudes, values and personal development reported after the last inspection have been maintained, and surpassed in several areas. The school has worked hard to instil a love of learning and very good attitudes among its pupils. These attitudes are reinforced by the school’s Catholic ethos. Pupils enjoy coming to school and most arrive on or before time. Pupils are very polite and cheerful and they are very eager to learn. They have a positive approach to lessons and try hard to meet the expectations of their teachers. Throughout the school, pupils are enthusiastic about their work and are very well motivated and proud to share their successes. The safe, welcoming and calm atmosphere promoted by the school provides an environment that encourages the pupils to do their best, and pupils respond well to it. They develop very good habits of working and settle down quickly

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

to tasks. Sustained levels of concentration were observed in nearly every lesson seen during the inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Behaviour is very good, and sometimes excellent, for example in the dinner hall and assembly, and when pupils are moving around the school. During lessons, when there is a change of activities, pupils move quickly and quietly with the minimum of fuss and without wasting valuable time. The rewards and sanctions systems are well established and there is a noticeable absence of oppressive behaviour, including bullying. If there should be an incident of such behaviour, pupils and parents are confident that the school would react quickly. There have been no exclusions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. All pupils with special educational needs display very good positive attitudes towards school life. They are well supported by teachers and classroom support assistants who are sensitive to their individual needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Relationships are excellent between pupils and adults. Pupils work and play together extremely well and they co-operate and collaborate when necessary, as was seen in a history lesson where the children sorted toys according to time sequence, and in a literacy lesson where the children worked together excellently to learn about and to use speech marks. They readily share their knowledge and skills, which raises the quality of learning of the whole class. There are common rules throughout the school, which pupils understand and follow. They treat each other and adults with courtesy and respect. At playtimes, all pupils play in a happy, friendly atmosphere. Circle time is often used successfully to talk through any issues that may have arisen during playtime, so that pupils develop a very good understanding of the impact of their actions on others, and respect each other’s feelings, values and beliefs. All pupils,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

including those from ethnic minority groups, get on well together. The programme of personal, social and health education is being re-structured to further encourage the children in their personal development. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 13 11. Pupils readily accept responsibility, for example, by taking registers to the office and tidying up at the end of the lesson. Older children help at lunchtimes, and go into the younger children’s playground at playtimes.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Attendance levels are good, being above the national average. Despite these good results, the school is still aware of the importance of high levels of attendance, and continues to encourage children and parents to improve these figures. Registration procedures are properly documented and effectively implemented, meeting statutory requirements.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. The quality of teaching is good. This means that pupils learn quickly, make good progress through the school and achieve high standards. Dramatic improvements have taken place since the previous inspection, when a quarter of lessons were less than satisfactory and many had significant weaknesses. Teaching is particularly effective in Years 1 and 2, where children make rapid gains, particularly in English, mathematics and science. Almost a third of the lessons seen in these classes were excellent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. Children in reception benefit from consistently good teaching across all areas of learning and make good progress. A variety of practical activities stimulate the children to be fully involved in their learning through whole-class teaching, group work, play and fun.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Literacy and numeracy are taught very well across the school. English lessons follow the National Strategy closely and are brought to life by teachers’ skilful questioning and expressive story telling. Rapid-fire questions at the beginning of mathematics lessons enthuse pupils. Practical work helps pupils of all abilities to understand how mathematics can be used to solve everyday problems and provides good practice in the skills they need do so. Spelling and multiplication tables are given appropriate attention, which provides pupils with the basic skills on which to build.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good in most classes where they receive individual support. In English and mathematics, teachers meet the needs of pupils confidently by providing appropriate well-planned activities. Nevertheless, in some subjects, for example geography and history, pupils with special educational needs complete the same work as other pupils when an easier task would have promoted better learning. Work in these lessons is planned without direct reference to targets set in individual education plans and this restricts progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Pupils from minority ethnic groups and the small number who have English as an additional language are fully integrated into lessons. Teachers are aware of strategies to support pupils who are at an early stage of learning English but currently no pupils need extra help.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. A strength in the teaching is the provision for higher attaining pupils. More challenging work is set for these pupils in most lessons and they respond well. This has a knock- on effect on the other pupils and helps to boost standards in the whole class. The high proportion of pupils achieving very well in National Curriculum tests is evidence of the effectiveness of teaching methods. Teachers’ record books show how closely they monitor individual progress in order to meet the varying needs of their pupils. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 14 Teachers try to ensure that each boy and girl, whatever their ability or background, has the same chances to succeed. Classroom assistants play a major role in this, giving individual support when required and sometimes – as in an effective lesson in ICT – taking large groups for specific tasks. They add pertinent contributions to weekly records and make a valuable contribution to teaching and learning across the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Where lessons are satisfactory but less effective than the best, the balance of teacher-led activities and pupils’ working time does not allow opportunities for pupils to work independently; too many decisions are made for them. Some lessons in Years 5 and 6 could be taken at a quicker pace to take full advantage of pupils’ enthusiasm and learning capabilities. There is sometimes a lack of opportunities for older pupils to be creative and to take a little more responsibility for their own learning.

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PUPILS?

20. The school is socially inclusive and provides a broad, balanced and well-planned curriculum to which all pupils have equal access. Statutory requirements are met in all subjects. This shows a good improvement since the last inspection when not all aspects of the National Curriculum received sufficient attention. The curriculum provides a range of worthwhile opportunities for learning that meets the interests, aptitudes and particular needs of all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are very successfully integrated into groups within the class and are appropriately included in any additional activities provided by the school. The small number of pupils with English as an additional language are fluent in English and do not require extra support.

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PUPILS?

21. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented very successfully throughout the school. Planning for literacy and numeracy is very good; it identifies tasks for pupils with different abilities and establishes a range of assessment opportunities. There are now detailed schemes of work for all other subjects, which take account of national guidelines and help to ensure that pupils build on previous learning.

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PUPILS?

22. The provision for extra-curricular activities, which includes visits and visitors to the school, is satisfactory. Parents showed some concern over the lack of opportunities outside the classroom. Over recent years, the staff have put their time and energy into improving standards, involving many meetings and training sessions, but the school acknowledges that this is an area that should now be given further consideration. A good range of visits enriches the curriculum. For example, pupils make trips to Bristol, Bath and a local river to support their work in history and geography.

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PUPILS?

23. The programme for personal, social and health education offered to pupils is good. Classes have a weekly lesson where relevant topics, such as feelings and attitudes, are introduced and discussed. A scheme of work is being developed by a working party of staff, parents and governors. Some aspects are covered in other subject areas. For example, healthy eating and the use and misuse of drugs, including medicines, are covered in science. There is an agreed policy for sex education; a policy on drugs' awareness is being developed in line with the scheme of work. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 15 24. The contribution of the community to pupils' learning is good. There are strong links with the church and local parish. Useful links are made through parental contacts, for example with a local bank and supermarket, which provide both financial and curricular support. A nearby public house has provided football strips. Bristol City

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PUPILS?

Football Club and a local basketball team give training sessions.

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PUPILS?

25. There are effective links with feeder schools and the secondary school to which most pupils transfer. The school uses the physical education and technology facilities of the secondary school and staff meet together, including the special educational needs co-ordinators, to discuss transfer and curricular issues. Teachers visit the parish playgroup and other nursery providers, and pre-school children visit the school in small groups prior to starting school.

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PUPILS?

26. The overall provision for pupils' personal development is very good, and is a strength of the school.

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PUPILS?

27. The provision for pupils' spiritual development is good. The strong Catholic ethos of the school gives very positive support to this development. Well-planned daily assemblies give pupils an opportunity for prayer and reflection. Pupils join in thoughtfully with classroom prayers at the start and end of the day. Although not planned, there are very special moments in some lessons that often result from the quality of teaching, for example, when pupils interviewed a mother and baby, cooled down after a physical education lesson and reflected on the colours around them, and looked in amazement at pictures being downloaded from a computer.

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PUPILS?

28. Very good provision is made for pupils' moral development. Opportunities are provided in assemblies and personal, social and health education lessons to hear about and discuss moral issues. Teachers are excellent role models and encourage pupils in their relationships with one another and with adults. Very good behaviour in the school is promoted through a system of school rules and mutually agreed classroom rules.

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PUPILS?

29. The provision for pupils' social development is very good. All pupils are encouraged to work together in lessons, and to share ideas and tasks when working. Pupils undertake a range of responsibilities both in classrooms and around the school. Year 6 pupils act as house captains and help in the infant playground. The school fosters a strong family atmosphere and encourages different year groups to work together. Further provision is made through visits from school, extra-curricular activities and competitive sport. Pupils support Catholic and other charities and are sometimes expected to organise their own fund-raising events. The school is planning to start a school council that will provide further opportunities for pupils' social development.

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PUPILS?

30. Satisfactory provision is made for pupils' cultural development. They are given opportunities to appreciate their own cultural heritage, for example, through the texts used in literacy and their studies in history, involving visits to places such as Roman baths and Hampton Court Palace. Opportunities for cultural development in art and craft are not sufficiently developed. There are few opportunities to develop pupils' awareness of the multi-cultural makeup of society in Britain today. Religious education does not incorporate studies of other world faiths, apart from Judaism, and therefore the cultures linked to them. The school is starting to develop this aspect through its geographical and historical studies of Bristol, however. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 16

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school now has very good procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare and has very high standards of pastoral care. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. The school follows up any unexplained absence or lateness. Attendance figures are entered and checked regularly and the school works closely with the education social worker. Registration provides a calm and efficient start to the day.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour, and for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour, are very good. Staff have high expectations for good behaviour and very effective methods are in place to ensure that they are met. There is a shared understanding by all members of staff of the need to implement the clear guidance given in the school policies. Teaching and support staff make a significant contribution to providing a very caring atmosphere and a safe and calm environment for all pupils, both in and out of lessons. Staff monitor children informally to support their needs. They know the pupils well and respond sympathetically to each child. Playtimes and lunchtimes are well supervised.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. All the requirements and guidance of the national Code of Practice for special educational needs are met. The individual education plans written by the class teacher and special educational needs co-ordinator are of good quality. The school has excellent systems for collecting, storing and adding information from different schools. At regular intervals, all pupils with special educational needs are actively involved in reviewing their own progress, which effectively promotes their responsibility for their own learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. There is a strong emphasis on raising all pupils’ self-esteem, and pupils are becoming very confident in their dealings with each other and with all members of staff. Teachers give good praise and encouragement during lessons, and achievements, both large and small, are all celebrated. This has a positive effect on pupils’ confidence and encourages them to achieve more. There are many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility with daily routines around the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. There are very good procedures in place for child protection. Staff receive appropriate training to enable them to keep up to date with aspects of care and welfare. There is a comprehensive health and safety policy, and the governors carry out regular risk assessments of the site. There is, however, no dedicated enclosed play area for the Foundation Stage children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Effective assessment systems enable the school to give feedback and encouragement to individual pupils and clear information to their parents. All pupils have individual targets that are kept in card boxes near where they are working so that they can refer to them frequently. The specific nature of the targets indicates the great effort the school makes in meeting the needs of all pupils and reflects an inclusive approach; there is a concern to help pupils of all abilities and backgrounds to make gains in their learning.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Assessments made at the end of units of study, together with yearly standardised tests in English and mathematics are ‘interpreted with a grain of common sense’. Teachers know pupils well and do not simply rely on formal testing. Assessment information is entered into a specially designed database and the progress of each year group is carefully tracked to enable overall targets to be set. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 17

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. Parents hold the school in very high regard and the partnership between parents and the school is very good. They value the school for its caring attitudes, and a high percentage believe that their children are making good progress. The inspectors agree with the very positive views on aspects of school life expressed by parents at the pre-inspection meeting and through the returned questionnaires. Many parents criticised the lack of additional activities outside lessons, but in discussion said that they had interpreted the question purely in terms of clubs, as opposed to visits, visitors to school and school ground activities. The inspection took account of these and found the provision to be satisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The partnership with parents is working very effectively. Some parents come in to the school to listen to the children read and to help with artwork, ICT and science. This support makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. A small but dedicated band of parents is involved in the Parents’ Association, and arranges fund-raising events in order to provide extra equipment for the school. The money raised has been used, for example, to buy benches and a gazebo. There is never a shortage of volunteers when help is requested.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The school has developed good relationships with parents whose children have special educational needs. Individual education plans are shared with parents at regularly planned interviews and all receive copies of the plans identifying action requiring their support. All parents are promptly informed if their child is identified as having special educational needs. Most parents attend annual reviews to discuss their child’s progress. The informative governors’ annual report to parents gives details of support given from outside agencies and the level of success of its special educational needs policy.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The vast majority of parents speak very highly of the informal links with the head teacher and staff, and feel welcome in the school. They appreciate the home-school agreement and regular informative newsletters. The inspectors do not uphold the opinion of a small minority of parents who consider that parents are not adequately informed and that the school does not work closely with them. Parents are particularly well informed regarding the curriculum and topics that their children will be studying during the term. Class teachers send home letters at the beginning of each term so that families can become involved in their children’s work. Parents are aware of the homework policy and what is expected of them as parents. The annual written reports to parents are good, containing information on the progress of the pupils. Parents all said that they describe their children very accurately.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Parents are very pleased with the way that their children settle into and enjoy school, and are expected to work hard. They appreciate the very good procedures for settling new children, and the processes for transfer to the secondary school. Those who attended the parents’ meeting paid tribute to the way the head teacher had taken the school forward since her appointment. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 18

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The leadership and management of the school are effective and have a significant impact on standards. The head teacher gives very good direction for the educational work of the school. Her strong, calm leadership is central in implementing the school’s aims of ensuring that all children are eager to come to school and achieve good standards through high expectation and encouragement. The head teacher is well supported by the deputy and all other staff. Relationships are harmonious throughout the school and enable a high quality of care for pupils to be achieved. The school has worked hard to create an environment for learning in which everyone shares a commitment to high achievement. This has resulted in a number of significant improvements since the last inspection. Standards have been driven up.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. Governors have embraced change positively and contribute substantially to the effectiveness of the school. They are fully involved in the management of the school and carry out their responsibilities conscientiously. Governors have a very good understanding of how well the school is doing and where improvement is needed, and play a strong role in helping to set priorities and manage the available finances. They are well informed about day-to-day activities as a number of them work in school and they are becoming involved in several initiatives, such as numeracy, literacy and music. The school makes very good use of central grants, supplemented by school funds, to support, for example, pupils with special educational needs. The provision is managed highly effectively with expertise, rigour and sensitivity. Expenditure is regularly monitored and the financial policy addresses the principles of best value.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Funds carried over from last year are earmarked for improvements to the outdoor space for the Foundation Stage.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The school has a successful strategy for appraisal and performance management. There is a well-organised programme of staff training, and teaching is monitored and evaluated regularly by the head teacher. This enables her to identify issues quickly and to plan appropriately. Co-ordination of key subjects (English, mathematics and science) is effective and includes opportunities for subject managers to work alongside colleagues and share their expertise. Co-ordinators of other subjects are working hard in maintaining an oversight of their curriculum areas, but their roles need to be strengthened to focus more on promoting and raising standards. The school has plans to do this, for example in ICT and music.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Year-on-year results are carefully analysed so the school can track its performance and work towards further improvements. Very good use is made of assessment and comparative results to monitor attainment and allocate resources to help raise standards. Perceptive development planning has identified appropriate priorities for improvement, particularly in literacy, numeracy and science. These strategies have resulted in much higher standards of attainment. Highly effective leadership has led to vastly improved standards in the key subjects of English, mathematics and science.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The special needs co-ordinator provides good leadership and is committed to providing high quality support to all pupils with special educational needs in the school. She ensures that teachers and learning assistants are fully aware of pupils’ individual needs. Arrangements for supporting, assessing and reviewing pupils’ progress in the classroom are very well managed. Most learning support assistants have undertaken additional training and this positively enhances the quality of support provided, both in the classroom and around the school. The school’s governing body is very supportive towards the full inclusion of pupils with special educational needs. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 19 The special needs co-ordinator receives regular non-contact time away from her class to efficiently and effectively manage all aspects of the provision. All funds designated for special educational needs are used efficiently.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school has a good level of teaching and support staff to meet the needs of the National Curriculum. Despite recent staff changes, there is a strong team spirit; new teachers benefit from the support of colleagues. Ongoing training since the previous inspection has helped to improve teachers' knowledge and confidence in different subject areas, and to raise standards in the key subjects. Opportunities are also provided for teachers to develop individual professional needs. Good support is given to newly qualified teachers who receive their entitlement of courses and non-contact time. Support staff have had literacy, numeracy and ICT training, and their particular role in supporting learning is being developed.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Accommodation is satisfactory. A new library is being established with an improved provision of books. The ICT suite is well used by both key stages. The quality of display that celebrates pupils' learning is strong in Years 1 and 2 but not consistent throughout the school. The school's caretaker and cleaning staff maintain the school very well indeed. Resources overall are adequate. In some subjects these are being audited and sorted to tie in with recently introduced schemes of work. Currently the lighting in the library is poor and there are no books on famous artists, few books illustrating other cultures and few fiction books. The school is aware of this and plans are in hand to acquire more resources. The teacher who is responsible for the library is soon to attend a course to help her improve this facility. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 20

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

50 In order to improve standards further, the school should:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1 Raise standards further in art and design, and design and technology in Years 3 to 6 (paragraphs 83 and 89) by • enabling teachers with specific expertise to share this with colleagues; • planning work to ensure the systematic development of pupils’ skills through the school; • providing further training for teachers in these subjects; • taking more opportunities to develop pupils’ multi-cultural awareness by learning about the contribution of non-western cultures to these subjects.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2 Use the successful co-ordination of English, mathematics and science as a model for other subjects (paragraph 45) by • providing opportunities for co-ordinators to work alongside colleagues and share their expertise; • continuing to monitor pupils’ work, placing more emphasis on identifying strengths and weaknesses in the quality and range of work and the standards achieved; • reviewing job descriptions so that the role of co-ordinator in promoting high standards is clearly identified.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Minor weaknesses: • Improve the opportunities for outdoor learning for the youngest pupils by providing wheeled vehicles and pursuing existing plans to create a dedicated outdoor space for these children. (paragraph 58) • Adopt a more systematic approach to enable pupils to learn about the cultural traditions of their own area and the ethnic and cultural diversity in the wider society. (paragraph 30) St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 25

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 9 20 43 28 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 250

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 14 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 17

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 19

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 22

p.21

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 2000 18 22 40

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

Boys 14 17 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 22

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (87) 98 (94) 100 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (90) 100 (97) 100 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87))

p.22

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

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

p.22

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 2000 16 15 31

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 16 15 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 13 15

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (77) 90 (89) 100 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 13 12 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 12 14

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (86) 77 (89) 97 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 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.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10 Financial year 2000-1

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 508403

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 501403

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 99 Expenditure per pupil 1951

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 11681

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) Balance carried forward to next year 18681

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 24

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 44 46 10 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 56 1 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 33 55 9 2 1

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33 51 15 1 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 51 46 2 1 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 39 0 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 35 45 17 1 2

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 61 35 2 0 2

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 39 1 0 5

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 13 26 23 30 8 St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. The children start school on a full-time basis at the beginning of the year in which they will be five. They are taught in two classes. One class has only reception children and the other contains both reception and Year 1 pupils. The children are selected for these classes by age. In both classes, the children are taught the appropriate Foundation Stage 2 curriculum and in the afternoons, all reception age children often work together. Most children have had the benefit of attending pre-school nurseries or play-groups. Baseline assessments, which take place soon after children start school, show that children start with good speaking and listening, mathematical and social skills. The children’s skills in the other areas of learning are as expected for children of this age.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. Children are well supported in making a good start to their education. The skilled staff work well together to create an environment that fosters learning. Good relationships are formed with parents and a wide range of practical activities is provided that covers all the areas of learning. The teachers also monitor the children’s progress well and ensure that they start working on the National Curriculum when they are ready.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. Teaching is consistently good across all areas of learning and all children make good progress. It is best when there is a good range of practical activities that stimulate the children to be actively involved in their learning, that is, when learning is play and fun. The majority of children are likely to achieve the expected goals by the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

54. The teachers and their assistants create a calm, secure and ordered environment, where children understand what is expected of them and develop well both personally and emotionally. Positive self-esteem is developed by the allocation of responsibilities such as taking the register to the office and clearing up after activities. The children start school with good social skills and these are fostered and developed by the adults’ good role models of caring for each other, by listening to and valuing each child’s answers and by giving them praise and encouragement. Children are very considerate and polite to each other. In a music lesson, they shared instruments very well saying, “We need to share”, when passing instruments around. In a lesson to develop their personal and social skills, the children soon organised themselves into a circle and were confident to describe their likes and dislikes.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

55. Good teaching builds strongly on the broad range of confidence in language that the children have when they enter the school. Seven weeks into the term, it was evident that all children were making good progress and developing confidence in speaking to an adult, within a group and talking to a whole class. Their good vocabulary enables the children to answer the register in sentences and describe the day as “rainy and cloudy”. Although few children start school able to read they have the appropriate skills of enjoying both fiction and non-fiction books. They point to words and understand the pictures. When reading a book about dinosaurs, a child used clues

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

2 The Foundation Stage is from the child’s third birthday to the end of the reception year. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 26 from the pictures very well and described the animal, saying, “He’s bad, he’s got sharp teeth. He’s running away from the wind.” Teachers place good emphasis on reading skills but this is not helped by the lack of nursery rhyme books in large print. The majority of children recite nursery rhymes but few pick out the rhyming words. Most children write their first name and write recognisable letters and words. Many are able to ‘read’ back their pretend writing. Most children are on course to meet the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy.

p.25

Mathematical development

56. Children make good progress in their mathematical development and are on course to exceed the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. Most children know their colours and sort items according to colour. Many understand the mathematical language of ‘bigger and thinner.’ Most children count reliably to ten but do not recognise and match numbers to objects. Many children name different shapes, such as triangle, circle and square.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

57. The children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is good when they start school. Their early experiences and good vocabulary are developed well by the teachers and assistants. At playtime, the children crouched around a bee and knew that it was carrying pollen “that makes honey.” The children understand that different materials have different qualities. They confidently use the computer mouse to ‘drag and drop’ shapes and colours to complete pictures. They are likely to meet the required standard in this area of learning.

p.26

Physical development

58. Children’s physical skills are as to be expected for four year olds. Good teaching ensures that pupils have ample opportunities to develop skills in the manipulation of tools and using construction toys. They roll out play-dough and their good vocabulary enables them to describe this as ”a strawberry ice cream” or “a birds’ nest with eggs.” They hold large crayons quite well and use scissors reasonably accurately. Outside they chase each other, and on the large climbing frame, they swing and climb. Whilst the children have regular lessons in the school hall, the development of physical and social skills is hampered by the lack of a dedicated outdoor play area for their use. There are no wheeled vehicles to help them learn the co-ordinated skills of steering and pedalling. The lack of an outdoor play facility was mentioned in the last inspection report. The school is soon to remedy this situation.

p.26

Creative development

59. Children’s creative skills are as to be expected for children of this age and they are on course to meet the early learning goals in this area of development. They are improving because they are being nurtured by the provision of a range of appropriate practical activities, including music, role-play in the ‘home corner’ and painting and printing. One class teacher is an art specialist and gives the children many opportunities to use their creative skills. She provides a good range of materials to help the children make interesting collages in different colours. They use chalk pastels to mix primary colours. Teachers value children’s own work and are aware that improvements in the outdoor play area could increase the scope of role-play and imaginative play opportunities. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 27 60. The Foundation Stage is managed well. Plans are carefully thought through and

p.26

Creative development

closely linked to learning objectives. The baseline assessment and ongoing assessment based on observation are used effectively to inform the planning for the next lessons. This means children build progressively on what they already know, understand and can do. The teacher assistants, however, could be better used to gather information during whole-class sessions. The children with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress. The staff work hard to build positive relationships with the parents and provide homework matched to the children’s individual needs. Consequently, parents support their children’s work well. Very good relationships promote positive attitudes to learning and the children are happy to work hard and to learn.

p.27

ENGLISH

61. Standards are well above average. Seven and eleven year olds achieve very good results which are reflected in the work they do in class. These standards are due to the careful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy which is organised effectively to match the needs of the pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are given very good assistance. They are included in all activities and receive extra help at appropriate times. Boys and girls work well together and help each other. The more able pupils are challenged and achieve the higher level 3 in reading when they are seven and level 5 when they are eleven. Test results for eleven year olds were well above the national average and the average for similar schools in 2000. The results in 2001 were even better for both seven and eleven year olds, and were very high. The relative weaknesses in writing have been identified and consequently time has

p.27

ENGLISH

been given to help the pupils to improve their creative writing skills. Much improvement has been made since the last inspection when attainment was average and teaching was sometimes unsatisfactory. Now all teaching is at least good with particularly effective teaching in Years 1 and 2, where pupils make rapid progress.

p.27

ENGLISH

62. There are very good relationships between the adults and pupils, and the pupils are keen to do well. In a very successful Year 2 lesson, pupils were enthralled by the teacher’s story telling and observed the pictures well, picking out details and giving reasons why the main character was wearing a turban. They responded to praise and tried hard, “to paint a picture in words, using beautiful words.” As a result of excellent teaching, all pupils took part and were confident to offer answers that empathised with the main characters. They began to answer in more complex sentences. Generally, the pupils read with expression and make good attempts to read new words. Parents give their children good support at home and the pupils enjoy books. The pupils’ writing is generally neat but it is not joined. They use their very good vocabulary to best effect; for instance, one story started, “Katy felt dazed. She felt giddy.”

p.27

ENGLISH

63. Pupils make good progress between Year 3 and Year 6. They produce a good quantity of writing that is neat and well punctuated; spelling is accurate and handwriting is joined. Again, their good vocabulary is evident. Pupils choose words carefully. Stories start with phrases such as, “I awoke to the beautiful sound of singing” and stairs are described as “rickety.” Pupils are confident readers and give sensible reasons for their choice of books. They quickly find information in non-fiction books. Pupils with English as an additional language do just as well as other pupils.

p.27

ENGLISH

64. The high standards achieved are due to consistently successful teaching. All teaching observed was good or better. In an excellent lesson in Year 2, the very good relationships established ensured that the pupils were engrossed and eager to learn. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 28 The teacher has very good subject knowledge and understands the needs of pupils of this age. Consequently, she makes learning interesting and fun. Pupils are challenged, yet given sufficient help and support to enable them to do well. Very good cross-curricular links are made with, for instance, design and technology so that time is used very well. The aim of this excellent lesson was to discuss ‘instructional text.’ This led to pupils interpreting instructions by making jig-saws, sheep pictures from wool on which to grow cress and frog puppets. Pupils learned to ‘sprinkle’ seeds on moist cotton wool. This helped to develop an accurate vocabulary and a scientific

p.27

ENGLISH

understanding of the needs of plants. The pupils with special educational needs made frog puppets with very good support from the teacher assistant and were able to describe to the rest of the class that they had hidden the rough edge of the stick within the body of the puppet, “to make it safe.” Teachers are well prepared and have very good relationships with their pupils who are challenged.

p.28

ENGLISH

65. The English curriculum is rich and is linked well to other subjects such as ICT and history. Year 6 pupils have written stories on the computer to make books to share with the youngest children in the reception class. These are illustrated and are accompanied by music. When describing World War II, the pupils showed that they understood the fear of leaving the air raid shelter − “I don’t know what I will find.” Very good opportunities for developing speaking and listening skills are provided in circle time and during assemblies.

p.28

ENGLISH

66. Resources for English are satisfactory and have been enhanced by the new computer suite and library, which is still being developed. The head teacher is one of the two curriculum leaders for this subject. She is able to ensure that training is given appropriately and that the quality of teaching is monitored. Consequently, the quality of teaching and the standards of pupils’ work have improved considerably.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

67. Standards are very high when compared with the national average. Seven and eleven year olds achieve excellent results in national tests and these are reflected in the work they undertake in class. The school has a high proportion of seven year old pupils achieving the higher level 3 and eleven year olds achieving the higher level 5 when compared with schools nationally. The previous inspection judged standards to be satisfactory; the present picture is one of very good standards. The rise in standards has largely been achieved by good leadership, highly effective teaching and improving the quality of teachers’ planning and the monitoring of pupils’ progress.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

68. Since the previous inspection, the school has been very successful in placing greater emphasis on practical problem solving. This is having a significant impact on learning. The ‘problem of the week’ as a homework task suitably enhances pupils’ understanding of numeracy to higher levels. Higher attaining pupils are challenged when required to find more than one way of working out the answer to a given problem. All pupils gain from tackling such problems; in particular, pupils with special educational needs benefit by consolidating basic numeracy skills such as learning their multiplication tables. The mental ‘quick thinking’ oral sessions introducing each numeracy lesson are very well taught and appropriately paced, with teachers using a variety of methods to keep pupils alert and interested. The strategies pupils use to find their answers are often discussed, notably in a Year 4 lesson, where pupils gave

p.28

MATHEMATICS

answers to a range of questions relating to doubling and halving given numbers. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 29 69. This practical, enthusiastic approach to numeracy is clearly evident during lessons and features prominently in pupils’ recorded work. In Year 1, pupils rapidly learn the properties of basic two-dimensional shapes, recording their results carefully. In Year 2, pupils confidently learn a range of numbers that, when added together, equal 20 and higher attaining pupils work confidently with numbers up to 100, developing their own ideas systematically. Year 4 pupils accurately measure the perimeter of simple shapes using simple formulas. Through careful interpretation of data, Year 5 pupils record information relating to the number of letters to be found in a given number of words. They compare simple distribution using the range and mode. Year 6 pupils use their understanding of place value in a practical games session multiplying and

p.28

MATHEMATICS

dividing whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000 with good speed and accuracy. These exemplify the standards reached.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

70. Teaching in the infants is very good overall. Excellent teaching in a Year 1 lesson enabled pupils to name and compare the properties of a range of two-dimensional shapes. Pupils displayed high levels of sustained enjoyment and motivation when required to name shapes by touching shapes that had been placed in a ‘feely’ bag. After most pupils identified characteristics of the shape − “My shape has four sides, all of the same length” − pupils suggested the correct name for that shape. Higher attaining pupils named the difference between a pentagon and a hexagon. Because the teacher stimulated pupils’ excellent positive attitudes, group work proceeded at an accelerated rate. Pupils put shapes into ‘families’ of similar properties, before recording their results accurately and neatly. The reporting back at the end of the lesson suitably enhanced speaking and listening skills when pupils clearly described

p.29

MATHEMATICS

given shapes, for example, “A large rectangle with four sides, two having the same length”. The adult support had a very positive effect on pupils’ rapid learning as all adults held high expectations of both the way pupils should respond and their ability to think mathematically.

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MATHEMATICS

71. Teachers make very good use of well-displayed mathematical vocabulary that often forms part of the ‘maths corner’ in each classroom. Although vibrant in colour, the displays do not reflect a range of pupils’ work, especially the use of ICT. This is an area for improvement. The high quality teaching and learning that takes place in Years 1 and 2 has a positive influence on the high standards achieved and is a very effective springboard for the pupils’ learning as they move through the school.

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MATHEMATICS

72. The teaching in the juniors is good overall. Three lessons observed here were of good quality. In each lesson, teachers displayed confident subject knowledge and effective use of practical resources that suitably enhanced good learning. Because of this effective teaching, pupils beaver away enthusiastically and produce high quality work, developing above average knowledge, especially in numeracy and work related to shape and space.

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MATHEMATICS

73. During a carefully structured lesson in Year 4, pupils offered lots of ideas and suggestions for recording a series of numbers that, when added together, make 20. Most pupils confidently used a range of addition and subtraction methods, accurately recording answers. Pace was suitably enhanced by the use of a clock with timed activities undertaken with high levels of group co-operation. The use of the ‘traffic light system’ provided an additional strength to very good classroom management as pupils responded to the amber light for talking quietly in groups and stopped to become quiet when it showed red. The impact of recently introduced government guidelines on the teaching of numeracy has been very good. Main teaching activities are well planned from the appropriate part of the National Strategy. The targets for St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 30 the day’s lesson are displayed and referred to frequently so tasks are clear and it is

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MATHEMATICS

easier for teachers to focus on them at the end of lessons, enabling learning that has taken place to clearly inform the content of the next lesson. Teachers have high expectations, borne out by the enthusiasm of most pupils, including those with special educational needs who are well supported and make good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

74. In Year 6, the teacher’s effective use of gentle humour to support the management of behaviour is reflected in the very good standards of behaviour. Using a large dice rolled by the teacher, pupils were encouraged to predict the probable outcome of numbers and place them in the correct order. Pupils enjoyed the activity as they tried to beat the teacher, placing the numbers rolled in the correct order to reflect the highest number possible. The use of well-planned mathematical games provides a useful opportunity for the teacher to discuss and assess pupils’ understanding. The very strong emphasis on fairness and playing by the rules of the games enables all pupils to make good progress and contributes to their social and moral development. Higher attaining pupils are not yet given sufficient opportunities to devise their own games and methods of recording when solving problems. This is an element of

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MATHEMATICS

75. The subject is well managed by the co-ordinator who has identified weaknesses and developed a clear and detailed policy and scheme based on national guidelines. The co-ordinator’s good subject knowledge is reflected in the high levels of attainment achieved by pupils in Year 6 who have made very good progress over their time at school. Careful analysis of test results, undertaken by the head teacher, highlights areas of relative underachievement, whether in aspects of mathematical understanding or by certain groups of pupils, and leads to prompt and positive intervention to maintain the very high standards achieved.

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SCIENCE

76. Standards in science are well above average. Teacher assessments for seven year olds and the results of national testing for eleven year olds show very high standards, which are reflected in the work that pupils do in class. This is due to effective teaching, the monitoring of standards and a carefully planned curriculum that builds on pupils’ knowledge and skills from year to year. Very significant progress has been achieved since the previous inspection when attainment was broadly average, teaching overall satisfactory, and there was no detailed scheme of work.

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SCIENCE

77. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make very good progress both in their knowledge of science and their clear understanding, gained from a strong emphasis on enquiry and practical investigation. This was very evident in the Year 1 work on materials, where pupils not only named and compared a range of materials, but also noted their uses around school and in house building. In Year 2, pupils investigate materials further in their work on ice and water, finding out how they change and whether they are water repellent. All pupils gain from such investigations; lower attaining pupils benefit from being able to try things out for themselves and more able pupils are well challenged. Pupils' understanding is further demonstrated through their ability to make predictions and their understanding of fair testing, for example when investigating how far toy cars will travel after running down a ramp. Their grasp of scientific ideas is reflected in

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SCIENCE

well-produced work with accurately labelled diagrams, as in pupils’ work on plant growth. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 31 78. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 build on the very good foundations laid in Years 1 and 2, and make good progress. Their books show a continuing emphasis on practical investigations, with all aspects of the subject covered in considerable depth. Pupils measure and record accurately, using instruments such as a Newton meter and thermometer. Their results are compared and conclusions drawn, for example, when investigating the insulation properties of different materials. They develop their understanding of human and plant growth, knowing the functions of different body organs and identifying the reproductive parts of flowering plants. Their work on materials, mixtures and solutions shows that they can use their knowledge to separate complex mixtures.

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SCIENCE

79. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is very good. In a highly effective Year 2 lesson, pupils were finding out about the care given by humans and different animals to their young. A mother and baby visited the class and pupils' very strong interest was demonstrated in the range of questions they had prepared and were confidently asking. In questioning the pupils and recording their ideas on human care, the teacher ensured that all were taking part, and in doing so was able to assess their knowledge and understanding. The tasks showed very high levels of expectation and challenge for all pupils, and enabled them all to make excellent progress. Lower attaining pupils, supported well by a learning support assistant, recorded aspects of human care; more able pupils classified a range of animals by the level of care provided, discussing well in their groups, for example, the difference between the care given by a bird, a deer

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SCIENCE

80. Teaching is good in Years 3 to 6. Work is well planned, takes careful account of previous learning and demonstrates good subject knowledge. Resources are well prepared. In a Year 3 lesson where pupils were investigating the effects of drinks on teeth, well-prepared resources and a very clear explanation of tasks made it a successful lesson. There was an expectation that pupils should do things for themselves and so further their understanding. In a few lessons, there is a lack of pace, with little indication given of the work to be completed in the session. In one lesson, pupils indicated that the work could be finished on the following day or at playtime, so limiting their incentive to complete it during the lesson. Learning support assistants are generally used well to support lower attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs. In Year 5, pupils' understanding of the task set was

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SCIENCE

checked and appropriate support given. Pupils are managed well in lessons. They show enthusiasm and interest in their work, which clearly impacts on their learning. They are keen to answer questions, and work well together in groups and pairs, sharing ideas and tasks. Year 6 pupils worked enthusiastically on food chains, using reference books and referring to wildlife television programmes to develop different chains. Homework makes a good contribution to science.

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SCIENCE

81. There are good opportunities for pupils to practise and consolidate the literacy and numeracy skills in science. They are encouraged to use scientific terms in their spoken and written language. Investigations are written up, often incorporating labelled diagrams, charts and tables of results. The use of ICT to record and interpret data, or to present findings, is underdeveloped.

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SCIENCE

82. The co-ordination of science is good and has been instrumental in the significant improvements made. Following the previous inspection, regular training has been provided. Staff have worked well together to improve their own subject knowledge and understanding, and consequently have raised standards and the quality of teaching. A nationally recognised scheme of work has been introduced and has helped to ensure continuity and progression in learning. Assessment activities are St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 32 given at the end of each unit of study, and identify pupils who have not reached or have exceeded learning objectives. These activities do not give a sufficient indication of what more able pupils know and understand however, in order to plan their future learning, other than that they are above average.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. Seven year olds achieve satisfactory standards but eleven year olds do not meet the expectations for their age. This represents an improvement in the infants since the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress is achieved in the infants mainly because of the concentration of teachers with good subject expertise in that part of the school. These satisfactory standards are not maintained through the junior phase because the subject is not given much emphasis in the whole curriculum and the newly appointed co-ordinator has not been able to influence teaching as effectively.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. By the time pupils enter Year 1 most can control markers and apply paintbrushes with developing accuracy when painting. When painting children playing, pupils work confidently in the style of Pieter Brueghel, comparing children’s playing activities today with those of children 400 years ago. A display on the theme ‘musical instruments’, which includes painting and drawing, demonstrates work of high quality and shows that pupils have a good eye for the application of colour and texture. The printing of autumn leaves and the use of bold colours effectively support the development of good drawing skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. Since the school has been concentrating on raising standards in literacy and numeracy in recent years, art and design has not received significant emphasis in the overall curriculum. Teaching is satisfactory overall where satisfactory standards have been maintained. Year 5 pupils engaged in drawing a trainer shoe displayed a range of skills, although most were unaware of the need to add shade and light to gain features of folded fabric. Good quality pencil drawings of natural and man-made objects are not a strong feature throughout the school. Weaknesses in teaching are found when insufficient emphasis is given to developing artistic skills, activities are over-directed by class teachers and pupils have few opportunities to make choices or evaluate their own work. However, pupils’ attitudes are very good; they concentrate hard and try diligently to succeed in their work. Sketchbooks, which would enable

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ART AND DESIGN

pupils to refine their work and review their learning, have been identified as a priority to further develop drawing skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

86. Colour, tone and mixing are used effectively in Year 1 and Year 2 as pupils paint in the style of Monet. Pupils appreciate the striking effects of using a combination of colours and geometrical designs. In the best lessons in the infants, teachers use their good subject knowledge to motivate pupils and stimulate their creativity. Technical language is introduced carefully which helps to improve pupils’ understanding and confidence. In the infants, lessons are briskly paced and pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own work at the end of the lesson.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. The school has adopted the national guidelines for art and the co-ordinator has provided a useful policy to support them. There is a weakness in not having an agreed system to track individual pupils’ progress. This was mentioned in the previous report and has yet to be addressed. The co-ordinator does not receive planned opportunities to monitor standards of teaching and learning in classrooms. Resources are now sufficient and of suitable quality, an improvement since the previous inspection. Insufficient opportunities are provided at present for pupils to use ICT in art and design, such as manipulating digital images. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 33 88. Pupils’ artwork in the infants makes a good contribution to the positive learning environment. Quality displays of work motivate pupils and stimulate their creativity. However, this colourful richness is not consistent throughout the school, with many

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ART AND DESIGN

areas reflecting the present low status of the subject. More could be done, through art, to promote pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. There is good potential for improvement, especially if individual talent and skill amongst staff is suitably recognised and used to the benefit of all.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. Standards of attainment are below those expected for eleven year old pupils. The position of design and technology has improved for seven year olds since the previous inspection and is at a level expected for their age and experience. In recent years, the thrust has been to improve literacy and numeracy. The enthusiastic co-ordinator has identified, through self-evaluation, an appropriate action plan to ensure a more secure place for design and technology in the curriculum. Improvement has been satisfactory since the previous inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. In Year 1, pupils confidently create a simple pop-up card operated by the movement of simple figures via levers. Pupils are given well-planned opportunities to examine the materials used in house building, building their own houses from card and using a hair dryer to check for stability in high winds. The final results are accurately recorded and evaluated by the class. Before making their own puppets, Year 2 pupils are given the opportunity to examine a variety of hand-held puppets, closely examining methods of manufacture and material suitability. The teacher skilfully used a range of questions to establish methods of joining materials before trying things out for themselves. All pupils gain from such investigations and higher attainers are often challenged to develop more inventive ideas while special educational needs pupils are well supported by an additional adult present during the lesson. Under the guidance

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

of a parent, pupils confidently used ICT facilities to create labels for their initial drawings. Skilfully guided by the class teacher, they suggested ways in which the hand puppet could be made. Pupils’ satisfactory skills in drawing were evident during the subsequent well-planned group work. Pupils really enjoyed the session, remaining focused throughout. The well-established routines for clearing away were effective and efficient with no time lost, with all pupils working together to collect papers and pencils with the minimum disruption.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. In the good lesson observed in Year 4 involving the use of clay in the design of an ancient game, it became very obvious that pupils’ experience in working with materials that required rolling and coiling was extremely limited. The good management by the class teacher challenged pupils to make decisions about the quality of their designs, the suitability of materials and the success criteria to be used. Pupils are encouraged to use their initiative and solve problems related to the joining of ‘clay sections’ or the lifting of the completed design from backing board. Pupils are given good opportunities to create their own designs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. In Year 6, pupils’ skills in making and designing are less well developed since they have missed out on appropriate levels of provision in previous years. Pupils sat patiently watching their teacher demonstrate, with the help of pupil volunteers, the art of paper rolling to form pillars to be used in subsequent shelter design. Approximately one quarter of the pupils showed they had suitable knowledge and understanding of what was going on in terms of building and joining materials securely. They have St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 34 generally poor design and evaluation skills since they have had insufficient challenging opportunities to practise them. Various structures were manufactured and tested to destruction using weights gently applied to their roofs. However, the results recorded by the teacher did not clearly identify the structure most suitable for the building of a shelter.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

93. There is sound leadership by the co-ordinator who has the energy and enthusiasm to advise and support colleagues. Monitoring of teaching is insufficiently vigorous, however, and there are no systems to track individual progress, a weakness identified in the previous inspection report. These factors are restricting improvement in the subject. Resources are sufficient and of suitable quality, an improvement in provision since the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

94. By Years 2 and 6, pupils attain the levels expected. Since the last inspection, standards have been maintained in Years 1 and 2 and have improved in Years 3 to 6. The previous inspection identified weaknesses in planning. The school now has a scheme of work that incorporates materials from national subject guidelines; this revised planning has only recently been fully established to secure sound coverage and progress. The school recognises that the subject should now be formally monitored, with a view to raising standards and improving the quality of teaching. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

95. By the age of seven, pupils have a good understanding of physical and human features, and are beginning to use this knowledge when comparing different places, such as seaside towns, a Scottish island and Bangladesh, with their own locality. They understand that maps are based on a bird's eye view and develop satisfactory mapping skills, drawing plans of their classroom and simple maps of places studied. Pupils identify the countries of the United Kingdom and Ireland and their principal towns.

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GEOGRAPHY

96. By the age of eleven, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of world climates, physical features, such as rivers and mountains, and resources and products. In their studies of different locations, both in Britain and abroad, insufficient use is made of this knowledge to compare and contrast different locations and give a greater depth of study. Mapping skills are satisfactory; pupils are familiar with street and Ordnance Survey maps, and use them in their studies. They have some understanding of environmental issues, for example, through traffic surveys and considering how traffic problems could be solved.

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GEOGRAPHY

97. There are sound links with other curriculum areas. Year 2 pupils write letters to ‘Katie Morag’ to find out about life on the Isle of Struay; they carefully make models of the isle and their own locality when comparing the two. Year 6 pupils compare Tudor and modern world maps, identifying areas of the world that were undiscovered. Some use is made of numeracy, for instance when measuring river flow, using co-ordinates in map work and plotting distances of places from London. ICT is occasionally used for research, for example when finding statistics on climate. By developing its studies of Bristol, the school is planning to provide further opportunities for pupils' multi-cultural development. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 35 98. Due to timetabling arrangements, it was not possible to observe any geography lessons. Therefore, no judgement is made on teaching and learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. Assessments are now being made at the end of each unit of study, and are starting to inform future planning. Resources are adequate and are now being sorted to link up with the units of study. Satisfactory use is made of field trips, for example to a local river, Bristol, Wells and the coast, and the co-ordinator is keen to develop these further.

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HISTORY

100. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 attain the levels expected. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Pupils across the school, including those with special educational needs, make sound progress.

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HISTORY

101. By the age of seven, pupils show a developing sense of chronology by using terms concerned with the passing of time, and by recognising ways in which their own lives differ from the lives of people in the past, for example in their comparison of toys and games, and seaside holidays past and present. They are familiar with prominent people and significant events from the past, including Florence Nightingale and the Great Fire of London. Their recorded work shows little evidence of the consequences of these events and lives on life today, for example, the changes in hospital care as a result of Florence Nightingale. In Years 3 to 6, pupils understand that the past can be divided into different periods of time, such as the Tudors and Victorians. They know of the impact of ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians and Romans, and that archaeological evidence provides clues to life at these times. By Year 6, pupils have

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HISTORY

developed satisfactory research skills, realising the importance of using and comparing different sources of information to build up a picture of the past. Pupils have a sound knowledge of recent history but do not consider how events, such as World War II, have affected life today, for example the role of women in society.

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HISTORY

102. The quality of teaching is good overall. Lessons are mostly well planned, prepared and introduced, with clear learning objectives that are shared with pupils so that they know the purpose of the lesson. Good resources in a Year 3 lesson helped pupils to find out about rationing in World War ll. A taped interview and a week's rations, set out on a plate, helped pupils to understand the importance of rationing in order to survive. However, in a Year 6 lesson where pupils were researching aspects of Tudor shipping, insufficient focus was given to pupils to guide them in their research, resulting in some lack of pace, and notes on factual information with little interpretation or appreciation of conditions on board ship. In most lessons, pupils are well questioned and have good opportunities to discuss and give opinions. This was shown in a Years 1/2 lesson where pupils talked about museums and compared old

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HISTORY

and new teddy bears, so gaining a good understanding of change over time. In a Year 4 lesson on ancient Egypt, although the teacher had carefully prepared drawings, based on inscriptions, to show the stages in mummification, she told the pupils what was happening in these pictures rather than let them make their own interpretation, which would have helped to develop their investigative skills further. Pupils are well managed. They show a strong interest in history, particularly when lessons are well prepared and resourced. They concentrate well and work co- operatively in groups, sharing ideas and tasks, so contributing to effective learning. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 36 103. There are good opportunities in history for pupils to practise and develop their literacy skills, through discussion, research and writing. Written accounts are often very descriptive, show a good grasp of facts and a clear understanding of life at different

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HISTORY

times. Some pupils research topics using the Internet, but the use of ICT in history is underdeveloped.

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HISTORY

104. There is now a detailed scheme of work for history that follows national guidelines, and helps to ensure continuity and progression in learning. Resources are adequate and have been audited and re-sorted to fit in with the new scheme of work. The co- ordinator recognises that historical artefacts should be built up to provide further opportunities for pupils to learn from first hand evidence. Good use is made of visits and visitors to enrich the curriculum. For example, pupils interview grandparents, and visit Roman baths and Hampton Court Palace. Although the co-ordinator sees teachers' planning and checks this against the scheme of work, no full monitoring role has yet been established with a view to raising standards and improving the quality of teaching.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

105. Seven year olds and eleven year olds achieve good standards. Pupils are very confident when using computers. Many of the youngest pupils open programs with ease and know how to label, save and retrieve files. The oldest pupils have an above average level of skill. They use professional level software and understand how the Windows system works. This is a marked improvement since the previous inspection when, although standards were satisfactory, several weaknesses were identified. Improvements have been due to a combination of factors. The ICT suite enables all pupils to have regular ‘hands-on’ experience, teachers have worked hard to increase their own expertise and national guidelines provide staff with a structured approach to the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

106. Pupils in Year 2 demonstrated their considerable editing skills when asked to correct a prepared text using a word processor. They used the mouse and pointer to move quickly around the text, adding capital letters at the beginning of sentences and inserting letters when necessary. The higher attaining pupils understood that the “red and green squiggles” under some words indicated that “the word is spelled wrong” or “the computer doesn’t understand that”. The teacher drew out from the pupils the differences between editing text on paper and on screen – a good illustration of how computers can be used to speed up or simplify everyday tasks. A governor, who regularly helps in school, provided extra support and her expertise in ICT was used to good effect. Pupils benefited from the good adult/pupils ratio, concentrating hard and working very well in pairs. Higher attaining pupils were asked to continue the story,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

editing their mistakes as they went along. Less confident pupils learned quickly because they had been partnered thoughtfully with other more confident ones. During the plenary session at the end of the lesson, the teacher skilfully used pupils to demonstrate what they had achieved, involving the governor in providing individual feedback and praise. By their demonstrations and mature comments, the pupils showed how well they had progressed and their above average level of skill and understanding. This very good lesson was the only one observed in Years 1 and 2 but the level of pupils’ work indicates that teaching is consistently effective.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

107. Pupils in Year 3 talked enthusiastically about the work they had done last year. They suggested a sequence of commands to make a programmable floor robot travel in various directions and knew that a sequence could be repeated four times to make a St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 37 square. They recalled using the computer to make simple graphs and talked knowledgably about this work, a further indication of the good standards achieved by seven year olds.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

108. Good teaching in Years 3 to 6 builds successfully on pupils’ skills. By the age of eleven, pupils work independently with high levels of expertise. They know how to search for information using CD-ROM material and the Internet. They can copy text and pictures from these sources and insert them into documents, changing the position and scale of pictures to suit the publication. Year 3 pupils were being introduced to these techniques during a very good lesson in the computer suite. There were gasps of wonder when the teacher demonstrated the process and the pupils soon learned the technique. They were thrilled at the outcome and eagerly awaited the coloured printouts. They made rapid progress during the lesson because of the lively pace and the teacher’s considerable expertise. He was able to anticipate problems and to give precise guidance without spoon-feeding the pupils. All pupils were challenged to extend their existing skills and pupils who generally find difficulty in

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

concentrating and behaving well were well motivated and worked hard. Boys and girls worked well alongside each other and had equal opportunities to participate – a feature of all the lessons observed.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

109. Effective teaching was also observed in Year 4, where pupils were learning to set text out in columns in preparation for a ‘newspaper’ article relating to their history topic. In a very good Year 5 lesson taken by the support assistant, pupils used their well- developed skills in information handling to search a database for information. They knew that data was organised into fields and confidently used AND searches to find ‘children with blue eyes and fair hair’ and made bar graphs and pie charts of the information. Year 6 pupils were using a multi-media package to construct ‘talking stories’ for younger pupils. Again, they had a high level of confidence; they selected pictures, wrote the text and added sound where appropriate. They responded well to the challenging task set by the teacher and were keen to demonstrate and discuss their work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

110. The school has recently acquired suitable equipment to teach pupils how to use sensors to monitor changes in the environment, such as temperature, light and sound, and to log these changes over time. This work is planned for later in the year and, given their general ability, there is every reason to predict that pupils will quickly learn these skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

111. Although recently appointed to the post, the co-ordinator has already led some staff training. His good understanding of the way forward in the subject is evident in the development plan he has drawn up. This identifies the need to include ICT as a natural part of other subjects such as art and history, and to devise a manageable assessment system to track pupils’ progress across the school.

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MUSIC

112. Due to timetable arrangements, there were few opportunities to observe musical activities. Children were observed in three music lessons and when singing in assemblies. Video recordings of recent concerts were also seen. This evidence, together with discussions with pupils, indicates that seven and eleven year olds achieve standards that are at least in line with expectations at these ages, and that teaching is at least satisfactory. St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 38 113. During an excellent lesson in Years 1/2, pupils sang Frère Jacques along with a recorded accompaniment. Because of the teacher’s encouragement, they were fully involved and made a great effort to sing in tune and to alter the dynamics from loud to soft as directed by the teacher. Singing was of a good standard, and this was demonstrated when pupils took turns in leading a rousing version of Chicka Boom. Soloists had great fun singing in quiet, loud, funny and spooky voices and the rest of

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MUSIC

the class delighted in joining in. The combination of the teacher’s dynamic and expressive approach, her warm relationships and high expectations, resulted in an excellent experience for the pupils.

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MUSIC

114. Two lessons were observed in Years 3 to 6. The teachers, although not music specialists, enabled pupils to develop their musical knowledge and skills at a reasonable rate. Ably led by their teacher, Year 4 pupils made a good attempt at following a rhythm pattern, changing the emphasis on different beats by following a diagrammatic score. Most had a good understanding of the difference in dynamics but, because the scheme being followed is rather undemanding, the pace was slower than it could have been and pupils did not have the opportunity to practise what they had learned in another context. Year 5 pupils showed their sound understanding of standard notation and note values, when reading and clapping rhythm patterns. They knew the duration and names of crochets, quavers, semi-breves and dotted minims. They sang the song One Body well, as a round, the teacher’s cajoling and use of humour keeping pupils well motivated. Pupils enjoyed singing Can’t Stop Yawning ,

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MUSIC

interpreting the blues style effectively. Again, their previous learning could have been extended by the use of simple percussion or ostinato accompaniments.

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MUSIC

115. Pupils have good opportunities to perform in assemblies and in concerts for parents, such as the recent productions of Cats, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Jerusalem Joy . They compose simple percussion pieces and use graphic notation (pictures and squiggles) to record their efforts. ICT is not used in music, as the school does not have the appropriate software.

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MUSIC

116. Standards have risen and the profile of music has increased since the previous inspection, when several weaknesses were identified. Instrumental tuition has been introduced and is to be given more emphasis when the new co-ordinator takes up her post after Christmas. The school is keen to develop its musical life further, and has arranged for the local adviser to provide extra staff training. In order to increase the rate of learning, emphasis needs to be given to helping teachers build more systematically on pupils’ previous achievements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. Most seven and eleven year olds meet the standards expected. A few of the older girls do very well in netball tournaments. Both the netball and football clubs are open to boys and girls but boys do not choose to join the netball team. The school includes all pupils in activities, however. During group work, both boys and girls are chosen by the teachers and the pupils to demonstrate good movements. The older pupils have regular swimming lessons and all pupils can swim at least 25 metres by the time that they leave the school; this distance is that recommended and expected by Year 6.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. Pupils in the infant classes have regular physical education lessons that cover games, dance and gymnastics. In dance lessons, the pupils show a good degree of control and awareness of space. In one lesson, they interpreted The Entertainer music well whilst walking along a ’tight rope’ and balancing. In another lesson, they made good St Bernadette Catholic Primary School - 39 angry facial expressions and body movements to illustrate the colour red. Generally, the pupils’ work is much better when the music starts to play. They stomp around the hall in time with the music and thoroughly enjoy themselves. They listen attentively to the teachers’ instructions and guidance, watch demonstrations and learn to improve their performance. They understand that physical activity increases the heart rate.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. Pupils’ skills are extended in the junior classes. In an indoor games lesson, the pupils soon organised themselves into teams to play ‘indoor hockey.’ Most held the hockey stick appropriately and had accurate hitting skills. They worked well together in mixed teams and took pleasure in playing hard and fairly. In a gymnastics lesson, however, most pupils found great difficulty in performing a ‘circle roll’ and standing from a straddle position. Despite this, they tried hard, and when commenting on each other’s performance, they highlighted the good things, leaving the performer to state what could be better. This was partly due to the teacher’s sensitive intervention and guidance. As a result, the pupils are confident to demonstrate in front of their friends.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. The five lessons observed were all at least satisfactory. One lesson was very good. This very good lesson used music as a stimulus and the teacher joined in, making very good comments to help the pupils improve such as, “Are your shoes heavy?” and “Don’t forget to bow.” In all lessons, the teachers use the correct vocabulary such as ‘sequence of movements.’ They also have very good relationships with their pupils and support and encourage them appropriately. They are well organised and use time well. Currently, however, much equipment is stored in the hall. This restricts the space available for the large junior classes and means that they are crowded for gymnastic skills lessons and do not have sufficient time as only small groups can work at one time.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. The curriculum co-ordinator is new but has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses throughout the school. He has a very good understanding of the subject and is confident to provide training for other staff, such as in gymnastics and dance. These are areas where staff are less confident and consequently rely too much on taped lessons for dance and do not often use all the climbing apparatus in the hall. Time has been allocated within the school development plan to enable the co-ordinator to observe lessons and improve standards. The job description, however, does not clearly identify raising standards as one of the aims of the co-ordinator’s role but the school is well placed to improve attainment and progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Religious education is taught throughout the school, but is inspected and reported separately.

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