Holy Trinity CofE Primary School

HOLY TRINITY CE 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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HOLY TRINITY CE 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. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Kenyon Street Ashton-under-Lyne Postcode: OL6 7DU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of Chair of Governors: Father David Wiseman

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22/09/1997 Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

O L Thomas Registered inspector Science Art and design Equal opportunities Special educational needs English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

9884 M Roscoe Lay inspector Attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? J B Thomas Team inspector English Geography History How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? D Carr Team inspector Music Physical education How good are curricular and other opportunities? A S Herring Team inspector Mathematics Design and technology Information and communication technology Foundation Stage

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Network Management Services Star Farm Llangynhafal Ruthin Denbighshire LL15 1RU

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 5 WC2B 6SE Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 6

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT Pages 6 - 9

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REPORT CONTENTS

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?

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements 1 - 9 Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development 10 - 18

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER

OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS? 26 - 39

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 40 - 48

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 57 - 64

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 65

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS Pages 22 - 25

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PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN

AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES Pages 26 - 41 Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Holy Trinity Church of England (aided) Primary School has 195 boys and girls on roll, with 49 children attending the nursery class on a part time basis. The school serves a regenerating urban area, where accommodation is a mix of private and rented housing association properties. Seventy five per cent of the pupils come from homes where English is an additional language and 73 per cent of the total pupils are at a very early stage of English language acquisition. These figures are well above the national average as is the 46 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals. Twenty two per cent of pupils are identified on the school’s register of special educational needs which is broadly average and the number of pupils with statements of special educational need is in line with national figures. Pupil mobility is high and the school attendance figures are poor; extended leave is a key feature affecting attainment and progress. Attainment on entry to the nursery class

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

covers a wide range of ability but is very low in communication skills and generally well below what is usually found. On entry to Key Stage 1 pupils’ attainment is still much lower than the national average but has improved.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This school effectively serves its pupils and community and gives overall good value for money. This is because although standards are lower than expected nationally, progress is good and pupils especially those with English as an additional language achieve well. Mainly good teaching, leadership and management and a secure vision of driving standards forward are supporting pupils well. The school has some challenges to address in the use of assessment, more rigorous monitoring of attendance, classroom practice, and the provision within the nursery, in order to safeguard school aims into practice.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve well given their attainment on entry. • The provision and teaching for pupils with English as an additional language is very effective. • Standards in reading at the end of Key Stage 1 have improved well. • Relationships are very supportive. • The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • The ethos which is founded on respect for all, tolerance and motivation through creating a positive self image regardless of social background, gender or ethnic origin. • The leadership of the Headteacher to inspire and motivate the school community. • Funding is used very effectively to directly support pupils’ progress.

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What could be improved

• Standards, in mathematics, writing, ICT and the use of basic skills in the other subjects. • The consistency of provision within the Foundation Stage. • Records of personal progress and the use of assessment to challenge all pupils. • Monitoring of teaching and learning by the Headteacher. • Risk assessments • The pupils’ attendance. 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

Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 8 The school was last inspected in 1997. Since that time it has made satisfactory progress in improving its standards, policies and provision. The school has been somewhat dogged by staffing difficulties. Whilst some improvements have been made for example, improvements to history and geography provision, the school has not achieved enough in terms of improving ICT. The commitment of governors and staff, led effectively by the Headteacher, makes the school well placed to move forward.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

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

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schools

Whilst the above results are required to be reported their usefulness is very limited in giving a clear view of the standards achieved and pupils’ progress. The similar schools comparison is based on the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals and does not take into account that the majority of pupils speak little or no English on entry, that attendance is poor because of extended leave taking abroad and that the school’s population is very mobile.

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schools

Importantly pupils achieve well given that their attainment on entry is well below what is usually found nationally; all groups regardless of ethnicity, gender and a social background make good progress. There is scope for the average and higher attainers to be challenged further.

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schools

The inspection finds standards echo test results and are below average in all subjects except singing, art and physical education. The school has been tracking pupils’ progress in order to set realistic targets. The trend of results is improving except in mathematics at Key Stage 1 but with signs of improvement coming from lower year groups.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and are keen to join in the activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good overall. A small number of Year 6 boys lack self discipline and this detracts from learning for themselves and others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good overall. Pupils cooperate well. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 9 Attendance Poor. Excessive leave in term time for extended periods diminishes pupils’ progress. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 10

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

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

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

Sixteen per cent of teaching was very good; 53 per cent good and 31 per cent satisfactory. No teaching was unsatisfactory but there are areas for improvement. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good and the teaching for pupils with English as an additional language is very good. The teaching of mathematics, ICT and writing require further improvement. Non- teaching staff have an effective impact on pupils’ progress and personal care. The school is successful overall in meeting the needs of all pupils but aspects of teaching for pupils in the nursery, Year 1 and for the higher attaining pupils and some average across the school are not challenging pupils fully or allowing them to investigate for themselves. Too much of the work for these pupils, is overly directed and, of a similar nature regardless of their ability.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is well planned, relevant to pupils’ needs and meets statutory requirements except for the delivery of ICT.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Funding is well used to give effective support. Classteachers and support staff work well together and individual educational plans are relevant and targets well met.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. This is a strength of the school. Staff are very skilled, work cooperatively and place high value on building on pupils’ knowledge and skills and guiding their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Staff build an ethos which values everything about the children and their diverse backgrounds.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory overall. Very good pastoral care. Assessments of pupils’ progress are not used wholly effectively to challenge all pupils and personal records are not formally kept. Attendance is not monitored effectively for all pupils to ensure early response to absence. The school has not been thorough enough in assessing risks around school and in the activities it undertakes.

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Aspect Comment

The school works hard to involve parents in their children’s learning. Many parents would like more information about what their children are going to learn. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good overall. Subject coordinators manage their responsibilities well. The management of Key Stage 2 is thorough but staff absence has left Key Stage 1 without a line manger.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities There are a number of areas for governors to improve in relation to ICT, personal records, risk assessments, monitoring of attendance and ensuring all staff are aware of child protection procedures. Governors are highly committed to serving the pupils and school community.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school development plan is an effective tool for improvement. The Headteacher has very usefully analysed test results and diagnosed areas for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Grant funding is used effectively to support pupils’ learning. The governors have begun to apply the principles of best value. Staffing, resources and accommodation are well used.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The efforts the school makes to involve them. • The progress their children make. • The teaching. • Approaching the school with problems. • The management and leadership of the school. • The relationship between the school, parents and the mosque. • That their children learn to be mature. • The amount of homework • Insufficient information on what pupils are learning. • Lack of additional activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The number of parents who attended the parents’ meeting in support of the school was unusually high for a school of this size; equally a good percentage returned the questionnaire.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection agrees with the positive points raised by parents. Homework is inconsistent and the view of some parents is that many do not understand what their children have to do. Parents are well informed and it is something for the school to consider as to how they may provide further interpretation in different languages for parents. The school provides a good range of extracurricular activities to enhance pupils’ learning. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. In reporting standards and achievement in Holy Trinity it is vital to acknowledge the complex and challenging circumstances of this school in order to gain a fair picture of its successes, constraints and the challenges that lie ahead. When children come into the nursery, their knowledge and skills are well below what is expected for their age; about eight out of ten children have no English on entry. Their satisfactory progress in the nursery reflects the satisfactory teaching provided and the adequate experiences. When they move into the reception year, their attainment is still low compared to that expected of four year olds. However, children achieve better in the reception class and at times they make very good progress because of the lively and dynamic teaching they receive. The high level of adult interaction, including bilingual support, fosters good progress in all areas of learning; the children’s limited general knowledge constrains their achievement in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

knowledge and understanding of the world. The children achieve best in personal, social and emotional development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the most recent national tests, Year 2000, pupils’ performance in Year 6 and Year 2 was well below national averages in all aspects of the three core subjects of English, mathematics and science. When compared to similar schools results were better in English although still lower than others and well below in mathematics and science. However, these comparisons although required to be reported have little use in informing the reader about pupils’ true performance and achievements as they move through the school; they should be treated with extreme caution. The progress pupils make from entry is a more accurate picture of how well pupils perform. Their progress is good given their prior achievements and considering that most had little or no English on entry, many suffer frequent absence during their time in school and the school’s population is a shifting one. Pupils make best progress in speaking, listening, reading and writing; progress in mathematics is weaker and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

progress is satisfactory in science. The delivery of mathematics is a particular weakness, which is negatively affecting standards in the subject. Pupils’ progress is enhanced because of good teaching and the high level and high quality support they receive from classroom support staff, including Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) funded staff, bilingual support in mother tongue along with careful analysis of pupils’ progress and learning needs by the management of the school. Progress is least satisfactory for the average but higher attaining pupils are not challenged consistently well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Analysis of results by the school and prior to the inspection shows that although results are well below average and few pupils attain at the higher levels the value added element is very apparent. For example, remembering the low baseline on entry, nevertheless 68 per cent of seven year olds attained at the nationally expected Level 2 in reading and writing; this is about ten per cent higher than the previous year although in mathematics the percentage was 47 and had dropped by more than 15 per cent. In Key Stage 2 more than half of the pupils gained Level 4 in English but only just over one third did so in mathematics and science. The school carries out a range of optional, nationally recognized tests in Years 3, 4 and 5 and these show that many pupils are making good progress over time. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 13 4. Trends at Key Stage 1 are rising except in mathematics and at Key Stage 2 they are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

moving steadily upward although given the complex circumstances of the school, they are still below the national trend. The school’s targets are satisfactory and based on on-going analysis of pupils’ performance. The school has recently introduced a procedure which sets challenging goals for many pupils to reach and frequently they are succeeding in this drive. Where they do not careful thought is given as to why. What needs to be done as a result requires further thought. 5. At Key Stage 1 girls do perform slightly better than boys in reading and writing but boys marginally exceeded girls in mathematics for this cohort. In Key Stage 2 girls perform better in English but boys fare well in mathematics and science in comparison to them. The inspection finds that in Year 6 there is an undercurrent of reluctance to perform by many boys. They are easily influenced by peer group pressure and some are becoming

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

disaffected by school because of outside peer group pressures. However, this picture is not prevalent in other year groups where achievement and standards look better in Years 2, 3, 4 and 5.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school has identified that a significant part of underachievement in mathematics is the lack of academic vocabulary and understanding; it, therefore, focuses heavily on key vocabulary and trigger words. The school’s efforts to raise standards in mathematics have been hindered by the long term absence of the coordinator.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In all subjects except art, singing and most aspects of physical education except swimming standards are low; this might be expected as in each one pupils require reading, writing and mathematical knowledge and skills in order to research, understand, organise and communicate their findings. However, this is a less positive picture than at the time of the last inspection when except in ICT the other non-core subjects were found to have satisfactory standards. In mathematics and science, pupils have too few opportunities to use and apply what they know to solve challenging problems with open-ended outcomes.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress at both key stages and achieve well overall. They make good progress towards their targets when they are withdrawn to work with an adult. In class, they receive a lot of support from the teacher and other adults, which boosts their confidence. More able pupils do not always achieve their best because the work is sometimes too easy or because the pace is too slow. A barrier to furthering pupils’ progress is that some teachers rely too heavily and too frequently on using photocopied sheets for pupils to complete when they could so easily be using, albeit at times, in a limited way their literacy and numeracy skills more fully. Progress for all pupils is least strong in the nursery and in Year 1 where after the good start in the reception class pupils’ achievements stagnate somewhat before bubbling up again in Year 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The school’s targets are low but realistic when all factors are considered. There is no doubt that a serious bar to raising standards is the irregular attendance of some pupils and their extended long absences returning to their native country. The school has gone some way to supporting pupils when they are on extended leave by setting up a link with the local school near Lahore and in supporting them in providing equipment and giving guidance. Two members of staff, including the Headteacher visited there this year. This link has also heightened parental confidence in the school and encouraged more parents to be aware of and involved in their own children’s education. Activities such as supporting mothers with learning English in conjunction with higher education institutions is an indirect but important part of raising pupils’ achievement. Many parents attended the meeting prior to the inspection and expressed confidence in what the school is doing for their children.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The school is a happy place where most pupils enjoy their learning, have respect for others and behave well. This picture is similar to that of the previous inspection. Then as now, some older boys cause minor disruptions in the Year 6 classroom with unnecessary interruptions. This slows down some lessons and intrudes on learning because some pupils become too reluctant to answer questions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. At the pre-inspection meeting attended by 83 parents they commented that their children were happy to attend school. The 124 returns from the parents' questionnaire show very strongly that children like the school and all that it offers. Pupils' relationships with each other, teachers and adults in the school are mostly very good and are a striking feature of the school. Pupils are polite and are respectful and courteous to adults. They respect one another to a large extent, but based on how older boys treat girls, there is an element of sexism in Key Stage 2. This is seen as boys show scant respect for girls when they interrupt them constantly in lessons. When asked for their views, girls admit that some boys give them a 'hard time' in and out of the classroom.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils' attitudes to the school and their learning are good. They listen to instructions and respond enthusiastically across a range of subjects. In a Year 4 numeracy lesson pupils worked well together in groups, sharing ideas about building rectangles. Many pupils pick up on the humour teachers use to help learning. Year 3 for example did this sensibly during a literacy session. The majority of pupils are easily absorbed by a task such as during a numeracy lesson where pupils were bursting with frustration as they waved their hands to answer questions. In contrast, a minority of pupils, usually boys, are content to show little interest and do the minimum in lessons. This was evident in a Year 6 numeracy lesson. Attitudes became poor because some boys were happy to colour in the fractions rather than using them to answer the problem posed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. In the nursery, infant and junior classes behaviour overall is good. Harmony reigns with instances of very good and rare poor behaviour across the school. When behaviour deteriorates, it is because a small minority are too easily influenced by their peers. Elsewhere in lessons, pupils respond well to all adults, and comply with their requests readily. They put hands up to answer questions, speak politely, and try hard not to interrupt. Good examples of this are seen in personal and social education lessons where pupils have the opportunity to discuss matters which concern them directly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils behave well around the school and in the playground. They know the rules and follow them. Lunchtime is a pleasant social occasion. Pupils use the dining hall in a calm and responsible manner, chatting happily in a well-organised setting. A friendly atmosphere exists in the playground. The good links between teaching and lunchtime staff, the availability of play equipment, and good natured children are key features of successful dinner times. Pupils play energetically but carefully in mixed gender, heritage and age groups. During the inspection there were no signs of bullying or racism.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Prior to forming groups, pupils form orderly lines and move on corridors and staircases in a responsible way. When moving from the playground to the field opposite the school, pupils obeyed the instructions of midday staff impeccably. However, when pupils are in large groups or alone without direct close supervision there is a lack of self-discipline. This is reflected in the amount of graffiti on library tables and in pupils' own comments. When a group of pupils were asked what they would most like to change about the school, they replied 'fighting and pushing in the dinner queue'. It is clear that the school promotes Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 15 moral and social issues well, but some children's understanding of these is at a different point from their actions and behaviour. There have been two exclusions recently when pupils have exhausted the school's pastoral system. This number is not exceptional.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility. Those who have particular roles carry them out reliably. They easily speak with visitors or help midday assistants as 'corridor captains' or equipment monitors. Regularly, and without prompting, pupils hold doors open for each other and adults. They help and support each other very well in and out of lessons. Teachers provide many golden opportunities to work in pairs or groups, and pupils carry out this good practice for themselves when helping others with tasks.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. There are satisfactory examples of pupils becoming more mature and responsible as they grow older. Some pupils have organised charitable collections for a local appeal in support of the Indian Earthquake Fund. Some pupils run a successful and popular 'tuck shop'. The school's expectations of independent responsible pupils are high, but there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to do their own research and become more independent in their learning. This picture is similar to that of the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Attendance levels are poor in spite of the school's very best efforts, and this undoubtedly weakens pupils' progress, achievement and attainment. Parents are asked to support regular attendance of their children and are becoming familiar with procedures for notifying the school when absence occurs. The school works well in partnership with the local authority in an attempt to reduce absences and a home-school link teacher visits pupils' homes when necessary.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching is good overall; no unsatisfactory was teaching seen. This is an improvement on the last inspection findings. Sixteen per cent of teaching was very good, 53 per cent good and 31 per cent satisfactory. However, further improvement of teaching in the nursery and Year 1, is required as at times although judged satisfactory, it was barely so. The teaching of mathematics is a particular weakness, which is negatively affecting standards in the subject. In the Foundation Stage teaching is good overall. It is satisfactory in the nursery where introductions to lessons are often well organized and productive. However, the follow up activities although planned for the range of need, are all too often the same for all groups of children. There is insufficient attention to the ‘stepping stones’ of learning being followed or to the assessments identifying a range of need being used to plan challenging and stimulating activities. Far too many worksheets, all the same,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

requiring highly developed motor skills are used too frequently. In the reception class, teaching is often very good and activities are relevant, matched and interesting for the most part. In Key Stage 1 teaching is adequate in Year 1 and good in Year 2. In Key Stage 2 it is good overall with more examples of very good teaching. The school had two temporary teachers employed at the time of the inspection in key year groups. Year 2 and Year 6; it should be noted that the quality of this teaching in both cases enhanced pupils’ learning substantially.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In general, all staff manage the pupils well particularly in the reception class and Key Stage 2. They deal with pupils consistently and fairly regardless of gender, ethnicity or social background. With the exceptions noted where teaching was barely satisfactory, teachers provide interesting activities, which motivate pupils well to learn and gain their attention. High teacher expectations are rewarded by good behaviour and positive attitudes, the exception being a number of boys in Year 6 who lack self-discipline and often have an agenda of their own which tests the skills and patience of the classsteacher and Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 16 support staff to their limits on occasions. However, the vigilance of teachers never fails to prevail and learning moves on.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching and non teaching staff, including EMAG and bilingual support staff are highly committed to involving all pupils fully in all activities. Good communication prevails between all adults serving the pupils very well and this contributes effectively to continuity of learning and expectation. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language (EAL) are both good. Class teachers work well with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator and EMAG staff to provide effective individual educational plans for those on the register of need and targets for those with EAL enabling them to make good progress. Additional staff provide quiet but valuable interpretation during lesson introductions, prompting pupils to listen carefully, explaining tasks and motivating them to be involved; enhancing their self-esteem and confidence to participate. They draw well on pupils’ own experiences for example, in an English lesson which looked

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

at ‘playing with language’ the teacher prompted pupils to consider what a ‘trickling brook’ is called in Bangla and how it could be described.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Planning covers all aspects of the curriculum and is detailed. Teachers’ short-term planning is not yet sufficiently based on accurate use of assessments to improve overall progress of all pupils, particularly higher attainers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The procedures for the teaching of literacy across the school are satisfactory and the introduction of the literacy hour has been effectively managed. The numeracy strategy is also being implemented but not as effectively. Whilst the children’s skill development in the lessons seen was satisfactory, these skills diminished when the scrutiny of work over a period of time was taken into account. The application of the children’s literacy and numeracy skills is also limited by the over-use of worksheets. Very often these pre- determine the outcomes of the pupils’ work restricting opportunities for the pupils to apply their skills and work creatively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows there is inconsistency in the quality and usefulness of teachers’ marking which ranges from ‘ticks’ regardless of correctness, to critical and analytical comments aimed at helping pupils to improve their own work. However, overall there is too little evidence of pupils being involved in the evaluation of their own work or being shown how to improve it. A good deal of the work is teacher determined and the excessive use of worksheets is evident which require little effort, reading, analysis or input from pupils. In some activities there is scope for teachers to encourage pupils to make their own decisions about how to tackle the work, choose resources or pursue ideas.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teachers have made pupils feel safe, secure and valued regardless of their gender, ethnicity or social background and consequently have developed high quality relationships which motivate pupils to please and progress. The organisation and management of lessons, lesson structure for productivity, pace of work and the strong partnership with support staff are key elements of the most effective teaching.

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PUPILS?

26. The curriculum provided for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. It includes all areas of learning and experience expected for this age group. There is suitable emphasis placed on the teaching of literacy and numeracy that allows the pupils to make satisfactory progress in their learning in these areas. The curriculum is not so well matched to the Early Learning Goals in the nursery as it is in the reception class. Activities for the Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 17 youngest children are too similar for the range of ability and restrict the essential need for children to explore and investigate in order to become independent learners. The school successfully promotes these children’s personal, social and emotional development, which allows them to grow in confidence and to quickly settle into every day routines in both Foundation Stage classes.

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PUPILS?

27. The curriculum that the school provides for pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 is broad and balanced and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum, except for the provision of ICT. Pupils are not given the opportunity to fully develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in this area and as a result the application and use of ICT in other areas of the curriculum is weak. This was an issue at the time of the last inspection.

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PUPILS?

28. The whole curriculum promotes the pupils’ intellectual, physical, social and personal development well. Personal and social development is a major strength of the school, however, provision for health education and teaching about harmful substances is less well developed. Apart from Years 5 and 6 relatively few opportunities are provided for children’s development in this area and no formal policy has yet been written.

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PUPILS?

29. The literacy and numeracy strategies have been satisfactorily implemented. A family literacy and numeracy project has been initiated to produce family literacy and numeracy books in partnership with a local commercial company.

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PUPILS?

30. The previous inspection report highlighted the need to complete the draft schemes of work for all subjects. Since then, policies and schemes of work have been drawn up to provide curriculum guidance and support for staff. For the foundation subjects these have been based on government recommended guidelines that the teachers have adapted to suit the children’s needs. These guidelines help to ensure that pupils’ learning opportunities cover the required ground.

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PUPILS?

31. The school makes very good provision for pupils who are learning English as an additional language. Identification of pupils is early and effective owing to the good provision and organisation of in-school specialist support. Well-planned opportunities are provided for pupils to develop the skills of spoken English. This support extends to pupils who join during the school year. The school provides interpreters for parents when required and has a very positive attitude to the pupils’ home language. Provision for special educational needs pupils is also good throughout the school. Overall equality of opportunity is good and efforts are made to ensure that all pupils are included in all aspects of the curriculum.

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PUPILS?

32. The school makes good provision to extend pupils’ learning through a full programme of visits, visitors and out of school activities. Lacrosse and football coaches are used to develop the older children’s games skills and competitions are arranged with other schools. The curriculum is rich in cultural diversity and this is reinforced through Asian dance and visiting musicians from Indian and African cultures. The school also has a choir, which meets once a week, and a ‘Lego’ club has been formed to promote the children’s social and design and making skills. Year 3 pupils visited Chester in order to gain first hand experience of life in Roman times while Year 5 pupils made a visit to Heaton Park to study the architectural features of columns designed in Egyptian style. A residential visit is arranged for Year 6 pupils during their final year in school. All these visits make a positive contribution to the curriculum and to the pupils’ own personal development.

p.17

PUPILS?

33. A good range of links with the wider community contributes well to the quality of children’s learning. Relationships between school, parents and the community are strong, Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 18 as are links to the local parish. The rector, who is also the chair of the governors, is a regular visitor to the school. The school has accessed money through the single regeneration budget (SRB) to provide family support to combat disaffection amongst young pupils during their primary years. This is a joint project operated by the school and the education welfare services. English lessons are provided for parents and a translation service is available to parents on one afternoon each week. Links have been extended well beyond the local community as the Headteacher has established a partnership with a school in Kharian, where many children emanate from, and return to regularly; she has made a visit to the school. Liaison with the local secondary school is good and the school

p.17

PUPILS?

takes students on work experience visits.

p.18

PUPILS?

34. The previous inspection found that the school had made good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Because staff work hard to build an ethos which values everything about children, this good provision has been maintained and is a notable achievement.

p.18

PUPILS?

35. The provision for spiritual development is good and seen in the way teachers and support staff value all pupils' answers in lessons and build on them. It is seen in the care taken with displays which values pupils' cultural heritage and their written and practical work. Teachers foster calm and considerate behaviour and encourage friendship and humour to underpin very good relationships. This provides a link to good provision for moral development. Time to reflect, on the lives of people that inspire the world is provided so that the Juniors can hear of people with a belief different from their own. The school plans for the spiritual awareness of infant pupils too, by exploring the importance of seedlings and the splendid impact they have on the natural world.

p.18

PUPILS?

36. Acts of worship make a substantial contribution to pupils' personal development. These meet requirements and are important times where many pupils are reverential.

p.18

PUPILS?

37. Provision for moral development is good because rules are consistently applied by staff in an appropriate way. Most pupils obey class rules and the majority follow the signs which organise movement on the stairs and corridors. Pupils are provided with opportunities to discuss personal rights and responsibilities. This occurs when they draw up class rules or examine what is fair or unfair during personal and social education lessons. The school's insistence on a moral code creates a climate for good behaviour where tolerance flourishes and care for the feelings of others is often seen. Praise assemblies, where pupils’ achievement and acts of kindness are celebrated, succeed in strengthening the ethos of the school.

p.18

PUPILS?

38. Provision for social development is good. In lessons pupils are expected to work in harmony alongside others of different gender and heritage. This works well in preparing pupils for the next stage of their education. All who work in school are good models of social behaviour because they relate very well with pupils. Social interaction is particularly strong at lunchtimes where play equipment is shared beautifully. Pupils are learning to cooperate and work together effectively; a tuck shop staffed by pupils is a good example of this. An understanding of citizenship is encouraged. Pupils have commented on traffic congestion in Kenyon Street and raised others’ awareness of global warming causing extensive flooding in India and the United Kingdom. This resulted in a charitable donation being made to a locally organised relief fund.

p.18

PUPILS?

39. Provision for cultural development is good. Community involvement is strongly encouraged using dual-language resources and signs around and about the school. Pupils learn of other cultures because of their work in assemblies, in history, geography, music Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 19 and literature. They take part in religious celebrations and visit places of interest. Pupils' own home languages are promoted well and used regularly for story and singing. This is particularly effective in the nursery. Pupils have looked at past cultures and beliefs such as those of the Romans and Greeks, and made comparisons between school life then and now. All of these experiences enrich pupils' learning and extend their knowledge of the diverse society in which they live.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Overall the quality of care and steps taken to ensure pupils' welfare are satisfactory and supported by some detailed policies and procedures. The same level of good support and guidance to enable good behaviour to flourish has been maintained by the dedicated, caring staff. Parents are confident that their children are looked after and the majority report that their children like school and that they make good progress. Inspectors find that relationships are very good, and pupils get on very well with adults and their peers. However, many pupils do not make the progress in learning that they are capable of, because of poor attendance.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Staff pay good attention to the welfare of pupils but as reported previously, insufficient attention is paid to actively pursuing some parts of the health and safety policy. For example, risk assessments of all sponsored school activities are not done. This is especially relevant because monitoring of visitors to school premises is not done effectively. Recorded risk assessments are also warranted on lunchtime activity because of pupils' use of the railings and playing field. Further details will be reported to the governing body, because the statutory requirement to have recorded risk assessments on school activities is not met.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for child protection are satisfactory. The school is not well placed to comply with legislation because not all staff are aware of the procedures. A draft policy was drawn together in February this year and will be presented to governors soon. This oversight was drawn to the school's attention by the previous inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Procedures to promote and monitor behaviour are good and add much to pupils' personal development and the friendly atmosphere in the school. Rewards for effort, good or improved behaviour and doing the 'right thing' are plentiful and go towards maintaining an orderly working environment. Most pupils respond well and enjoy the good attendance or book bag awards. Ongoing praise in and out of lessons raises pupils' confidence and maintains clear boundaries between what is acceptable and what is not. For example, staff are skilled at showing pupils what behaviour they are expecting and praise others for working their hardest or following instructions quickly. When low-level nuisance from boys slows lessons down, class teachers use skill and perseverance to minimise the effect this has on other pupils in the class.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Very good support from classroom and teaching assistants is provided and used well to encourage and guide pupils. They are all sensitive to the needs of pupils and maintain their attention and focus well in lessons. Sometimes this is by using pupils' mother tongue to explain in greater detail. Occasionally they need to urge some boys to produce more work. Lunchtime staff play an important role in promoting and monitoring behaviour, not least because of the quality of care they provide and the reporting and recording of good or unsatisfactory behaviour. Some classroom assistants are employed as mid-day staff; this is a good balance and helps to ensure an orderly lunch hour where pupils relate well to them and to each other. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 20 45. Procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour - including bullying and racism - are good because everyone is clear that oppressive behaviour, whether

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

accidental or intentional is not allowed. Measures to deal with inappropriate behaviour are well established and parents are involved whenever it becomes necessary. Some pupils reported that fighting or pushing is a problem, but they were clear that this is due to pupils 'falling out' of friendships and congestion in the dining hall because a queue forms near a doorway. Many parents feel that instances of bullying are handled well and some pupils confirm that they feel comfortable reporting instances of harassment. Records of all anti- social behaviour are kept and pupils with significant behaviour difficulties are closely supported.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Attendance is monitored well but procedures for improving levels of attendance are barely satisfactory. The weakness is in following up absences as they occur - beginning from a child's earliest time in school. The system of home-visiting each Friday morning when attendance for some pupil's causes concern is a good strategy, but is having little impact as attendance levels are falling too quickly. In 1996 - 97 they were 90.8 per cent, but now levels are 83.2 per cent because absences from school totals 16.8 per cent. This gives rise to concern and is a key issue for the school to address.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Procedures for monitoring pupils' personal development are satisfactory. Pupils and their particular needs are known to teaching and support staff. Lessons in personal health and social education make a contribution, but this area of the school's work is not yet formalised to ensure that pupils are taught about the dangers of harmful substances. There are clear channels of communication with parents and the school takes advantage of these, as necessary, to support pupils in school - especially those who have difficulties with relationships or behaviour. The school's system of praise and merit points helps pupils to improve aspects of their own performance, and celebrate the achievement of others. The school does not maintain a personal record for each child, which would record general skills and abilities.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are good. The use of assessment is satisfactory overall but could be better. The school uses a broad range of standardized tests to measure and monitor pupils’ progress. It has devised recently a succinct on-going tracking sheet which shows how pupils have fared in tests at different stages of their school career and sets target levels for them to reach by certain times. Scrutiny of these sheets shows that teachers are carefully analysing results and measuring success. The Headteacher has also recently used the QCA information to measure value added from baseline and previous national test scores; this shows good value added and highlights which pupils are facing challenges. Assessment is used well to identify children with special educational needs and the more able pupils. Whilst there is a strong emphasis to support these children, there is little evidence in teachers’ planning to indicate extension

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

work for the more able pupils. Given the good quality of these assessments it is a shame that something is lost when activities are designed. Too often books across the ability ranges can be put side by side and little or difference observed in the task other than by outcome and productivity.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school's partnership with parents makes a satisfactory contribution to the quality of education that the school provides and to the standards that pupils achieve. The majority of parents hold very positive views about the school. Parental responses to the questionnaire and at the meeting were almost unanimous in their strong support for the Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 21 school. The issues of homework, insufficient information on what is taught and lack of additional activities gave rise to concern for some parents.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. There has been an improvement in the effectiveness of the links between school and pupils' homes since the previous inspection. Help is available to ease communication and parents are more confident to speak with staff or to telephone school when their children are ill. The very good response level from parents prior to the inspection is another indicator of the good links the school has created with the community it serves.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The school works tirelessly to draw in parents using a range of strategies. A senior member of staff is used as a home link worker and bilingual help is readily offered to parents whenever necessary. Some parents attend well-organised courses, held at school, to enhance their communication skills and some have participated in family literacy and numeracy sessions.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The nursery and reception staff play an important role in forging long term relationships. Parents attend seasonal and religious festivals, sharing cultural traditions during the year. A good start has been made in translating some information into community languages and commercially printed documents are on offer, should parents wish to have them.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The quality of information provided for parents is satisfactory, as are the annual reports on pupil progress. There are strengths and weaknesses in this area of the school's work. Clearly there are good links of communication between the school and children's home because parents feel very comfortable approaching school. Parents are invited to reviews of progress for those pupils with a special educational need. There is scope, however, for extending the range of information provided for parents because many are unaware what is taught in each year group. Eleven per cent of parents are uncertain what the arrangements are for homework. Nineteen per cent of those returning to their questionnaires are dissatisfied with the amount set. The school has also provided a programme for parents entitled, ’Keeping up with your kids’ and instigated a Family Literacy and Numeracy project.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Parents are satisfied with the good opportunities provided for them to hear of their children's progress and appreciate the work of bilingual staff who are present at these times. The brochure gives a clear outline of the school's position in the community and its expectations for all its pupils. The governors’ annual report provides a fair picture of the school's achievements.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Parents' involvement with the work of the school makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils' learning. Attendance at meetings held for parents is high. Parents value the school, many using it as a vital resource for their own learning. It is easy for parents to borrow books and story cassette tapes, and many do so.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. A home-school agreement was signed by many and some parts are working well. Of significant concern is that the progress and achievement of many pupils are affected by long periods of absence when parents take children abroad for visits to family. It remains the case that many parents, despite the school's best efforts, do not support the school enough in tackling its high level of absenteeism.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 22 57. The Headteacher has a clear vision of the future role of the school in serving its community. The Headteacher and senior staff provide effective leadership. The school aims are clear and appropriate and are well reflected in its daily life serving a diverse community. The ethos is founded on respect for all, tolerance and motivation through creating a positive self-image. Staff work effectively as a team and are committed to the well being of pupils developing high quality relationships with both pupils and parents. They act as positive role models for pupils to follow. The recently appointed Deputy Headteacher has already created an impact on the management of the Foundation Stage and has a clear view of the challenges ahead. Subject coordinators manage their subjects well and they have clear ideas of the way ahead for improvement. There have been notable improvements to history and geography, both were weak at the last inspection.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The exceptions to this are mathematics where the coordinator is on long-term absence and the management of Key Stage 1 where absence has left the key stage without direct oversight. The management of Key Stage 2 is thorough and the work on drawing the curriculum together by the key stage coordinator has safeguarded continuity. The school has made satisfactory progress in addressing the issues from the previous inspection but it has been too slow to improve provision and standards in ICT and mathematics; although not a key issue there is still no firm guidance for personal, health and social education, which was highlighted within the last report.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Monitoring by the literacy coordinator has had a positive effect on raising standards but the aforementioned staffing problems have had a detrimental effect on developments in mathematics. The Headteacher has managed the staffing difficulties well and has appointed good quality staff to maintain continuity and quality of provision for pupils; although a weakness is the number of temporary teachers Year 6 have had; not enough thought was given to how permanent staff could have safeguarded continuity of learning for pupils in this important year. Monitoring of teaching and the outcomes of learning by the Headteacher have not been high profile enough and this has created deficiencies in the curriculum and delivery in the nursery where the teaching and learning are barely satisfactory and in Year 1.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The governors play an active part in shaping the future direction of the school. The Chair of Governors is a daily visitor and has an in depth knowledge and concern for the pupils, staff and school community. Governors fulfil most of their statutory responsibilities except for the delivery of ICT, risk assessment and not all staff are sufficiently well aware of child protection procedures nor up to date in their training. In addition, the school does not keep on-going records of pupils’ personal skill and abilities. 60. The school development plan covers all aspects of school life; it is reviewed annually and staff and governors are involved in the process. Some issues should have higher priority, for example, the Foundation Stage, use of assessments and delegation of responsibilities in Key Stage 1. Insufficient attention is given within management planning to day-to-day issues, which safeguard the well being of pupils. For example, the school

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

does not have clearly defined risk assessment procedures and monitoring of first day absence for all pupils does not take place.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The Headteacher has impacted significantly on tracking pupils’ progress. Targets are available for all pupils in literacy and specific targets for pupils with English as an additional language are very well met; those pupils with special educational needs have very good provision made for them. Staff are well managed and work as a very effective team providing excellent role models for pupils, safeguarding racial harmony and capitalizing on their diverse cultural backgrounds to support pupils in living together in a multicultural society. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 23 62. Financial management is very good. Specific grants are very well used for example, the additional funding for pupils with EAL and special educational needs. Provision is well organised and managed and impacts directly on pupils’ progress. The school applies the principles of best value effectively. The Headteacher uses baseline assessments

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

analytically to evaluate value added. Both the Headteacher and governors are keen to ensure they achieve value for money when making spending decisions.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Resources are improving but some are still lacking, namely ICT , hardware and software resources which although planned for must diminish the pupils’ attainment and progress. Accommodation is satisfactory although the mobile classroom for Year 2 pupils is not ideal and somewhat isolates this class from the rest of the school . Staff, resources and accommodation are well used overall.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Overall, given its challenging circumstances and the good progress many pupils make this is an effective school, which gives good value for money.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

65. The governors, Headteacher and staff now need to:

p.23

skills in all subjects by ensuring that:

• staff knowledge and confidence to teach the subjects is improved; • teaching methods are consistently high across the school; • staff plan more carefully for how skills will be used. Reference to these weaknesses can be found in para.no’s 1, 3,4, 5,8,19,17, 27, 57, 78, 85, 120, 121

p.23

Review the provision within the Foundation Stage to ensure that:

Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 24 • the recommended curriculum is consistently in place in both Foundation Stage classes; • the quality of the environment, and learning experiences in the nursery are more stimulating and based on children investigating, exploring and recording for themselves with adult support to enhance language and understanding; • teaching and outcomes of learning are rigorously monitored. Reference to these weaknesses can be found in para.no’s:66,68,73,75

p.24

challenge all pupils by:

• devising a clear, usable profile of pupils’ personal and general skills and abilities; • teachers thinking more carefully about the tasks they provide for the range of ability within the classes based on accurate assessment of what pupils know, understand and can do Reference to these weaknesses can be found in para.no’s:28,41,48,93

p.24

Improve the monitoring of teaching and learning by the Headteacher by ensuring that:

• there is a systematic programme of monitoring of curriculum delivery and the outcomes of pupils’ learning: • all staff are aware of the purposes of monitoring and the criteria which will be used; • the outcomes of monitoring are used to set targets for improvement; • the targets are evaluated for success and reported to governors. Reference to these weaknesses can be found in para.no’s:58

p.24

Improve the school’s risk assessments to ensure that:

• the governors meet their statutory requirements to have a clear procedure for risk assessment; • the nature of risk is reassessed for all pupil activities; • staff are made fully aware of the governors’ procedures; • the Headteacher and governors are actively involved in ensuring that risk assessments are carried out and school policy implemented. Reference to these weaknesses can be found in para.no’s:41

p.24

Improve pupils’ attendance by ensuring that:

• all parents are made fully aware of their legal obligation for pupils to attend school on a regular basis; • follow up first day absence rigorously; • continue to work with the local authority support agencies; • pupils’ enthusiasm for school is capitalised on at every opportunity. References to these weaknesses can be found in para. no’s:18, 40, 46 Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 29

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 16 53 31 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 195

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 89 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 42

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 146

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 58

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 29

p.25

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. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 26

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 12 7 19

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 8 8 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 5 5 3

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 68 (58) 68 (52) 47 (61) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 9 8 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 5 6 3

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 74 (35) 74 (42) 58 (32) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 11 6 17

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 5 5 4 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 4 1 2

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 53 (50) 35 (14) 35 (29) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 6 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 1 1 1

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 41 (29) 41 (14) 41 (21) 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. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 27

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.27

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.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.5 Financial year 1999/2000

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 470,790

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1,995

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 66 Balance brought forward from previous year 41,260

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 69,450

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 49

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 8.3 FTE means full-time equivalent. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 28

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 68 31 1 0 1

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 64 33 2 0 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 44 26 10 9 11

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 62 28 5 2 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 28 2 2 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 68 21 3 2 6

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 69 20 3 2 6

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 64 28 2 0 6

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 69 24 4 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 44 25 8 3 20 Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 29

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Children attend the nursery for either a morning or afternoon session. On entry to the nursery, standards of attainment are well below national expectations. In communication, language and literacy they are very low, as most children do not speak English at all. Most have poor personal and social skills. As a result of the good relationships developed between the adults and the children most children make good progress in developing their personal and social skills in the nursery.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. Though progress in the nursery is satisfactory, by the time children transfer to the reception class, assessment shows that attainment is still well below what might be expected for their age in all areas of learning apart from personal and social development which is much closer to the average. In response to good, dynamic teaching, particularly in literacy and numeracy and in personal and social development, children make very good progress in their learning during their time in the reception class. The vast majority achieve well though they do not attain the Early Learning Goals in any area other than personal development. In response to the justified emphasis placed on personal, social and emotional development most children reach the level expected in this area and develop a good attitude to school from an early age. There is a good induction programme before children start in the nursery with home visits by the teacher and the opportunity for children

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. Activities are suitable and generally practically based and take account of the Early Learning Goals appropriate for young children. However, some activities in the nursery lack a clear focus. Opportunities for learning through experimenting and exploring are far too limited.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. Teaching is good overall in the Foundation Stage. It is satisfactory in the nursery, though sometimes barely so. Teaching in the nursery is better on those occasions where the teacher is talking directly to the whole group and there is a clear objective for the activity, such as the ‘Stepping Stones’ shape game. However, for a large part of the time, the children are engaged in choosing activities, which often lack a clear focus and some areas, such as the Home Corner are untidy and uninviting. Teaching in the reception class is consistently good and on occasions is very good. The teacher is imaginative and well organised and inspires the children to learn through her enthusiasm.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Regular assessments of the children indicate that there is a wide range of ability present, nevertheless, too often the same task is given to every child, regardless of their understanding, often posing insufficient challenge for the average and higher attaining children. A very good contribution is made to children’s learning by the bilingual staff and by the classroom assistants. The high number of adults available has a positive effect on children’s speaking and listening skills. There are a high proportion of children for whom English is an additional language, and the very good support enables these children to achieve well.

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

71. Children make very good progress in their personal and social development and by the time they complete the Foundation Stage the majority reach national expectations in this area. This reflects the important emphasis the school gives to this aspect of Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 30 development. The youngest children soon settle into school and quickly try to manage their own personal needs. They line up for outdoor play without fuss and know to replace their coat on the peg when they come in. The majority of children come eagerly into the nursery and participate well in all the activities. Children play well together and applaud others when they give a correct answer in class activities. This positive attitude continues into the reception class where very good harmony exists between the children and all the adults. Children concentrate for increasing periods and generally persevere to finish their task be it

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

measuring the dolls or cutting out figures to make a model. When working together in groups children help each other, for example when sequencing the Gingerbread Man story. They respond to the high expectations of the teacher and respect the class rules and routines. This was particularly evident in a physical development lesson when the children were careful not to climb onto the apparatus until the previous person has finished. Children also demonstrate their increasing maturity and participation in school activities as both nursery and reception join older pupils for assemblies, sitting quietly and listening well.

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Communication, language and literacy

72. Children enter the nursery with skills well below the average. Through satisfactory teaching in the nursery and some very good teaching in the reception class, children make good progress in the Foundation Stage but nevertheless, their attainment overall is still below the expected level by the time they leave reception. The good number of adults in the Foundation Stage, and effective bilingual support, enables children to make good progress in their speaking and listening skills. Children in the nursery learn to recognise their names as they choose their own name card at the start of each session and place it with the appropriate group. They listen well to stories and enjoy sharing a book with their teacher. They enjoy joining in the rhymes, such as Hickory Dickory Dock, and they respond well to the sunny disposition of their teacher. Assessments indicate that whilst they make satisfactory progress in the nursery, attainment is still well below the expected level when

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Communication, language and literacy

they enter the reception class. The lively approach of the reception class teacher and the well prepared and organised tasks enable children to make very good progress and move close to achieving the required level in listening and reading. Good progress is made in speaking and writing, but attainment does not reach the expected level. Good use is made of the Big Books to help children relate the print to the story and the excellent anticipation generated by the teacher capitalises very well on their enthusiasm and good questioning skills help them to predict what will happen next. Children have the opportunity to read to an adult each day and good records are kept to help children move to the next stage. Some children achieve or even exceed the expected level of reading due to the individual attention they receive. Children enjoy the I-Spy games and classroom support is used effectively to help children improve their phonic skills. Most pupils can write their own

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Communication, language and literacy

names and can form some recognisable letters, though few children can attempt to write their own simple stories. The teaching of writing is not systematic and does not yet match the level of the teaching of reading.

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Mathematical development

73. By the time they leave the Foundation Stage most children have made good progress from a low starting point. Some children reach the expected standard though the majority are just below the expected level in this area of learning. Teaching is good overall. Every opportunity is taken to count, such as the number of children present, and many children in the nursery can recite the numbers up to 20. In a missing numbers game most children recognise the numerals and can name the numbers up to five. In a good class activity using carpet tiles children demonstrate a good understanding of shapes and colours as they are asked to stand on a square, and higher attaining children can identify the Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 31 yellow triangle. Learning is less successful in independent work where too often the same activity is presented to each child, irrespective of its stage of development. Teaching is

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Mathematical development

good in reception and planning is well linked to the appropriate elements of the National Numeracy Strategy. In a lively introductory session children are encouraged to explain their reasoning as the teacher hangs the numbers on the line in the wrong order. The vast majority can place the numbers to ten in the correct order and the teacher makes good use of her knowledge of the children to target challenging questions and makes good use of words such as before and between. Activities are suitably practical and interesting to encourage children to develop an understanding of measurement as they put different sized tee shirts in the correct order, and the classroom assistants and bilingual team are effectively deployed to enhance children’s learning.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Whilst children make good progress in this area of learning the majority do not reach the level expected for their age by the time they leave the reception class. A good range of on-going activities is planned though often these lack sufficient focus to ensure progression, and opportunities for exploration and investigation are limited. On occasions the same activity is planned for all the children in nursery and reception to complete, and this fails to challenge the older and the higher attaining children. Children throughout the Foundation Stage use a good range of construction toys and reception children cut and stick egg boxes to make Humpty Dumpty. They also use a variety of fasteners to make the cardboard man move. Children learn about the needs of animals as they look after the rabbits in outdoor area. Teachers cooperate to plan for this area of development through a topic and the specific class activities are well planned to suit the different age groups. In the

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

“All About Me” topic, nursery children talk about pictures of themselves as babies and compare these to how they are today. Reception children learn about the bones in their body. Through a very good choice of story by the teacher they also learn the importance of personal hygiene in order to avoid “nasty” germs that can make them ill. In looking at food nursery children make sandwiches and talk about healthy food. Children in reception extend their knowledge of food and plants as they grow their own gardens from seeds. Insufficient opportunities are given for children to develop their computer skills. For a large part of the day computers are switched off or turned on but not in use. The computer in the nursery is not well placed to encourage children to use the program available. In reception, children can operate the listening centres to enjoy a story or rhyme. Good opportunities are given for children to celebrate the cultural diversity present by celebrating Christmas, Eid,

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Divali and Harvest. Visits to the local parks are used well to develop children’s knowledge of their own environment.

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Physical development

75. Children achieve well through a programme of planned activities, and overall achieve the nationally agreed Early Learning Goals by the end of reception. There is a secure outdoor play area with direct access from the Early Years Unit. There is time for outdoor play each day and children are skilled in using the wheeled toys and the large climbing equipment. They make good use of the limited space and generally play without bumping into each other. The sessions are well supervised for safety and adults talk to the children to develop their language skills. Physical development is extended well through well-planned lessons using the hall. They quickly find their own space and can run, skip, climb and jump on and off the apparatus and they know that exercise makes their heart beat faster. About half of the children can perform forward roll successfully. The teacher makes good use of demonstration to emphasise language such as straddle and tucked.

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Physical development

There are many opportunities for children to develop manipulative skills through cutting, using construction toys and completing jigsaws. However, there are missed opportunities Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 32 for planned activities to develop physical and social skills in the nursery and activities to develop pencil control are not sufficiently structured; this is reflected in immature writing skills.

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Creative development

76. Children make good progress overall in this area. They achieve the required level in musical activities but not in other creative areas. Children sing tunefully and this is evident in assemblies and in class. Older children enjoy using a range of percussion instruments and many can name the instruments and identify the sounds they make. Reception children were observed developing their listening skills in a lesson linked to a series of lessons on the theme, ‘All About Me’. They were presented with the story of ‘Sam’s Noisy House’ and had to make links between picture, sound and story by repeating the sounds they had heard. Later they had to match sounds to the pictures shown to them by the teacher. Children have opportunities to draw and paint using a variety of materials. However, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to experiment and explore their own creative skills. Children engage well in imaginative play when using the outside hut as a hospital and

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Creative development

when using the puppet theatre. However, the large home corner in the nursery is uninviting and there are missed opportunities to develop roleplay and vital language in this area.

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ENGLISH

77. The inspection finds standards in English are below national expectations and this matches pupils’ performance in the national tests at the ages of seven and 11 in the Year 2000, which was below national and similar school averages. However, given the pupils’ attainment on entry and lack of English their progress is good and they achieve well overall.

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ENGLISH

78. On entry to Key Stage 1 the pupils’ attainment is below average although good progress has been made in the reception class. By the end of Year 1 pupils’ progress is not satisfactory in literacy skills and this hinders the added value gained since entry. Progress improves in Year 2 and continues progressively through Key Stage 2. The current Year 6 are making good progress, although they have had too many temporary teachers during the year. Scrutiny of the work shows that they have not made the progress or achieved as well as they were capable. Progress is also diminished for some boys in the class because they are reluctant learners and suffer from concern about peer group pressure. The school is working hard to boost pupils’ self-esteem and to support their personal skills in making informed choices.

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ENGLISH

79. Standards in speaking are below average and well below for some pupils. Many pupils who have little English make good progress. They learn social language well and listen well enough to be able to follow instructions about class activities. Progress in listening is good although pupils’ abilities to interpret and understand are limited by the scope of their vocabulary. For example children listen carefully to play Chinese whispers and then perform mimes or an action; such as when they pretend to be the Headteacher and Father David, the Chair of Governors. Some children improve very well and learn that a more formal tone and vocabulary are necessary in certain situations however, others watch and listen without participation. By the age of 11, pupils have made good progress in speaking and listening; they are able to question people about their holidays with support from the EMAG teacher. Pupils listen intently to the teacher’s questions and with the aid of

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ENGLISH

interpreters and simplified questions they join in the task following instructions, for example, searching for the names of mountain ranges on a map of the world.

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ENGLISH

80. Standards in reading are below national expectations by the ages of seven and 11 although some seven year old pupils are making good and very good progress. A number Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 33 of these pupils were first stage language learners on entry. The higher attaining pupils are able to read within the Level 3; reading with fluency and expression and attempting to use a Scottish accent to add interest and for authenticity. Pupils recognise you cannot use the same voice for every character. They adapt their speech according to the adverbs to be used for example, reading quietly when it says, she said ‘timidly’. When reading as a group pupils model the reading of text quite well, some mouth the words and others, Kosovan children, are supported well by interpreters. Pupils make good progress in identifying when speech marks are used and learn that when they see a comma it means ‘take a little

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ENGLISH

breath’. By the age of 11, pupils do not read at expected levels although about one quarter, all girls show the ability to read quite well within Level 4. Pupils are beginning to read and grasp the meaning of a range of words and a groups of boys working with an interpreter are able to find words which they do not understand and show that they know how to use a dictionary.

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ENGLISH

81. Standards in writing are low when compared to national expectations by the ages of seven and 11. Although as in reading a group of pupils, mainly girls shows the ability to write within Level 4 by the age of 11. They write using sentences, interesting vocabulary and show sound knowledge of punctuation and sentence structure. This is not the case for all pupils. By the age of seven, first stage language learners can copy letters correctly, spell key words and write to convey their thoughts using ‘telegraphese’ for example, ‘I happy’. Overall the work shows good progress across the range of the subject and that pupils are gaining confidence in writing. Pupils with special educational needs can write simple sentences, personal accounts and complete through reading and writing a broad range of phonic and spelling tasks showing competence within Level 2. An average pupil who was identified with very little English at the point of entry can retell stories, begin to use

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ENGLISH

speech marks and correctly spells a good number of common words. Only one pupil’s work showed good evidence of writing within the higher Level 3. No pupils show regular usage of a cursive script. By the age of 11 pupils, can shape letters correctly and their writing is easily readable with some showing sound skills in a joined script. Work across the curriculum in Key Stage 2 shows evidence of using writing for a variety of purposes. For example, devising an encyclopedia of ducks, extracting information from non fiction text, learning spellings using mnemonics and devising their own versions; all of which show that pupils are grasping a sound understanding of the meaning of words and the ability to use language to recall information. For example, Year 6 pupils eagerly offer ‘big elephants can’t always use small exits’ in order to remember how to spell key words such as because. In spite of the good progress made over time and in lessons, progress could be better. Pupils

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ENGLISH

are not introduced to a cursive script early enough to support their spelling of new words, to aid speed writing, fluency and note taking skills. Far too many worksheets are employed when pupils are recording information, which lessens their opportunities to read, write, organise and communicate independently and also hinder the teachers in knowing exactly what pupils are capable of. Pupils are learning the structures of Standard English regularly and systematically; as yet not all are able to verbalise what they have learned or have the confidence to share their knowledge.

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ENGLISH

82. Pupils enjoy their literacy lessons and they understand the routine and structure of the sessions. Year 2 are very responsive to cooperative teaching when learning how to devise questions and guess answers. Girls, particularly the older ones, show more interest and confidence to engage than boys, indeed there is some reluctance by Year 6 boys to be seen to be joining in and some exhibit immature behaviour, which is vigilantly dealt with by teachers. Behaviour in lessons is good overall and most pupils show positive attitudes to learning particularly reading. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 34 83. The quality of teaching is good overall with instances of very good teaching in both key stages. Teaching is best in Year 2 where pupils benefit regularly from cooperative teaching with bilingual support. In a literacy lesson the planning, preparation and pace were excellent motivating the pupils to listen carefully, offer ideas and answers and enthusing

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ENGLISH

them to want to read the text and try out accents. Both teachers brought humour and exceptional relationships to the learning. In Key Stage 2 teaching was very good in just under half of the lessons. It was satisfactory in only one. In Year 3, in a lesson on playing with language very good teaching, adept classroom support and fine planning ensured the lesson was productive and that pupils learned very well about the use of language and how it can be employed to create atmosphere, humour and make meaning clearer. The quality of bilingual support enhanced the learning of groups of pupils. In Years 5 and 6, teaching was also very good. Both teachers being very experienced, having good subject knowledge, high expectations and vigilance for attention to task. All teachers would benefit from reviewing how they require pupils to present and record and work and in sharing good practice to gain consistency in marking.

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ENGLISH

84. The literacy coordinator has only recently taken up the post but she has a clear view of the subject development. Good documentation has been produced for each area of learning within the subject along with a library policy. The library houses a very good range of multicultural non-fiction texts. Reading materials are sound but could be better and some of the commercial schemes are looking worse for wear. Many reading books are at an inappropriate interest level for older pupils who do not read well and this leads to disaffection. In too few classrooms is there a warm, welcoming reading corner where key vocabulary is displayed prominently to support topics. The school is currently involved in a family literacy project and is producing books from photographs taken here and abroad to support reading. It is hoped that this will further encourage parental involvement in pupils’ learning. The delivery of the subject meets statutory requirements and although standards

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ENGLISH

are below expectations progress has improved from steady to good since the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Results for the Year 2000 National Curriculum tests for 11 year olds show that standards were again very low when compared with all schools and well below the average for similar schools nationally. Whilst there has been a slight overall improvement since the last inspection in the number of pupils achieving the expected level or better, it is still too low. The unsettled staffing situation in Year 6 has resulted in the concentration on a narrow curriculum and school’s assessments show that there will be no improvement in the number of pupils attaining the expected level in the current year. Inspection evidence confirms this. However, because of improvements in teaching and the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy, pupils currently in Years 3- 5 are working much closer to the level expected for their age.

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MATHEMATICS

86. Significant factors in pupils’ underachievement in mathematics are: - • The insufficient use of assessment information to provide suitable challenge and support for all pupils. • The lack of opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding by applying their skills to problem-solving. • A lack of clear and regular links between mathematics and information and communication technology. • The disruptive behaviour of a group of boys in Year 6, the time needed to manage this has a severe impact on the time available for teaching and learning. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 35 87. Results for the Year 2000 National Curriculum tests for seven year olds show that standards were very low when compared with all schools nationally and also with similar schools. Fewer than half the pupils achieved the expected level and no pupil achieved the higher level and this continues a falling trend from the previous two years. However, due to

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MATHEMATICS

good teaching by the current Year 2 teacher, inspection evidence shows that there has been a significant improvement in the number of pupils working at the appropriate level. This is confirmed by the most recent National Curriculum tests in which over 80 per cent of pupils achieved the national expectation though this is still below the national average.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Progress is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 1. It is barely satisfactory in Year 1, because of the teacher’s insecure knowledge of the National Numeracy Strategy; it is good in Year 2 due to the good match between activities and pupils’ needs.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Progress is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 2. It is good in Years 3-5, where the numeracy strategy has been well implemented and lessons are well paced. Progress is unsatisfactory in Year 6 because of the lack of continuity in teaching in the current year. The quality of teaching has improved with the present appointment. However, the behaviour of a group of boys takes an inordinate amount of teacher time to resolve and affects not only the learning of this group but also the rest of the class.

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MATHEMATICS

90. By the age of seven, pupils are developing a sound understanding of tens and units and can place numbers up to 100 on a number line. They have made a start on multiplication and some pupils can recognise numbers as being multiples of two, five and ten. They can recognise and name simple two-dimensional shapes and have a good understanding of symmetry. In measuring, they can put containers in order of size but there is no evidence of accompanying practical work on capacity. They can mark right angles on shapes, extending the work done on turning in Year 1. Pupils have opportunities to display information on graphs and charts. For example the number of children who wear short socks and which ice cream is the most popular. There are some opportunities for solving simple word problems in Year 2. However, over-reliance on worksheets throughout Key Stage 1 inhibits independent work. There are some challenging questions on the

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MATHEMATICS

mathematics board in Year 2 but there is little evidence of pupils’ work on display to encourage and celebrate their efforts. 91. At Key Stage 2, pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are making good progress in developing their arithmetic skills by regular mental practice in their daily numeracy sessions. These are less effective in Year 6 despite the teacher’s best efforts, because many boys find it difficult to settle at the start of a lesson. By the age of 11, pupils can add and subtract numbers to 1000 with reasonable accuracy. They understand the effects of multiplying by ten and have made a start on long multiplication. They can identify different types of triangles and can work out the area and perimeter of rectangles. They know the units of measurement in regular use and can calculate how long certain activities take. They understand how to work out an average and can draw a line graph to show the number of different coloured

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MATHEMATICS

'smarties' found in a tube. Pupils’ development of mathematical language, reasoning and skills in applying mathematics is limited. Their books show few opportunities for problem solving or for investigating patterns in number, though this has been identified by the school as an area for development. The majority of the work is below or just at the expected level with few examples of pupils working at the higher level. This demonstrates underachievement by a small group of pupils who display the aptitude to work at the higher level.

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MATHEMATICS

92. There are some opportunities for pupils to use their numeracy skills in other areas of the curriculum, for example, Year 2 measure the distance travelled by various cars down a Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 36 ramp in science and Year 6 display information on mountains in a graph. However, pupils have very few opportunities to develop and use their numeracy skills.

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MATHEMATICS

93. The school has implemented the National Numeracy Strategy satisfactorily overall, and it is having a good effect on standards in Years 2, 3, 4 and 5. The general planning structure is used effectively but teachers do not always plan work to challenge different groups of pupils in their class. Scrutiny of pupils’ books since September shows that too often all groups are set the same task and that insufficient use is made of assessment information to challenge pupils at their own level of understanding.

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MATHEMATICS

94. During the inspection teaching was good overall. All the lessons seen from Year 2 to Year 6 were good or better and one very good lesson was seen. No unsatisfactory lessons were observed. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection when teaching was judged to be satisfactory. This improvement is due mainly to the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy and the associated training for teachers, which has improved teachers’ knowledge of the subject. Whilst teaching is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 1, it is better at the end of the Key Stage 2. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is consistently good, though the unsettled staffing position in Year 6 has meant that learning has been more effective up to Year 5. In the most effective lessons throughout the school the introductory session is well paced, pupils are asked to explain their working and good questioning skills provide suitable challenge for all pupils. In the very good lesson seen

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MATHEMATICS

good use was made of correct language, such as digit and adjust, to promote understanding. However, a weakness in the satisfactory lessons was the imprecise use of language and the failure to establish appropriate routines for pupils in the introductory mental session; the teacher did not have the full attention of the class before posing questions and did not ask for all answers to be shown at the same time. Consequently some pupils were able to look at the answers of others rather than work out their own. Pupils respond well to the teachers’ high expectations of behaviour and the good working atmosphere created improves learning; and in Year 6 the teacher’s no-nonsense approach gives a clear indication to pupils that some behaviour is unacceptable. There is good cooperation between all adults and this enhances the learning for all pupils, for example, bilingual support in the oral sessions enables pupils to participate fully.

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MATHEMATICS

95. At the moment there is no overall mathematics coordinator; the Headteacher has assumed a care-taking role supported by a teacher in Key Stage 1. The mathematics policy needs updating to take account of the National Numeracy Strategy. Whilst there has been some monitoring of teaching and learning it is not sufficiently rigorous to identify and remedy areas of weakness. Through its links to a national project, the school has received an analysis of those questions causing difficulty in the standardised tests. However, there has been no adjustment to the curriculum to overcome these problems.

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SCIENCE

96. Standards of attainment in the national tests for 11 year olds were well below the national average, and very low compared to results in similar schools. Teacher assessments judged the attainment of seven year olds to be below the national average. Boys performed slightly better than the girls at the end of Key Stage 2. Attainment during the inspection was judged to be below national expectations at the end of both key stages. This is in contrast to standards at the time of the previous inspection when they were deemed to be in line with the national average. However, most pupils, including those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs make good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of both natural and physical scientific phenomena. High quality support gives them access to all activities and enables Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 37 them to make good progress. However, their lack of literacy skills particularly in oracy and

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SCIENCE

writing causes them difficulties in expressing their ideas and recording their investigations and findings. Although a good deal of teaching is being directed at developing their ability to make predictions and to test hypotheses, it is these aspects, which severely hinders their achievement of national expectations.

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SCIENCE

97. In a lesson in Year 1 pupils were able to give sources of loud and quiet sounds, eagerly sharing their knowledge of the fact that a fire engine needs to be loud to warn people to get out of the way. However, in discussion they were unable to express their knowledge and understanding of how sounds are caused and travel to their ears. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have acquired a satisfactory basic knowledge of living things, materials and their properties and physical processes through a well structured series of scientific investigations. For example, growing of sunflower seeds under controlled conditions, and finding out whether the height of a ramp affects how far an object travels, led to knowledge and understanding but gave the pupils little opportunity to determine further investigation. At Key Stage 2, pupils in Year 3 and 4 demonstrated their knowledge and understanding of forces; in exploring how springs cause objects to move, and in

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SCIENCE

investigating the effects of air pressure on falling objects. Year 6 pupils shared their developing skills in a lesson in which they were required to devise a fair test to find out how the thickness of wire within an electrical circuit may effect the brightness of a bulb. However, throughout these lessons and in the work seen in their books, learning outcomes are often restricted by the pupils’ language and literacy skills.

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SCIENCE

98. Pupils throughout both key stages have a positive attitude towards the subject and are particularly well motivated whilst involved in practical activities. They listen attentively to expositions and instructions and are able to use equipment to carry out simple investigations successfully. They enjoy learning the precise vocabulary and delight in practicing new words and phrases at every opportunity with their teachers and support staff. This has a positive impact on their progress. Relationships are very good; pupils of all ages work well together and are generally supportive of one another. They have a high tolerance level of each other, are willing to share and to wait their turn whist using equipment.

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SCIENCE

99. Teaching is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. Teachers have a secure subject knowledge and know the needs of their pupils well. Lessons have clear learning objectives, which are shared with the pupils at the beginning of most lessons and focused on during the plenary sessions. Assessment through observation, discussion and questioning is used effectively, often resulting in the direct teaching of subject skills, which accelerates progress. The preparation and resourcing of lessons is generally good and when carried out in partnership with support staff of a high quality. The teachers’ management of pupils and their high expectations for behaviour and work ethic is a strength of their teaching, particularly at Key Stage 2. Time is rarely wasted. Although, on occasion the pace of a lesson is hindered due to the need for greater clarification of factual information which is vital to the success of the planned investigation. The coordinator and

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SCIENCE

individual teachers realize that their current teaching strategies are overly teacher directed, the structure and outcomes of many investigations being determined by the work sheet. However, where opportunities arise pupils are being encouraged to think for themselves and to suggest the nature and path of the investigation. For example, when groups of Year 6 pupils successfully discussed possible ways of devising a fair test to explore the efficiency of an electrical circuit. All teachers are sensitive to the need for pupils to use and develop their language and literacy skills. Most use a variety of strategies to support this development, including the effective use of interactive displays. For example, a display focused on electricity in Year 6 drawing the viewer’s attention to insulators and conductors. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 38 100. The subject coordinator has a very good subject knowledge and is working hard to

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SCIENCE

make the best use of assessment data to accurately diagnose specific areas of weakness in the pupils’ learning which will allow teachers to be more focused in their planning of lessons and in matching work more accurately to the needs of individual pupils. Documentation is well informed and provides useful support to individual teachers in their quest to provide a programme of structured investigations which safeguards continuity and progression. Assessment procedures have improved a good deal since the last inspection and are impacting well on planning and teaching strategies. However, the work presented to the higher achievers still requires to be better matched to their abilities and to provide more of a challenge. Resources are systematically reviewed and spending is geared to the delivery of all aspects of the subject. The subject is well managed and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. At the time of the last inspection in 1997 standards were judged to be above national expectations by the end of both key stages. This inspection finds that standards by the ages of seven and 11 are average with some good quality work seen. Pupils within both key stages produce work, which shows a sound and at times strong grasp of techniques and skills. For example, stain glass windows produced by Year 2 pupils and line drawings by Year 6 pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. In Key Stage 1, pupils have learnt to mix colours and apply them successfully to their work, their skills being well illustrated in their use of colour to depict autumn. By the end of the key stage they have the confidence and basic skills to produce recognizable observational drawings of scenes from around the school, making early attempts at using tone and texture. Displays exhibit work which has required them to use a variety of materials and techniques such as; torn paper pictures, collages and their interpretation of Rangoli patterns.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. In one lesson at Key Stage 2, Year 3 pupils developed their techniques of fixing and joining in building their statues from their designs. Corridor and classroom displays enrich the environment. The wide range of completed work reflects the teachers’ planning and delivery of a broad range of activities. Pictures of Roman soldiers, large two-dimensional Amphoras made from crumpled paper, a well illustrated ‘Encyclopedia of Ducks’, still life drawings and tissue paper silhouettes showed their developing skills across a wide range of techniques. Progress is good throughout the school. Pupils of all ages and abilities show an eagerness and skill in working with a wide range of materials, including clay, in a variety of dimensions and scales. The pupils select materials, experiment with ideas with increasing control and awareness and reflect and improve their work. Pupils enjoy making and designing and they take pleasure in being asked to explain how the work was

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ART AND DESIGN

104. The quality of teaching in the lesson observed was good; the activities were well planned, prepared and resourced. From the scrutiny of teachers’ planning they have a good grasp of the subject and the range and quality of work achieved give testimony to their creative approach and their ability to teach the basic subject skills successfully. The teachers make every effort to display the pupils’ work to its best advantage, which gives great self-esteem to the artists and pleasure to visitors.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. The subject is well managed, documentation provides an effective aide memoir to staff and safeguards the teaching of skills within a flexible but structured scheme of work. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 39 Resources are adequate and provide staff and pupils with a comprehensive range of materials, tools and equipment with which to create their works of art. The environment is used effectively to stimulate the pupils’ interest and to provide first hand images for them to observe and re-create. The subject fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and makes a valuable contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Although it was not possible to observe any lessons of design and technology during the inspection, evidence was gathered through the scrutiny of design books and previously made artefacts, talking to pupils and the subject coordinator and a close examination of planning. As a result there is sufficient evidence to judge that standards are below average at the end of both key stages, due to lack of planned opportunities for pupils to evaluate their work in depth in order to help them improve their designs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in developing the skills needed for designing and making their artefacts.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. Pupils in Year 1 improve their skills as they cut out a church and also design and make a hanging decoration, using card and paper fasteners. Pupils across Key Stage 1 have the opportunity to use a range of construction toys competently to develop their designing skills. Year 1 pupils design a structure with a rectangular base and consider how to make it more stable. Pupils in Year 2 extend their skills as they design a moving, wheeled vehicle, showing the front, side and rear view and then build, it using construction equipment.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. At Key Stage 2, pupils are involved in activities, which give appropriate opportunities for designing and making a range of artefacts, and their designs are recorded well in their books. Pupils are well aware of safety issues and Year 3 pupils were observed using wire cutters with great care. Pupils in Year 3 design a photo frame and show the side view to illustrate how it will stand up. Pupils in Year 4 develop their sewing skills in making a purse and Year 5 exercise their imagination as they design a vehicle to transport an elephant to the zoo. Eleven-year olds examine musical instruments carefully before making their own from boxes and materials, recording their designs in good detail. They take care to produce an attractive finished product and their making skills are in line with expectations. Pupils are at an early stage of evaluating their designs in order to make improvements. A good

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

evaluation sheet was used in Year 3 for pupils to decide on the strengths and weaknesses of their frames. Older pupils consider how their instruments could be played, though their evaluation skills are at an early stage. There are no opportunities for pupils to use electrical components in their designs or to use the computer to try out their ideas.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. A new policy was approved this year and a new scheme of work, based on national guidelines, has been introduced. Good account is taken of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language to enable them to participate fully. The situation is similar to that found at the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. Standards are below expectations by the end of Key Stage 2 but overall in line by the age of seven in their knowledge. This judgement is made when all evidence is gathered together as no lessons were observed at Key Stage 1 and only one at Key Stage 2. Pupils’ progress in their knowledge of people, places and themes is mainly good. Although Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 40 standards have not risen sharply there is a definite improvement in subject provision since the last inspection, which is supporting pupils’ progress well.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. By the age of seven, pupils have begun to acquire and use geographical vocabulary. In Year 1 they have studied key features of the school and can name and label different parts of the building. They have studied the theme of pollution and can identify ‘nice places and nasty places round the school’. In Year 2, using the theme of ‘Barnaby Bear’, who travels with people around the world and then shares information on the places he visits, they have increased their knowledge of Glasgow and Southport. Pupils are able to compare places in simple form and say what is the same or different. Year 2 pupils are currently studying The Isle of Struay. They have located simple features on a map and can answer key questions such as, 'Where is this place?' What is it like? Would you like to live here? A very well presented classroom display supports the learning and identifies key words such as beach, post office and shops. Good cross curricular links were made with

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GEOGRAPHY

this topic in a literacy lesson to further pupils’ competence in phrasing questions and matching them to answers. Pupils also have some understanding of the local environment and also of important buildings such as the church and mosque.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. By the age of 11, pupils do not have the knowledge, skills and understanding across the breadth of the subject expected nationally but they have made some good progress and produced useful work, which expands their vocabulary and widens their experiences. Year 3 pupils have made progress in considering ‘Where in the world are we?’ This has supported pupils in gaining a view of England within the United Kingdom and the UK within the continents of the world. Many know the constituent countries of the United Kingdom and they can identify Pakistan on a map of the world. They have studied their local town of Ashton and have asked the question why is Ashton changing? Year 3 pupils are learning to understand how people’s views affect changes to the environment and they have engaged in lively debate about proposed building in the local area, supporting their speaking and listening skills very well indeed. In Year 4 pupils have increased their knowledge of

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GEOGRAPHY

Pakistan, which is the current theme in school and can record key information in booklets. They have collected data about the weather and seasons and are also building on the work in the local area started in Year 3. Year 5 and 6 pupils are studying holiday locations. Year 5 have very usefully used news facts from the media to locate places countries on a worlds map and consider their suitability for as a holiday destination. In Year 6 pupils are studying mountain ranges and oceans of the world and some can name them. In linking literacy to geography a small group of pupils make good progress in phrasing simple questions to ask the people of Ashton about their holidays preferences. These pupils make good progress because of the high quality support from the EMAG teacher. Pupils have studied rivers and learned about how they meander and the effect of deposits and erosion, they have also tried using an atlas to locate the highest waterfalls. A strong emphasis on cooperative

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GEOGRAPHY

group work and the focused adult support improves pupils’ language and subject vocabulary. In spite of this good work pupils have many gaps in their learning and do not have the language necessary to share what they know. Given the improvements to the subject in time, planning and resources it is possible to see that pupils’ attainment is steadily moving towards national expectations.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. Only one lesson was seen; the teaching was satisfactory and the pupils responded well. The theme of the lesson, identifying changes in the Swat Valley helped pupils locate places on a map and recognize environmental features. Although pupils were interested and on task few could ask questions but some could answer them.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. The management of the subject is very good. Considerable work has taken place in this subject and history since the last inspection and the coordinator’s efforts can be seen Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 41 in practice. The school has devised schemes of work linked to the recommended QCA documents and teachers are using these well to plan suitable work. One weakness to address is the overuse of worksheets to record information and this hinders the pupils’ subject skills in organising and communicating their work for themselves. The delivery of the subject meets the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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HISTORY

116. Standards are below expectations by the end of both key stages by the ages of seven and 11. Two lessons were seen, one at each key stage. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge, learning and understanding, which make national attainment levels unrealistic for many at this time. The diverse cultures of the school’s intake make understanding more difficult. Nevertheless, as in geography the subject has improved and progress in curriculum provision has been good since the last inspection.

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HISTORY

117. Pupils are making satisfactory progress in learning about famous people and events such as Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London by the age of seven. They have considered their own homes and how people used to live long ago. Pupils, whilst gaining new knowledge, have more limited understanding because much of the curriculum is centred on life in Britain in the past of which many pupils and families have little experience. By the age of 11, pupils have studied the curriculum units recommended by the QCA and have improved their knowledge of the Romans, and have enhanced their understanding through a trip to Chester and tried to sense life in Roman times. The use of key questions is well developed to support speaking and listening skills. Other topics covered include the ancient Greeks, the Tudors, including the impact of the Plague, building on Key Stage 1 work on the Great Fire of London. Pupils have visited Heaton Park linked to their study of

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HISTORY

Greek architecture and Portland Basin Museum, Heritage Centre. They have compared a Victorian Christmas with their own and the lives of rich and poor in the 19 th century. Recording is limited too often to worksheets, restricting as in other subjects, pupils’ use of literacy skills.

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HISTORY

118. Teaching in the two lessons seen was good. In Year 1 pupils studied homes and identified different rooms in the house and objects from long ago. The teacher used effective questioning techniques to recap on previous work and to introduce the notions of comparing and contrasting. The pupils were supported in building up key vocabulary such as old and modern. In Year 5, the teacher had carefully planned a lesson drawing on what pupils had learned about Greek architecture. The strength of the lesson was how well it built upon pupils’ scientific knowledge about forces, building design and the use of mathematical skills in presenting information. The lesson challenged the pupils to experiment and record what they had learned. Pupils learned well about the notion of how buildings change over time. Pupils responded well and showed interest and good attitudes in both lessons.

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HISTORY

119. The management of history is very good and has improved well since the last inspection. Good use is made of visits to enhance pupils understanding. Planning is now well linked to the QCA schemes of work. The delivery of the subject meets statutory requirements.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. Standards of attainment are below expectations in both key stages and progress is unsatisfactory. Insufficient opportunities are provided for pupils to become competent and skilled in the use of information and communication technology, (ICT). There was no Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 42 opportunity to see any direct teaching of the subject as it is does not have a specific slot on the timetable though it is sometimes indicated in other lessons Evidence was gathered from scrutiny of pupils’ previous work and talking to teachers and pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. The work in ICT does not meet statutory requirements as not all elements of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study are taught. This was also the case at the last inspection. The school has addressed some areas of weakness noted in the previous inspection but the school’s improvements in the subject have not kept pace with what is happening nationally and many weaknesses remain.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. By the age of seven, pupils have had some experience of word-processing though few examples of their work are evident in their books or about the school. They can use the mouse with reasonable accuracy to dress teddy, and in their mathematics lesson, pupils in Year 1 can give instructions to make the programmable robot move forwards and backwards and turn through a right-angle. The limited time that pupils use the computer means that the skills of the majority of pupils are below those expected nationally.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils can write short pieces of prose or poems; Year 3 write a paragraph on their visit to the library and Year 4 word-process their own stories. Pupils in Year 5 improve their skills as they use the computer “to make their stories better.” With support, pupils in Year 6 use the Wizard Program to make booklets involving folds and also to make Easter and Eid cards. There is some use of the programmable robot and Year 3 can devise the commands to make it draw a turning path on a large piece of paper. Pupils are becoming competent in using a CD Rom to find information about their projects but there is no access to the Internet. With support, pupils in Year 6 devise a questionnaire about people’s visits to various mountain ranges and have entered the information into a database. Some modelling was seen in a Year 4 class as they used a program related to the Romans. In Year 6 a newly purchased sensor was introduced to the pupils for the first

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

time, to check the temperature produced by different thicknesses of fuse wire. Apart from isolated instances, areas of the curriculum such as modelling, control and exchanging information are barely touched on.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. No direct teaching of the subject was observed during the inspection. Teachers usually set up the computers with the programs they want the pupils to work on and whilst teachers and support staff help pupils where needed, there is little evidence of the regular teaching of new skills. The range of learning opportunities in information technology is narrow and the attention given to the subject is not sufficiently systematic.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Some hardware has been updated this year and staff have taken the opportunity to improve their skills. A new scheme of work has been introduced, based on national guidelines. However, some staff are finding the content challenging. The school recognises that this is an area for development and has recently been successful in the bid for funding for a new ICT suite and additional staff training and the start of building work is imminent.

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MUSIC

126. During the inspection it was possible to observe only a small number of lessons. However, it is clear from these lesson observations, from a study of medium and short term planning and in discussions with pupils and teachers that pupils make satisfactory progress given their prior attainment as they move through the school. Attainment is below national expectations overall but in line in singing at the end of both key stages. At the time of the last inspection attainment was in line with national expectations at Key Stage 1 but below average at the end of Key Stage 2. Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 43 127. In Year 1 the focus was on improving the children’s aural memory. They repeated rhythm patterns created by the teacher then some children created their own rhythm patterns that the rest of the class had to repeat. Later in a Year 1 lesson the children investigated variations in pitch, volume and duration of sounds using a variety of percussion

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MUSIC

128. Teaching is satisfactory at Key Stage 1. Pupils are well managed and some challenging behaviour in excitable situations is dealt with quickly and effectively. Occasionally lessons are over-directed and not enough emphasis put on enabling pupils to develop their own ideas. Lesson plans have clear and relevant objectives and good links are made with other subject areas including English, art, science and design and technology. Year 6 pupils had made a variety of percussion and stringed instruments and some of their artwork was based on the ‘Flight of the Bumble Bee’. No direct teaching was observed at Key Stage 2.

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MUSIC

129. The school has adopted national guidelines for this year. However, some of the units have been modified to meet the children’s needs. Lesson planning contains clear learning objectives that cater well for the range of pupil’s abilities and a new policy was drawn up in September 2000. The profile of music was raised in the school with the visit of two groups of musicians, the 'Shola' band and the ‘Zulus’. As a follow up to the Zulu visit Year 1 pupils presented an African assembly. Earlier this year pupils in Year 3 visited Ashton library to take part in an art and music workshop. The school has a good choir, which meets once a week at lunchtime, and a recently introduced Asian dance club meets after school on a Monday.

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MUSIC

130. The majority of pupils enjoy listening to and making music although a minority of pupils at Key Stage 1 found it difficult to maintain concentration. All pupils take part in singing together in assemblies and the pupils learn songs in different languages. One group was observed singing a song in three different language parts. A variety of music that includes European, Folk, British and Non-Western elements is made available to the pupils. The pupils handle instruments with care and respect each other’s contribution.

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MUSIC

131. Resources are adequate to support the development of the subject

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. Overall standards are as expected nationally for the ages of the pupils at both key stages. This matches the findings of the previous inspection. However, pupils’ attainment in swimming is below what is expected nationally. 133. In a Year 2 games lesson children were observed practising their passing and interception techniques. They then applied these in a small game situation where the objective was to pass the ball and bounce it in a hoop to score. Pupils in Key Stage 2 were able to demonstrate a variety of throwing techniques using balls and quoits where the focus was on accuracy as well as distance. Pupils make expected progress by the end of Key Stage 1 and 2. 134. Teaching is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 with some good aspects at Key Stage 2. The number of pupils not participating, because too regularly they have no kit made the management of a Year 2 lesson difficult and must slow progress and ultimately weaken

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

standards. Where the quality of teaching was good the lesson had a clear structure, the teacher built on previous skills already developed by the children and related this well to the Holy Trinity CE Primary School - 44 objectives of the lesson. In Years 5 and 6 qualified coaches are used to teach the children skills in volleyball, hockey, basketball, cricket and football.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. The physical education curriculum covers all the National Curriculum areas of study. At Key Stage 1 the curriculum covers dance, gymnastics and games while athletics and swimming are included at Key Stage 2. The school has adopted the national guidelines to ensure breadth and balance in the curriculum and individual class teachers have adapted these to meet the needs of their pupils. All children in Years 5 and 6 go swimming for three half terms each year when many of them learn to swim for the first time. 136. From the nursery to Year 6 children are encouraged to enjoy physical activity and to develop their confidence in physical activities. This was evident in the lessons observed and was confirmed in discussions with the pupils. Children’s enthusiasm for physical activities is also promoted at lunchtimes. Attitudes to physical education are usually positive apart from a small minority of pupils who have difficulty keeping to the rules and following instructions.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Resources are adequate. The school’s indoor facilities for physical activities are still limited. There are no wall bars or ropes for the children to use and the hall is small. The school compensates for this by making good use of Medlock Sports Centre.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. A variety of competitive sports are organised against other schools and children’s enthusiasm for physical activities is also promoted at lunchtimes. Due consideration is given to health and safety.

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