St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Littlehampton

ST CATHERINE’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th – 22 nd June 2000

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ST CATHERINE’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST CATHERINE’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Highdown Drive Littlehampton West Sussex Postcode: BN17 6HL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Peter Ripley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22 nd September 1997 St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mrs Barbara Parker Registered inspector English Art Design and technology Music The provision for children under five What sort of school it is and what it should do to improve further The school’s results and achievements How well pupils are taught How well the school is led and managed

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mrs Carolyn Webb Lay Inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well the school cares for its pupils How well the school works in partnership with parents Mr Mike Roussel Team Inspector Mathematics Science Information technology Geography History Physical education Equal opportunities Special educational needs English as an additional language How good the curricular and other opportunities offered to the pupils are The effectiveness of the school’s assessment procedures St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

School haus Limited Riverbank Station Road Ollerton Village Near Newark Nottingham NG22 9BN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 27

St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Catherine’s Catholic School is a small primary school for boys and girls 4 – 11 years old. Of the 137 pupils at the school, less than three per cent are eligible for free school meals – this is below most other schools. Whilst the area the school serves is one of low income and some of the pupils come from below average socio-economic backgrounds, the backgrounds of the majority are average and their attainment on entry is typical of that found in most schools. Twenty-two per cent of the pupils have special educational needs. This is broadly average. However, there are five pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need, which is above the national average. Most pupils come from white English speaking families, with five Portuguese pupils, four of whom are in the early stages of English language acquisition. The school serves mainly pupils from the Catholic faith, with about seven per cent of its pupils following other

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective and improving school. It no longer has serious weaknesses. Standards are high by the time the pupils leave the school because teaching is effective and leadership and management are good. The Catholic ethos of the school promotes good attitudes to learning and good relationships amongst the school community. The school gives good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Because of very effective teaching in Key Stage 2, standards are high in English, mathematics and science by the time the pupils leave the school. • Assessment is used effectively to identify gaps in learning. It also helps teachers to make sure that more able pupils make good progress with their learning. • Staff are very caring and support pupils well. Their procedures for ensuring attendance and good behaviour are very effective and pupils have an enthusiasm for learning and a pride in their school. • Behaviour and relationships are good. • Pupils are prepared well for their next school. • Leadership and management are very effective.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Teachers in Key Stage 1 do not expect enough of less able pupils and those with special educational needs and do not support them effectively in their work. • The learning of children under five could be better if these pupils were taught a more appropriate curriculum. • The achievements of the pupils for whom English is an additional language are not good enough because teachers are unsure about how to meet these pupils’ needs. • Pupils have insufficient knowledge and understanding of other cultures. 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

The school has made good progress since its last inspection in 1997. Teaching and learning is much better than it was and so standards in English, mathematics and science have risen over the last four years to above those found in most other schools by the time the pupils leave the school. Although standards in the other subjects have been maintained or improved, except in design and technology where they remain unsatisfactory, there is still much work to be done, particularly in art, music and design and technology where insufficient progress has been made since the last inspection. Teaching is better than it was because of very effective procedures that identify and deal with what does and does not work in teaching. Assemblies are timed carefully and do not encroach on teaching time. Leadership and management have improved considerably. The head teacher, senior managers and governing body have a very clear idea

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

about what needs doing next to improve the school further. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 8

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Standards are higher than in most other schools and are better than those found in similar schools. St Catherine’s end of Key Stage 2 test results have risen over time at a greater rate than those of most other schools. The school sets realistic targets for the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science, based mainly on pupils’ end of Year 5 achievements. Because the teaching in Year 6 is so effective, these targets are often exceeded. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are broadly average. Although the percentage of pupils reaching the higher level is rising each year, so is the percentage attaining the lower level. The lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs do not achieve high enough standards because teaching does not have sufficient regard to their assessed needs and these pupils receive a disproportionately low amount of the teachers’ time and attention during lessons. The attainment of those

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STANDARDS

pupils for whom English is an additional language is not high enough because teachers are unsure about how to meet the needs of these pupils in lessons. Standards in design and technology are below those expected for primary age pupils. Attainment in all other subjects is as expected. Although the attainment of children under five is satisfactory, it could be better if these children were taught a more appropriate curriculum based on their assessed needs.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school These are good because pupils know what they are doing and why. Most pupils like coming to school and are enthusiastic about their learning.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils behave well. No bullying or harassment was seen during the inspection.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory. Pupils care about each other and work together well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The procedures for promoting attendance and good behaviour are very effective. Pupils enjoy school and most arrive on time, with only a very small minority who are late for the start of the school day. Pupils enjoy their lessons and talk confidently about what they are doing and why. However, opportunities for them to develop their personal independence are limited, for example, in solving problems in mathematics and planning and carrying out investigations in science. Pupils do not learn enough about other cultures and so their learning of tolerance towards those who have different beliefs and customs to their own is under- developed. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 9

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is satisfactory overall. It was satisfactory or better in 91 per cent of the lessons seen. It was good or very good in 47 per cent. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection when teaching was unsatisfactory overall. Although good teaching was seen in all year groups, all of the very good teaching was in Year 6, resulting in pupils making rapid progress in this year. Because the teaching is more effective in Key Stage 2, pupils’ learning is better and standards are higher than they are at the end of Key Stage 1.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers throughout the school manage pupils well and expect brighter pupils to achieve at a high level. The work they set these pupils challenges them well and results in a high percentage reaching above the expected level by the ages of seven and 11. However, the work that the lower attaining and those with special educational needs are expected to do in Key Stage 1 is often insufficiently challenging and this has a detrimental effect on their learning. Teachers throughout the school ensure that pupils know what they are learning and why and this ensures that pupils are well motivated and want to learn, and that they work hard and concentrate well.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Literacy and numeracy are taught well in Key Stage 2 and satisfactorily in Key Stage 1. The effective implementation of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy has led to improved teaching and learning in both subjects. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is ineffective and the learning of these pupils is unsatisfactory, particularly in mathematics when, although their mathematical ability is good, they are set the same work as the lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory in Key Stages 1 and 2. Unsatisfactory overall for children under five.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory overall, but it is better in Key Stage 2 where pupils receive more time and attention from the teachers.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language This is unsatisfactory. Teachers do not have sufficient knowledge and understanding about how and what to teach these pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision for spiritual, moral and social development. Pupils do not learn enough about the customs of people from other cultures.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good overall. Assessment arrangements and procedures are good in English, mathematics and science, but inadequate to inform teaching and learning in the other subjects.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school works well with its parents. Relationships with the secondary feeder schools are good and pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education. The curriculum for children under five is not always appropriate and their learning opportunities are insufficiently based on exploration and observation. Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs and English as an additional language are too often set the same work with insufficient regard to their assessed needs, particularly in Key Stage 1. Pupils’ academic performance in English, mathematics and science is monitored well and assessment procedures are effective in identifying gaps in the curriculum and weaknesses in pupils’ learning, particularly in Key Stage 2.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 10 Aspect Comment

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. Significantly better than the last inspection. There is a clear focus on and commitment to achieving high standards. English, mathematics and science curriculum co-ordination is very effective, but the co-ordination of the other subjects is unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are very involved in the work of the school. Their long-term strategic plan is good and focuses on raising standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very effective monitoring of teaching and learning. The major weaknesses have been successfully dealt with since the last inspection and the head and governors are well aware of what needs to be done for further improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good financial planning and management, and effective use of funds to improve provision and raise standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory. Good leadership and management have led to raised standards through improved teaching and learning. Development targets are realistic and match the needs and circumstances of the school well. The principles of best value are applied effectively and rigorously.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school. • The approachability of staff and the school’s welcoming atmosphere. • The effective teaching and the standards their children achieve. • The values the school promotes and the way the school helps children to become responsible and mature. • The quality of information in their children’s reports. • The school’s good leadership and management. • The improvements the school has made since the last inspection. • The way the school works with parents. • The information they get about how well their children are doing in school. • The quality and range of homework. • The range of extra-curricular activities.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with most of the parents’ positive views, although more could be done to develop pupils’ independence. The school works effectively with its parents. Staff run curriculum information evenings and inform parents about the topics pupils are doing in school. Progress reports are informative and personal to individual children. Homework, although limited, is effective in helping pupils with their work in school, and there is a suitable range of activities and clubs during lunchtime and after school. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Standards are above average overall in English, mathematics and science by the time the pupils leave the school. The results in the 1999 national statutory tests for 11-year-olds were well above average in English, mathematics and science in comparison with other schools nationally. In comparison with similar schools, they were above average in English and mathematics and well above average in science. Standards have risen since the last inspection in 1997, when they were broadly average in English and mathematics and below average in science. This good progress, made at a slightly better rate than the national trend, is the direct result of more effective teaching caused by improvements to the monitoring and evaluation of what does and does not work in lessons and effective staff development. A successful analysis of the results means that weaknesses in curriculum planning and gaps in pupils’ learning are identified and successfully dealt with.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Target setting is very effective. The school identifies those pupils who, at the end of Year 5 could reasonably be anticipated, given their past achievements, to reach the expected level and above in English, mathematics and science. It targets the lower attaining pupils who could achieve these levels with extra support and additional challenge. Because of this, and the consistently good and often very good teaching in Year 6, the school often exceeds its targets and more pupils reach the expected and higher levels by the end of Key Stage 2 than in most other schools.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. In English, standards have risen year-on-year since 1996 when they were slightly below the national average. The results of the 1999 tests were well above the national average and above those of similar schools. Targets for this year are set to be exceeded, due mainly to very effective teaching in Key Stage 2. By the time they leave the school, most pupils talk and listen confidently in a range of formal and informal situations. They express their thoughts and feelings well, when explaining, for example, how they feel about homework and when writing about capital punishment, declaring “We cannot afford to make mistakes”. They understand the effect of what they are writing and how the style of their writing affects the impact it has on the reader. They evaluate each other’s work and make pertinent comments to help their classmates to improve, as in their newspaper articles about the effect of fashion on the eating habits of young people. Although they

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The school’s results and achievements

know how to locate, research, and extract information from books, for example about different historical periods, their use of the school library is under-developed, mainly because of its inaccessible location.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. In mathematics, the 1999 national test results for 11-year-olds were well above the national average and above average when compared with similar schools. The trend in standards from 1997 to 1999 shows considerable improvement in test results at the end of Key Stage 2, and at a much greater rate than nationally. By the time they leave the school, most pupils have good mental calculation skills and achieve high standards in number and algebra. Their achievements in other aspects of mathematics are as expected for their age. Most pupils in Year 6 work confidently with numbers up to and beyond 1000. They understand fractions and decimals and measure angles accurately. They compile frequency tables and graphs and work confidently with negative numbers. Their problem-solving skills are under-developed, however, because they are given insufficient opportunities to use their mathematical skills to solve every day problems.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. In science, the results of the 1999 were well above the national average and those of similar schools. The trend in standards over time shows good improvement since the last inspection when standards were below average. By the time they leave the school, most St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 12 pupils understand the need for fair testing and how to use test information to draw conclusions. Although they know how to plan and carry out experiments and investigations, their ability to do this independently is under-developed because the work they do is mainly teacher directed, slowing their progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. The statutory national test results for seven-year-olds last year were average in writing and mathematics and below average in reading. They were below those of similar schools in mathematics and well below in reading and writing. Inspection evidence supports the view that standards are broadly average by the end of Key Stage 1, with many more pupils this year reaching the higher Level 3 in all three subjects due to better teaching and raised teacher expectation for the brighter pupils. However, whilst the number of pupils reaching the higher levels is increasing, so is the number reaching the lower levels. This is due to the ineffective meeting of the lower attaining pupils’ needs in the reception class and Years 1 and 2, where teaching pays insufficient regard to these pupils, and those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. Although classroom assistants effectively support these pupils during lessons, sometimes the work they are

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The school’s results and achievements

given is inappropriate to meet their needs and they receive too little attention from the teachers to check on their learning and progress. Expectations for these pupils are too low and they make insufficient progress during some lessons and over time. The school has identified the raising of teacher expectations and the meeting of the needs of the lower attaining pupils in Key Stage 1 as a priority area for improvement.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Children enter school with attainment broadly the same as that found nationally. They make sound progress in the reception class and by the age of five, most attain the Desirable Learning Outcomes in all of the areas of learning. Nevertheless, their attainment could be better if a more appropriate curriculum was in place for children of this age. Whilst the literacy and numeracy curriculum is in the main appropriate, these children are taught a simplified version of the Year 1 National Curriculum for science, history and geography, and teaching does not pay sufficient attention to the level of children’s previous learning. Nevertheless, by the time they are five years old, most of the children are confident youngsters. They talk enthusiastically about what they are doing and have done. They work confidently with numbers up to 10 and read known text with developing accuracy. They name parts of plants and move with a good awareness of space. Their

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The school’s results and achievements

creative skills are limited because their work is over directed and they are not given enough freedom to observe and explore different artistic media and techniques.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Standards in information technology are average by the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time the pupils leave the school. Pupils in Year 6 work confidently with the computers. They access information on CD-ROMs and the Internet and successfully extract what they need to know about, for example, human organs and their functions. They word-process some of their writing in English, but their skills in this area are insufficiently developed to help them with editing and speedwriting. Their use of computers to support learning in other subjects of the curriculum is limited. For example, in science, pupils do not make sufficient use of data collection programs to help them interpret and display the results of their experiments.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. By the time the pupils leave the school, pupils’ attainment in all of the other subjects is broadly as expected for eleven-year-olds, except in design and technology where standards are low. Pupils in Year 6 sketch what they see with reasonable accuracy in art, but their knowledge of artists and their experience of three-dimensional artwork is limited. Their singing skills are good. Pupils sing with clarity and a good awareness of pulse and rhythm. Their knowledge of composers is limited, however, and their composing skills are under-developed because they do not have sufficient practice. Because very little design and technology work occurs and pupils’ experiences are very limited, their skills in designing and making are at a level below that expected for pupils of this age by the time they leave the school. Pupils do not understand the design process and have limited St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and achievements

experience of using models and sketches to make things that are fit for a particular purpose. They do not disassemble things such as switches and mechanisms to see how they work, and have limited knowledge of creating or following step-by-step plans.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. Pupils’ learning is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. It is better in Key Stage 2 because the teaching is more effective. Teachers in this key stage pay greater attention to the lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs during lessons and ensure that they make at least sufficient progress over time. Consequently, there are fewer lower attaining pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 than at the end of Key Stage 1. The learning and progress of the higher attaining pupils is good because teachers in both key stages have high expectations about what these pupils can do and challenge them well during lessons. Consequently, the number of pupils attaining the higher level is increasing each year.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. Pupils who speak English as an additional language do not make adequate progress and their learning is unsatisfactory because teachers do not know how to support them during lessons and do not have a clear understanding about how these pupils learn.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The school continues successfully to instil in pupils the good attitudes and values reported at the time of the last inspection. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and the majority arrive on or before time. The small minority who regularly arrive late are known to staff, and the educational welfare officer is involved appropriately with them. Attendance is good overall. A good work ethic is expected and developed from the time children start in the reception class. Within this Catholic community school, a supportive, purposeful atmosphere is engendered and parents are pleased there is no conflict between school and home values.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils are enthusiastic about their work and proud of their school. They are keen to explain to visitors what they are doing. Relationships are good. Pupils care for each other and the environment. For example, when one of the pupils was hurt in the playground, others were worried until they knew everything was all right, and when, during a Year 6 physical education lesson, a frog was discovered on the running track, they were concerned that it should not be hurt.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils have good attitudes to school. In lessons, they try hard and are keen to achieve well. They value the stickers and team points awarded, and work hard to gain these. Pupils are well aware of those less fortunate than themselves and collect enthusiastically for charities, such as Cafod and The Children's Society. They are less well informed about other cultures, traditions and beliefs, although interested when mention is made of these.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils with special educational and other needs, and those who speak English as an additional language, are well integrated with their classmates, who show sensitivity towards them. However, the opportunity for these pupils to mix and work with others is inconsistent in Key Stage 1 because they generally work in a group on their own.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils’ behaviour is good overall and contributes to the purposeful atmosphere found in classes. As a result of the staff’s stringent and rigorous adherence to the positive behaviour management policy, no bullying or harassing behaviour was observed during the inspection. The strong Catholic ethos pervades life at school and all pupils know what is expected of them and the sanctions that will follow if they transgress. They are aware how their actions can impact on other people. Any sanctions given are perceived as fair and there have been no recent exclusions. 17. Pupils' personal development is satisfactory. Pupils grow in maturity and develop responsible attitudes as they progress through the school. All are proud to be chosen for St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 14 special tasks. When pupils are asked to operate the overhead projector, tidy away books, or generally help the teachers, they carry out these tasks responsibly. However,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

opportunities for pupils to show initiative are limited, such as in experiments in science and problem solving in mathematics. Pupils are alerted to the difficulties and dangers outside St. Catherine's through regular visits and talks from the local police officer and school nurse. Year 6 pupils' participation in a residential visit helps their personal development, raises their self-esteem, and gives them confidence. They learn how to become useful and responsible members of the community and are well prepared for transfer to secondary school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection when it was unsatisfactory. Teaching is sound in the reception class and Key Stage 1. It is good in Key Stage 2 and consistently good or very good in Year 6, where the teaching is inspirational and pupils make rapid progress. The teaching in this year takes good account of the different attaining pupils in the class and the work pupils are set matches their needs accurately. The pace of lessons is fast and effective use is of made of learning resources, such as newspaper articles to discuss report writing and the overhead projector to share text. Very detailed lesson planning ensures pupils’ learning is built systematically as each lesson develops. For example, in a mathematics lesson, when adding two-digit numbers to make up to 100 the pupils moved swiftly on to adding three-digit numbers on to a given number to make up to 1000.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Teaching speed increased well, exciting and challenging pupils to keep up. As one pupil put it “You can’t get bored in these lessons”.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. The implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies has increased teachers’ subject knowledge and understanding and guides them effectively in what to teach and when. Because teachers in both key stages have high expectations about what the brighter pupils can achieve, they challenge them well and these pupils generally make good progress. They are interested in their work because it is challenging and they concentrate well. Consequently, there are more pupils reaching the higher level in literacy and numeracy each year. However, assessment information is not used effectively by the teachers in Key Stage 1 to inform the teaching and learning of the lower attaining pupils. Teachers have low expectations and make insufficient demands on these pupils and consequently the number of pupils failing to reach the expected level is

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

increasing. These pupils are supported by classroom assistants and receive a disproportionately low amount of the teachers’ time and attention so that their progress is often unsatisfactory and they make limited progress during lessons and over time. Literacy and numeracy are promoted satisfactorily in other subjects, but most of it is unplanned and therefore incidental. The policy for handwriting is implemented inconsistently throughout the school and the younger, lower attaining pupils are often required to copy sentences before they can form letters correctly. This results in untidy illegible work, which does little to raise pupils’ self-esteem or build confidence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of all other subjects of the National Curriculum is sound overall, except in design and technology, where it is poor. Very little design and technology teaching takes place and pupils’ skills, knowledge, and understanding are weak as a result. Not enough lessons were seen in geography and history to make a judgement about the quality of teaching in these subjects. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 15 21. The teaching of children under five is sound overall. Lessons are generally well prepared and appropriately structured, particularly in literacy and numeracy. They include a good balance of explanation, activity and plenary. However, the children are too often given simplified Year 1 work in science, history and geography and are over directed in their creative activities. Consequently, the ideas they are taught are sometimes too difficult for them to understand and their learning is limited. Teaching has high expectations for the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

higher attaining children in English, mathematics and science and these children make good progress. However, often during the carpet discussion times, the questioning does not take sufficient account of the needs of the lower attaining children and too often these children lose interest and start to chatter and fidget. Teaching does not have sufficient regard to children’s early stages of learning or how young children learn through observation and exploration. The new outside learning area is not used often enough to promote and extend children’s learning. There is a lack of climbing apparatus and large construction equipment. The teacher carries out assessments of what children can do at a given time. Not enough is done with the information, however, to plan appropriate learning activities and sometimes children are asked to do work which is inappropriate for their age and ability, such as draw pictures of the Vatican, or identify Italy on a map of Europe.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Lesson structure has improved throughout the school, mainly because of the implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies. Lessons in all subjects are usually well prepared. They move at a brisk pace and time is used well. Most teachers tell the pupils how much time they have to work on an activity, but because they do not always make it clear what pupils must achieve in that time, pupils’ efforts sometimes lack urgency and a sense of productivity. However, teachers tell pupils what they are going to learn and because of this pupils know why they are doing the work and are well motivated.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Pupils are managed well and consequently, they are well behaved most of the time. For example, in one Year 2 English lesson, the teacher asked pupils to refocus and constantly brought them back on task. There are times, however, when the lower attaining pupils in Key Stage 1 are set inappropriate work to meet their needs. They lose interest and their behaviour deteriorates.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Marking is unsatisfactory overall. It is sound in Key Stage 2, but inconsistent in its usefulness in reception and Years 1 and 2 in assessing pupils’ achievements. Some of the teachers’ comments help the pupils to improve their work the next time, such as in Year 2, “Don’t forget to start with capitals”. Sometimes the work is set in context as an aid to assessment such as in Year 1 “You managed to find out two facts about muscles from the books”. Some suggestions such as in Year 1 “Do your ‘d’s this way” are not followed up, however, and do not improve pupils’ work. Marking is particularly effective in Years 4, 5 and 6. Teachers’ comments are useful, such as one on a piece of Year 4 writing: “To improve this, remember to build up the excitement”, and in Year 6, “Remember when planning the story to split it into bite-size pieces – short notes”.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The teaching and learning of pupils for whom English is an additional language is unsatisfactory overall. Teachers are unsure about how to support these pupils and have limited knowledge about how to teach them. They set them inappropriate work, grouping them usually with the lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. Although these pupils are well supported by the local education authority’s support teacher during the weekly half-hourly withdrawal sessions, insufficient guidance is given to their class teachers about how to meet the needs of these pupils in ordinary lessons.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. The qualtiy and range of curricular opportunities for pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 are satisfactory and meet statutory requirements. However, there are weaknesses in the range of learning opportunities within some of the foundation subjects, such as art and St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 16 music. The curriculum for design and technology is unsatisfactory. Due to the school targeting the raising of standards in English, mathematics and science, the teaching time for these subjects is good, whilst the time allocated for most of the other subjects is low, with the exception of information technology, physical education and music. The curriculum for children under five is unsatisfactory. There is an inappropriate emphasis on teaching these children a simplified Year 1 National Curriculum, rather than developing their knowledge, skills and understanding in the six areas of learning for children under

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is good, an improvement overall since the last inspection. Good spiritual development is promoted well through assemblies, where pupils have the opportunity to reflect upon matters that have been discussed and to worship through prayer and singing. They enjoy the experience, and enter and leave assembles quietly and with appropriate reverence. Pupils’ moral and social development are promoted well during lessons and circle times, when issues such as tolerance are taught well. Teachers place good emphasis on developing the pupils’ awareness of the difference between right and wrong. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility sensibly. There are many occasions when they have to give careful consideration to one another when working, for example, as individuals, in small groups or as whole classes.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is unsatisfactory. Pupils are taught to appreciate their own cultural traditions and heritage through their work in art, music and religious education, and in other subjects such as English. Whilst the promotion of pupils’ own cultural heritage is sound, the school does not do enough to promote pupils’ awareness and appreciation of other cultures and religious faiths.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. The school places good emphasis on the teaching of literacy and numeracy. The effective implementation of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy has resulted in a rise in standards in English and mathematics, mainly through improvements to planning and teaching methods. Staff have effective strategies to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills and this is having a positive impact on raising standards in English and mathematics. Suitable policies are in place for all of the other National Curriculum subjects, cross- curricular themes, and sex education, and most subjects follow the current national frameworks and curriculum guidance, suitably adapted to meet the needs of the pupils in the school. Long and medium-term curriculum planning is sound and provides a clear direction for teaching and learning. Teachers’ short-term daily lesson plans, however, lack reference and regard to pupils’ prior achievements, particularly in Key Stage 1 and Year 3.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

However, by the end of Key Stage 2, they are well detailed and most of them set down clearly what different groups of pupils are to learn by the end of the lessons.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. All pupils have full and equal access to the curriculum, with the exception of those who speak English as an additional language. Most of these pupils are in the early stages of English language acquisition. Staff have insufficient knowledge and understanding about how to meet their needs and this has a detrimental effect on their learning and progress in ordinary lessons. These pupils do not always understand what is required of them and unless they have a support assistant working with them, they often struggle to do the work. Too often, they are given the same work to do as the lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs, regardless of their ability. The tasks set them in numeracy in particular are often too easy and they under-achieve.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. The curricular provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. Individual learning targets set out in the pupils’ Individual Education Plans are satisfactorily met. Pupils, particularly those with a Statement of Special Educational Need, benefit from the good support of suitably trained classroom assistants. All teachers have copies of the pupils’ individual learning targets and their planning takes account of these pupils’ St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 17 curriculum requirements when they are withdrawn for individual help. Insufficient teacher time and attention is given to these pupils in Key Stage 1, however, and their learning is slowed.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. The school has good links with the community, especially the Parish Church, which they visit for their Christmas play, hunger lunches in Lent, and Easter Passion. The school holds a Harvest Festival for the needy, and the older pupils sing at Christmas time to the elderly in their residential homes.

p.17

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

33. The school provides a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities, including football, netball, cricket, athletics, and indoor games, computers, chess, and draughts clubs. The school is successful in inter-school sporting competitions and the sporting extra-curricular activities in particular significantly enhance the pupils‘ physical education skills. Visits are made to local places of interest in connection with topics being studied. In Key Stage 1, for example, pupils visit the local shops and the seaside and Year 6 pupils go on a week- long residential visit. This is usually a spiritual experience where pupils can reflect on past and present friendships and of their time in the school, and look forward to new beginnings such as moving on to secondary school. This year, pupils will be visiting an activity centre for a week to extend their experiences, challenge themselves, work in teams, and share their achievements. Private instrumental tuition is held during the school

p.17

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

day for the clarinet, flute, saxophone, recorder and violin. All of these experiences broaden the learning of pupils by adding quality to their curriculum. However, there are too few visits to museums and art galleries to enrich the curriculum further.

p.17

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good. Pupils in Year 6 receive age-appropriate sex education, supported by the school nurse. Pupils learn about the dangers of drugs’ misuse as part of the school’s health education programme, which is taught mainly through the science curriculum. Good emphasis is given throughout the school to developing pupils’ personal and social skills. The calm, sensitive and caring approach of the staff provides effective role models for the pupils. Consequently, pupils are usually well behaved and enthusiastic learners. A significant number of tasks are too teacher-directed, however, and consequently there are too few opportunities for pupils to develop as independent learners. Nevertheless, staff successfully develop pupils’ self- confidence and self-esteem through regular praise and encouragement. The good links with other schools has a beneficial impact on preparing pupils for their next stage of

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The school continues to provide good pastoral care, guidance and support for all pupils, encompassed within the strong Catholic ethos. Teachers and pupils respect each other, and any problems between pupils are dealt with quickly and effectively. The school is very conscious of pupils' welfare. Health and safety checks take place regularly and are appropriately recorded. Trained first aiders are on site at all times and they follow good practice when the need arises. A member of staff attended a recent in-service training day on child protection and the school has very effective procedures to deal with issues as they arise. The head teacher has attended multi-agency training, and liaison with social services is well established and effectively used. Security is under regular review. Although the staff car park is not yet fenced off from the playground, vigilant supervisors ensure pupils stay within the parameters set by the school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Children under five enjoy a smooth entry into school through well-planned induction half days and home visits from the class teacher. Support for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory, but that for pupils speaking English as an additional language is not yet effective enough to enable them to become fluent in the English language quickly. Year 6 pupils have visited their secondary schools and are St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 18 looking forward to the next stage of their education.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school has good procedures to monitor and promote pupils' attendance. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and their overall attendance is good. Parents are aware that written notes should be sent to explain any absence. Registers are well kept and monitored weekly by the school secretary. The educational welfare officer visits once a term and is appropriately involved if pupils arrive late on a regular basis.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Good procedures are in place to promote and monitor good behaviour. The positive behaviour management policy is consistently implemented by all staff both within and outside the classroom. Pupils know what is expected of them and what will result if they do not follow the school rules. Badges are awarded to those who behave well and are worn with pride. Although each class has a different system for encouraging good behaviour, all work effectively in practice.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school provides sufficient opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and to promote their personal development. Religious education lessons, incorporating the Catholic ‘Education in Personal Relationships’ programme, and assemblies promote strong moral values and social skills and ensure that all pupils develop an understanding of their responsibilities as citizens. The parish priest and school nurse are frequent visitors. The local police officer alerts pupils to dangers and difficulties outside school. All are expected to care for each other and their environment. Pupils are very polite, opening doors without being asked, and are proud when chosen to act as classroom helpers. Older pupils act as monitors and carry out their responsibilities well. Participation in the Year 6 residential visit, this year to Calshott, helps to build pupils’ characters and develop their social relationships, and prepares them effectively for the world outside St. Catherine's school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school is committed to the inclusion and integration of pupils with special educational needs in all school activities. There are good levels of adult support for these pupils. Those pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Need are well supported in line with the requirements of their Statements. All other pupils on the special educational need register are given appropriate support in literacy and numeracy when the timetable allows. Pastoral care is a high priority within the school and the success can be observed in the confident way in which these pupils become happy members of the school community.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good in English, mathematics and science. There is a good range of procedures in place for assessing pupils’ academic attainment and progress in these three subjects in Key Stage 2 in particular. The school makes good use of the analysis of National Curriculum end-of-key- stage test results to set targets and to pinpoint differences in attainment of pupils of different gender. The pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 take the optional National Curriculum tests in English and Mathematics. These results, and the information gained from the scrutiny of pupils’ work, are used very effectively to guide long- and medium-term curriculum planning and identify and deal with weaknesses in teaching and learning in the core subjects. This has had a very positive impact on improving standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Key Stage 2. Baseline assessment for reception children follows the

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

local education authority’s guidelines, and the information is used effectively to group children.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. There is little monitoring of attainment in the foundation subjects, however, and no recording of pupils’ achievements in these subjects except in the pupils’ progress reports. Marking is unsatisfactory overall as an aid to assessment. Pupils’ work is usually marked, St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 19 but teachers’ comments do not consistently set the work in context and are usually of little use in assessing how well pupils have done.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. There are appropriate and satisfactory assessment procedures in place for pupils with special educational needs, including standardised testing and observational records kept by the support assistants. Individual Education Plans vary in quality in some classes, with some of them in Years 1 and 2 listing too many targets to be realistically achieved. However, the special educational needs co-ordinator has given advice and supports teachers in the completion of Individual Education Plans. In the best examples, the targets are clear, developmental and achievable and provide a useful focus for improvement. There is a good number of trained support assistants and other classroom assistants who are very successful in what they do, especially in building positive relationships with the pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The school continues to maintain the effective partnership with parents recorded in the last report, and strives to improve the already very effective links it has with them. Parents are very supportive of the school's aims and ambitions for their children and delighted they can attend St Catherine’s Catholic school, although many feel the school could work more closely with them. A lot of parents offer to help in classrooms. They, and grandparents, hear readers and assist in other ways, such as accompanying groups to swimming.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Good information is provided for parents. Newsletters and other correspondence are sent home regularly by pupil-post, and the topic to be studied is displayed on boards outside the school entrance. The dialogue between teachers and parents in the home reading records is not as effective as it should be as comments are limited to praise and encouragement and what page the children are reading. Overall, parents' involvement in helping their children at home is satisfactory but a significant minority are concerned about the amount of homework set and the lack of consistency of homework given between classes. The annual reports, comprehensive and personal to individual children, are discussed at the summer term consultation meeting between teachers and parents. Parents' attendance at this and the two other meetings held for them annually is very good. The head teacher and teachers are available to speak to parents at any other time

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

throughout the year and parents appreciate this.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents are informed as early as possible if there is cause for concern about their children’s learning and are kept up-to-date about their progress. Any concerns the parents may have relating to their children’s development are investigated and parents are free to discuss any matters they wish to raise with the class teachers. The special needs co- ordinator informs parents about the support their children are having, but, at present, parents are not consulted about their children’s individual learning targets.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school enjoys strong support from the parent-teacher association, which holds popular and successful fund-raising events, for example quiz evenings and the Christmas Fair, attended not only by parents but by parishioners and the local community as a whole. The school is valued as a community resource and neighbours are very protective, alerting key holders when any vandalism is threatened. All are invited to school events and school productions are full to over- flowing. Strong links with the parish also support the school community. The school has very good links with parents and strong parental support. Through this, and the very effective parish links and community support for the school and visits out of and visitors to school, children's learning is enhanced, their experience widened and their personal development assured. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 20

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school is very effectively led and managed by the head teacher, senior management team, and governing body, who share a commitment to improvement and are well focused on promoting high standards and effective teaching and learning in English, mathematics and science. The head teacher and governors have a very good knowledge and understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and they are ably supported by the senior managers who carry out their work with energy and firm commitment. They have contributed effectively to the good progress made since the last inspection when standards were below average, teaching was unsatisfactory, and there were serious weaknesses in the school’s leadership and management. Through their support of staff and the work of the school, the head teacher, governing body, and senior managers give very good direction and are in a strong position to ensure that further improvement occurs.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching are good. Because of their effectiveness, the quality of teaching has improved and is much better than it was at the time of the last inspection. Lesson observations are well focused and very precise, giving teachers very clear direction about how well their lessons work and the impact their teaching has on pupils’ learning. Clear targets are set for individual professional development and the information gained is used effectively to help staff improve through appropriate in-service training programmes, and to support the writing of the school development plan.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Strategic planning is good. The school development plan sets out a very clear direction for improvement that is extended further through well-focused and appropriately detailed action plans. The areas targeted for development are relevant to the needs and circumstances of the school. They are informed by the analysis of statutory and non- statutory test results and the evaluation of pupils’ work in English, mathematics and science. These analyses help to identify gaps in teaching and learning and weaknesses in the curriculum.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The governing body is very supportive of the work of the school and is very clear about the direction for its future, promoted and brought about mainly through its long-term strategic plan. Governors are very clear about how the plan will shape the school’s future and their contribution to it through informed decision-making and holding the head teacher and staff accountable for the pupils’ learning and the standards achieved. They are fully involved in analysing results, and fulfil their responsibilities with rigour and commitment.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school’s focus has been on raising standards and improving the teaching and learning in English, mathematics and science. The co-ordination of these three subjects and information technology is good. The co-ordinators have a very clear idea about what is happening in their subjects and what needs to be done to improve things further. In contrast, the co-ordination of the other subjects of the National Curriculum is unsatisfactory. Very little focus has been put on these subjects due to the commitment to the core subjects and information technology and improvements have been barely satisfactory in history, geography and physical education and insufficient in art, design and technology, and music.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The management of special educational needs is good. The special educational needs co-ordinator has worked hard to develop the provision for pupils with special needs in the school. She has a good partnership with the special needs governor and meets with her regularly to talk about what is happening in school. Because of this, the governing body has a clear idea of strengths and weaknesses in the provision for pupils with special educational needs throughout the school. They have not, however, recognised and dealt with the unsatisfactory provision for pupils with English as an additional language. 54. Financial management is good. Developments are supported appropriately through well- St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 21 targeted funding. Grants and additional funds are used effectively and allocated in accordance with statutory requirements. New technology is used effectively. The financial

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

records are kept on the computer and are accessed quickly and easily and newsletters and booklets are usually computer generated. The governing body secures best value for money through their tendering process and the analysis of their running costs compared with those of other schools of a similar type and size.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory overall. There are a good number of support assistants in the school, who work mainly with the lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs, helping these pupils to do the work teachers set them. The support assistant who helps with the teaching of music has very good subject knowledge and has a good impact on standards in singing in particular. Learning resources are barely satisfactory in the foundation subjects. The books in the library are in need of enhancement and renewal and there are too few books about other faiths and cultures in particular. The accommodation for children under five is good, but the range of equipment for these children to use in their outdoor learning area is unsatisfactory. There is only one wheeled toy and no climbing apparatus to develop children’s physical and social skills further.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 22

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards of the lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs pupils in Key Stage 1 by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) ensuring that teachers have high expectations for and are clear about what these pupils need to learn next, and that they pay sufficient and appropriate attention to their teaching, learning and progress during lessons; b) ensuring that the individual learning targets for pupils with special educational needs are few enough in number to be realistically achievable; c) ensuring that handwriting is taught and developed systematically throughout the key stage and that the younger, lower attaining pupils are not expected to copy sentences before they can form letters correctly; (Paragraphs 6, 15, 19, 23, 31, 43, 66, 79)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the provision for children under five by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) increasing the knowledge and understanding of the teacher and support assistants about how young children learn through observation and exploration and the stages of development that they move through; b) ensuring an appropriate curriculum for these young children through the implementation of a scheme of work which will help teachers to build children’s skills in all areas of learning during the reception year; c) ensuring children are given sufficient opportunities to learn through observation and exploration before moving onto the more formal structured work of the National Curriculum; d) ensuring teachers use baseline assessments and ongoing records of children’s achievements to inform teaching and learning more effectively; e) improving the opportunities and resources for outdoor learning; (Paragraphs 7, 21, 26, 57-63)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the provision for pupils for whom English is an additional language by ensuring that staff are appropriately trained to support these pupils effectively in their learning and that they set work that is appropriate to meet their needs; (Paragraphs 6, 11, 15, 25, 30, 66, 73, 80)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Improve the provision for developing pupils’ awareness and appreciation of the other cultures represented in British society. (Paragraph 28)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school should consider the following issues, which are identified as weaknesses in the report, but are not included as key issues for action:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) Improve the pupils’ use of mathematical skills to solve everyday problems. (Paragraphs 4, 34, 75) ii) Give pupils sufficient opportunity to plan and carry out their own scientific investigations and experiments. (Paragraphs 5, 34, 82) iii) Improve the quality and usefulness of marking as an aid to assessment and to help pupils improve their work. (Paragraphs 24, 42) iv) Improve the teaching and learning in all of the foundation subjects and in design and technology in particular through improved curricular provision and learning resources, better subject co-ordination, and effective assessment arrangements and procedures. (Paragraphs 9, 20, 26, 42, 52, 55, 90-92, 95, 106-107, 112)

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 23

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 33

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 13% 34% 44% 9% 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 137

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 3 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 5

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 30

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 5

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 11

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 8 17 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 6 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 84 (88) 84 (88) 84 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 6 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 84 (89) 84 (94) 84 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 13 9 22

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 13 13 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 7 6 8

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 95 (73) 90 (53) 95 (69) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 9 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 6 6 6

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 68 (46) 77 (50) 82 (54) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 25

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other European ethnic group 5 Other minority ethnic groups 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.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6 Financial year 1999/2000

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 266724

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Expenditure per pupil 1946

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 130 Balance brought forward from previous year 17404

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 20145

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 26

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 57 33 10 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 35 10 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 43 19 10 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 43 14 14 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 30 5 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 48 38 14 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 40 30 25 5 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 38 57 5 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 38 0 0 10

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 24 14 33 24 5 St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 27

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. By the time they are five years old, most children attain the Desirable Learning Outcomes in their personal and social, language and literacy, mathematical, creative, and physical development and their knowledge and understanding of the world are secure. The standards children achieve during their time in the reception class accurately reflect their attainment on entry and most children, particularly the higher and more-able average attaining, make sound progress over time. The teaching seen during the inspection was sound overall, but too often children’s learning is slowed because some of the work is inappropriate for their young age. For example, the work they do on friction and gravity in science, comparing life in 1066 with life now in history, and colouring maps of Europe in geography, is simplified Year 1 National Curriculum work and is beyond the understanding of most of the four year olds. Because of this, the work these children do in these subjects

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

is either copied or is so adult-directed that the children have little lasting knowledge and understanding of the ideas taught.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. Children’s personal and social skills are satisfactorily developed and, by the time they are five, most children are confident youngsters, who enjoy talking about what they are doing. They work hard and have good attitudes to learning. They work together well in small groups and take turns in games such as word and picture lotto. They usually listen to the teachers’ instructions and explanations carefully. These are often directed at the brighter children, however, and the few less able sometimes lose interest and fidget and talk. For example, in one numeracy lesson, the children were counting on and back in twos and doubling numbers up to 10. Whilst many could do the calculations, three or four of them struggled with the work and consequently lost interest. Adults praise children constantly and children respond with high self-esteem and good confidence. However, learning activities are often very directed and lessons are usually very structured. The teaching is

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

very methodical, with little opportunity for the children to experiment or do things independently. For example when planting bean seeds, although the children learnt from the experience, they had very little freedom to explore or find things out for themselves.

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59. Children’s language and literacy development is satisfactory and the teaching and learning are sound overall. Children’s language skills are developed appropriately through discussions with one another and the adults. Circle times promote speaking and listening skills satisfactorily and children generally show respect for one another during these and other times, waiting their turn patiently. Lesson structure follows the literacy strategy appropriately, but sometimes the children are set the same work to do, regardless of their previous learning. For example in one lesson, all were asked to make sure they put full stops and capital letters in their stories and leave spaces between the words. Whilst this was appropriate for some, others found it either insufficiently challenging or too difficult. Too often teaching pays insufficient regard to and understanding of the early stages of learning. Unrealistically high demands are made on the less able children, who are asked

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to write or copy letters, words and phrases before they have acquired the necessary skills to do so. These children are required to write, in cursive script, on lines before they can draw recognisable pictures. Consequently, their writing is untidy and illegible and their progress over time is slowed. Nevertheless, by the time they are five, most children understand that print carries meaning and how books are organised. They read from left to right and top to bottom. They use their knowledge of letter sounds to build unknown words and the more able children construct sentences correctly and use full stops and capital letters when writing, for example, the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 28 60. Children’s numeracy skills are well developed and their other mathematical understanding is satisfactory. The teaching is sound overall. Most children, by the time they are five years

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old, add and subtract up to 10 and some work confidently with numbers to up 20 and above. The work builds on children’s learning systematically during the year and the tasks during the activity sessions are appropriately adapted to suit the needs of the different attaining children, enhancing their learning well. Because much of the work in the mental arithmetic sessions is directed at the brightest children in the class, this challenges them and the average attaining children well. However, some of the calculations are too difficult for the less able. These children find the work uninspiring and become restless and bored. The teacher works mainly with the brighter and average attaining children and, although the lower attaining and those with special educational needs are always supported by one of the classroom assistants, they have a disproportionately low amount of the teacher’s time and attention. As a result, their progress is slowed.

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61. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world are satisfactory overall. However, their achievement varies from good in some aspects of their work to unsatisfactory in others, due to their varied curriculum, which is too often based on the subjects of the National Curriculum rather than on experiential learning through work and play. Although the children understand some of the ideas taught, such as light and dark and push and pull, and how water travels up the stem of the flower to the head, their work often centres round the learning and recording of facts. They have some opportunities to explore, for example, scientific ideas by pushing and pulling objects, experimenting with magnets, or looking at how they have changed from a baby over time, but they are taught the same scientific, historical and geographical facts as the Year 1 pupils in the class. Some of the work, such as drawing pictures of a Swiss guard posted outside the Vatican and writing

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

about what was good and bad about the Great Fire of London, is inappropriate for most of the four year olds. It is far too advanced for their developmental level and serves little purpose and much of the copied written work of the lower attaining children is illegible. Nevertheless, by the time they are five, most children predict correctly what will happen to a flower stood in dyed water and know that seeds need water to make them grow. They name the parts of the flower correctly, such as petal, flower and stem. They separate objects made from hard and soft materials and compile class graphs showing their favourite fruits. They talk about where they live, their families and past and present events in their lives, such as taking care of their pet cats and other small animals. They talk about features of the town of Littlehampton, such as the library and shops and, in particular, the beach. They use the computers confidently and when given the opportunity, select

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

appropriate materials to join things together and to paint and draw pictures. The opportunities they have for learning through experience are too infrequent, however, suppressing their learning and slowing their progress.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Children’s physical and creative development are satisfactory overall. By the time they are five, most children move confidently around the room, with good awareness of the space that they and others need. They control the cursor well on the computer screen to build, for example, a picture with bricks, and use a range of small equipment, such as paintbrushes, scissors and glue sticks confidently and with good co-ordination to create pictures. They dress themselves in role-play outfits without adult support and build models of houses using small construction equipment, fitting the pieces together with ease. They hold their pencils correctly and turn the pages of a book carefully. Children’s creative skills are less well developed, however, because they are given limited opportunities to work independently and too much of their work is adult directed. By the time they are five, most children draw recognisable pictures and make well-proportioned models of, for example, a

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

church using the small plastic construction equipment and large wooden bricks. They make puppets out of card and design Easter cards. They build bridges and construct collages using a variety of materials.

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63. Although there has been some improvement to the provision for children under five since St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 29 the last inspection, there is still much to be done. The teaching is a balance of strengths and weaknesses, with the main weaknesses lying in the inappropriateness of the curriculum in science, history and geography and the lack of opportunity for children to learn through observation and exploration. The outdoor learning area - identified as an area for development in the last report - is now well developed, but its use as an extension of the classroom is under-developed. There is insufficient large construction equipment and climbing apparatus. There is only one wheeled toy and no push and pull toys to use to develop children’s physical skills further.

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64. Standards in speaking and listening, reading, and writing are average by the end of Key Stage 1 and above average by the time the pupils leave the school. Most pupils make sound progress in Key Stage 1 and good progress in Key Stage 2. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection because teaching is better, particularly in Key Stage 2. Targets are usually met, and often exceeded. The co-ordination of the subject is now good. The effective analysis of results has led to the identification of weaknesses in teaching and learning and the school has dealt successfully with raising standards through improving teaching in particular. Effective lesson monitoring has helped teachers to understand what does and does not work in their lessons and appropriate in-service training has helped them to improve their practice. This has been particularly successful in Years 4, 5 and 6 where the teaching is very effective. Pupils of all abilities make rapid

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progress in Year 6. The range of experiences these pupils have, particularly during their final year in school is good. Teaching takes full account of pupils’ differing abilities, including those with special educational needs, and pupils are well supported in their work by teachers and support assistants. Because pupils are fully aware of what they are doing and why, they are well motivated and eager to do their best. They concentrate well and work hard.

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65. The effective implementation of the National Literacy Strategy has improved teachers’ subject knowledge and understanding. These are particularly good in Key Stage 2. Lessons in both key stages are well structured and teachers are very clear about what they want pupils to learn. The work builds pupils’ reading and writing skills systematically over time and teachers in both key stages are confident in teaching these skills.

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ENGLISH

66. Teachers throughout the school have high expectations about what the more able and the brightest of the average attaining pupils can achieve. However, not enough is done in Key Stage 1 for the lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. Whilst the number of pupils reaching the higher levels is increasing each year, so is the number at the lower levels, making the divide between the lower and higher attaining pupils greater each year. The lower attaining pupils, those with special educational needs, and those who are in the early stages of English language acquisition are set the same work as each other, and sometimes the same as the rest of the class, without enough regard being given to their individual needs. For example, in an unsatisfactory handwriting lesson in Year 2, the pupils were copying out a poem, focusing on descenders. However, some pupils consistently use these correctly in their writing. Those who could not understand

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much English struggled with the work and did not understand what they were doing or why. Some found it difficult to copy huge chunks of someone else’s writing and would have benefited more from tracing over or practising the formation of single letters or words. Consequently, some pupils made little progress. This was also evident in pupils’ books, where past work is untidy due to the lower attaining pupils copying the teachers’ writing before they can form letters correctly. Whilst in both classes in Key stage 1, the ‘lower attaining’ group are always supported by a classroom assistant, they receive a St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 30 disproportionately low amount of the teachers’ time and attention, and their progress is unsatisfactory overall.

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67. The teaching of writing is sound in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Because teaching is good in Key Stage 2, by the time they leave the school, most pupils’ ability to write for a variety of purposes and audiences is good. For example, they write letters pointing out the influence that the image of thin models created by fashion designers and the clothing industry have on the eating habits of young people. Teachers in Years 4, 5 and 6 are very effective in drawing pupils’ attention to the structure and purpose of different texts and pupils respond by writing well constructed, complex sentences, using a wide range of punctuation accurately. Pupils in Year 6 use very imaginative and persuasive language in their letters asking parents to let their children go on a visit to the Millennium Dome. Their writing is lively and they choose appropriate words for effect and use appealing phrases such as “its outstanding reputation for educational … ” and “the

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cost will be exceedingly low”. They start their writing in an eye-catching way, which immediately captures the attention of the reader, such as “I am writing to you in disgust… ” They capture the mood well in, for example, an entry in a Pharaoh’s diary. The writing is very authoritative and has a sense of command through phrases such as “I will deal with that later”.

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ENGLISH

68. Standards in and the teaching of handwriting are unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1. Some pupils are asked to copy words and sentences before they can form letters correctly. Consequently, their handwriting is often illegible; it is inconsistent in size and inaccurate in form. There is no curriculum framework to guide teachers in developing pupils’ handwriting systematically over time. Teaching does not pay sufficient regard to the early stages of handwriting and because of this, the demands and expectations made on the younger, lower attaining pupils in particular are unrealistically high. Nevertheless, by the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils develop their ideas into a sequence of sentences and use punctuation correctly. Their writing is well organised and they are starting to choose interesting words for effect.

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69. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are promoted satisfactorily in Key Stage 1, where the teaching is sound. Teachers give pupils appropriate time and opportunity to respond to their questions, explanations and instructions. Because they explain things clearly to the pupils, pupils listen attentively and consequently know what they are doing. Teachers explain to the pupils what they intend them to learn by the end of the lesson and pupils respond to this by working hard because they know what they are doing and why. Speaking and listening skills are promoted well in Key Stage 2, where the quality of teaching is good. Teachers use good Standard English as an example to the pupils and pupils respond by imitating the teachers. Questions are usually well focused and make pupils think about what exactly the teacher is asking. If pupils misinterpret the questions, teachers repeat them carefully. By the time they leave the school, most pupils are very

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articulate. They talk clearly about what they have done or are doing. They produce well- balanced arguments for and against, for example, capital punishment and listen carefully to each other’s point of view. Because they are shown respect by their teachers and have the opportunity to talk about how they feel and to share their opinions, they are confident youngsters.

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70. Reading skills are taught satisfactorily in Key Stage 1 and well in Key Stage 2. In a good lesson seen in Year 2, pupils learnt how to use indices to locate information in books quickly. Pupils understood the usefulness of this skill when in the science lesson in the afternoon they looked up information about how plants use roots to draw up food and water from the soil. By the age of seven, most pupils sound out letters to decipher unknown words. They read accurately and with developing expression. They make sensible predictions about what will happen next in stories. Reading is developed well in Key Stage 2. Pupils read different types of texts together with their teachers, developing St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 31 good expression and using their voices well to command the attention of the reader. They explore, for example, the use of language in letters about fox hunting and learn how the

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structure of the text systematically develops an idea to a conclusion. In a very good lesson seen in Year 6, very effective questions such as “What is the overall issue?” made pupils think about the message of the text. The teaching developed pupils’ understanding well and pupils grew more confident as their learning was extended further. They suggested alternative language, such as ‘persuade’ instead of ‘influence’ and ‘summarise’ instead of ‘conclude’. Because the lesson moved at a brisk pace, pupils’ attention was held and they all participated. Their behaviour was excellent and they responded very well to the questions. Teaching built upon pupils’ learning well by exploring new meanings and valuing pupils’ answers, even when they were incorrect. Responses from the teacher such as “Excellent, but who can develop that a little further” gave pupils the confidence to ‘have a go’. Because of the good teaching in Years 4, 5 and 6 in particular, by the time the

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pupils leave the school most of them are confident readers. They read short novels and recall the stories and characters well. They make reference to the text when explaining their views and are particularly good at extracting information from non-fiction books. Pupils in both key stages do not use the library enough, however, and their library skills are under-developed as a result. The library is not easily accessible and the school intends to relocate it within the next academic year.

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ENGLISH

71. Literacy is promoted satisfactorily through work in other subjects and computers are used appropriately to support work in English. Pupils write, for example, about ancient Egypt in Year 6 history and read about the function of plant roots in Year 2 science. They read information on CD-ROMs to find out about the heart and organs of the body in Year 6 science and about dangerous animals in Year 3. Although their experiences are limited, pupils in all year groups word-process stories, poems and letters.

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72. Reading records are mainly lists of books pupils have read. The comments in them are of little use in informing teaching and learning, and do little to help the adults who hear pupils read improve the reading skills of individuals.

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73. The teaching and learning of pupils with English as an additional language are unsatisfactory. Teachers throughout the school do not ensure that these pupils understand what is going on. The work they set them does not always match their assessed needs and consequently, they make little progress. Pupils speaking English as an additional language are usually placed in the lower attaining group. This is inappropriate, as their problems lie in the main with language acquisition, not with learning difficulties.

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MATHEMATICS

74. Standards are average by the end of Key Stage 1 and above average by the time the pupils leave the school at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils’ learning in sound in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. The school has made good improvement in mathematics since the last inspection when standards were average. This is due to good subject co- ordination and more effective teaching because of improved lesson monitoring and more informed staff development arrangements. The effective implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy has given teachers confidence in knowing what to teach and when, and lessons include an appropriate balance of explanation, activity and evaluation. The improved analysis of test results and pupils’ answers to individual questions in the end-of- year statutory and non-statutory tests has led to the identification of weaknesses in teaching and learning, which have been effectively dealt with. The targeting of the brighter

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pupils, who could possibly reach higher levels with additional support and greater challenge, has resulted in an increase in the number of pupils reaching the higher level by the end of both key stages. 75. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils reach high standards in numeracy. They use a St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 32 number square and number line confidently to add and subtract up to 19. They accurately add three numbers together, count in fives and 10’s to 100 and above, and multiply and divide by two, five, and 20. Standards in other aspects of mathematics are as expected for pupils of this age. Pupils recognise the properties of two-dimensional shapes and measure accurately in centimetres and metres. They handle money confidently and are aware of its value. By the age of 11, many more pupils reach the expected level and above than in most other schools nationally and standards are continuing to rise because

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of the very effective teaching in this key stage in particular. Targets are usually exceeded by the end of the key stage, with many more pupils reaching the expected level and above than could be reasonably expected given their achievement at the end of Year 5. Pupils are confident in all aspects of mathematics. They accurately add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers to 1000 and beyond. They work confidently with fractions and decimals. They recognise two- and three-dimensional shapes and measure angles accurately. They understand place value, negative numbers, metric conversion, symmetry, area and perimeter, and compile frequency tables and graphs. Pupils of all ages are good at mental calculation, but there are insufficient opportunities for them to use and apply these skills in everyday problem solving.

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76. Most pupils enjoy mathematics and respond well to the new style of teaching adopted through the effective implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. Because teachers tell pupils what they are to learn by the end of the lesson, pupils understand what they are doing and why. Consequently, they are well motivated and their behaviour is generally good.

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MATHEMATICS

77. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Most lessons follow a set format of mental arithmetic followed by group activities relating to a set theme, and ending with a short evaluation of what the pupils have done and learnt. In some lessons, however, the introduction is too long and reduces the time for individual or group activities and, in many lessons, little time is left for discussion to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in the learning. In the best lessons seen, the teachers tell pupils what they want them to learn by the end of the lesson and appropriate activities are planned for different ability groups.

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MATHEMATICS

78. All teachers are familiar with the requirements of the mathematics curriculum and the National Numeracy Strategy, and have satisfactory knowledge and understanding to teach the subject. Mathematical vocabulary is taught well and is beginning to have an impact on pupils’ confidence in using number operations. Occasionally the pace of lessons is slow and time is not used well. In the best lessons observed, where teaching was good or very good, the pace was brisk, with teachers demanding swift recall of number facts and the lessons moved on quickly, allowing sufficient time for individual or group activities. In these lessons, rigorous questions were asked and well-structured answers were expected. Pupils were reminded of the time in which activities had to be completed, adding a sense of urgency to their work, and adequate time was set aside for some assessment of learning to take place. This helped to accelerate the pace of learning. Where resources

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MATHEMATICS

are put out and ready for use, lesson pace is quicker because little time is lost, and pupils achieve more. Work is regularly marked and in the best marking, very helpful comments show pupils how they can further develop their mathematical knowledge and skills.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Teachers throughout the school have high expectations for the higher ability pupils. Teaching challenges these pupils well, resulting in more pupils this year reaching the higher levels than before in both key stages. For example, pupils in Years 4 and 5 had to calculate the difference between 81-100 in their heads. In the Year 5 and 6 class, they had to work out what to add to a 3 digit number to make 1000 and multiply and divide numbers in multiples of ten. However, in Key Stage 1, teachers’ expectations of what the less able pupils can do, including those with special educational needs, are too low. These pupils receive a disproportionately low amount of the class teachers’ time, with classroom St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 33 assistants usually working with them for most of the time. Because the work that these pupils are set does not always meet their needs appropriately, and teachers do not check

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MATHEMATICS

on their learning and progress during the lesson, these pupils too often make insufficient progress.

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MATHEMATICS

80. The teaching and learning in mathematics of pupils with English as an additional language is unsatisfactory. These pupils are taught with and set the same work as the lower attaining and special educational need pupils. However, some of them have good mathematical ability and the work they are given is therefore insufficiently challenging and too easy, and they make unsatisfactory progress.

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MATHEMATICS

81. Numeracy is promoted satisfactorily through pupils’ work in other subjects. For example, pupils time their 10-yard sprints in physical education and count beats in music. They record scientific investigation results on graphs and look up calculators costing less than 10 pounds when learning how to use indices in catalogues in an English lesson.

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SCIENCE

82. Standards are average by the end of Key Stage 1 and above average by the time the pupils leave the school at the end of Key Stage 2. Good improvement has been made since the last inspection, due in the main to very effective teaching towards the end of Key Stage 2 in particular, where pupils learning is good and they make rapid progress. Teaching is better than it was because the lesson monitoring procedures are more effective in identifying what does and does not work in teaching and in-service training deals successfully with remedying the weaknesses. Target setting is good, with those pupils who could achieve better standards being successfully identified and supported. However, standards in experimental and investigative science are under-developed in both key stages. The work is over directed and the pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to plan their own investigations and carry them out independently.

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SCIENCE

83. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils know about healthy living and which foods are good for them. They distinguish between different types of fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, and dairy products. They know that we need food, oxygen, liquid and exercise to stay alive. They observe the growth of seeds and know what conditions are needed for germination. Year 2 pupils know that some materials occur naturally and others are man-made. They know the names of materials, and that some natural materials are treated before use. Pupils build simple electrical circuits incorporating switches, buzzers and bulbs and design them using circuit symbols. They know the difference between a series and parallel circuit and know about different sources of light.

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SCIENCE

84. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils know how to plan a scientific investigation. They know about prediction, fair testing, recording results and coming to conclusions. They conduct investigations to discover, for example, the needs of plants and whether solids dissolve. They learn about freezing, evaporation and condensation. Appropriate links are made with other subjects, when, for example, learning about the water cycle in geography. Pupils have a secure knowledge of materials and their properties. Pupils in Year 6 have a good understanding about forces and conduct a parachute experiment to test whether air resistance slows down a moving object. They understand the effects of light, water and temperature on plants. They know the external parts and internal organs of the body and know about the production of offspring that grow into adults. Years 4 and 5 pupils know about the rotation of the earth in an anti-clockwise direction. They know that the earth

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SCIENCE

goes round the sun, they understand how night and day are created and how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. 85. The quality of learning and the progress are satisfactory overall. There is evidence to show that in the later years of Key Stage 2 the rate of progress is increasing, due in the main to very effective teaching. In both key stages, pupils are developing a secure St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 34 scientific vocabulary and are beginning to understand the need for fair testing. There are however, weaknesses in the use of the two-year topic cycle and, whilst progress and the quality of learning are often good, there is some evidence, in the scrutiny of work, of topics being repeated in different year groups with insufficient regard to what pupils already know. This occasionally results in uneven progress and slows pupils’ achievement. As yet, the full use of information technology, with the exception of information gathering, has not

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had a significant effect in science. For example, the use of computers to produce graphs, design data collection methods and write reports of investigations is limited. The quality of presentation of pupils’ work and the range of recording methods used is generally good. Pupils with a special educational need make similar progress to all other pupils and, where there is additional support, they advance well. A particular weakness is in pupils’ independent learning opportunities.

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86. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are good. Pupils co-operate well, discuss their work sensibly and are happy to explain to visitors what they are doing. In both key stages, pupils treat equipment with care and show a willingness to discuss and answer questions. There are some weaknesses in the attitudes and behaviour of some pupils, particularly when they are not fully enthused and stimulated by the teaching or, if the teacher introduction goes on too long, then they become restless, talkative and lose concentration.

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SCIENCE

87. Teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Where teaching and learning is effective it is due to brisk pace, challenging tasks, good planning, high expectations, and teachers having a secure knowledge of the subject. All of these factors influence the rate of progress that pupils make and ensure that there is effective questioning to develop key points and the correct scientific vocabulary. At the end of Key Stage 2, the teaching is inspirational, with learning made exciting through the rigorous posing of questions and problems to which the pupils respond with maturity and excitement. The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent across the school, with little evidence that suggestions for improvement are followed up.

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SCIENCE

88. The subject co-ordinator has worked hard to effect improvements over her two years in the post. Medium-term plans are scrutinised and the teaching and learning is monitored and evaluated by the head teacher. Resources are adequate. Evaluation is made of National Curriculum assessments in order to identify strengths and weaknesses and the findings are used to influence future development.

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ART AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. No art or design and technology lessons were seen during the inspection. Evidence comes from talking with the pupils and looking at work around the school, photographs, and pupils' sketchbooks. Because the focus for improvement since the last inspection has been on raising standards in English, mathematics and science, there has been insufficient improvement to either art or design and technology over the last three years.

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ART AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. By the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time they leave the school, most pupils attain similar levels in art to most other pupils of their age and their progress in learning is sound. Although standards show some improvement, the range of artwork the pupils do is limited. Pupils work with a variety of materials and media, including card, clay, paint, pencils, water colours, and oil pastels. By the end of Year 2, most pupils are developing their use of shade to create light and dark shadows. They sketch plants and flowers with increasing regard to detail and mix colours accurately to recreate what they see. Much of their artwork is illustrating their work in other subjects, however, such as poems about the year 2000. They draw accurate self-portraits in art lessons and human skeletons in science, which show a good sense of proportion. Pupils of all ages enjoy their work in art and talk eagerly about what they have done and are doing. By Year 2, pupils talk with limited

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confidence and understanding about, for example, Monet. Pupils’ artistic skills are St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 35 developed further throughout Key Stage 2 and by the time they leave the school, most pupils draw very detailed pictures of, for example, Egyptian jewellery and Celtic art. Their standards of their work is very basic, however, and their experience lack variety and breadth. They know something about other artists, such as Henri Rousseau and Claude Monet, and talk about their work with confidence and accuracy. They study very little art from cultures other than Western European, however, and pupils in both key stages do little three-dimensional artwork. These are weaknesses remaining from the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. Pupils’ achievements in design and technology are below those found in most other schools and pupils make unsatisfactory progress in their learning as they move through the school. Standards, progress and the teaching of design and technology are unsatisfactory. Very little design and technology work goes on, although there is some evidence of pupils in Key Stage 1 designing mother’s day cards and listing the resources they will need. Pupils in Year 1 started to make puppets last term, but these have been put away unfinished. They have designed and made a load bearing bridge. Pupils in Year 6 designed and made necklaces out of pasta and beans earlier this year, and when they were in Year 4 they made gazebos out of wood. They have used different materials to make dividers and pots for the teacher. However, pupils’ experiences are very limited. There is no food technology, and little work with wood and woodwork tools. Insufficient

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use is made of computers to support pupils’ work in art.

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ART AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. Although the school has plans to develop the role of the art and design and technology co-ordinators, the leadership and management of the subjects are unsatisfactory. The co- ordinators’ roles are limited to monitoring and purchasing learning resources and offering advice to colleagues as and when they request it. There are no assessment procedures or records of what pupils have achieved other than in the pupils’ annual progress reports. There are no visits to art galleries or museums and no visitors to school such as artists, designers, or sculptors, limiting the pupils’ experiences further. The school has identified the teaching and learning in and the co-ordination of the foundation subjects as areas for improvement in their strategic development plan.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

93. By the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time the pupils leave the school, their attainment in geography and history is as expected for pupils of their age. Pupils make sound progress in their learning in both key stages. Sufficient progress has been made since the last inspection when standards in both history and geography were unsatisfactory. No history was being taught during the week of the inspection and the sample of teaching seen in geography was too small to judge the quality of teaching.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

94. By the time pupils leave school at the end of Key Stage 2, most of them have a satisfactory knowledge of historical events and key historical characters. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their history topics and describe with clarity their work on the Egyptians and Victorians. They talk about their present geographical study of the local area enthusiastically and explain how the nature and location of human activities within it affect the environment. They describe knowledgeably, their previous studies on river formation and weather. Mapping skills, using globes and atlases are taught satisfactorily throughout the school. In Year 3, pupils are learning about maps and plans in a range of scales and making their own maps; an effective display, with aerial views of the local area, has challenging questions for pupils to answer. On leaving school, most pupils have satisfactory mapping skills, and appropriate knowledge of geographical features of the

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locality and more distant places. However, in some classes there are examples of low level expectations, with some work being set which is little more than colouring in a given outline and with little extension of learning. For example, pupils in Year 1 colour in maps of the United Kingdom and Italy, without any further information about these maps. Some very good work was seen in a Year 6 geography lesson as a result of thorough St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 36 preparation, very good use of learning resources and good subject knowledge. The teacher organised the groups well, paying particular attention to setting appropriate tasks for those with special educational needs. The pupils responded well when the teacher posed interesting questions and encouraged them to carry out research. There is effective promotion and use of information-seeking skills in history and geography, and pupils frequently add to their knowledge through the use of CD-ROMs and the Internet. They

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gain considerable amounts of knowledge from these well-planned activities.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

95. There is a policy and scheme of work for history and geography and sufficient commercial support packs and teaching resources. Leadership and management is unsatisfactory overall. Due to the targeting of the core subjects only, no monitoring of planning or teaching has been undertaken by the subject co-ordinators. This accounts, partly, for the inconsistency in teaching and learning across the school in both history and geography going unnoticed. Local resources are not used well enough and visits to local museums and historic sites are under-developed.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

96. Assessment of pupils’ achievements in history and geography is inconsistent. There is no whole school system in place to record what pupils know, understand and can do. The school is very aware of this and has identified it as an area for development next year.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

97. By the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time the pupils leave the school, their attainment is as expected for pupils of their age and pupils make sound progress in their learning as they move through the school. Sufficient improvements have been made since the last inspection; standards by the end of Key Stage 2 have been maintained.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

98. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils use a range of software programs with confidence. They have good ‘mouse’ control skills and use some commands from the menu bar. By the time they reach Key Stage 2, they make good use of a variety of software, especially CD-ROMs, to access information about topics that they are studying.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

99. Only a small number of lessons were seen during the inspection, but it is clear that the teachers take time to teach pupils about the different programs available to support them in their work. For example, in one Year 3 lesson about how to use a CD-ROM to extract information on dangerous animals, the teacher explained, step-by-step, how to load and use the program. Pupils then worked in pairs to develop their skills in accessing information. In a Year 4/5 lesson, the pupils learnt how to enter instructions to control a screen turtle. Teaching made appropriate reference to a previous lesson, in which pupils had learnt how to command the programmable robot, Roamer. Some pupils then worked on the computers entering instructions to move the screen turtle over a road plan, whilst others wrote their instructions in preparation for their turn on the computers. Although some examples of word-processing were seen, little evidence of pupils drafting their work

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

on the computer was ongoing and pupils do not have sufficient experience of using programs that enable them to process data as in science experiments, for example.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

100. Teaching is sound overall in both key stages, although only a small sample of teaching was seen during the inspection. Because the teaching is effective, pupils are enthusiastic about their work and talk confidently about their knowledge, understanding and skills in computer work. They see information technology as another research tool and are keen to explain that the use of CD-ROMs and the Internet allows them to gain a wider range of information for their studies. All computer bays are kept neat and tidy and demonstrate the care and respect pupils have for the equipment.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

101. The computers are switched on and generally in use in most classes, and the appropriately trained classroom assistants effectively support pupils in their work. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 37 Teachers in both key stages have had in-service training to raise their awareness of the use of computers in teaching and learning and to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills. This has ensured a rapid development in teachers’ subject knowledge and has increased their enthusiasm for the subject.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

102. There is an effective scheme of work, based on the National Curriculum guidelines. Assessment is underdeveloped, but the school recognises this and has identified it as a priority area for development in the next academic year.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

103. The school has worked hard to purchase and install a sufficient quantity of computers and a developing range of computer programs. In addition, the school has effectively developed the use of CD-ROMs and the Internet. There are a satisfactory number of computers, which are used effectively to support work in other subjects. Pupils use the CD-ROMs for example, to find out about the heart and other human organs in science and the Egyptians in history. They use computers to draw a birds-eye view of the landscape in geography and to make up catalogue lists in English. There is limited evidence of word- processing, however, or of pupils drafting stories or poems on computers to aid their writing speed and editing skills. Pupils with special educational needs use computers effectively and more programs to support these pupils in their work have been purchased.

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MUSIC

104. By the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time they leave the school, pupils’ attainment in music is broadly the same as that of most pupils of their age. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their learning as they move through the school. Because the teaching of singing is very effective, pupils throughout the school sing very well. Although the class teacher teaches the music in Year 2, one of the school’s classroom support assistants is a qualified music teacher. She contributes very effectively to the music lessons in both key stages by explaining, for example, how Year 2 pupils should sit and how they should alter and use their breathing to make their singing better. She explains very well about how notes are long and short and high and low and uses demonstration effectively to make pupils understand. Because the pupils enjoy her teaching, they take part in the lessons confidently. They identify long and short notes and high and low sounds correctly. They

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MUSIC

sing tunefully and with a good awareness of pulse and rhythm. They keep the beat well and play instruments in time to the music. They read symbols confidently to play un-tuned percussion instruments to accompany their singing and perform short musical patterns by ear.

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MUSIC

105. The teaching of singing is good. Pupils in Year 3 are taught how to breathe properly “as if blowing out candles”. Because the teaching is effective, the pupils sing with enjoyment and skill. The classroom support assistant enhances the pupils’ learning very effectively through her own subject knowledge and expertise, so that by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils sing with enthusiasm and good diction. They sing in two-part rounds and keep the tune well. They vary the volume of their singing and follow the rhythm well. The lessons move at a brisk pace, ensuring pupils’ interest is maintained. Clear explanations by the teachers ensure pupils know what they are doing and what is expected of them when, for example, practising a song for the school play. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 38 106. Whilst pupils’ singing and performing skills are well developed, pupils’ experiences in composing, listening to, and appraising music are limited. Consequently, pupils in both key

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MUSIC

stages have little knowledge of composers and their works and limited understanding and use of musical terminology. Although they enjoy singing and the effective teaching promotes this aspect of music well, pupils in both key stages are not eager to talk about their musical experiences, knowledge and understanding and lack enthusiasm for the subject. Because of a shortage in appropriate software, computers are not used effectively to support pupils’ composing skills and little use is made of tape recorders to record pupils’ performances so that they can listen to and evaluate them at a later date.

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MUSIC

107. There has been insufficient improvement since the last inspection and subject leadership and management is unsatisfactory. Although standards have been maintained, the identified weaknesses have not been successfully dealt with and not enough has been done to improve the teaching and learning. There are no assessment procedures in place to measure and record pupils’ achievements and the pupils’ experiences of music are limited because not enough is made of resources, such as visiting musicians or visits out of school, apart from paid instrumental tuition.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

108. By the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time the pupils leave the school at the end of Key Stage 2, their attainment is as expected for pupils of their age. In Key Stage 1, pupils are taught an appropriate range of skills in gymnastics. They travel along the floor and large apparatus using different body parts, linking their movements together to create a sequence of movements. They take part in country dancing and this term all of Key Stage 1 pupils attend swimming lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

109. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ skills in movement, use of apparatus and ball skills are built on appropriately. They attend swimming lessons in the spring term and continue with the development of dance. For example, older pupils learn Irish and other European dances. In the spring term, Year 3 pupils develop football and netball skills and in the summer term, they learn games aimed at improving their skills of sending, receiving and striking balls. For example, in a good lesson observed in Year 3, groups of five pupils were throwing and catching balls, aiming to strike base before another pupil could get to the base. After this practice, the class played a game of rounders where these skills were successfully put into practice. Other classes were practising athletics in preparation for sports day.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

110. Physical activities are seen as a high priority within the school and regular after-school clubs are held for football, netball and cricket. The school takes part in inter-school sporting activities and has won a number of football, netball and rugby tournaments, and a cross-country trophy. All pupils have equal opportunities to take in any activity and are encouraged to do so.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. Pupils’, including those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, make sound progress in their learning. Over time, all pupils have regular experiences of gymnastics, dance, movement, games and athletics and this summer term all Year 6 pupils are to take part in a residential visit and participate in appropriate adventurous outdoor pursuits.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. Subject leadership and management is unsatisfactory. There is an effective policy and scheme of work for physical education and although the co-ordinator does not have the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching and learning, she is enthusiastic about the subject and has good vision for its future development. Resources are generally adequate to teach the subject. St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School - 39 113. Due to timetable arrangements, a small number of lessons were observed and therefore no judgement about the quality of teaching is made. However, from the scrutiny of teachers’ planning, looking at photographs and a number of discussions with pupils and staff, it is clear that skills are built on effectively through the school. In the last inspection, the standards were in line with national expectations and sufficient progress has been made to maintain them.

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