Cookridge Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School

ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th – 27 th March 2001

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ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 3 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Green Lane Cookridge Leeds

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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: Reverend John Hamilton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 6 th October 1997 Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 4 March 2001

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Team members

11807 Keith Bardon Registered inspector 12682 James Griffin Lay inspector 11938 Sheridan Earnshaw Team inspector 27718 Sudarshankaur Abrol Team inspector 23290 Ros Wilson Team inspector

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Team members

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Limited

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Team members

Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 5 March 2001

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 6 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Holy Trinity is a large voluntary aided Church of England primary school situated in a residential area on the northern outskirts of Leeds. There is no nursery and pupils start in the reception class at the age of four. The school is popular with parents and with 417 pupils on roll it is near capacity. Most pupils live close to the school in owner occupied semi-detached and detached housing. A little over two per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average. Thirty-four pupils have special educational needs, mainly for learning difficulties, which is also below average for a school of this size. Four pupils have a statement of special needs, which is a typical figure. The inspection of this school included a detailed inspection of its provision for pupils with special educational needs. A small number of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, but none are at an early stage in the learning of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

English. Many children have a good range of basic skills when they join the reception class and their attainment on entry is generally above average. The characteristics of the school have changed little since it was last inspected, although it has had a new headteacher and deputy headteacher in the intervening period.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Holy Trinity is a successful school which provides its pupils with a good education in a caring and stimulating environment. Standards are high, the teaching is good and the school is well managed. The cost per pupil is a little below the national average and pupils’ achievements indicate clearly that the school provides good value for the money.

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What the school does well

• Good quality teaching enables pupils to attain standards that are well above average in the key subjects of English and mathematics • The youngest of the school’s pupils are given a very good start to school life • Pupils develop very positive attitudes to learning and the school makes very good provision for their personal development • The school is led well and managed effectively by the headteacher, senior staff and governing body, who give it clear direction and a strong sense of purpose

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What could be improved

• Standards of scientific enquiry in Key Stage 2 • Systems for monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning • The use made of curriculum time 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

Pupils’ performance in the national tests is often well above the national average. Since the last inspection in October 1997 the improvement in the school’s results has mirrored the rise in standards that has occurred nationally. This, along with other improvements has raised the value for money the school provides from satisfactory at the time of the last inspection to its current good level.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has addressed the issues from its last inspection well. The good quality of teaching identified in the last report has been maintained and further developments have taken place. Higher attaining pupils are challenged more in lessons and the positive effect this is having can be seen clearly in quality of work they are producing and the good results they attain in tests. Effective assessment procedures are now used regularly by teachers. These provide the teachers with a bank of good quality information to guide their lesson planning and give them a clear understanding of the progress pupils are making. The monitoring and evaluating of teaching and learning has improved, particularly in the foundation subjects, but the school has more to do on this issue. The working relationship between the school and its govering body is greatly improved. Governors have increased significantly the part they

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 7 March 2001 play in the life of the school and have a much clearer understanding of how well it is performing. Financial management is far more effective and careful planning by governors and senior staff has enabled the school to meet its priorities and at the same time balance its budget. The health and safety issues identified in the previous report were promptly dealt with. The school has clearly moved forward since it was last inspected and made good improvement. It is well placed to continue to develop and improve.

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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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Key

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

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Key

The school’s results in last year’s English tests for eleven year olds were very high and put it in the top five per cent of schools nationally. Results in mathematics were above average but not as good as those in English because a smaller proportion of pupils attained the upper level in the tests. Overall, the school’s results compared very favourably with those whose pupils are from similar home backgrounds. Over the past few years the schools’ results have been consistently well above the national average.

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Key

When they first enter the school many children have good basic skills and their early attainment is above average. Very good teaching in the reception classes builds effectively on this solid start and at the age of five almost all pupils attain the national targets for the age group and move smoothly onto the National Curriculum. Pupils continue to achieve well in Key Stage 1. In last year’s national tests for seven year olds, the school’s results were well above the national average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics.

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Key

The school sets itself challenging targets for pupils’ performance in the national tests to help it maintain high standards. After last year’s tests, adjustments were made to the way in which mathematics is taught in order to bring pupils’ attainments in the subject up to the standard of their English. These have been successful, and inspection findings show that in both subjects, seven and eleven year olds are attaining standards that are well above average. The quality of pupils’ writing, both in content and presentation is a strength of their English. In mathematics pupils of all ages are able to make accurate mental calculations using effective strategies that they understand well. By the age of eleven the majority of pupils have well above average knowledge of scientific facts and ideas. However, while they are in Key Stage 2, pupils are given insufficient opportunities to carry out scientific enquiries for

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Key

themselves and their understanding of how to investigate and experiment is not good enough.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils are very keen to learn, work hard and are proud of their school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of Very good. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They readily help each Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 8 March 2001 classrooms other and behave very well during lessons and around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils readily take on responsibilities and carry them out diligently. Relationships between pupils and adults and between the pupils themselves are very positive and add significantly to the convivial atmosphere of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Levels of attendance are well above the national average and incidence of unauthorised absence is low.

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

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

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

In half of the lessons seen the teaching was good and in a further quarter it was very good or excellent. In most of the remaining lessons the teaching was satisfactory although one lesson failed to reach a satisfactory standard because pupils were not given sufficient opportunity to think for themselves.

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

The teaching of English and mathematics is very effective, hence the high standards. Good use of the national literacy and numeracy strategies helps ensure that the lessons teachers’ plan build constructively on what pupils’ have learned previously. Teachers make very good use of the opportunities many subjects provide to develop literacy. Consequently pupils become competent and confident readers, writers, speakers and listeners across a wide range of contexts. The teaching of numeracy in other subjects is also developing but is not yet as effective as in literacy. In too many science lessons in Key Stage 2 insufficient emphasis is placed on the teaching of enquiry skills.

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

Lessons are planned carefully to ensure that pupils have work that is appropriate and stimulating. This well considered approach enables the school to meet the differing needs of its pupils well. Teachers make their high expectations clear to pupils by writing the objective for the lesson where all can see it. This gives pupils a target to work to and a means of assessing how well they have done by the end of the lesson. Pupils respond very positively to this challenge by thinking hard, sustaining their concentration and applying what they already know to the new work. As a result, pupils’ learning in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is good.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good in the reception classes and satisfactory in the rest of the school. Pupils receive a broad curriculum but lesson time is not always used to best advantage and some subjects suffer as a consequence.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Provision is managed effectively and pupils with special educational needs achieve well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory provision for the very few pupils who speak English as an additional language. Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 9 March 2001 Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. Provision for pupils spiritual, moral and social development is very good. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good, although they have limited opportunities to learn about cultures other than their own.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Secure procedures are in place for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ health and safety.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides the school with clear and effective leadership. Senior staff work closely as a team and the school runs smoothly.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors’ role as a critical friend of the school is well developed and they play an active part in the life of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good overall. Pupils’ progress and the school’s performance in national tests are carefully tracked. Teaching and learning are monitored regularly, although how and when this is to be carried out is not as clearly defined as it should be.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Funding is used appropriately and the school maintains a balanced budget. Senior staff and governors have a secure grasp of the principles, of best value and monitor the efficiency with which the schools funds are spent very carefully.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• They feel that their children are taught well and that they make good progress • The school has high expectations of its pupils and of what they can achieve • The school is managed well and they would feel comfortable approaching the staff with a question or a problem • Children enjoy school • A significant number of parents would like to receive more information about their children’s progress and about what is happening in school • Some parents feel that the school could make better provision for extra-curricular activities

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors share the parents’ positive views of the school and of the education it is providing for their children.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The level of written communication about the life of the school on forthcoming events is appropriate. However, the school is aware of some parents’ concerns about the information they receive regarding their children’s progress and plans to review current arrangements.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors feel that, for a primary school, Holy Trinity offers a good range of extra-curricular opportunities to its pupils, although some parents may not be fully aware of what is available. Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 10 March 2001

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in the key subjects of English and mathematics

1. Seven and eleven year olds consistently attain standards in the national English and mathematics tests that are well above average and much higher than those achieved in most schools. The results from last year’s English tests for eleven year olds put Holy Trinity in the top five per cent of schools nationally. The work seen during the inspection indicates that these high standards are being maintained. There was a slight dip in mathematics results of both seven and eleven year olds last year. This was acknowledged by the school and action taken to help ensure that it does not happen again this year. Pupils’ response in lessons and the work they have done in their mathematics books suggests strongly that this action has been successful and that many Year 6 pupils will be transferring to high school with attainment in mathematics that is well above that normally found. As they progress through the school pupils’ knowledge and

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in the key subjects of English and mathematics

understanding of language, literacy and number builds systematically and at a good rate. In both key stages, pupils of all abilities achieve well in both English and mathematics and the standard of their literacy and numeracy is well above average.

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in the key subjects of English and mathematics

2. Teachers use the National Literacy Strategy well to teach the basics of reading, writing and grammar, and employ other subjects effectively to extend what pupils have learned in their English lessons. Year 2 pupils for example, have been studying Victorian Britain in history and have written very interesting autobiographical accounts from the perspective of a child of the period. These show the characteristics that are reflected in much of the pupils’ writing throughout the school; very good use of vocabulary; accurate spelling; well structured and correctly punctuated sentences and appropriate grammar. Pupils are taught to join letters from an early age and teachers place strong emphasis on pupils writing clearly and neatly in all their work. Standards of handwriting are very high, and in all subjects the presentation of pupils’ work makes it a pleasure to read.

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in the key subjects of English and mathematics

3. The teaching of reading is equally good, and by the age of eleven many pupils can read a wide range of texts with accuracy and understanding. Pupils appreciate what can be gained from the written word and readily read for pleasure and to extend their own knowledge. A Year 6 pupil was seen engrossed in a multi-page document of information about the Second World War, which he had obtained from his computer at home. From this he was able to extract details of events and make informed judgements about the impact of war, which added much to what he was learning in lessons.

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in the key subjects of English and mathematics

4. Pupils of all ages speak with confidence and listen attentively. Teachers encourage this development by speaking to pupils in a mature manner and by listening to their responses carefully. They engage pupils is productive and thought provoking discussions. In a Year 6 literacy lesson the teacher’s well structured questions made pupils think hard about both sides of the current foxhunting debate and encouraged them to consider a wide range of implications. Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 11 March 2001 5. Pupils’ ability to make accurate mental calculations and to recall and use number facts is a strength of their mathematics. Much of this stems from teachers’ effective employment of the National Numeracy Strategy to teach pupils efficient computational methods and to reduce their reliance on paper and pencil techniques.

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in the key subjects of English and mathematics

6. Teachers encourage pupils to look for relationships between numbers and to use these to make calculating easier. As a result of this very constructive approach, pupils are able to employ different strategies when solving problems and explain clearly the decisions they are making. Year 2 pupils who were adding two digit numbers explained confidently how they partitioned them into tens and units, added the two elements separately and then put them back together to arrive at the answer. Very effective teaching in a Year 6 mathematics lesson enabled pupils to recognise the patterns that square numbers make as they increased in size and to make accurate estimates of very large square numbers.

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in the key subjects of English and mathematics

7. Pupils use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with equal competence. Higher attaining Year 5 pupils were seen solving quite complex problems, which required them to combine different operations correctly and in a logical sequence. Pupils’ understanding of the relationship between different operations and how to apply their knowledge of numbers to different parts of the question was well above that of most nine and ten year olds.

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in the key subjects of English and mathematics

8. Raising the level of challenge, particularly for the higher attaining pupils, was identified as an area for improvement in the last inspection report. The productive manner in which this has been addressed is very evident in both English and mathematics. Teachers often provide stimulating lessons which make pupils think and moves their ideas and understanding on at a good pace. They set clear and challenging lesson objectives and display these to the pupils throughout the lesson. This helps to give pupils a clear understanding of what is expected of them and to keep them focused during the lesson. By reviewing the objectives at the end of the lesson pupils are able to consolidate their learning and appreciate the gains they have made. This approach enables higher attaining pupils in particular to understand the rate at which they are learning and they come to lessons fully expecting to make considerable new gains in what they know and

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in the key subjects of English and mathematics

9. All pupils have an individual set of targets in their English books against which they and their teachers and parents can monitor and evaluate the progress they are making. This attention to detail and teachers’ careful response to the needs of pupils of different attainment are very positive aspects of the teaching in English and mathematics lessons.

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The youngest of the school’s pupils are given a very good start to school life

10. The school goes to considerable lengths to gain a comprehensive picture of its children when they first join the school. The teacher with responsibility for managing the provision for the four year olds visits 17 of the nurseries and playgroups the children attend prior to starting at Holy Trinity. The school holds meetings for parents and issues an invitation for them to discuss any concerns they may have. Information from the baseline tests that are carried out soon after the children have started completes the comprehensive picture. From the information this profile provides, teachers and other reception staff plan carefully to meet the individual needs of the children and to help them make a positive start Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 12 March 2001 to school life. The results of this well conceived approach can be seen clearly in the personal development of a number of the boys who are currently in the

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The youngest of the school’s pupils are given a very good start to school life

reception classes. This aspect of their learning was low when they first entered reception, but it is now well up to the level it should be due to the effective provision that has been made and the careful monitoring that has been carried out.

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The youngest of the school’s pupils are given a very good start to school life

11. The reception classrooms are lively, busy places in which the children are continually involved in activities which stimulate their ideas and encourage them to explore and discover things for themselves. Teachers are employing the new national foundation stage curriculum very well to provide children with a balanced range of experiences covering all the areas of learning. Due emphasis is placed on children acquiring the basics of language, literacy and number but they are also given regular opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the world around them and to gain personal, social, physical and creative skills. Reception children benefit considerably from the guidance they receive from support staff and from the good numbers of parents who regularly help in the classrooms.

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The youngest of the school’s pupils are given a very good start to school life

12. When they first enter reception, many children are already communicating effectively and their early attainment is above average. By the end of their time in the reception classes almost all children are forming letters well in their writing and beginning to put words together into simple sentences. Their language is well developed and they answer questions and participate in discussions with confidence. Activities provided in the water and sand areas, for example, encourage pupils to talk to each other and to extend their language by explaining what is happening. One pupil was heard to say that the water was “overflowing” as a bottle he was filling reached capacity, showing the good vocabulary that many five year olds in the school possess.

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The youngest of the school’s pupils are given a very good start to school life

13. Pupils are able to mix colours for themselves when painting and learn how to join materials securely when model making. The models of a rubbish tip and an army tank made by the children during the inspection showed creativity and flair as well as attention to detail. Class routines are well established and children learn the advantages of taking turns, sharing and working together. Children make very good progress in the reception classes and leave well equipped for the National Curriculum work they will involved with in Year 1.

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provision for their personal development

14. At the meeting for parents held before the inspection, one parent commented that pupils know exactly what they come to school for, “to meet their friends and to learn”. This combining of the social with the academic is at the heart of the school’s very good provision for pupils’ all round development.

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provision for their personal development

15. Pupils of all ages come readily to school and are keen to learn. They take a pride in their own achievements and readily acknowledge the achievements of others. Teachers make lessons enjoyable and interesting and pupils respond by working hard and adopting a very enthusiastic approach to learning. Pupils’ good attitudes to school extend beyond the classroom, with pupils conscientiously completing homework and often extending it with reading or research they have initiated themselves. Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 13 March 2001 16. Pupils’ levels of attention are high and from an early age they are able to sustain their concentration for lengthy periods. They readily answer questions and even when they are not certain of the answer most pupils are prepared to have a try. Teachers encourage these positive attitudes by valuing all answers that pupils put forward and by giving them full credit for the contributions they are prepared to

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provision for their personal development

make during lessons. This constructive approach, builds very positive relationships, promotes confidence and encourages openness, and is just one example of the many very effective ways in which pupils’ development is promoted.

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provision for their personal development

17. Relationships between the pupils themselves are equally constructive. They listen to each other carefully and readily help when someone has a problem. Older pupils show care and consideration for younger ones. Year 6 pupils are currently making talking books on the computer to help reception children to learn to read, often giving up part of their lunchtime to continue the work. They are taking great care with these books, selecting words thoughtfully and employing as many techniques as they can think of to add interest for the reader.

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provision for their personal development

18. Assemblies are pleasant social events which are much enjoyed by the pupils. They help promote the sense of community that is very evident throughout the school. The school makes clear to pupils the standards it expects from them and a consistent approach to behaviour and discipline from staff reinforces this. Pupils’ behaviour is very good both in and out of lessons. Consequently classrooms are orderly and productive and the school has a pleasant atmosphere. As they grow older, pupils are given more responsibilities around school, such as helping at lunchtimes and setting up the hall for assemblies. They respond very positively to the trust placed in them by their teachers and carry out their tasks conscientiously.

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governing body, who give it clear direction and a strong sense of purpose

19. The headteacher provides effective leadership and receives good support from the deputy headteacher and other senior staff. Together they form a cohesive management team which knows the school well. Despite very good results in the national tests in recent years there is no complacency and the headteacher and senior staff are constantly looking for ways in which further improvements can be made. This very healthy approach helps provide the school with a strong sense of purpose and direction and a clear vision of its future development. The success of the school and the effectiveness of its management can be measured by the school’s popularity with parents and the positive views they hold of the education it is providing for their children.

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governing body, who give it clear direction and a strong sense of purpose

20. The school’s high expectation of its teachers and pupils is very apparent in the performance targets it sets. The targets for pupils’ attainments in this year’s national tests for eleven year olds are appropriately high and require almost all pupils to attain or exceed the expected level for their age in both English and mathematics. School objectives relating to the proportion of pupils expected to attain at an above average level have also been set. These challenging targets are helping to maintain the impetus the school has generated so that standards remain high.

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governing body, who give it clear direction and a strong sense of purpose

21. The monitoring of pupils to ensure that they are making the progress they should is very thorough. Well structured assessment procedures are in place and the Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 14 March 2001 data these provide is carefully analysed. The information from this analysis and other sources is used well to inform management decisions and to identify the school’s priorities for development. Information about the quality of teaching and learning is collected regularly but there is a need to formalise the procedures and mechanisms for doing this. (See paragraph 27)

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governing body, who give it clear direction and a strong sense of purpose

22. The headteacher is closely involved in the day to day operation of the school. He gives careful consideration to how the school can make the best use of the skills and expertise of its staff. In Year 6, for example, one teacher takes all pupils for English lessons and the other takes all the mathematics. This makes very effective use of their subject strengths and helps ensure that all pupils regularly receive very good quality lessons in both subjects.

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governing body, who give it clear direction and a strong sense of purpose

23. Since the last inspection relationships between the school and its governing body have improved significantly and a constructive working partnership has developed. Consequently those aspects of school management that were of serious concern in 1997 are no longer an issue.

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governing body, who give it clear direction and a strong sense of purpose

24. The governing body understands its role as a critical friend of the school well and governors carry out their statutory responsibilities diligently. Many governors regularly help in the school, and the chair of governors visits daily. Through this regular contact with the school and the regular meetings they hold, governors are able to monitor the work of the school very effectively. Governors ask searching questions of the school’s performance and monitor its spending carefully while at the same time providing good support for its on-going development.

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governing body, who give it clear direction and a strong sense of purpose

25. Senior staff and governors manage the school’s finances very efficiently and maintain a balanced budget. They use the funding made available to the school very well to ensure that all pupils receive the education to which they are entitled and to enable the school to meet its priorities for development. Spending decisions are carefully considered and their outcomes closely evaluated to ensure that the school is obtaining best value for the money it is spending.

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Standards of scientific enquiry in Key Stage 2

26. Key Stage 2 pupils acquire very good knowledge of science facts and ideas, and eleven year olds achieve well above average results in the national science tests. It is in the areas that the tests do not examine to any extent, namely pupils’ enquiry skills, where the problems lie. Pupils in Key Stage 1 are given regular opportunities to investigate science ideas in a practical way. Consequently they develop a good understanding for their age of how to find out things for themselves. However, in Key Stage 2, there is insufficient practical work and pupils get too few opportunities to extend the skills they acquired in Key Stage 1 or to learn new ones.

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Standards of scientific enquiry in Key Stage 2

27. By the age of eleven, most pupils understand the principles of predicting outcomes, fair testing and interpreting evidence but have little appreciation of the need to draw conclusions or how to ensure that experimental data is secure. Too many lessons in Key Stage 2 focus on the recording of factual information. In the lessons where pupils are involved in investigative work, many of the decisions about how to proceed are made for them by the teacher and their thinking is not extended enough. As a result, eleven year olds do not have the level of Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 15 March 2001 independence as scientific enquirers that they should have.

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Systems for monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning

28. Very thorough mechanisms have been established for tracking pupils’ development and for monitoring test results. These data based sources provide a clear numerical picture of what is happening to standards and the areas that need to be examined further. Other information about the quality of education the school is providing is collected in various ways, for example through lesson observations and examination of teachers’ planning by senior staff. However, how these different sources of information are to be linked together to provide a comprehensive picture of the effect of the teaching on pupils’ learning has not been identified clearly enough. When, how, and by whom this information is to be is to be used is not sufficiently well defined. This makes analysing the information, determining outcomes and deciding what action needs to be taken more difficult than it should be.

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Systems for monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning

29. The need for development in this area has been recognised by the school, and the headteacher and deputy headteacher are to attend a relevant training course in the near future.

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The use made of curriculum time

30. Holy Trinity, like many schools nationally, adjusted its curriculum when the daily literacy and numeracy lessons were introduced and reduced the time given to a range of subjects, particularly those of a creative nature. However, some of the changes that were made went a little too far. For example the recommended time for the literacy lesson is about an hour, and numeracy about fifty minutes to an hour. These subjects are often timetabled into one and a half hour periods with teachers filling the extra time with silent reading or similar activities. As well as reading daily in the literacy lesson and in most other subjects, many pupils read at home. This brings into question the value of further additional reading lessons during which there is little teaching input, and of the other short lessons of a similar nature that occur at various times in the day. Better use could be made of these periods and the time made available for other subjects, particularly those

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The use made of curriculum time

that suffered a reduction when the curriculum was last restructured.

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The use made of curriculum time

31. On occasions literacy or numeracy lessons extend beyond the recommended time. These extensions are often counter-productive, as after a period of intensive literacy or numeracy work many pupils have reached the end of their concentration span and are ready for something different to spark them off again.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

32. The headteacher, staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards of scientific enquiry in Key Stage 2 by; (paragraphs 26 & 27) • providing pupils with frequent opportunities to carry out all types of scientific enquiries; • reviewing teachers’ understanding of this aspect of the subject and providing training where necessary; • providing teachers with a clear framework for the teaching and Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 16 March 2001 learning of enquiry skills; • establishing a consistent approach to writing in science so that it becomes an integral part of the enquiry process.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve systems for monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning by: (paragraph 28) • providing a clear framework of linking procedures that enable information from different sources to be systematically gathered and collated; • identifying when, how, and by whom the information will be used.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Make better use of curriculum time to improve the balance between subjects. (paragraphs 30 & 31) Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 17 March 2001

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 417

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 34

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 18 March 2001

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 28 37 65

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 26 26 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 37 37 37

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (98) 97 (98) 98 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 26 27 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 37 37 37

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (98) 98 (100) 98 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 27 34 61

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 25 24 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 33 30 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 95 (91) 89 (93) 97 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 19 25 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 29 31

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 82 (86) 89 (86) 93 (98) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 19 March 2001

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 4 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 668,990

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1,593

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 180 Balance brought forward from previous year 12,470

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 16,914 Cookridge Holy Trinity C of E Primary School - 20 March 2001

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 55 41 2 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 46 44 4 3 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 35 50 11 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 24 52 17 7 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 47 43 8 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 60 38 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 31 49 11 5 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 51 38 1 2 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 43 52 3 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 33 26 7 15

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