St Paul's CofE Primary School

ST PAUL’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 th – 31 st January 2002

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ST PAUL’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST PAUL’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Ringwood Way Winchmore Hill London Postcode: N21 2RA

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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: Leslie C Smith OBE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 th November 1997 St Paul’s CE Primary School - 2

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Team members

12641 Pauline Lyseight-jones Registered inspector 14756 John Lovell Lay inspector 27629 Peter Brooks Team inspector 10611 Martin James Team inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Paul’s CE Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Paul’s CE Primary School is an oversubscribed, voluntary-aided school with 418 pupils. It is in the north of the London Borough of Enfield. The school is a larger than average primary school with two classes in each year group, including two reception classes. Most of the school’s pupils come from one of the four local Church of England parishes, although some come from further afield. The immediate area of the school contains a higher than average proportion of pupils who live in high social class households. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below the national average as is the proportion of pupils who have special educational needs. While the percentage of pupils for whom English is an additional language is above the national average, only one pupil is at the early stages of learning English. The school is a stable community with almost all pupils remaining in the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

school for the whole of their primary school education. Pupils generally enter the school with above average attainment.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school which is led and managed well. Pupils’ standards far exceed those normally found by the age of eleven in English, mathematics and science. Pupils benefit from good quality teaching and, because of this, they make good progress as they move from year to year. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The pupils reach well above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the time that they leave school because the high standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are built upon. The school has focused on strategies which could help standards to rise further. • Pupils are helped to develop good attitudes and to behave well. • Teaching throughout the school is of good quality and much is very good, helping pupils to learn effectively and to make good progress. • The governors, headteacher and staff have clear aims for the school and work together to achieve them systematically so that a climate of self-evaluation and continuous improvement is in place. • The school provides a broad education for pupils; teachers make good links between subjects leading to increased relevance in what is taught. Opportunities are provided for pupils to express their interests and talents.

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What could be improved

• The consistent use of assessment procedures so that further challenge may be provided. • The effectiveness of communication with parents. • Ensure the completion of the installation of improved outdoor education opportunities. 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 was last inspected in November 1997. Since then, it has continued to improve the quality of provision for its pupils. The high standards have been maintained in the core subjects. The school has been successful in attracting more parents to work with it. They provide valuable support for individual pupils and for small groups. The governors remain a responsible and capable body. They have raised the funds for a new teaching block which has just been completed. The multicultural dimension of the school’s work has improved and enriches pupils’ education. The quality of teaching has improved across the school and is now good overall. There is an improved range of large play equipment, although work on developing the outdoor play facilities for the youngest children has been delayed. The provision for information and communication technology has improved and is now good. The school is

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

committed to improving the professional development of staff. It gained the Investors in People award in 1997 and was successfully re-assessed in 2000. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 5

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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

science A* B A A very high well above average above average average below average well below average A* A B C D E

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Key

In 2001, pupils’ performance in national tests for seven year olds in reading and writing and in teacher assessment in science was well above average and compares favourably with that of similar schools. Compared to all schools, pupils’ performance in mathematics was above average and compared to similar schools it is close to average. There is an overall trend towards improved performance over time. Pupils make good progress from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 and leave the school having attained to well above average standards.

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Key

In 2001, pupils’ performance in national tests for eleven year olds was well above average in English, mathematics and science. Over the past five years, whilst results were normally above or well above national averages, there have been variations in performance. This means that the overall results across the three subjects have not risen in line with the national trend. In mathematics, the trend has been towards lower overall performance. This is because a smaller proportion of pupils are attaining level 5 or above while performance at level 4 and above has been maintained. The school exceeded its 2000/1 targets in English and mathematics and those for 2001/2 are achievable. Work seen during the inspection indicates that the school is in line to meet its targets.

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Key

Pupils join the school with above average standards. The good teaching which they receive and their own good attitudes to their work mean that they learn well and make good progress. Not all subjects were seen during the inspection but some well above average work was seen in literacy and numeracy in Key Stage 2. Some average work was seen in design and technology, science and music. Some above average work was evident in all reception lessons, in art in Key Stage 1 and in history in Key Stage 2. Children in the Foundation Stage are on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals. Given their attainment on entry, pupils’ achievement is good.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. This is a strength of the school. Pupils like being at school and this is shown by their enthusiasm when they do their work and their keenness to explain what they know and what they have learned. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils are welcoming and helpful to visitors. They get on well with each other. They work well with each other in class and help each other to learn. Attendance Good. Attendance figures are better than the national averages and St Paul’s CE Primary School - 6 punctuality in the mornings and after break and lunchtimes is good. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 7

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

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

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

During the inspection, all but one lesson seen was at least satisfactory. About a tenth of lessons were satisfactory, three-fifths of lessons were good and over one fifth was very good. Overall, the teaching across the school was good. Of three lessons seen in the reception year, two were good and one was very good. This quality of teaching gives pupils in the reception year a good start to their time in school. Some very good teaching in creative development in reception, in mathematics in Key Stage 1 and in English and history in Key Stage 2 led to pupils making very good progress. Teachers know their subjects and both literacy and numeracy are taught well. Teachers’ planning generally meets the needs of pupils especially those with special educational needs, but, on occasion, higher attaining pupils could be provided with more challenge. Planning in the reception year is particularly strong. Teachers make

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

appropriate resources available to help pupils in their work. There are good examples of teachers linking key points of different subjects and helping pupils to understand and appreciate the connections. Teachers use the skills of other adults assisting in the classroom well and this has a good effect on the work which pupils do. The management of pupils is very good and pupils are highly attentive, they ask good questions and work hard in class, making good use of their time.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. There is a very strong emphasis on pupils being able to learn from visits and from visitors. There are clear plans for what is to be taught in all subjects. Pupils are given opportunities to apply what they have learned in music or English through good quality arts-based musical dramas. Design and technology challenges and arts weeks allow pupils to go into depth and to share what they have learned. The strong emphasis on cross-curricular links means that pupils are increasingly able to see how they can apply their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. This is well organised and effective. Pupils are well-supported by teachers, by learning support assistants and by other adults in classes. The pupils work hard and make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The school has made good progress in developing the multicultural dimension to its work, adding to the good quality provision for cultural development. Spiritual, social and moral development are also good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. Child protection procedures and other pastoral procedures are in place. Sound assessment procedures are in place, although improvements can be made to the use of assessment data. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The school is well led by the headteacher who provides strong educational direction for school development. Teachers welcome advice from each other and work well as a team. They take professional responsibility for their work and provide confident leadership.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors fulfil their responsibilities well and are great supporters of the school. They have good systems for checking progress on meeting agreed school priorities.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school plan incorporates a wide range of school activities. There is systematic and thorough checking of progress in each area of the plan. Test results and other performance data are analysed, but further work needs to done to ensure that the assessment information leads to improvements in the work which some pupils are given. Monitoring of teaching is being integrated within the school’s performance management system.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school uses its resources well. Funds were raised since the last inspection for the newly-opened teaching block for Year 5 and 6 pupils. There are plans to use the released space to provide an ICT suite and a music and drama suite.

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Aspect Comment

The school applies the principles of best value satisfactorily.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like going to school. • Teaching is good. • Teachers have high expectations of children. • Children make good progress at school. • Children are helped to become more mature and responsible. • The school is well-managed and led. • Information to parents about children’s progress. • The way in which the school deals with parental concerns or problems. • The close contact between the school and the home.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection findings confirm the strengths highlighted by the analysis of the parents’ questionnaire and reinforced by parents’ comments at the parents’ meeting. The inspection team finds that the school sends good quality information to parents about the progress which their children are making and provides both opportunities and invitations for parents to discuss this or their own concerns with staff at the school. However, the representations made by parents, both as comments on the parents’ questionnaire and within the parents’ meeting, indicate that improving the effectiveness of communication to parents would be of benefit. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 9

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

1. In 2001 pupils’ performance at the end of Key Stage 1 was well above average in reading and writing and was above average in mathematics when compared with schools nationally. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ performance in reading and writing were well above average and in mathematics it was close to average. The school has already taken steps to improve pupils’ performance in writing, including organising training sessions for school staff which involved skilled external experts working with staff on further strategies to improve the quality and range of the writing which pupils do. Teachers now base their planning on the guidance given by the National Numeracy Strategy, although the school recognises that further work needs to be done to ensure that it better fits the needs of pupils. The mathematics co-ordinator is already undertaking this work. The pupils’ Key Stage 1 mathematics results for 2000 were closely analysed, as well as

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

other factors which might have affected performance, including teacher turnover, and action has been taken as a result. Taken over the last three years, pupils’ performance at the end of Key Stage 1 has exceeded the average for all schools.

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

2. There has been variation in the standards in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 where the above average performance compared to schools nationally in 1999 dipped to average in 2000 before rising to above average in 2001. In 2001, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 3 was well above that which was achieved by all schools nationally and by similar schools in reading and writing but in mathematics it was only average.

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

3. In 2001, at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ standards in science were very high in comparison with the average for all schools and for similar schools. They were well above average for the higher level 3. The use of the schemes of work which are produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority have contributed to these high standards.

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

4. At the end of Key Stage 2 in 2001, pupils’ performance in English, mathematics and science, when compared to all schools nationally, was well above average; when compared with similar schools, science results are well above average and in English and mathematics they are above average. Pupils made good progress between the ages of eight and eleven in all three subjects. As in Key Stage 1, there was variation in pupils’ performance at the end of Key Stage 2 over the past three years and the overall school improvement trend for these three subjects is below that nationally; however, performance overall is very good and this is contributed to by the effective use of the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies. In English and science, higher level 5 attainment is well above the national average when compared with all schools and with similar schools. In mathematics they are well above the national average when compared with all schools

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

and are above average when compared with similar schools.

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

5. Pupils’ speaking and listening is good in lessons and in other settings. They speak confidently in assemblies and they listen attentively. They attend carefully in lessons and tend to give answers which are considered and, typically, are in full sentences. This means that their writing is more likely to reflect the thought and accuracy which is demonstrated in their speaking. A good example was seen in a Year 6 lesson where pupils discussed the differences between fact and fiction. In this lesson pupils spoke clearly, in full sentences. They were showing that they could rationalise, infer and deduce from the information which was made available to them. This quality of work was directly linked to the good quality of teaching. The teacher was highly skilled in drawing out what pupils know and she made links with previous lessons and from a range of sources which included a visitor to the school who spoke about World War II. In a very good Year

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

St Paul’s CE Primary School - 10 5 lesson pupils were able to enact their version of the story of Odysseus and the Sirens, demonstrating a good understanding of the difference between a first and a third person account. The teacher was skilled in insisting on pupils improving the range and type of descriptive words which they used and involving the whole class in offering interesting alternatives, an example being the terms offered for the way in which the Sirens were sitting on the rocks – were they ‘relaxed’, ‘lounging’ or ‘sprawling’? The teacher’s instruction to the pupils to ‘use the very best language you can find in your head’ resulted in some very good work being done.

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

6. The scrutiny of pupils’ work in mathematics showed that there was less difference in the tasks which pupils of different abilities were given than might have been expected; pupils in the reception year attain well in their mathematics. Many pupils were confident at adding and subtracting sums of money up to 20 pence and most pupils could do the same task but up to 10 pence. A few pupils were still having difficulty with the concept and were counting the number of coins and not the value of them. However, all pupils could read the numbers correctly. In a satisfactory lesson in Year 2, pupils were using precise language to describe positions and directions and were developing the concept of quarter and half turns. Teaching was effective because pupils were not only told the purpose of the lesson but they were able to have practical demonstrations, giving each other instructions to make particular turns in specific directions. The teacher made good

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

links with work which pupils had done previously in physical education. A Year 6 lesson on investigating the properties of magic squares showed the lowest attaining pupils being given effective support by the teacher to help them to achieve. Pupils were encouraged to develop their own strategies and this, combined with the help which the teacher gave, resulted in pupils making satisfactory progress.

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

7. Pupils’ work seen during the inspection suggests that pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 are in line to achieve to previous high levels. This is because of the considered use of national strategies for literacy and numeracy, the nationally available schemes of work for all other subjects and the attention given to the Foundation Stage curriculum. A number of other activities are undertaken and these contribute to improvements in teaching and learning. For example, joint planning by the year teams in the Foundation Stage ensure that work is set which matches children’s interests and capabilities; regular observations and assessments of children result in teaching plans being fine tuned. The English co-ordinator recognised that teachers’ assessments were not sufficiently in line with end of Key Stage 2 test results and introduced training to ensure that more consistent and accurate judgements were made about level of pupils’ work. The mathematics co-ordinator

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

put into place an aspect of the National Numeracy Strategy in Key Stage 1 which is specifically geared to improving the standards of lower attaining pupils. In English there is a lunchtime club for pupils who are expected to be very high attainers and in mathematics there is a group for high achievers. Co-ordinators in English and mathematics have observed colleagues’ lessons and recognise the value of first-hand teaching and learning information. Further development of direct observation could improve the repertoire of methods which the school uses to monitor its performance. Some science classes are taught by a specialist teacher who also leads science development in the school. This helps the subject co-ordinator to judge the quality of pupils’ learning directly and to take the action needed to lead to further improvement. There is great emphasis in science on improving pupils’ knowledge and understanding through increasing the

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

investigative and independent work which they do; resources for science have been improved to meet this renewed emphasis. Teachers generally plan to ensure that pupils of differing abilities are given appropriate tasks. This contributes to the high standards which are achieved by pupils. However, there were examples of the same work being given to different attainment groups suggesting that some adjustments to planning need to take place.

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

Pupils are helped to develop good attitudes and to behave well.

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

8. The pupils have very positive attitudes to the school and clearly enjoy being there. They respond very well in lessons, in assemblies, around the school and in the playground. Pupils are courteous, polite and helpful to each other and to visitors. Parents report that their children like school and this was demonstrated, throughout the inspection, by the good relationships which there were between pupils, when they were doing group work in lessons, or when talking to inspectors about their work as computer monitors. The adults in school demonstrate the kind of St Paul’s CE Primary School - 11 behaviour which pupils should adopt, as they too are helpful, courteous and polite. There is a behaviour policy which is adhered to. The school offers many opportunities for pupils to find out what they do well and for pupils to become interested in activities outside of the classroom. There is a very good range of activities which take place outside of lessons and pupils are able to

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

learn or improve their skills at country dancing, at cricket or football. They are able to take instrumental music lessons, led by peripatetic teachers; a considerable number of pupils take part. The arts week, the design and technology challenge and the musical dramas draw in pupils with different interests and encourages them to enjoy themselves and to learn. In taking part in these school events, pupils have good opportunities to mix with pupils from other classes and of different ages to themselves. Some older pupils take responsibility for a part of school life. For instance, the library monitors work with the parent helper in the library; the computer monitors ensure that the computers in the library and in their classrooms are set up and ready to use and they close them down at the end of the day. These examples contribute to the increasing maturity and sense of responsibility which parents are agreed that the school fosters. Pupils work

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the teaching is often of good quality and the school has focused on strategies which could help

hard at school because their teachers encourage them to do well; teachers ensure that teaching time is used to extend and support pupils and this means that pupils come to lessons expecting to learn and looking forward to the experience.

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Most of the teaching throughout the school is of good quality and much is very good, helping

pupils to learn effectively and to make good progress.

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Most of the teaching throughout the school is of good quality and much is very good, helping

9. Most of the 23 lessons seen during the inspection showed that teaching was either good or very good. All teaching in the reception year was good and some very good lessons were seen in Key Stages 1 and 2; overall the quality of teaching is good. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented well and some very effective teaching is taking place as a result. Inspectors noted in particular teachers’ good subject knowledge, their use of a range of effective teaching skills and the insistence on ensuring that the main learning points were explained.

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Most of the teaching throughout the school is of good quality and much is very good, helping

10. Teachers’ planning is satisfactory in Key Stages 1 and 2 and is in line with the requirements of the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies and in accordance with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s schemes of work for other subjects. Teachers are encouraged to identify, in their weekly planning, the teaching and learning strategies which they expect to use. This keeps to the forefront of teachers’ minds the necessity to ensure that the best approaches are used for each lesson or series of lessons. The planning in the reception year is very good and is done jointly by staff who work with the children. The planning is detailed and all Early Learning Goals are covered. The planning includes a range of activities to meet the needs of the range of capabilities in the year group. Observations and assessments are undertaken regularly and planning is amended to meet the pupils’ developing needs. This thoroughness of approach to

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Most of the teaching throughout the school is of good quality and much is very good, helping

learning in the reception year provides a good start to the children’s school life and has given confidence to parents who report their satisfaction with their child’s progress in the reception classes. This good teaching gives children opportunities to become more independent and to gain confidence and to improve their social skills. This was well-illustrated by the activity and talking which took place while a reception class was building a volcano world and making pizzas. They were very eager to learn and to share their enjoyment with others.

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Most of the teaching throughout the school is of good quality and much is very good, helping

11. Teachers make very good use of the adults who support in classrooms. There are 38 parents who work in classrooms, or in the school regularly, as volunteers. In addition, the school has a good number of classroom support staff including specialist nursery nurses. Teachers make good use of their skills by providing them with focus sheets, information about the lesson in which they are taking part, so they are able to support small groups of pupils in their learning. This means that, while classroom activities may sometimes be similar for pupils of differing capabilities, the quality and quantity of the additional adult support helps the lowest attainers to make good progress. Challenge to higher attainers is offered through the provision of different tasks or through the enquiry which is made of pupils about how they have done their work.

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Most of the teaching throughout the school is of good quality and much is very good, helping

12. Teachers are very good at managing pupils’ behaviour so that classrooms are places for learning not distraction. As discussed above, teachers plan for their lessons appropriately, they know what St Paul’s CE Primary School - 12 they are to teach and what they would like pupils to learn. Teachers target questions to specific pupils and thereby provide them with appropriate challenge, as was demonstrated in a mathematics lesson in Year 3 which focused upon symmetry. In this lesson, in common with many other lessons seen, the teacher made sure that pupils were clear about what they were trying to do before they started to work. At the end of the lesson, on identifying and drawing lines of symmetry, the teacher drew the session together skilfully.

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Most of the teaching throughout the school is of good quality and much is very good, helping

She invited pupils to explain what they had done, whether they had checked their work and whether they had considered alternatives to the answer which they had given. She posed questions which made pupils think. Their understanding was deepened and they were engaged and enthused by the way the teacher taught. This example shows the link, which was demonstrated throughout the school, between the quality of the taught lesson and the pupils’ good behaviour.

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achieve them systematically so that a climate of continuous improvement and self-evaluation

13. Governors, the headteacher and senior staff in school are very clear about their role in developing the school. They take their guidance from the school plan, which is devised through a detailed systematic process each year and involves broad consultation and joint working. The plan is devised to meet the aims of the school. These include the development of children’s knowledge, imaginative understanding, moral values and capacity for enjoyment, their role as citizens and their growth as ambitious, reflective learners, within a Christian framework. The resultant plan is clear and meets the priority needs for school development and improvement. It identifies major and minor initiatives and governing body committee plans. Responsibility for leadership in each aspect of the plan is clear. Key success criteria are listed alongside training resources and costs. Those responsible for monitoring and evaluation are listed in the school plan, although the methods or

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achieve them systematically so that a climate of continuous improvement and self-evaluation

means are not. A particular strength of the governing body’s procedures is the regular review of progress on the school plan by governors’ committees in each of their meetings. The planning for improvement is systematic and ensures that each curriculum area is reviewed regularly. The last cycle of these curriculum reviews has just been completed and the current plan focuses more deeply on whole-school improvement. The headteacher gives very full and clear accounts of school progress to governors through his report and good decisions about the next steps which the school needs to take are readily apparent. To help them increase their knowledge of work in school, governors have recently been linked with individual subjects.

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achieve them systematically so that a climate of continuous improvement and self-evaluation

14. A key development has been the improvement to the accommodation and the learning environment. Most recently, this has resulted in a new, linked classroom block being built for the Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. The space released will be used to establish a new ICT suite and a music and drama studio where previously there were no specialist rooms. Governors planned this significant expenditure carefully. They have raised money through successful bidding for government grants, through fundraising by the friends of the school and by their own careful budgeting. The specially-formed building development sub-committee worked with the quantity surveyors and architects to ensure that the contractors were of good quality and, given the project, offered best value to the school. When the project is completed, the resulting accommodation will be a considerable asset to the school, which will enhance the education which can be offered to

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achieve them systematically so that a climate of continuous improvement and self-evaluation

15. School performance targets are agreed by the governing body and governors are given good information by the headteacher to help them in this task. They judge the school’s performance in national tests against all schools and against similar schools, then set targets for improved performance which are realistic.

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achieve them systematically so that a climate of continuous improvement and self-evaluation

16. Responsibility for aspects of day-to-day school development are clearly set out in school documents and a strong feature is the awareness amongst staff and governors not only about who is leading in each area but the actual tasks which they are undertaking. The school’s appraisal processes predated the new performance management system. As a result, school staff are used St Paul’s CE Primary School - 13 to having annual professional discussions about their work and their teaching observed, by colleagues. To help staff to improve their skills and knowledge, the school has in place a good system for professional development and training. The quality of this work has been recognised by the award of Investors in People to the school and its recent successful re-assessment. The school has been particularly successful in improving the skill and confidence levels of staff through extensive ICT training.

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achieve them systematically so that a climate of continuous improvement and self-evaluation

17. The curriculum trainers, who come to the school, are well chosen; during the inspection it was possible to see the work of a trainer being put into practice immediately, with a resultant good impact on the quality of both teaching and learning.

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achieve them systematically so that a climate of continuous improvement and self-evaluation

18. Teachers meet weekly in year teams to review their planning and to make detailed plans for the next week. The co-ordinator for curriculum and assessment, along with subject leaders, takes a lead role in checking plans. These are also reviewed as part of the continuing checking of progress in the monthly senior management meeting. This means that there is an overall coherence to the curriculum which is known to and monitored by the school managers.

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leading to increased relevance in what is taught. Opportunities are provided for pupils to

19. One of the striking features about the school is the expressed commitment in providing a broad education for pupils, with a recognition that the quality of education is improved by pupils having access to opportunities to improve their creative awareness. The governors, headteacher and staff recognise that the high standards achieved in English, mathematics and science must be maintained or improved but alongside this they find interesting opportunities for pupils to express their talents, interests and skills more widely. For example, each Easter a competition is set, along the lines of the egg race, where the older pupils take part in a design and technology challenge. Parents and the school’s LEA Link Officer are also involved. A smaller event, judged by teachers, also takes place. There are arts weeks and other subject focus weeks where pupils are able to immerse themselves in special activities which involve working with pupils from other

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leading to increased relevance in what is taught. Opportunities are provided for pupils to

classes and year groups helped by visiting specialists. The school puts on musical dramas in which many of the pupils are involved, either performing or backstage. The current production was written by an ex-member of staff. The choir preparations were beginning during the inspection and both the good quality of singing and the pupils’ enjoyment were clear.

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leading to increased relevance in what is taught. Opportunities are provided for pupils to

20. Part of the response to the previous inspection was to improve the multicultural dimension of the curriculum. The school provided training for staff to help them to become more aware of what this would mean in the curriculum specific work on different countries, on the expansion of the multicultural dimension into literacy, music, history, geography, art, dance, drama and religious education. The school took part in Black History month last year. In addition, staff have received training in anti-racism, equal opportunities and citizenship. This robust response has enriched the curriculum whilst being in line with the school’s aim to broaden the education which pupils receive.

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leading to increased relevance in what is taught. Opportunities are provided for pupils to

21. Teachers are good at putting lessons into relevant contexts, helping pupils to learn because they can think of learning in practical as well as abstract terms. This is especially useful when teachers draw together information from one or more subjects and reintroduce the information to pupils, enabling them to recall what they have learned before, what they have understood and how they can apply what they know to the new situation. For example, a Year 2 group of pupils were invited to use their previous knowledge of symmetry and of other two-dimensional geometric shapes to help them with the next stage of their art lesson where the focus was ‘Can Buildings Speak?’ In the lesson, which was one of a series, pupils were drawing from direct observation, features of buildings which they could see from the school playground. Windows were the chosen feature and, after the pupils had drawn several different styles of windows free-hand, they were

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leading to increased relevance in what is taught. Opportunities are provided for pupils to

then trying to draw them more accurately using rulers. To help them to see what they were drawing and to make it more familiar and less daunting a task, they were encouraged to see where the lines of symmetry were and which shapes were present within their drawings. This resulted in some good quality discussion and pupils were able to begin their more accurate studies with St Paul’s CE Primary School - 14 greater confidence. A further example was in a mathematics lesson in Year 4 where the lesson was part of a sequence on rotational symmetry and linked mathematics with ICT and art as it built on prior work on patterns.

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leading to increased relevance in what is taught. Opportunities are provided for pupils to

22. The school provides a full programme of educational visits, including a residential visit for Year 6 pupils which allows them to link their studies in geography, history, science and design and technology. There are many clubs which add to the quality and range of the curriculum; these include sporting clubs as well as country dancing, chess and French.

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leading to increased relevance in what is taught. Opportunities are provided for pupils to

Pupils raise money for charity and the orchestra and choir give special performances as part of the school’s aim that pupils contribute to society. There are good links with local churches as well as a range of civic and educational establishments.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The consistent use of assessment procedures so that further challenge may be provided.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

23. The school has recently installed a computer program to record information about the performance of individual pupils. This includes the results of national assessments, optional tests and other formal tests in English and in mathematics. This is running alongside the established manual records; together this data presents an overall view of the progress of each pupil from the time that they join the school. Pupil progress information is discussed in the formal meetings between teachers when a class of pupils moves on to a new teacher. When the new electronic system is fully in place it will assist in making swifter analyses of pupils’ performance and will contribute to improvements in the analysis of the school’s overall performance. However, the inspectors find that in several lessons and in work scrutiny similar work was being given to pupils of average and above average ability. This report refers earlier to means by which challenge is offered to the

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

higher attainers, even where such similar work is offered. The intensive use of adults other than the teacher to create smaller working groups in lessons and to give some pupils very close support is certainly effective. However, inspectors have noted that sometimes there is too much adult intervention and, in these circumstances, pupils are not being presented with sufficient challenge. In a Year 2 numeracy lesson, this lack of challenge arose from planning giving too little attention to the prior attainment of all pupils, resulting in the more able pupils being insufficiently challenged. Scrutiny of work at Year 6 showed the higher attainers and the lower attaining pupils being provided with similar tasks on functions of brackets, reading and writing of standard units and negative numbers. In Year 1 the weekly planning for pupils is designed to allocate the class in to three groups, according to prior attainment, although the planning provides the same work for

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

24. Target-setting at year group level is already in place and teachers in the reception class are already making use of the baseline assessment results to predict what students’ attainment at the end of the year is likely to be. This is good practice and it should help to direct the emphasis of teaching to particular pupils or groups. Teachers throughout the school are able to use assessment results to check whether pupils are making reasonable progress and to set targets for individuals. However, short-term target-setting for individual pupils is not consistently undertaken across the school; there are occasions, especially for pupils who are at the extremes of the range of attainment, where additional, personal targets could provide them with a further level of challenge, notwithstanding the Individual Education Plans which are devised for students with specialeducationalneeds .

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The effectiveness of communication with parents.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

25. The number of letters to the registered inspector from parents expressing concerns was higher than usual. The response to the questionnaire was also high. The main issues identified in the questionnaire were echoed by points made at the parents’ meeting. There is a very high level of support amongst parents for many of the aspects of what the school offers to students. However, a significant minority of parents are not yet satisfied about the way in which the school deals with St Paul’s CE Primary School - 15 complaints or concerns, the information which parents receive about their children’s progress and the closeness of the relationships with parents.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

26. Parents are sent written reports about children’s progress which include the next steps which a pupil should take. Some of the comments refer to curricular coverage and some to attainment. The school sends home helpful and informative termly digests of the work which pupils will be doing. The many letters which the school sends home to parents are well-written, clearly expressed and virtually always contain an invitation for parents to approach the school if they have any queries of concerns. The headteacher reports that two or three parents every day have meetings with teachers.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

A small number of parents said that they are not given the results of their children’s baseline assessment or the results of the optional assessments which are given in the school in Years 3, 4 and 5. The school sets up meetings where the outcomes can be discussed and the giving of individuals’ scores is for the school to decide.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

27. Some parents who reported being concerned about approaching the school were aware that they could do this but they did not feel that their concerns would be welcomed or that matters would be resolved to their satisfaction. Equally, several of the parents who had approached the school with a concern reported that the matter was speedily and appropriately dealt with. The headteacher recognises that the information requirements of parents are growing. He has installed a school fax and an answering machine which can be remotely accessed. Very few parents have taken the opportunity to use these means of making contact with the school. There are nearly 40 parents working in the school as volunteers, which is a considerable number. In addition, the Friends Association is strong and is a key feature of the school community. Clearly, parents get involved with the school and that involvement is unlikely to be brief or superficial.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

28. The inspection team believes that the school has made and continues to make efforts to involve parents in its work and to give information on children’s progress which are similar to or exceed those which many other schools offer. The parent body expresses considerable support for the progress which their children make, their children’s pleasure in going to school and in the school’s leadership and management. In this positive context, the school will need to look into ways in which it might convince even more parents of the effectiveness of its links with them.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Ensure the completion of the installation of improved outdoor education opportunities.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

29. In the previous inspection, a key issue for the school was to improve the provision for the under- fives by providing more resources to promote children’s co-ordination and dexterity. Inspectors note that children have some access to outdoor play and that they are able to use the hall to supplement their physical activities. Outdoor cars, tricycles and climbing equipment are available for the children to use along with other apparatus. The current arrangements mean that children’s attainment in physical activities remains good. The school has identified a dedicated area for outdoor, physical activity for these young children but work has been delayed on establishing it because of the discovery of a nearby underground stream. Every effort needs to be made to continue the development of this outdoor physical activity area. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governors, headteacher, deputy headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i. Improve the impact of assessment procedures in school, by ensuring that:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• the analysis of recorded assessment data is used to provide information about the performance and progress of individual pupils and of specific groups of pupils; • target-setting, for individual pupils and for groups, is more consistently carried out; • day-to-day assessment is consistently used to improve planning for teaching; • subject leaders more frequently check the quality of pupils’ work in lessons.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii. Improve the effectiveness of communication with parents by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• surveying parents to ensure that there is clarity about their information needs; • considering, then putting place, additional strategies for communicating with parents about activities in school and about their children’s progress.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iii. Ensure the completion of the installation of improved outdoor education facilities for Foundation Stage pupils.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraph 29) St Paul’s CE Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 17

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 418

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 55

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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 16

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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 14

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

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Attendance

School data 4.0 School data 0.0 St Paul’s CE Primary School - 18 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 19

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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 2001 23 37 60

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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 23 23 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 36 35 37

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 98 (92) 97 (93) 100 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 23 23 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 36 37 37

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 98 (93) 100 (90) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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 2001 25 35 60

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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 20 21 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 33 32 35

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (85) 88 (90) 98 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 20 21 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 34 33 35

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 90 (89) 90 (90) 100 (98) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 20

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 8 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 6 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 12 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) 17.1 Financial year 2000/1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.4

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 880412

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Expenditure per pupil 2106

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 235 Balance brought forward from previous year 115545

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 136316

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 2

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 21

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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. 42 47 7 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 41 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 49 16 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 23 42 27 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 42 37 14 6 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 52 41 2 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 24 45 21 5 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 41 46 6 3 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 45 50 0 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 38 16 2 10

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Other issues raised by parents

The registered inspector received 44 letters or comments written on the back of the questionnaire as well as one telephone call from parents. Several of these were supportive of the school citing both the leadership of the headteacher and the improvements to the quality of education in the reception class. However the majority of letters were developing the main areas of concern which the analysis of the parents’ questionnaire also shows. These were:

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Other issues raised by parents

• the information received by parents about their children’s progress; • the quality of the partnership which the school has with parents; • how at ease parents feel in approaching the school about concerns or problems. St Paul’s CE Primary School - 22 The parents’ meeting brought forward further points about the way in which the school deals with bullying and with racism. These elicited a range of viewpoints. The team finds that the school has policies on bullying and on racial incidents. It has procedures to deal with bullying and with racist incidents. In the last year, one racial incident was recorded and resolved. Classroom notices which emphasise the expectations of pupils’ conduct, and which are in line with the policies, are displayed prominently. However, the perception that the process for dealing with bullying is inconsistent means that the effectiveness of communications to parents is in need of improvement.

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