St Mary's Catholic Primary School

ST MARY'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11-13 September 2000

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ST MARY'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 224061 St Mary’s RC Primary School Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Mary’s RC Primary School 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 MARY'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hornchurch Road Hornchurch Essex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Liam Duffy

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1996 St Mary’s RC Primary School

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Team members

17517 Vreta Bagilhole Registered inspector 9708 Sylvia Daintrey Lay inspector 15011 Marion Wallace Team inspector 2495 Brian Munden Team inspector

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Team members

Bedford Primary Inspections 2 Grange Lane Cople Bedford MK44 3TT

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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 Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Mary’s RC Primary School

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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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Mary’s is a Catholic primary school serving the parish of St Mary's Hornchurch, in the diocese of Brentwood. Pupils come from the whole of Hornchurch and parts of Barking and Dagenham. The number on roll is 477. It takes pupils aged 4 -11 into 14 classes. All of the pupils are Catholic. Ninety-six per cent of the pupils are from a white UK heritage. There are 100 pupils (average) who have special educational needs, six of whom have a Statement of Special Educational Need (average). Four per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is below average when compared to national figures. The average class size is 34. The children are admitted to Reception at the beginning of the year in which they are five. Many of these children have had limited pre- school experience with few attending local private nursery schools. The attainment of the pupils on entry to the Reception class is average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school that promotes high standards and quality in the education it provides. There is mutual respect between pupils and staff and a strong Catholic ethos. Leadership and management of the school are very good. Teaching is good and close to one third is very good. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• By the time the pupils leave the school, their attainment in English, mathematics and science is well above average. • Leadership and management are very good. • There is a very rich and broad curriculum. • Teaching is good and close to one third is very good. • The school has established excellent links involving parents, the parish and the local and wider community.

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What could be improved

• The monitoring of teaching and learning, particularly in mathematics at Key Stage 1, is not rigorous enough.

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What could be improved

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 June 1996 and it has made good improvement since then. The school now identifies priorities in the school development plan and monitors and evaluates progress. Subject co-ordinators support and influence the delivery of the curriculum in the classroom. A coherent whole school policy on assessment is being developed and whole school planning provides for continuity and progression. A major building programme has greatly improved the provision in the school. The school is in a good position to make further improvement. St Mary’s RC Primary School

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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 B A B well above average above average A B mathematics A A A A average below average C D science B B A A well below average E

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Key

By the time the pupils leave the school, standards are high. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests the standards for eleven-year-olds show that the performance of the pupils in English, mathematics and science was well above the national average. At Key Stage 2, the performance of the pupils in mathematics and science was high in comparison with similar schools and those in English were above average. This year's results show an improved picture. Thirty-six per cent of pupils have attained the higher level (level 5) in English and mathematics, compared to 22 and 24 per cent in 1999. In science, the number is 46 per cent, compared to 27 per cent in 1999. The school's standards have improved over the last four years. The school meets its targets well.

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Key

Pupils make satisfactory progress at Key Stage 1 and good progress at Key Stage 2. In 1999, the performance of the pupils by the end of Key Stage 1 in reading and writing was average and it was below average in mathematics. During this year there had been major building works and pupils had moved classes three times. There was also some instability in staffing. The school has taken action to improve the staffing and the Key Stage 1 accommodation has been completed, with the result that standards have risen this year and more pupils have attained Level 2 or above. However, overall standards at Key Stage 1 could be higher.

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Key

Children in the reception classes are making good progress. Many of these children enter the school with limited pre-school experience. In information technology, pupils attain appropriate levels for their age and there are significant strengths in other subjects such as physical education and music.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils’ attitudes are very good at Key Stage 2 and satisfactory at Key Stage 1

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good at Key Stage 1 and very good in Reception and Key Stage 2

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very Good. Pupils become independent and motivated learners, fulfilling their potential. Pupils show respect for each other and for all adults.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good St Mary’s RC Primary School

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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

Teaching is very good in 31 per cent of lessons. It is good or better in 85 per cent of lessons. The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is of a good standard and the skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught. Very good lessons were observed in English and mathematics at Key Stage 2 and in physical education across the school. Teaching methods and organisation engage all pupils equally and in Key Stage 2 there are high expectations of all pupils. Teaching is good across both key stages but overall it is better at Key Stage 2. However, expectations and the challenge in lessons could be higher at Key Stage 1, particularly in mathematics. Pupils' learning throughout the school is good. The school meets the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who are gifted and talented.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The curriculum contains a wide range of subjects which include areas such as swimming, drama, Italian. There is very good provision for extra curricular activities. The links involving parents, the parish and the local and wider community are excellent.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils receive good support in the classroom and in withdrawal sessions

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for spiritual development is excellent and the provision for social, moral and cultural development is very good

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Pupils’ personal development and academic progress is well monitored and supported.

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Aspect Comment

The school provides a very rich, balanced and stimulating curriculum which contributes significantly to pupils’ academic and personal development. The challenging curriculum is well structured and provides opportunities for pupils to experience learning well beyond the statutory requirements. A particular strength is the curriculum time pupils receive for swimming, drama and physical education. These sessions contribute to improved standards and pupils’ positive attitudes towards learning. St Mary’s RC Primary School

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The school is very well led by the headteacher and key staff. The ethos of the school is very good and relationships are well established and positive. The school achieves its aims well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors fulfil their statutory duties.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school’s leadership and management create an effective and continuously improving working environment. However, monitoring systems are still developing and have not yet fully impacted on standards.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school makes very good use of its resources, ensuring that the budget is linked to priorities which benefit the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher and governing body have established a very strong Catholic ethos and developed a fruitful partnership between home, school and the parish over many years. Keen to provide a high quality of education, the resulting broad and rich curriculum is due to their very good management of the school. The budget is carefully linked to priorities which benefit the pupils. The leadership has also achieved a very significant improvement in the accommodation. During the recent building programme, the school paid for consultants to ensure that best value was obtained. Very good quality leadership is provided by those with management responsibility. Monitoring systems for teaching and learning are developing very well. Although there have been some very good examples of monitoring of teaching in the classroom, this is still at an early stage of development. It has not yet been rigorous enough to fully impact on standards at Key Stage 1.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school is well led and managed. • The school is helping their children become mature and responsible. • Their children like school and are making good progress. • The teaching is good. • To be better informed about how their child is getting on.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with the positive views of parents. The school gives plentiful information on the curriculum and the many school activities. Most parents feel that the school is approachable but some would like an extra formal session to find out how their child is getting on. St Mary’s RC Primary School

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

1. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards of work seen during the first week of the autumn term are well above average in English, mathematics and science. This reflects the consistent level of good and often very good teaching. By the age of eleven, most pupils are working at or near their capacity and are achieving well in relation to their earlier attainment. A brisk pace ensures time is used effectively and pupils make good progress in their learning in response to the teachers’ high expectations. Teachers rigorously reinforce work and check learning.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

2. In English, pupils achieve well above average levels of literacy because of the very good teaching in all aspects and the good support for less able pupils. Writing is used well to support other subject areas. Higher attaining pupils write extended accounts about the life of Thomas Barnardo. There is evidence of good report writing and most pupils use paragraphs appropriately. They write about their trip to the Isle of Wight and about books written by Charles Dickens.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

3. Pupils throughout the school are confident in their speaking. This was noted during the inspection week when the local Member of Parliament visited Year 6. Pupils demonstrated very good ability to listen to a speaker and respond with relevant questions using references to current affairs, local and moral issues. The pupils gave an excellent welcome and vote of thanks. Pupils gain extra confidence by regular readings during the daily mass. The local authority extension classes enable more able pupils to extend their skills. Confidence in speaking to an audience is reinforced during the weekly drama lessons. Drama is well developed in the school and pupils benefit from a drama specialist. Year 5 pupils are introduced to the work of John Masefield as a stimulus for their work on a shipwreck theme; poems such as ‘Sea Fever and the Haunted Lighthouse’ are used well as a stimulus.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

4. In mathematics, pupils cover a good range of work throughout the attainment targets. By the end of Year 6, pupils use a range of calculation strategies to solve problems involving numbers and working out averages and simple algebra. They know and use negative numbers. They collect, represent and interpret data, such as showing the height at which a ball bounces. They are good at constructing frequency graphs. They multiply fractions and convert fractions to decimals. They work out long multiplication, use decimals and measure and draw angles to the nearest degree. They recognise the properties of different shapes. Pupils explain their methods and reason well using mathematical terms.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

5. In science, by the age of eleven, pupils are making very good progress. Almost all pupils achieve the national average or above and almost half of all pupils achieve above the national average. Through well prepared and taught lessons, pupils are able to cover a good range of work. Good standards continue to be achieved in the study of life processes and living things. Investigations into separating mixtures of materials enable experimental and recording methods to improve, and the well structured project on roads includes surveys and good use of aspects of mathematics in well recorded work.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

6. The headteacher and governing body have established a very strong Catholic ethos and developed a fruitful partnership between home, school and the parish over many years. Keen to provide a high St Mary’s RC Primary School quality of education, the resulting broad and rich curriculum is due to their very good management of the school. The budget is carefully linked to priorities which benefit the pupils. The headteacher provides calm and professional leadership. His quiet, contemplative and supportive style has built a staff team which bonds and works together very well.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

7. The headteacher has built on the experience of the last inspection report to provide a more focused school development plan. It identifies priorities, such as developing the role of support staff and planning for the revised curriculum. Information technology has also been given appropriate attention to ensure that the new suite fully impacts on standards and that staff will receive significant training in this area.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

8. The governing body has a very clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and contributes substantially to its effectiveness. They are active and keep themselves very well informed about what goes on in the school. They have high levels of expertise and are thorough in their approach. They act in the school’s best interests, visiting classes, attending parents’ meetings and accompanying the pupils on educational visits. Co-ordinators have reported to the governing body to ensure that it stays informed. During the recent building programme, the governing body paid for consultants to ensure that best value was obtained. To maintain their effectiveness, it has asked the local authority for a review on its performance.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

9. The leadership has also achieved a very significant improvement in the accommodation. Since the last inspection, five classrooms in the lower school, library and toilet areas have been provided and a further stage replacing the top junior classes is due to begin. The leadership has monitored and evaluated the effect that the building and major staffing changes, mainly due to promotions, have had on standards at Key Stage 1. A total review of staffing at Key Stage 1 has been undertaken and new co-ordinators have been appointed.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

10. Very good quality leadership is provided by those with management responsibility. The headteacher delegates very well and empowers curriculum co-ordinators to lead their subject while retaining overall accountability. Monitoring systems for teaching and learning are developing very well. Teachers’ planning is scrutinised to ensure that the whole school plan provides for continuity and progression. This was an issue from the previous inspection. Pupils’ work is also scrutinised and published tests have been used to track pupils’ progress. This is being further refined with the good use of data and information technology to predict levels of individual pupils by the end of Key Stage 2. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection in providing more opportunities for the subject co-ordinators to support and influence the delivery of the curriculum in the classroom. Co- ordinators are sharing skills well and observing teaching in the classroom. Three strands, at

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

management, co-ordination and team level, have been established to ensure that subject knowledge and expertise are utilised fully. Although there have been some very good examples of monitoring of teaching in the classroom, this is still at an early stage of development. It has not yet been rigorous enough to fully impact on standards at Key Stage 1.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

There is a very rich and broad curriculum.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

11. The school provides a rich, balanced and stimulating curriculum, which contributes significantly to pupils’ academic and personal development. The challenging curriculum is well structured and provides opportunities for pupils to experience learning well beyond the statutory requirements. The extra-curricular provision is very good and caters for a wide range of interests and abilities. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The quality and range of opportunities for learning in English and mathematics are good and the literacy and numeracy strategies effectively contribute to the curriculum. Links with the community are consistently very good. The provision for personal, St Mary’s RC Primary School social and health education is very well planned.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

12. A particular strength is the curriculum time pupils receive for swimming, drama and physical education. These sessions are taught by teachers who enrich the curriculum with their specialist knowledge. This consistently good and very good teaching enables pupils to experience depth and breadth in their learning. Higher attaining pupils have the opportunity to join local authority extension sessions for English, mathematics and science.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

13. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is excellent and this is complemented by very good provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. The commitment to pupils’ personal development is evident throughout the school. The mission statement identifies and celebrates the development of the whole person who is able to interact in the wider community in the light of Christ’s teaching. This is reflected in all aspects of the school’s work and underpins the distinctive ethos. Pupils develop awareness of the wider world and are challenged to improve their world for themselves and others. During the inspection, Year 6 pupils were challenged to reflect on the good things that had happened during the day and to consider how to make the world a better place. Teachers are very good role models and the Year 6 teacher challenges pupils to take responsibility and to be responsible

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

for activities such as readings in church. They complete diaries and think carefully about their action plans for the week, reflecting on areas to improve in their own academic and personal lives.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

14. Moral values are well embedded in the life of the school. Year 4 pupils write stories with a moral dilemma and pupils have opportunities to explore and debate problems involving bullying with stories such as ‘The World’s Worst Bullies.’ The headteacher and staff provide very good role models and consistently treat pupils and other members of the community and each other with respect. During the inspection, pupils behaved sensibly on the playground and moved around the school in a sensitive and mature manner. The clear codes of behaviour and strong Christian values enrich the whole curriculum. Pupils develop a mature understanding of their moral and social responsibilities.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

15. Assemblies provide good opportunities to develop awareness of responsibility to others. The school’s Christian ethos is significant in promoting personal development. Social development is very good and, from the first week of the autumn term, pupils are challenged to consider the family and what it means. They discuss the family at home, the family at school and the family in the wider world. Pupils are encouraged to be responsible members of a group. Photographic evidence from trips to the Isle of Wight and Stubbers shows pupils working collaboratively with each other on challenging tasks such as raft building and outdoor adventure problem solving. The headteacher and staff provide very good role models and consistently treat pupils and other members of the community and each other with respect. Pupils develop a very good awareness of the local community and national issues. Evidence of this was noted during a visit from the local Member of Parliament. Pupils

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

showed real concern and awareness of issues such as inactive life-styles, alcohol, tobacco and drug dependency, and traffic pollution. They showed mature interest in the importance of healthy political debate and gained insight into the historical background of parliament and the importance of using the opportunity to vote sensibly.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

16. The provision for cultural development is very good. Pupils explore the creation story told by the Aborigines in Australia. They use examples of Aboriginal art as a stimulus for their own art work. Activities such as the Victorian and Greek Day extend pupils’ knowledge and experience. The school provides residential and many trips which extend and enrich the curriculum. These include the Stubbers trip and the trip to the Isle of Wight. Pupils experience problem solving tasks in an unfamiliar setting. The school successfully enters many competitions such as the environmental quiz where pupils work together as a team to answer questions. Year 5 pupils improved their understanding of forces when they took part in an activities day to design balloon buggies. The extra-curricular club for St Mary’s RC Primary School science is well attended and has made a significant impact on raising standards in science. The school

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

supports a number of charities. The wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities are well attended. Activities include sports, music, and science. Teaching is good and close to one third is very good.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

17. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of how pupils learn are good. Knowledge of the National Curriculum is good and teachers demonstrate a great deal of expertise and subject knowledge particularly in dance and swimming in reception and Year 1 and in science across the school.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

18. Lessons have clear objectives and are well planned and organised. Very good use is made of skilful questioning to draw on pupils’ prior knowledge and to help them to think for themselves. Planning for literacy and the development of mathematical skills are good. In the best lessons, there are many opportunities for pupils to engage in speaking and listening activities, which reinforce language skills and develop knowledge and understanding. In science, lessons are well prepared and structured and this leads to the development of good working and recording practices.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

19. When teaching is very good, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ attainment are very high and teachers extend pupils’ skills and challenge them to make progress. Very good working relationships and positive working environments are established in most classes. As a result, most pupils respond by showing high levels of confidence and positive attitudes to their work. In a Year 1 physical education lesson, the very well organised activities, which included an excellent demonstration by the teacher, encouraged pupils to improve. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson, the use of well structured questions enabled pupils to draw on their prior knowledge, to know clearly what was required of them and work with enthusiasm to good effect.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

20. There is some very good use of oral assessment which takes place as a normal part of lessons and some good examples of marking of pupils’ work, but this good practice is not consistent across the school. Teachers’ record books contain a lot of very useful information and there are good practices in place for pupils to set their own specific targets in a number of subjects, but this good practice is not reinforced by an up-to-date school assessment policy and guidelines for implementation.

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By the time the pupils leave the school their attainment in English, mathematics and science

21. Teaching for the children in the foundation stage is good. Planning and organisation are good. The teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and they provide stimulating and challenging activities that encourage good progress. Expectations are high and there are good opportunities for social development. Assessment is good. Classroom observation by the teachers is being used well with other assessment methods to identify individual children’s skills. This data is well recorded and provides for the consistent teaching of skills so that work is carefully matched to the different attainment levels in the class.

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The school has established excellent links involving parents, the parish and the local and

22. All members of the school community are justifiably proud of the very strong and fruitful partnership between home, school and the parish, which has been developed over many years. This partnership ensures that pupils enjoy a secure, caring environment in which they can make good educational and personal progress. It also provides pupils with a range of wider opportunities which enrich many aspects of the curriculum and pupils' personal development.

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The school has established excellent links involving parents, the parish and the local and

23. Parents are strongly supportive of what the school achieves for their children. They like the all- round education provided by the school which encompasses moral and personal development as well as good preparation for secondary school. They appreciate the ways in which the school continues to St Mary’s RC Primary School improve its communications with them, for example, the well-attended numeracy evening and the new homework book in Key Stage 2. Parents of Reception pupils value being asked for their views on the induction programme, and one of their suggestions for improvement is being tried out. The school is appropriately considering extending this consultation process to parents of Key Stage 1 pupils. 24. Parents make a very significant contribution to many aspects of school life. Large numbers of parents come in to school to help with activities such as reading, swimming, art and design. They

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The school has established excellent links involving parents, the parish and the local and

accompany the pupils on visits such as the Year 6 residential week on the Isle of Wight. This help has a very positive impact on the standards which pupils are able to achieve. The extensive programme of extra-curricular activities could not run without the involvement of parents. The Parents and Friends Association (PFA) runs a range of social events for children, families and parishioners.

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The school has established excellent links involving parents, the parish and the local and

25. The school benefits greatly from its very close involvement with the parish. Pupils' spiritual development and religious education are enhanced by the opportunities to take part in early morning mass in the church next door through reading, singing and acting as altar servers. The school's links with the parish have a very positive effect on the accommodation available for social and educational activities. The parish, parents and staff have worked closely together to provide pupils with an information and communication technology room resourced with computers which were donated by a parent's employer. The swimming lessons for children from four months old to four years is available to all members of the local community and is popular and provides very good links with local people.

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The school has established excellent links involving parents, the parish and the local and

26. The school has also established very good links with the local community beyond the parish. These enable it to provide a very rich programme of planned visits and visitors for all year groups which enhance many aspects of the curriculum, for example environmental and physical education. The school takes a very active part in a wide range of sports tournaments, knowledge quizzes, music and drama festivals, and industry-sponsored competitions. These give pupils extensive experience of becoming confident participants in public events. There is a very well established and productive link with the local MP who came during the inspection to speak to Year 6 pupils about citizenship issues and to answer their well-prepared and enthusiastic questions about current local and national issues.

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The school has established excellent links involving parents, the parish and the local and

27. Pupils' awareness of the wider world and issues of poverty and disability is highly developed through the parish's link with a parish in Brazil and involvement in Catholic charities. Pupils also raise substantial sums of money for those less fortunate than themselves; for example, in response to a challenge, they raised enough money in a short space of time to build thirty-four wells for Africa.

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The monitoring of teaching and learning and of assessment systems, particularly at Key

28. The monitoring of teaching and learning in the classroom is still at an early stage of development. It has not yet been rigorous enough to fully impact on standards at Key Stage 1.

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The monitoring of teaching and learning and of assessment systems, particularly at Key

29. Standards at Key Stage 1 could be higher. In 1999 standards were well below the average for similar schools. There has been an improvement this year and more pupils have attained Level 2 or above. However, scrutiny of pupils’ work and evidence from inspection suggests that the challenge in lessons and the expectations by teachers of what all groups of pupils can achieve is not as high as in Key Stage 2.

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The monitoring of teaching and learning and of assessment systems, particularly at Key

30. Since the previous inspection, there have been more opportunities for co-ordinators to monitor and evaluate the delivery of their subject in the classroom, but it is still not sufficiently rigorous to identify specific weaknnesses. Where general weaknesses, such as presentation, have been identified, the St Mary’s RC Primary School action taken has been effective. In some classes in mathematics, all abilities of pupils are given similar work and in number there is too much consolidation of numbers and money from nought to ten and not enough challenge with higher numbers. Reception pupils mainly work with numbers to ten and this is repeated too much in Years 1 and 2.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure that there is rigorous monitoring evaluation and development of teaching and learning, particularly in mathematics at Key Stage 1. St Mary’s RC Primary School

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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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

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 477

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 18

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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 100

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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 3

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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 5

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 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 Mary’s RC Primary School

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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 1999 33 34 67

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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 25 28 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 33 31

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 82 (92) 91 (91) 90 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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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 26 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 32 31 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (91) 85 (97) 93 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 86 (84) 87 (85)

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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 1999 30 37 67

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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 29 27 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 35 35 35

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 96 (75) 93 (80) 97 (81) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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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 24 27 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 35 35 35

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (74) 93 (80) 93 (85) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71)

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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 Mary’s RC Primary School

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 4 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 0 Other minority ethnic groups

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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 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 34

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 849623

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1793

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 155 Balance brought forward from previous year 4033

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 11960

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Mary’s RC Primary School

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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. 62 35 2 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 40 4 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 44 11 3 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 42 32 22 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 31 5 1 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. 74 26 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 55 34 9 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 75 22 1 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 68 29 2 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 47 32 9 5 7

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