St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 th – 10 th November 2000

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Mary's C of E Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Oldham Road Balderstone Rochdale Lancashire Postcode: OL11 2HB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Reverend I Thompson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 28 th January 1997

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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 C of E Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr P Kemble Registered inspector Science Art and design Music Physical education Equal opportunities English as an additional language The characteristics and effectiveness of the school The school's results and pupils' achievements Teaching and learning Leadership and management Key issues for action

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr J Massey Lay inspector Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development Attendance Pupils' welfare, health and safety Partnership with parents and carers

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr J Moles Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Design and technology Religious education Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mrs G Carter Team inspector English Geography History Special educational needs Quality and range of opportunities for learning Assessment Efficiency

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Bench Marque Limited National Westminster Bank Chambers Victoria Street Burnham-on-Sea Somerset TA8 1AN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Mary's C of E Primary School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is an average sized primary school for boys and girls aged four to eleven. It serves the area of Balderstone, in Rochdale. There are 215 pupils on roll, consisting of 103 girls and 112 boys. Twenty- four pupils are aged under six years old in the reception class. The number on roll is higher than at the time of the previous inspection, when it was 203. The urban area served by the school is one of below average social and economic circumstances, a fact reflected in the above average percentage of pupils who are eligible for free school meals. A very small number of pupils is of ethnic minority origin. All pupils speak English as their first language. Children enter the school with attainment below the national average in personal and social, language and literacy and mathematical skills. Occasionally, intakes are well below average. The school has an above average percentage of pupils with special educational

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

needs. Pupils are organised into seven classes. There is one Foundation Stage class, two Key Stage 1 classes and four Key Stage 2 classes. The average class size is 30.7.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school shows satisfactory levels of effectiveness. Standards are below those of similar schools but pupils make satisfactory progress overall and good progress in some parts of the school. The quality of teaching is good overall. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school is very well led and managed. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils’ achievements in music and physical education are above those expected of pupils of their age. • There is very good teaching in the reception class and good teaching overall in literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology, music and physical education throughout the school. • The school is well led and managed overall, with the headteacher showing very good leadership. • Pupils with special educational needs make good progress when taught by the special needs co- ordinator. • Pupils have positive attitudes to their work and behave well. They are very well cared for and receive good support and guidance. • Good provision is made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Compared with similar schools, standards in English are below average and mathematics well below at both key stages; standards in science are well below average at Key Stage 1. • Other subjects of the curriculum are not used effectively enough to promote pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. • Pupils’ mental and oral work in numeracy lessons is not sufficiently demanding. • Work for special educational needs pupils in classrooms is not always matched closely enough to their levels of attainment and this slows the progress they make. • Co-ordinators, in subjects other than literacy, numeracy and science, do not have sufficient impact on standards and the quality of teaching and learning. • Some lessons or parts of lessons are too long for the many pupils who find difficulty in concentrating for extended periods of time. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in January 1997. Since then, the school has achieved a satisfactory level St Mary's C of E Primary School - 6 of improvement. The previous inspection recommended improvements in teaching and standards in information and communication technology and the outdoor play provision for children under five. These matters have been successfully tackled and improvements made. The quality of teaching in information and communication technology shows a good improvement. There has been improvement in several other areas of school life and the maintenance of good performance in others. Standards of pupils’ attainment have improved in reading, information and communication technology, music and physical education at both key stages and in science at Key Stage 2. Standards of attainment in English and mathematics remain at levels below the national averages and those of similar schools, but pupils make

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

satisfactory progress in these subjects from low levels of attainment on entry into school. Previously unsatisfactory standards in design and technology have not been put right. Within teaching as a whole, the proportion of good or better lessons has been significantly improved and there is now no unsatisfactory teaching. Parents now receive good levels of information about the work of the school and their children’s progress. The internal environment of the school has been improved. The school is well placed to meet its realistic targets to raise standards in the future.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The table shows that the 2000 test results were well below average in English and mathematics. Results in science were very low and in the lowest five per cent nationally. Results in English are below those of similar schools, based on the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, and well below in mathematics and science. However, these results must be seen against the background of two factors: i) that the school has a high percentage of pupils with special educational needs; and ii) the year group that took the 2000 end of Key Stage 2 national tests experienced extreme circumstances in the percentage of pupils who left and were replaced by others during the final year of schooling. End of Key Stage 2 test results since 1996 show that standards of attainment have risen steadily in line with the national trend. The school meets the realistic targets for improvement set.

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STANDARDS

Inspection evidence shows that the standards achieved by the present pupils in Year 6 are below average in English and mathematics and in line with the national standards in science, with more pupils working at higher levels than in 1999. The pupils with special educational needs experience less difficulty than those of the 1999 group.

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STANDARDS

The results of national tests and assessments for pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 were below the average for similar schools in reading and well below in writing and mathematics. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher level (Level 3) or above has improved since 1999 and is above the average for similar schools in reading and writing and broadly in line in mathematics. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 7 In other subjects, standards of attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are above those expected of pupils of their age in music and physical education. They are below expectations in design and technology. Based on a limited range of evidence, standards of attainment are judged to be below expectations in geography and history, largely as a result of pupils’ weak literacy skills.

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STANDARDS

By the time they are five, children’s standards in personal, social and emotional development, literacy, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical and creative development are below expectations, but pupils make good progress.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good; pupils enjoy coming to school and take interest in their activities.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good; the vast majority of pupils behave well almost all of the time. Pupils with behavioural problems are well managed.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good; a significant strength of the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

A small minority of pupils in most classes are sometimes inattentive and lose concentration when lessons are too long or activities are not sufficiently challenging.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Very good Good Good

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Seventy per cent of the fifty-six lessons seen during the inspection were of at least a good standard, including about twenty-five per cent which were of very good quality. One lesson in the reception class was judged to be excellent. The remaining thirty per cent of lessons were satisfactory. There were no unsatisfactory lessons.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching in English and mathematics is often good, but teachers provide too few opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to practise and extend their skills in writing, speaking and listening and numeracy. Teaching of information and communication technology is good throughout the school and is satisfactory in religious education. The quality of teaching in music and physical education is good. The quality of teaching for pupils in the Foundation Stage and for pupils with special educational needs by the special needs co-ordinator is very good. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 8

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall; broad and balanced with good support from extra-curricular activities and links with the community.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good; individual education plans are of good quality and are based effectively on early accurate assessments of need.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good provision for moral and social development, good provision for spiritual development and satisfactory provision for cultural development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils are cared for very well and procedures are good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are kept well informed about the life and work of the school and their children's progress. Teaching and non-teaching members of staff know their pupils very well and have very good attitudes towards their care and well-being. Pupils like their teachers and go to them if they have problems or concerns.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good; the leadership of the headteacher is very good. Senior staff have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and how improvements might be implemented; the school is true to its aims and values.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good; governors give good support to the work of the headteacher and staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good; staff and governors analyse the results of national and school tests and assessments closely to identify areas for improvement and priorities for the future development of the school are appropriate.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Staff make very good use of resources and accommodation to support pupils’ learning in all classes.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The headteacher and governors have a good awareness of the school’s long-term development and carefully measure the school’s improvement. The headteacher has established good teamwork and this makes a significant contribution to the developing understanding of how best to use assessment information to raise standards. The headteacher and senior staff carry out effective checks on teaching and learning but the work of co-ordinators generally does not have sufficient impact on standards. Governors’ very good financial planning and management applies principles of 'best value' effectively. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 9

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

That their children • like school • behave well • make good progress • become more mature and responsible

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

That the school • is well led and managed • provides good teaching • keeps them well informed about their children’s progress • is approachable A small minority of parents • feel that their children do not get the right amount of homework • are not kept well informed about progress • feel that the school does not work closely with parents • do not feel there are interesting activities outside lessons

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors’ findings support parents’ positive views about the school. Inspectors judge the arrangements for homework to be satisfactory and similar to those found in most primary schools nationally. Inspectors judge the school’s efforts to work closely with parents to be good. The range of activities outside lessons is judged to be good. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1. When children start school in the reception class, the results of early assessments, called baseline assessments, show that the vast majority of children achieve levels that are below or well below those typical of four-year-olds nationally in their personal and social, language and literacy and mathematical development. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs in each intake is typically about thirty per cent, which is above the national average. These low attainments are often reflected in the national tests at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Children make good progress and, by the time they are five, most children have attained standards slightly below those expected in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical and creative development.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The results of the 2000 national tests at age seven were well below the national average in reading and mathematics and very low in writing and in teachers’ assessments of science. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher level (Level 3) or above was below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics and well below average in science. These results are slightly lower than those of 1999 and reflect a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the group. The reading results reflect a higher proportion than in previous years of pupils attaining the higher level, largely due to a specific focus on reading skills by staff over the last twelve months. The school has appropriately identified writing and numeracy as areas for improvement in priorities for the academic year 2000-2001.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. The results of the 2000 national tests at the age of eleven were well below the national average in English and mathematics and very low in science. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher level (Level 5) or above was below the national average in English but above the average for similar schools. The results were lower than those attained in 1999 in all three subjects. However, the school had set appropriate targets in English and mathematics for these pupils, having accurately assessed them as a particularly weak group. Unusually, there was a turnover of nearly fifty per cent of the pupils in the class during its final year in school and the group contained seven pupils who had poor attendance records.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Over the five years from 1996 to 2000, the school has maintained an upward trend in the results at the end of Key Stage 2 broadly in line with the national trend. The 2000 results are particularly low, but inspection evidence indicates that the standards of attainment of the present Year 6 pupils are significantly higher than those of the 2000 group. English and mathematics standards are judged to be below average, but with more pupils working at higher levels than the previous year. Standards of attainment in science are judged to be broadly in line with the national average.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress towards the targets in their individual education plans, particularly in reading, writing and numeracy. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 11 6. The school staff and governors are becoming increasingly more effective in their use of national and school data on pupils’ attainment to set realistic targets for improvement at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils have achieved close to the targets set in English, mathematics and science since 1998. It is likely that the targets set for pupils in 2001 will be met.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. The implementation of the National Literacy Strategy has had a positive impact on pupils’ reading skills at both key stages. A school priority has been to improve pupils’ reading skills so that they might tackle other areas of the curriculum more easily. Weaknesses still exist for many pupils in extracting meaning from written text, but pupils’ interest in reading and their ability to decipher difficult words have improved. Teachers have made a satisfactory start in implementing the National Numeracy Strategy. There is evidence of improvement in pupils’ ability to explain their strategies for working out calculations and problems. However, pupils’ recall of number facts remains a weakness and the mental and oral part of the numeracy hour is not used effectively enough to make significant improvements to pupils’ mental skills. The standards in science of the current Year 6 pupils show a significant improvement

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The school’s results and achievements

8. At the age of seven and eleven, standards of attainment are above those expected of pupils of their age in music and physical education and progress is good. Standards of attainment are below expectations in design and technology and progress is unsatisfactory. Standards in geography and history are below those expected of pupils of their age, largely because of pupils’ weak literacy skills. Standards in other subjects are in line with expectations when pupils are aged seven and eleven.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils’ good attitudes, behaviour and personal development reported at the time of the previous inspection have been successfully maintained. Members of staff work hard to generate a warm, kind, purposeful and disciplined atmosphere where pupils feel safe and have interesting things to do. Consequently, pupils like coming to school and respond well to teachers’ efforts to develop their learning and social skills. Parents are very pleased with these aspects of their children’s development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils’ attitudes to their work are good overall and make effective contributions to their learning. Attitudes are very good in the reception class, where children respond well to the very good teaching and interesting activities planned for them. Pupils’ attitudes in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 classes are mainly good. A small number of pupils are occasionally restive and inattentive in some lessons when their work does not motivate them sufficiently, particularly in Years 2 and 5. Pupils generally respond well in whole-class sessions, where they listen attentively, concentrate and are eager to contribute in discussions. When working individually, in pairs or in groups, pupils often co-operate effectively. The concentration of lower attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs lapses at times, however, if tasks are not well matched to their needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ behaviour in the classrooms, in the playground and around the school is good. They have a clear understanding of the standards of behaviour expected of them and any unacceptable behaviour is well controlled by staff. A few pupils who have notable behavioural difficulties are well managed. Pupils play happily and vigorously together at break- and lunch-times, despite the limited size of the playground. Incidents of unkindness or bullying are rare. The tendency of a small minority of pupils to resolve disputes by striking out is firmly discouraged by staff. Pupils behave well out of school St Mary's C of E Primary School - 12 on educational visits, for example, when walking along the local canal or during the annual residential trip made by Year 6 pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ personal development is good. Relationships between pupils and teachers and with other pupils are good, reflecting the good example they are set by all members of staff. These good relationships are a prominent feature of school life. For example, older pupils are very caring for younger pupils and look after them if they are unhappy or distressed. Pupils are polite and courteous and respond well to all adults in the school. Pupils are eager and willing to undertake tasks and responsibilities in the daily life of the school. Many pupils in Year 6 show mature attitudes in the classroom and around the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Attendance is satisfactory overall. Virtually all pupils arrive on time, allowing a prompt start to the school day. However, a small number of pupils are occasionally late and their arrival disrupts the start of literacy and numeracy lessons in particular. The home-school partnership agreement clearly spells out parents’ responsibilities for their children’s regular attendance.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The overall quality of teaching is good. Of the lessons seen, about seventy per cent were good or better, including about twenty-five per cent which were very good or better. One lesson in the reception class was judged to be excellent. The remaining thirty per cent of lessons were satisfactory. The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection when about ten per cent of the teaching was judged to be good or better, eighty per cent was satisfactory and ten per cent was unsatisfactory. Teachers have improved their subject knowledge, raised their expectations of what pupils can achieve and improved the quality of their lesson planning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching at the Foundation Stage is very good overall. Of the lessons seen, about eighty-five per cent were very good or better, including an instance of excellent teaching. The remaining fifteen per cent of lessons were good. The teacher has a very clear understanding of the needs of young children. Lessons contain a very good balance between developing children’s weak personal and social skills and extending their academic learning in the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. Her expectations of what children can achieve are consistently high and, as a member of the senior management team, she presents a good role model to other members of staff in this respect. The teacher works very well with the nursery nurse, who is very experienced and contributes significantly to the quality of learning in the reception class. Activities stimulate children’s interest well and help

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

them to maintain concentration for appreciable amounts of time. For example, children were observed enjoying a lesson about trees. The teacher’s own enthusiasm and interest were conveyed successfully to the children and they quickly learnt the names of certain trees. By the end of the lesson, they could identify which seeds came from which tree and use the correct vocabulary to talk about them. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 13 Effective assessments of children’s skills are carried out early in the first term of starting school and form the basis of activities well matched to children’s individual needs. Parents are encouraged to help their children in the classroom and this maintains a strong link between the school and home.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. At Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching is good overall. Of the lessons seen, forty per cent were satisfactory and sixty per cent were good. In the most effective teaching, the management and organisation of lessons are good. Resources, such as worksheets, are of good quality and readily available for pupils to use. Interruptions to lessons from inattentive or restless pupils are kept to a minimum by the maintenance of a good pace to learning and the provision of interesting activities to sustain pupils’ concentration. These characteristics were observed on several occasions in the Year 1 class, where the teacher used her good knowledge and understanding of pupils’ levels of attainment to plan activities that were well matched to their needs. For example, in a literacy lesson based on extended writing, pupils were given small blank books in which to work. The teacher judged that, because of many pupils’ weak

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

literacy skills, the small pages would encourage them to write more, rather than them being daunted by trying to fill a larger sheet of paper. The lesson was successful in this respect. The teacher made good use of additional adult support in the classroom, provided by a classroom assistant and two student teachers, and this underlined the significant benefits to both pupils and teachers of the presence of other adults to support learning. Where teaching is less effective, but is otherwise satisfactory, the management of pupils’ behaviour is sometimes firm but not encouraging and does not have the desired effect of diverting pupils’ efforts to more productive activities. This happens in some lessons in Year 2.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is good overall. Of the lessons seen, about sixty-five per cent were good or better, including about twenty per cent which were very good. The remaining thirty-five per cent of lessons were satisfactory. In lessons where the quality of learning is good, relationships between teachers and pupils are very good and pupils respond well to the targets their teachers set. This is a characteristic of the consistently good teaching observed in the Year 6 class. For example, in a science lesson based on reversible and irreversible changes, the teacher provided pupils with a wide range of resources and tasks which required careful recording of results and good co-operation amongst pupils. The teacher made her expectations of the pupils clear at the start of the lesson. When pupils set about their investigations, the general levels of endeavour, concentration and effort were

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

very good as pupils tried hard to meet the expectations set. The lesson was also successful because the tasks were closely matched to pupils’ levels of attainment and this helped pupils move on in their learning at a good pace throughout the session. Effective teaching was also observed in a Year 3 physical education lesson, where the teacher made the purpose of the lesson quite clear at the start, so pupils knew what they were doing and why. She stopped the lesson at regular intervals for pupils to watch other pupils’ performances and comment on possible improvements. At all times during the lesson, the teacher insisted on high standards of behaviour and performance, but used praise and encouragement in a positive way to maintain pupils’ motivation and self-esteem. Where teaching is less effective, or satisfactory, lessons do not have a firm structure to guide pupils through their learning and this

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

leaves opportunities for pupils with behavioural problems to interrupt lessons unnecessarily. This happened on occasions in the Year 5 class in literacy and science lessons. Expectations of what pupils can achieve are sometimes not sufficiently high, for example in a design and technology lesson in Year 4. 18. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs in withdrawal sessions with the special needs co-ordinator is very good. These lessons are very St Mary's C of E Primary School - 14 carefully planned to meet the targets set in pupils’ individual education plans and pupils make good progress as a result. Practice in classrooms is more variable and the match of tasks to pupils’ needs is not always appropriate. However, pupils who have difficulties with behaviour often do well in classrooms, and most teachers make good use of a wide range of strategies to help them conform and get on with their

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of literacy teaching is good overall at both key stages. Teachers make effective use of large and small texts to promote pupils’ interest in books. Teachers have made some helpful adjustments to the national guidelines to suit pupils’ needs but, in general, lessons are often too long for pupils with poor concentration and weak literacy skills. The quality of numeracy teaching is good overall at both key stages, but the opening mental and oral session in numeracy lessons is not always sufficiently demanding or rapid in its delivery to be fully effective.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching in information and communication technology (ICT) is good at both key stages. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to use computers and make effective use of the computer suite. Very little teaching was observed in design and technology, but inspection evidence indicates that teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low in this subject. In geography and history, teachers make effective use of books, maps, videos, artefacts and educational visits to promote pupils’ interest in these subjects. However, teachers are not making enough use of these subjects to extend pupils’ literacy skills. The quality of teaching in music is good overall. Teachers use the subject effectively to promote pupils’ personal and social development and raise their confidence and self-esteem. Expectations of pupils’ performance, particularly in singing, are high. The quality of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

teaching in physical education is good overall. Teachers use physical education lessons effectively to develop pupils’ co-operative skills. Activities are challenging and expectations are high.

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PUPILS?

21. The school has made satisfactory improvements since the previous inspection to the breadth and balance of the curriculum, particularly in the provision for ICT and by extending the range of extra-curricular activities.

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PUPILS?

22. The quality and range of the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage are both very good. A wide range of varied and interesting activities are linked closely to children’s individual needs. Provision is based securely on the national guidelines, called Early Learning Goals.

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PUPILS?

23. The school provides an appropriate and relevant curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2. It meets all the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. The school makes adequate provision for sex education. The provision for personal, social and health education, in classrooms and through activities such as the lunch-time club, is a major strength of the curriculum. It is effective in helping pupils develop mature strategies for taking responsibility and resolving conflict. Provision for education in drug misuse is satisfactory, but limited in the depth that themes are covered. Provision for design and technology is a weakness, with insufficient emphasis placed on the design aspect of the subject in lessons. The time allocated to all subjects each term is appropriate. Planning for the year and each term provides thorough coverage of all the required aspects of the

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PUPILS?

St Mary's C of E Primary School - 15 National Curriculum. There is a useful plan to review and evaluate the effectiveness of all subjects in line with the recommendations of the new National Curriculum over the next two years.

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PUPILS?

24. The National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy have been implemented satisfactorily, with appropriate amounts of time allocated to literacy and numeracy each day. Teachers are making satisfactory use of both strategies to raise standards, particularly in reading, as they develop expertise in making a careful match of pupils’ levels of attainment with the literacy and numeracy skills they are required to teach. The headteacher and the literacy and numeracy co-ordinators are aware of the need to continually seek ways to adapt the national recommendations to suit the needs of the large proportion of pupils attaining low standards and some helpful adjustments have been made. However, lessons at both key stages are sometimes too long for pupils with poor levels of concentration. Periods of teacher instruction, for example the whole-class opening session in literacy lessons, are sometimes

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PUPILS?

overlong and reduce the amount of time pupils spend on practical activities. Insufficient demand is made of pupils in the mental and oral aspect of numeracy lessons. Insufficient use is made of other curriculum subjects to extend pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills.

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PUPILS?

25. Pupils with special educational needs are successfully identified from the reception class onwards. Those with particular difficulties are withdrawn by the special needs co-ordinator for short periods of group help, for example with listening or phonic skills. These sessions are very successful in helping pupils make good progress. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall in class lessons. Pupils with less significant needs follow programmes of work prepared by the special needs co-ordinator. Teachers are responsible for providing a relevant curriculum for special needs pupils, but their ability to match work closely to pupils’ needs is inconsistent at both key stages. Where this is done well, for example in Year 1 and Year 6, pupils’ rate of progress is good. Where it is not done well, work set is sometimes too hard or pupils cannot follow the instructions and, as a result, progress is slower.

p.15

PUPILS?

26. ICT is taught well and is used effectively to support learning in other areas of the curriculum such as literacy and science. There is a very good range of extra- curricular activities which successfully extends the curriculum, including science, ICT, mathematics, sports, recorder, choir, art and homework clubs. Pupils enjoy these activities, which are well attended.

p.15

PUPILS?

27. Links with the parish church, clubs for the elderly and various fund-raising activities help pupils to develop an awareness of the community outside the school. The choir takes part in an annual local music festival. Visitors to the school include members of the police force, who attend during an annual police week to inform pupils about crime prevention. Educational visits, within the locality and further afield, provide useful extensions to the curriculum, in geography and history in particular. A growing number of pupils receive instrumental tuition from local education authority music teachers. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 16 28. Links with local nurseries, other primary schools and neighbouring secondary schools are good. For example, pupils use the artificial sports surface located at a nearby secondary school for games lessons and sports days are held there each year. This has successfully developed primary-secondary liaison and parents and siblings

p.15

PUPILS?

benefit from seeing both schools using the same site.

p.16

PUPILS?

29. The school makes good provision overall for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Standards have improved since the previous inspection.

p.16

PUPILS?

30. The promotion of spiritual development is good. A spirit of community successfully underpins all aspects of school life in the school. Teachers encourage pupils to appreciate the wonders of the natural and man-made world. For example, with their teacher’s help, reception pupils were observed marvelling at how the seeds of trees are made in different ways to help their dispersal. Through collective worship, teachers help pupils reflect on the causes and consequences of wars, as part of their preparation for Remembrance Sunday. Collective worship in the church adjacent to the school makes a significant contribution to the promotion of pupils’ spiritual development, as they learn about the teachings of Jesus in the church’s dramatic Victorian setting. Teachers and pupils share the excitement of stories and the imagery of poems in literacy lessons. They share the pleasure of pupils’ achievements through, for example, the whole-school assembly on Friday of each

p.16

PUPILS?

week, when achievement certificates are given out and the uniqueness of each child is celebrated.

p.16

PUPILS?

31. Provision to support pupils’ moral development is very good. Pupils draw up their own classroom rules. Their understanding of the difference between right and wrong is very well developed, effectively reinforced by the very good role models provided by the staff. Teachers successfully encourage pupils, from the Foundation Stage onwards, to understand what constitutes responsible behaviour and conduct in all aspects of their life in the school community. This makes a significant contribution to relationships within the school and fully reflects aspects of the school’s declared aims and values. Stories and themes covering moral issues are regularly included in collective worship, for example, the story of the building of the tower of Babel, acted out during collective worship in the church.

p.16

PUPILS?

32. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Pupils are successfully encouraged, as soon as they start school, to play a full part in school life and this makes a significant contribution to the very caring and friendly atmosphere. Teachers encourage pupils to take responsibility by helping with a wide range of tasks that contribute to the smooth running of the school on a daily basis. For example, Year 6 pupils clear the hall after breakfast club each morning, set up the hall for a mathematics class, then later rearrange the hall ready for collective worship. Year 5 and 6 pupils are expected to use the computer suite by themselves, to work together and teach each other new skills with the minimum of supervision. As a result, the standard of co-operation between pupils in group activities is often high.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. Opportunities for pupils’ cultural development are satisfactory. Other faiths are studied in religious education. Pupils take part in art festivals, within the school and organised by a local secondary school. Through these weeks, they have the opportunity to experience dancing by an Indian troupe, sitar playing and African performers. A few examples of non-Western cultures are included in the curriculum. However, education for life in a multicultural society does not receive a strong emphasis. When school funds permit, culturally valuable subjects such as literature, art and music are promoted by visits to local and more distant museums and St Mary's C of E Primary School - 17 theatres. School performances and facilities for learning to play a musical instrument, as well as a wide range of after-school clubs and activities, provide effective opportunities for pupils to pursue cultural themes.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school takes very good care of its pupils. Very high standards of care are a major strength of the school and are much appreciated by parents. Teachers and other school staff know the pupils well and are quick to notice if they are ill or have problems. Pupils like their teachers and readily go to them if they have problems or need help. Some pupils experience difficulty because they have yet to develop the skills needed to enable them to work and play independently or co-operatively. Members of staff are very aware of this problem and emphasis is given to tasks which promote these skills in lessons and in other school activities.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Procedures for child protection are good and awareness amongst teaching and other staff of the need for vigilance is high. Health and safety procedures are very good. Formal health and safety checks are made three times a year, carefully recorded and reported to the governors. The use of the school building, because of its age and narrow corridors, requires regular review of procedures by all staff and governors. The caretaker checks the site daily and occasionally has to remove dangerous litter thrown into the playground during the night. There are always members of staff on site each day who have been trained in first-aid and they deal effectively with minor bumps and bruises. Emergency evacuation procedures are good and practised regularly. Sex education and awareness of drugs misuse are covered effectively, mainly through the science curriculum and with help from the school nurse and the local police.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are good. Pupils with behavioural difficulties are managed well. When these pupils’ difficulties reflect problems experienced outside school, very good co-operation with the education welfare officer is frequently helpful in improving the situation. Exclusion, as a means of allowing a period of calm to address problems, is a rare event and only used as a last resort. Unkindness and bullying are discouraged strongly and occurrences are rare. A successful play club has been started during which co-operative and non- confrontational social behaviour is taught. Procedures for identifying pupils with special educational needs are very good.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good. The attendance record and punctuality of most pupils are consequently good. The school, with help from the education welfare officer, works hard to improve the attendance of a few pupils who are frequently absent or late.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Procedures for monitoring and evaluating pupils’ attainment and progress are good. Members of staff know their pupils well and have a good knowledge and understanding of their academic and personal strengths and weaknesses. Formal assessment of pupils’ academic progress is good. Procedures include a series of standardised tests, ranging from assessments during the first few weeks in school at the Foundation Stage to the national tests (SATs) at the end of both key stages. Effective additional monitoring is carried out by the use of commercial and optional SATs testing. The special needs co-ordinator regularly checks the progress made by pupils on the special needs register to make sure that they are not falling further behind and that all pupils who might need additional help have been identified. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 18 39. Pupils’ individual progress is tracked carefully as they move through each year group

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

and used in the setting of group and personal targets. Members of the senior management team analyse test results in detail and identify areas for curriculum development. For example, the school’s recent efforts to raise the standard of writing have been the outcome of a careful scrutiny of results in English. Additional information is provided in 'continuity books', in which pupils regularly produce pieces of unaided English work, and in pupil portfolios, which contain examples of work in all subjects. All these pieces of work are formally assessed against the levels of attainment in the National Curriculum. The use made of assessment information by teachers on a daily basis to make adjustments to lesson plans, although an improving skill, varies in its effectiveness. As a result, tasks in some lessons do not match pupils’ needs and, on these occasions, pupils make slower progress than might be expected.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Individual target setting often consists of social and personal goals, which pupils work hard to achieve. These targets are carefully recorded, constantly recalled and are successful in helping many pupils develop the skills necessary for effective learning. This focus on improving pupils’ social skills in order to aid their academic development is a strength of the school, and makes a significant contribution to making the school an orderly community in which good relationships flourish.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is monitored well by regular reviews of their individual education plans and from informal consultations between class teachers and the special needs co-ordinator. The five-stage procedure recommended by the national Code of Practice is well established in the school. Annual reviews of pupils with statements are carried out efficiently and effectively. When pupils have difficulties that are beyond the competence of staff to deal with, the school makes very effective use of outside professionals, such as an educational psychologist and a speech therapist, to give advice.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Taken overall, the school’s partnership with its parents is good and strong links have been successfully maintained since the previous inspection. The vast majority of parents who returned the questionnaire or attended the pre-inspection meeting reported that their children like coming to school and that they make good progress and behave well as a result of good teaching. Parents are pleased with the high expectations staff have of their children and that they are encouraged to become mature and responsible. Parents consider that the school is well led, that they are well informed about their children’s progress and that school staff and governors respond well to questions or problems.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Overall, parents make a good contribution to the life of the school and their children’s learning. Parents are well represented on the governing body. There is an active parent-teacher association, which succeeds in bringing parents and staff together at social events and raises valuable funds for the school. There is an effective 'Parents in Partnership' group, the members of which have helped in drafting the home-school agreement and the homework policy. The group is being developed into a school council as part of a local healthy schools' initiative. Attendance at events promoted by the parent-teacher association is good and parents show good support for the school in this way. Several parents and grandparents help teachers in classrooms and on local trips and visits. A regular Thursday morning shared reading session in the St Mary's C of E Primary School - 19 reception and Key Stage 1 classes is a valuable learning experience, much enjoyed

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

by both pupils and parents. Many parents help with their children’s learning at home, particularly with their reading as shown by parents’ responses in pupils’ reading record books.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The quality of information provided for parents about the work of the school and that of individual children is very good. Parents regularly receive well presented and informative newsletters. Curriculum workshops are held to inform parents about new initiatives such as the literacy and numeracy hours. Written information is provided for those parents unable to attend. Teachers are available at the beginning and end of the school day for informal conversations if needed. Parents’ evenings are well attended and provide good opportunities for parents to discuss their children’s work. Annual reports are informative and indicate areas where children need to improve.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The leadership and management provided by the headteacher and key staff are very good. The headteacher, supported very effectively by the deputy headteacher, provides very good leadership and a clear indication of the school’s future development. The headteacher and the members of the senior management team have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and the action that needs to be taken to improve standards. The headteacher has successfully maintained the caring, supportive atmosphere within the school reported at the time of the previous inspection. The aims of the school are reflected well in the strong emphasis placed on pupils’ personal and social development. Since her appointment in January 1998, the headteacher has successfully improved the emphasis placed on pupils’ academic development, largely due to her work in improving the quality of teaching and learning and raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The headteacher has established good teamwork amongst the staff and has worked effectively to create strong links with parents and the local community. All teaching and non-teaching members of staff share a commitment to raising standards and improving the school’s reputation and status in the local area.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The headteacher’s procedures for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning are good. She observes all staff teach, analyses planning and looks at samples of pupils’ work on a regular basis. She discusses with individual staff areas for improvement and possible training needs. The members of the senior management team support the headteacher well and observe all staff teaching over time. The literacy, numeracy and science co-ordinators, as members of the senior management team, have a good understanding of standards in their subjects through their monitoring procedures. In other subjects, co-ordinators’ knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses is not so well developed. They monitor standards by looking at teachers’ planning and discussing pupils’ attainment and progress with colleagues but are not allocated time to observe their colleagues teach nor required to critically analyse their planning. Consequently, their impact on standards is limited.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The headteacher recognises the need for the subject co-ordinators’ roles to be developed further so that they can gather more detailed information on the impact of the implementation of the new National Curriculum over the current academic year.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. Arrangements to co-ordinate the provision for pupils with special educational needs are good. The special needs co-ordinator carries out her responsibilities very effectively. Her monitoring of pupils’ individual education plans is systematic and she discusses pupils’ progress with teachers, both formally and informally, on a regular St Mary's C of E Primary School - 20 basis. She is closely involved in drawing up pupils’ individual education plans and these are of good quality, with manageable steps and achievable targets. Class teachers are familiar with pupils’ targets but some teachers are more successful than others in consistently matching work closely to pupils’ needs. All teachers work closely with classroom support staff. Parents are kept fully informed of their children’s progress.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The members of the governing body fulfil their statutory responsibilities well. The chair of governors is experienced in the role and visits the school on a regular basis to talk with the headteacher about current issues. Several governors have only been in post since September 2000, but are receiving good support from the headteacher and other governors in developing their roles. Governors have a clear view of how they see the school developing over the next few years. For example, they are keen to promote aspects of school life such as the recently-established breakfast club, which will be attractive to prospective parents as they are aware that the lack of a pre-school facility on site can be a disadvantage. Governors’ procedures for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school are largely informal and this limits the depth of knowledge they have when assessing the effectiveness of their decisions.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school development plan is a good working document and provides effective support for action to be taken into 2002. It is closely linked to the school budget and reflects the governors’ very good procedures for financial management. They regularly review spending and look closely at alternative ways of spending money before final decisions are made. For example, governors are currently considering the cost-effectiveness of the present cleaning arrangements. The effectiveness of governors’ financial planning is clearly shown by their success in turning a significant budget deficit into a small budget surplus over the last three years. Effective use is made of special grants and funds received from the parent-teacher association improve standards, most notably in ICT. Grants received for pupils with special educational needs are used well. All the minor issues raised in the last auditors’ report

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school has an adequate number of appropriately qualified teaching and non- teaching staff to deliver the requirements of the Early Learning Goals and the National Curriculum. Special needs teaching and non-teaching staff are well deployed and effectively used, but the school’s identified need for more trained adults in classrooms cannot be met from the existing budget. All members of staff attend appropriate in- service training relevant to their roles in school. Training for national initiatives is effective. Recent training in ICT has been successful in raising the confidence and competence of staff and further training is planned for the Spring term 2001. Members of staff have clearly defined job descriptions. Relevant training in the requirements of the recent Performance Management national initiative has been undertaken by staff and governors responsible for this area. Arrangements for supporting new staff are

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

good. In the school office, good financial procedures and very efficient day-to-day administration make a valuable contribution to the smooth running of the school. The school secretary is a good first contact for visitors. The caretaker and mid-day assistants are experienced, hardworking and make a valuable contribution to the life of the school.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Pupils are accommodated in an attractive listed Victorian building, but the site is very restricted in size. For example, the playground is small and cannot safely accommodate all pupils at once during break-times. Corridors are very narrow and it is necessary to pass through the school hall to gain access to classrooms, the staffroom and the administration area. The headteacher and governors have worked St Mary's C of E Primary School - 21 hard to adapt the school premises to make best use of the interior accommodation, making effective use of the budget in improving classroom, administration and storage areas. For example, they have recently used space from two of the larger classrooms to successfully create an ICT suite. Accommodation for children in the Foundation Stage is very well organised but is barely adequate in size. It does not have direct access to an outdoor education area. Part of the playground is coned off

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for two afternoons a week to allow structured teaching and unstructured use of large equipment to take place. This equipment has to be cleared away after use and stored in a secure steel safe to prevent vandalism, a frequent occurrence, out of school hours. All entrances to the school have steps, making access difficult for disabled pupils or visitors. The school caretaker keeps the school clean and pleasant. Members of staff maintain an attractive environment for learning by displaying pupils’ work in many parts of the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. All subjects are at least adequately resourced and materials and equipment are of satisfactory quality. Resources are readily accessible to both teachers and pupils. ICT resources are of good quality in the computer suite and are adequate in classrooms. Computers and software are used effectively and are having a significant impact on pupils’ learning. The library is conveniently sited in a central position. The staff and governors have taken the decision to resource the library only with an adequate range and number of non-fiction due to the restricted space available. There is a satisfactory number and range of fiction books available in classrooms or corridors. Very effective use is made of the library as a teaching base for pupils with special educational needs. The library has a positive impact on learning, providing as it does a pleasant working environment and a quiet working area that assists concentration. Resources for pupils with special educational needs

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are of good quality and quantity. Members of staff make effective use of visits to facilities within the local area. For example, reception children visit the public library each week and this extends the range of books available for them to read. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 22

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

53. To raise standards further, and in particular standards in English and mathematics at both key stages and science at Key Stage 1, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Make more effective use of other subjects in the curriculum to promote and extend pupils’ literacy skills by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) identifying which aspects of writing can be practised in other subjects; ii) making sure that pupils have available in lessons good examples of the styles of writing they are practising; iii) providing word-banks for pupils containing appropriate vocabulary related to the subjects being studied; iv) including more planned opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills; v) establishing a consistent approach amongst teachers as to the standard of handwriting and presentation of work that is expected. (Paragraphs: 7, 24, 72, 88, 103)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Extend pupils’ mathematical skills by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) making the mental and oral aspect of the numeracy hour more demanding in order to improve pupils’ recall of number facts; ii) providing more opportunities in other areas of the curriculum, such as science and geography, for pupils to apply their skills to practical situations. (Paragraphs: 7, 24, 80, 81, 88)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Use information gathered from assessment procedures to match the work of pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, more closely to their levels of attainment. (Paragraphs: 18, 25, 39, 69, 71, 89, 115)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4. Improve the effectiveness of the monitoring and evaluation that subject co- ordinators undertake by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) introducing a more critical analysis of teachers’ planning so that activities which are not matched closely to pupils’ needs are identified and improved; ii) providing regular opportunities for them to observe their colleagues teach; iii) using their subject knowledge and expertise to identify areas of the curriculum where literacy and numeracy skills can be promoted. (Paragraphs: 46, 98, 105, 120)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

5. Review the length of time allocated to lessons and parts of lessons in the weekly timetable, particularly in relation to literacy and numeracy, so that pupils who find difficulty in concentrating for extended periods have fewer opportunities to become inattentive and restless. (Paragraphs: 19, 72, 82)

p.22

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

St Mary's C of E Primary School - 23 1. Introduce more formal and systematic procedures for governors to gather information about the life and work of the school on which to base assessments of the effectiveness of their decisions. (Paragraph: 48)

p.23

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

2. Consider ways of involving more adults in lessons at both key stages on a regular basis to help teachers further develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. (Paragraph: 16)

p.23

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

3. Provide more opportunities for pupils to develop an awareness of life in a multicultural society. (Paragraphs: 33, 93, 124) St Mary's C of E Primary School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 27

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

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.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 215

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 65

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 67

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 20

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 18 11 29

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys – * – * 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls – * – * – *

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 62 (66) 45 (69) 76 (63) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys – * – * – * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls – * – * – *

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 55 (66) 52 (66) 45 (66) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * Number of boys or girls in year group is less than 10.

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 14 13 27

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys – * – * – * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls – * – * – *

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 48 (60) 41 (47) 44 (57) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys – * – * – * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls – * – * – *

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 52 (53) 33 (47) 52 (60) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) St Mary's C of E Primary School - 26 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * Number of boys or girls in year group is less than 10. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 27

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.27

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.

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.5 Financial year 1998/99

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.6

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 350,442

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1,586

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 94 Balance brought forward from previous year -6,395

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 981

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 28

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 44 53 4 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 35 60 4 0 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30 49 14 5 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 58 32 9 0 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 30 2 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 66 32 2 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 54 39 7 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 58 40 2 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 39 2 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 32 47 18 0 4 St Mary's C of E Primary School - 29

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. The quality of the curriculum and the quality of teaching for children in the Foundation Stage are both very good. These are good improvements since the previous inspection. Children enter the reception class in September of the year of their fifth birthday. Some have had playschool or nursery experience. Parents receive effective guidance from the school on preparing their children. The class teacher is keen to involve parents in their children’s education. She greets each adult when they bring their children into school. She shares news with parents and encourages them to be partners in their children’s learning.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. On entry to the reception class, individual testing, known as baseline assessment, takes place to establish each child’s level of attainment so that learning opportunities can be well matched to their needs. Results of the tests show that attainment overall in social, language and mathematical skills is below the national average for children of this age. A significant number of children enter the class with very low attainment.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. Children settle quickly and make consistently good progress as a result of the very good teaching and support from the class teacher and nursery nurse. The excellent rapport between the class teacher and nursery nurse makes a significant contribution to the high quality of learning children experience. The classroom is very well organised into areas designed to promote learning in each aspect of the nationally recommended curriculum, or Early Learning Goals, for example communication, language and literacy development in the role-play area. Children work in the areas whilst members of staff provide specific support for individuals and groups of children. This is very effective in promoting children’s independence and social skills. Very good teaching helps children to make good progress. However, by the age of five, many children do not reach the nationally expected standards in personal, social and

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical and creative development because of their low level of attainment on entry. Nevertheless, children are prepared well for work in Key Stage 1.

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Personal, social and emotional development

57. By the time they are five, most children do not attain the standards expected of children of their age, but they make good progress. The quality of teaching is very good. Personal, social and emotional development is at the core of all the work in the reception class. Routines are well established and this helps the children know what is expected of them. The teacher successfully encourages children to develop greater independence, respect for others, sharing and taking turns. For example, children collect equipment and toys for themselves, and put them away again. The teacher provides many opportunities for children to talk and sing together and share books. Children take part in school activities such as assemblies, and have physical education in the school hall and in the playground and these arrangements help them to gain confidence. Children develop an interest in learning and concentrate and

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Personal, social and emotional development

persevere for reasonable lengths of time in activities. They learn the school behaviour code and the rules for living together sociably. They relate well to others in St Mary's C of E Primary School - 30 the class, as well as to the other adults they meet during the school day. They gain an understanding of right and wrong and consider fair treatment for others by thinking about how they like to be treated. They learn to show respect for the beliefs of others, are eager to explore and willing to tackle new activities.

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Communication, language and literacy

58. By the age of five, standards are below those expected for children of their age, but progress is good from a below average starting point. The quality of teaching is very good. Well-planned and well-resourced learning activities help children to think and talk in sentences and provide many opportunities to develop language skills. Children make good gains in the development of their comprehension and listening skills and respond to stories, poems and facts with enthusiasm and vigour. They are well prepared for the story they will hear during a weekly visit to the library. Children make a satisfactory start on reading skills. They follow a structured curriculum to develop their reading skills, using phonics to sound out words. They identify words from a range of key words and regularly practise reading these words. Children know how books are organised and that they contain stories and information. Through role-play

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Communication, language and literacy

in the play house, which is well organised into a separate kitchen area and bedroom area, the children practise their speaking and listening skills. For example, children were observed linking their play to a story from a book they had been reading about a naughty dog, who makes the house muddy and knocks down a line of washing. Children spoke confidently as they pretended to be characters from the book, clearing up after the dog and putting things back as they should be.

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Mathematical development

59. By the age of five, standards are below those expected for children of their age. Children’s attainment in mathematics is constrained by their weak language skills and their lack of knowledge of number on entry into school. However, progress is good because of very good teaching. The teacher has high expectations of what children can achieve. Children are taught correct vocabulary and the basic skills of addition and subtraction. Children count forwards and backwards to ten. Approximately half the pupils recognise numbers and digits to ten. Children develop their understanding of number through a range of opportunities to sort, match and order play objects. In water and sand activities, they experiment with weight, volume and capacity. With the guidance of a member of staff, children estimate how many small containers may be filled from a larger one. At the end of sessions, they share their findings with the rest

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Mathematical development

of the class and explain their results. They learn to use scale by recording how many conkers are needed to balance different sizes of toy hedgehog.

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

60. By the age of five, standards are below those expected for children of their age, but progress is good. The quality of teaching is very good and is characterised by the provision of a wide range of interesting and motivating activities. For example, children make good progress in early science skills when they undertake work on trees. They learn to identify trees by the shape of their leaves. They make good gains in their knowledge of creatures, such as hedgehogs, that live amongst the leaves because the teacher has created a mini-environment, where children help toy hedgehogs build nests. Children collect leaves and seeds as they walk through the park to the library and this gives them the opportunity to experience the real environment in which hedgehogs live. Children make satisfactory gains in computer skills by using simple computer programs. Children confidently enter written commands to make a figure on

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

St Mary's C of E Primary School - 31 the screen run, jump, fly or even explode. They learn about health and safety such as not touching plugs and switches. Children listen to taped stories and watch appropriate video and television programmes to support their learning.

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Physical development

61. By the age of five, standards are below those expected for children of their age, but progress is good. The quality of teaching is very good and well-planned activities give children the opportunity to develop a range of physical skills in formal and informal situations. As well as physical education lessons in the school hall, they take part in unstructured play out of doors using a range of large equipment, including big bricks, climbing blocks, counting mats, bicycles and scooters. There is no play area specifically for the reception children and so the playground is timetabled for two afternoons a week for their use. Equipment cannot be left outside for more regular use because of the possibility of vandalism. Consequently, this limits the opportunities children have to extend their physical skills using the large equipment. Children make satisfactory gains in their hand-eye co-ordination with the structured use of small

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Physical development

equipment such as balls and beanbags, as well as by playing simple team games such as 'tag'. Children make good progress in their ability to carry out a range of manipulative skills. For example, they learn to put on and fasten coats and to undress and dress themselves correctly during physical education lessons. They use scissors, glue, brushes and paints confidently in creative work and pencils and other markers in their written and mathematical work. Children have access to a range of construction equipment which is used well to further extend their skills.

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Creative development

62. By the age of five, standards are below those expected for children of their age. The quality of teaching is very good and, because of this, children make good progress. Children use a range of materials to paint, model, construct and reproduce what they see in the world around them. They are successfully encouraged to imagine and create pictures from stories. The teacher and the nursery nurse use questions very effectively to develop children’s ability to make choices and to give reasons for them. For example, children were observed discussing with the teacher why they had chosen particular fabrics and methods for weaving these into a three-dimensional Autumn model. This skilful questioning makes a significant contribution to children’s personal development and responsibility for their own learning.

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ENGLISH

63. The results of the 2000 national tests at the age of seven showed that attainment in reading was well below the national average and below the average for similar schools. In writing, test results showed that attainment was very low in comparison with the national average and well below the average for similar schools. However, the percentage of pupils attaining the higher level (Level 3) or above was below the national average in reading and writing, but above the average for similar schools. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 32 64. The results of the 2000 national tests at the age of eleven showed that attainment in English was well below the national average and below that of similar schools. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher level (Level 5) or above was below the national average, but above the average for similar schools.

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ENGLISH

65. Standards are similar to those reported at the time of the previous inspection, although the percentage of pupils attaining the higher levels at the end of both key stages is encouraging. The results at the end of both key stages reflect children’s consistently low attainment in communication, language and literacy skills on entry to school and the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs typical of the school’s intake each year. When comparing the school’s performance with schools in similar contexts, based on the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, pupils make slower progress through Key Stage 1 than at Key Stage 2, where it is satisfactory. This reflects inspection findings, which indicate that successful efforts in classrooms and within special needs teaching to improve pupils’ poor reading and writing skills at Key Stage 1 provide a sound basis for many pupils to make better

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ENGLISH

progress at Key Stage 2. Pupils are able to make better progress in all subjects at Key Stage 2 as a result of their improved language and literacy skills.

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ENGLISH

66. Results of the 2000 national tests at the age of eleven were slightly below the target set by the school, with fifty per cent of pupils attaining the expected level against the target of fifty-eight per cent. However, inspection evidence indicates that the present Year 6 pupils are likely to meet the higher target of sixty-five per cent set by the school for the 2001 tests. The level of attainment on entry of this group was higher than usual and pupils have benefited from improvements in the quality of literacy teaching.

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ENGLISH

67. Standards in speaking and listening are below average at the ages of seven and eleven. Pupils often enter school with very limited skills. They find it difficult to express themselves and are not in the habit of using extended sentences or a wide range of vocabulary. Skills in listening are not well developed. However, pupils make good progress in reception, and quickly begin to develop confidence in listening, taking turns and speaking out. Progress in oral skills is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 but the below average skills have a marked effect on pupils’ ability to write interesting stories or use a variety of writing styles. By the age of eleven, only a very few pupils demonstrate that they have a wide vocabulary or can use sophisticated sentence structure when speaking. However, they listen carefully to teachers’ instructions and explanations and often ask appropriate questions.

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ENGLISH

68. Despite pupils’ limitations in spoken language, they make a satisfactory start in learning to read in the reception class and, by the age of seven, most pupils read well enough to follow simple instructions and enjoy large-print stories. In Year 1 and Year 2, pupils make satisfactory progress in learning letter sounds and build up an increasing sight vocabulary. At Key Stage 2, pupils gain experience of reading a range of different sorts of books. Higher attaining pupils develop enthusiasms for authors such as Roald Dahl or J K Rowling and are anxious to read the next book by their favourite writer. These pupils gradually become fluent and confident readers. By the age of eleven, many pupils find difficulty in extracting meaning from text unless it is expressed very clearly. This makes it hard for them to predict what might be going to happen in a story, or to infer or deduce what is going on. This weakness relates

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ENGLISH

closely to pupils’ problems with spoken language and impedes progress in other curriculum areas, for example research skills in geography and history. However, nearly all pupils in Key Stage 2 know how to use the contents pages and indexes in books and how to find a book in the library. Pupils with special educational needs work hard to achieve the competence required for day-to-day classroom tasks. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 33 69. Standards in writing are below average overall at both key stages, but a small minority of higher attaining pupils present in most classes produce work of average to above average standards. Pupils make satisfactory progress at Key Stage 1. For example, pupils in Year 1 wrote their own non-fiction books, showing a clear understanding of what they needed to include and worked hard to copy what had been scribed for them. They used their developing phonic skills to break up words into sounds and

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ENGLISH

write them for themselves. At Key Stage 2, pupils extend the range of writing for different purposes, including narrative, factual accounts, letters and poetry. For example, some pupils in Year 6 produced coherent and lively descriptions of the three witches from 'Macbeth' meeting on the heath, benefiting greatly from the model of writing given by the teacher. However, pupils’ limited vocabulary reduces the amount of interesting words and phrases and imaginative ideas in much of their writing. In all classes, there is a substantial group of pupils with special educational needs who are sometimes unable to tackle the same tasks as the majority and make slow progress on these occasions. These pupils do well when they are withdrawn by the special needs co-ordinator, but classroom tasks are not always matched closely enough to their needs.

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ENGLISH

70. Standards of handwriting and presentation are below average at both key stages, despite regular practice. Standards in spelling are below average, but members of staff are working hard to promote the 'look, photograph, cover, write and check' approach to spelling, with some success amongst higher attaining pupils in particular.

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ENGLISH

71. The quality of teaching is good overall. Of the lessons seen, about fifty per cent were good or better, including a very good lesson observed in Year 6. The remaining lessons were satisfactory. Examples of good teaching were observed in Year 1, Year 3 and Year 6. Teachers constantly support and encourage pupils by the use of praise and humour, so that those who lack confidence are prepared to try hard to improve. In the most effective teaching, teachers listen very carefully to what children tell them and moderate their own questioning to suit pupils’ individual language levels, successfully encouraging them to develop a better vocabulary. This occurred in a Year 1 literacy lesson where the objective was for pupils to develop an understanding of non-fiction. The teacher’s skilful use of questioning focused pupils’ thinking on the characteristics of non-fiction books. The teacher used the lesson to successfully

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ENGLISH

consolidate other aspects of pupils’ learning, for example by pointing out syllables in words in a text and getting pupils to identify the parts of words they already knew. Good teaching is characterised by the planning of tasks that match pupils’ individual needs. For example, lessons in Years 3 and 6 were particularly successful because the teachers had set the lower attaining and special needs pupils tasks that moved them on in their learning in small, manageable steps. Pupils made good progress as a result. In the Year 6 lesson, the teacher provided a good model of the type of writing she was trying to encourage and, as a result, all pupils were quite clear about what they were doing and why. Where lessons have shortcomings, but are otherwise satisfactory, assessment information is not used St Mary's C of E Primary School - 34 well enough to set tasks that fully meet pupils’ skill levels and are sometimes too

p.33

ENGLISH

difficult for lower attaining and special needs pupils in particular. Consequently, these pupils lose concentration and become restless, for example during lessons in Years 2 and 5.

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ENGLISH

72. Teachers have developed a good knowledge of the nationally recommended guidelines for the literacy hour and pupils are benefiting from the structure these lessons give to their learning. Teachers plan literacy lessons very thoroughly but do not always consider the amount of time that pupils, particularly those with short concentration spans, are required to spend on particular aspects of the lessons. Teachers generally miss opportunities in other curriculum subjects, such as science, geography and history, to promote pupils’ literacy skills, for example by identifying the vocabulary required, providing subject-specific word-banks or identifying which areas of writing can be covered in which subjects.

p.34

ENGLISH

73. The special needs co-ordinator provides good support by teaching groups of younger pupils who have particular difficulty with skills such as phonics or listening. She also offers valuable help to staff by providing work that leads towards the achievement of targets in the individual education plans of special needs pupils. In this way, she makes a significant contribution to the development of pupils’ language and literacy skills.

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ENGLISH

74. The subject is well led and managed by the literacy co-ordinator. She has a good knowledge and understanding of standards and ways of improving them. Her monitoring has already identified areas for development, such as the need to focus on pupils’ speaking and listening skills throughout the school, in order to develop wider vocabulary and the use of more interesting and imaginative words in sentences. The co-ordinator has useful plans to help teachers use assessment information more effectively in matching pupils’ work closely to their needs, so that tasks are meaningful and based on previous learning. ICT is being used increasingly more effectively to support pupils’ learning and pupils in all classes have opportunities to wordprocess stories and accounts or use programs that promote spelling. Resources are adequate in quality and quantity. There is a satisfactory range of fiction and non-fiction books in the library, classrooms and corridors and they are easily

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MATHEMATICS

75. Results of the 2000 national tests at the age of seven showed that pupils' attainment was well below the national average and that of similar schools. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher level (Level 3) or above was well below the national average but was broadly in line with that of similar schools.

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MATHEMATICS

76. Results of the 2000 national tests at the age of eleven showed that pupils’ attainment was well below the national average and that of similar schools. Standards are lower than those reported at the time of the previous inspection, but reflect the variations from year to year in the standard of attainment of each intake of pupils. For example, inspection evidence indicates that the current Year 6 pupils are attaining better standards than in previous years, below the national average overall, reflecting their attainment on entry to Key Stage 1 as a group containing fewer pupils with special educational needs than usual. 77. The school makes accurate assessments of pupils’ likely attainment in the national tests at the age of eleven. The 2000 test results were slightly below the target set, St Mary's C of E Primary School - 35 forty-four per cent of pupils attaining the expected level or above against a target of

p.34

MATHEMATICS

forty-eight per cent. However, inspection evidence indicates that the present Year 6 pupils are likely to meet the higher target of fifty-eight per cent set by the school for the 2001 tests.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

78. At Key Stage 1, pupils are provided with a broad range of mathematical experiences and, as a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. By the age of seven, all pupils read numbers to twenty and count confidently to varying degrees of difficulty. They use money competently, accurately adding and subtracting amounts up to and including a pound. They identify a missing number in a sequence of numbers to fifty. Approximately half the pupils estimate reasonably accurately the total of the numbers shown on the face of die, when given three seconds to make that estimate. Pupils’ ability to recall number facts, such as multiplication tables, and to work problems out in their head, is weak and restricts the progress that they make in other aspects of the subject.

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MATHEMATICS

79. At Key Stage 2, pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Pupils successfully extend their knowledge and understanding of basic skills in the numeracy hour. Higher attaining pupils make particularly good gains in explaining their methods and suggesting other ways that problems could be solved. By the age of eleven, higher attaining Year 6 pupils extract and interpret information presented in tables and draw up appropriate graphs. For example, they were observed drawing graphs clearly showing the difference in average temperature between the Algarve and London and then overlaying, on the graph, the average number of hours of sunshine for each month of the year. Lower attaining pupils are beginning to use balances, with both weights and scales, to check estimates of the weight of common household groceries such as tins of beans and packets of flour. Apart from a few higher attainers, pupils’ ability to recall a wide range of number facts

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MATHEMATICS

to help them with problem solving is weak.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Of the lessons seen, about sixty per cent were good or better, including lessons in Year 1 and Years 5 and 6 mathematics sets which were very good. The remaining lessons were satisfactory. Expectations of behaviour are high and pupils generally behave well in all classes. Teachers successfully promote positive attitudes to the subject and this plays a significant part in developing pupils’ learning. However, teachers miss opportunities in other subjects of the curriculum, such as science and geography, for pupils to apply their skills, knowledge and understanding in practical activities. In the most effective teaching, activities are accurately matched to what pupils already know and build on their previous understanding well. For example, in a very good lesson for higher attaining Years 5 and 6 pupils, the teacher effectively drew together the various ways of

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MATHEMATICS

drawing graphs already experienced by the pupils. She then required them to draw a complex graph, including bar charts and line graphs with colour coding to distinguish between the data shown. As a result, pupils made good progress in extending their ability to record and interpret data. In a lesson for lower attaining Years 5 and 6 pupils, the teacher built on pupils’ knowledge of using simple balances to introduce graduated scales and then involved the pupils in a successful practical activity. In these lessons, learning was good and pupils achieved well because a high level of St Mary's C of E Primary School - 36 intellectual effort was required to extend their previous knowledge to the new work being undertaken. Where teaching has shortcomings, but is otherwise satisfactory, activities are insufficiently stimulating or motivating and pupils with poor concentration spans quickly lose interest.

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MATHEMATICS

81. Satisfactory use is made of the National Numeracy Strategy guidelines to aid teachers in their planning and choice of teaching methods. The recommended lesson structure is of benefit to many pupils, who respond well to familiar routines and regular procedures. When teachers occasionally do not follow the structure, the quality of pupils’ learning is reduced. In most classes, teachers are insufficiently demanding of pupils in the opening mental and oral session. Mathematics is mainly taught in the morning before or after the literacy hour. This means that pupils are involved in intensive mental activity for long periods of time. Many pupils find this too long a period to sustain concentration or a high level of learning. This slows the rate of many pupils’ learning and lower attaining and special needs pupils in particular. Homework is used appropriately to extend and reinforce learning in the classroom.

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MATHEMATICS

For example, one group of pupils are making tallies of groceries at home, by weight or type, using this information in their lessons on data handling.

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MATHEMATICS

82. The subject is well led by the numeracy co-ordinator. Her effective monitoring of the quality of teaching has clearly identified areas for improvement and these have been reported back to individual teachers. This has maintained the overall good quality of teaching and learning. Resources are adequate and are readily available for use. The co-ordinator has useful plans to extend the application of numeracy skills more widely to other subjects of the curriculum, for example through practical work in science and geography. The use of computers to support learning has improved since the previous inspection and pupils are beginning to gather data and use programs to analyse and present results.

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SCIENCE

83. Results of the 2000 teacher assessments for pupils at age seven showed that pupils’ attainment was well below the national average and that of similar schools. Inspection evidence indicates that the work of the present Year 2 pupils is below average overall and it is likely that the 2001 assessments will be similar to those of 2000.

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SCIENCE

84. Results of the 2000 national tests at the age of eleven showed that pupils’ attainment was very low when compared with the national average and well below the average for similar schools. The results of national tests at the age of eleven show that, since 1997, standards have remained well below the national average. Inspection evidence indicates that the work of the present Year 6 pupils is in line with the national average and it is likely that the 2001 test results will be significantly better than those of 2000 and previous years. This is due mainly to the fact that the group contains fewer pupils with special educational needs than usual and improvements in the quality of teaching.

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SCIENCE

85. At Key Stage 1, pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and, by the age of seven, standards of attainment are below average. Pupils make satisfactory gains in their knowledge and understanding of materials as they carry out simple experiments and investigations. For example, Year 1 pupils successfully carried out activities to show that paper can be used in a variety of ways. They sorted various kinds of paper into categories such as rough, smooth, shiny and dull and recorded their findings on a worksheet. In a subsequent lesson, the St Mary's C of E Primary School - 37 same pupils sorted materials into magnetic and non-magnetic, recording their findings by writing a list and drawing the objects. In both lessons, pupils showed good attitudes to their learning and evident enjoyment of the tasks. Their enthusiasm made a significant contribution to the good progress they made. By the age of seven, pupils

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SCIENCE

have a satisfactory understanding of forces, for example through carrying out an investigation into changing the shape of an object by squashing and stretching. In both Year 1 and Year 2, pupils show satisfactory investigative skills during lessons and talk confidently about their tasks. However, lower attaining and special needs pupils have difficulty in recalling factual knowledge and details of previous lessons and this is the main reason why standards overall, as shown by the results of teacher assessments each year, remain below or well below the national average. Higher attaining pupils have a satisfactory awareness of the fact that investigations must be carried out fairly for results to be valid.

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SCIENCE

86. At Key Stage 2, pupils build successfully on the interest generated at Key Stage 1 and continue to enjoy their science work. Year 3 pupils develop a satisfactory understanding of the requirements for healthy living and foods that help humans grow and remain active. Year 4 pupils extend their knowledge of habitats through research into the lives of insects and by studying the animals they find in a small section of a field. Year 5 pupils successfully extend their knowledge of living things by looking at Autumn fruits, seed dispersal and flower pollination. By the age of eleven, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of how to make investigations and experiments fair. Their recall of previous learning is satisfactory. Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that they cover a wide range of themes and that they try very hard to present drawings, writing and data recording clearly and legibly.

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SCIENCE

87. The quality of teaching is good overall. Of the lessons seen, about two-thirds were good or better, including a very good lesson in Year 3. The remaining lessons were satisfactory. Teachers show good knowledge and understanding of the subject and an enthusiasm and interest which is successfully conveyed to pupils. Lessons generally follow a similar format, with a whole-class discussion of the purpose of the lesson at the beginning, followed by investigations and experiments and a discussion of findings at the end. The consistent application of this structure is very helpful for the high percentage of pupils who find learning difficult, as they respond well to familiar routines and practices. Pupils are often encouraged to make predictions. Teachers are particularly good at giving pupils the opportunity to make choices and decisions for themselves in order to encourage the recall and use of previous learning. For

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SCIENCE

example, the Year 1 teacher gave fewer instructions to the group of higher attaining pupils prior to a sorting activity, expecting them to decide for themselves how best to complete the task. They responded well to this challenge and eventually established their own method of working. In a Year 5 lesson, the teacher gave pupils the opportunity to set up their own investigations into the effects of light on plant growth.

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SCIENCE

88. In the most effective teaching, lessons are planned with a variety of activities that move pupils on in their learning at a good pace and in different situations. For example, a Year 3 lesson was particularly successful because pupils did not spend too long on any one part of the session. Pupils were involved in whole-class discussions together on the carpet; writing and drawing exercises at their desks; research activities which required moving around the classroom; and times when pupils talked about what they were doing. The good management and organisation of the lesson meant that pupils with behavioural problems or poor concentration were actively engaged in learning at all times and their interest and motivation were sustained. All pupils benefited from the good quality of learning that the lesson promoted. In the best lessons, teachers have high expectations of what pupils can St Mary's C of E Primary School - 38

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SCIENCE

achieve and this a characteristic of lessons in Year 1, Year 3 and Year 6, where activities closely match pupils’ needs and standards of written work are better than in other classes. Teachers in all classes are beginning to make effective use of ICT to support pupils’ learning. For example, Year 4 pupils were observed entering onto computer spreadsheets temperature data recorded during an investigation earlier in the week. Teachers promote pupils’ literacy skills satisfactorily in science work. However, opportunities are missed to provide pupils with, and reinforce, key words and phrases to include in their written work or to present their work orally to the rest of the class. Opportunities are also missed for promoting numeracy skills.

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SCIENCE

89. The co-ordinator is the headteacher. She has successfully led staff in revising the scheme of work to meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum. She is helping staff to use the subject to promote pupils’ personal development through group practical work, making choices and independent learning. The co-ordinator has a good knowledge and understanding of standards and what action needs to be taken to improve them. She is aware that there are no agreed procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress, but has useful plans for the implementation of systematic assessment by the end of the current academic year. There is a satisfactory range and quantity of practical resources, which are well managed and maintained.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. No lessons were observed during the inspection, but scrutiny of pupils’ work displayed in classrooms and around the school and a study of teachers’ planning indicates that standards of attainment at the end of both key stages are in line with the expectations of pupils of their age. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Standards are similar to those reported at the time of the previous inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. At Key Stage 1, pupils use a satisfactory range of materials and tools with care and enthusiasm. They develop skills in colour mixing and observation which they use successfully in later work at Key Stage 2. Pupils make satisfactory gains in making accurate representations of the human form. For example, Year 1 pupils used pencil and paint well to produce portraits of a friend in the class. They had obviously looked closely at their subjects, as the portraits contained a wide range of skin, hair and eye colours, as well as a variety of facial expressions. Pencil drawings in the same classroom of biblical events, such as Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand, show a developing awareness of body proportions. By the age of seven, pupils work well in a range of materials, using collage and paint techniques.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. At Key Stage 2, pupils often draw their inspiration from themes and projects being studied in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 3 represented the contrast between rich and poor people in Tudor times through their use of different coloured materials in a collage picture. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils produced observational drawings of a good standard based on the study of Autumn fruits and the Ancient Greeks. Pupils in the art club have produced work of a high standard using water colours, pastels and pencil, as a result of good teaching of specific skills and techniques. By the age of eleven, pupils have good attitudes to the subject and show evident enjoyment during art activities and this helps them to make good progress.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. Discussions with teachers and the subject co-ordinator indicate that most have good subject knowledge and an enthusiasm for the subject. Evidence from pupils’ work St Mary's C of E Primary School - 39 shows that expectations vary between staff but that, overall, pupils are taught to paint and draw with satisfactory attention to detail and with imagination. Lesson planning successfully identifies skills to be developed from year to year. Activities are generally linked closely to classroom projects and teachers provide a good range of stimuli to encourage high standards of work. Opportunities are missed within lessons to promote multicultural awareness, for example through the study of non-Western art styles and techniques. ICT is beginning to be used with some success to support the development of art and design skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. The subject co-ordinator is very new to the post and has not had time to influence standards. However, she has worked closely with the previous co-ordinator and has a good understanding of how the subject might develop over the next two years. She is aware that the subject scheme of work requires review in order to establish more securely the continuous progression of skills between year groups and what should be expected of pupils in each age group. There are useful plans to use the recommendations of the new National Curriculum to improve the scheme of work in this way. There are no systematic procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. Resources are adequate and are well managed and maintained.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. During the inspection, only two lessons were observed. Additional evidence from a scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning shows that standards are below those expected of pupils of their age and progress is unsatisfactory. Whilst pupils make increasingly complex models as they move through school, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ design skills are not high enough and, as a result, the standard of work is generally low. Standards have not improved since the previous inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. At Key Stage 1, pupils learn to use a range of tools and materials well. They experience a variety of activities in which they learn to choose the most suitable materials for particular tasks. They learn different methods of fixing and fastening objects together. At Key Stage 2, pupils make satisfactory gains in the basic skills of cutting and joining a range of materials in tasks linked to class themes and projects. For example, Year 6 pupils designed and made masks as part of a project on Ancient Greece. At both key stages, pupils are encouraged to evaluate their work and suggest improvements, but this is not translated into the making of models or objects of a high standard.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. In the two lessons observed, the quality of teaching was satisfactory. Lessons are well structured to take pupils through the development of skills in manageable steps. For example, in a Year 3 lesson, the teacher discussed with pupils the fact that people often have different likes and dislikes. She then set the pupils a task to taste a variety of sandwiches and say what it was about each sandwich that they particularly liked. She explained to the pupils that the next stage would be to design and make their own sandwiches, using the information gathered from the tasting session. Pupils made satisfactory gains in their understanding of how likes and dislikes need to be considered as part of the design process. In a Year 4 lesson, the teacher set the pupils the task of making a prototype pop-up card in preparation for making a completed card in a forthcoming lesson. This was an appropriate design and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

technology activity and the teaching of the mechanisms necessary to make the card function was good. However, pupils were not encouraged to consider who the card might be for and the teacher assisted the pupils too much in the actual manufacture of the card. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 40 98. The co-ordinator is appropriately qualified but has had little impact on raising standards in the subject. The emphasis in the curriculum over the last two years on literacy and numeracy has meant less time being given to developing design and technology. However, opportunities have been missed to use design and technology to promote skills in those subjects. The co-ordinator is not allocated time to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning in classrooms and his understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject is limited as a result. He monitors teachers’ planning to make sure all aspects of the subject are being covered, but

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

does not critically analyse the quality of the activities planned. The curriculum meets statutory requirements but does not provide sufficient guidance for teachers on how best to challenge pupils in their learning. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are largely informal and this is one of the reasons why the level of challenge is not always appropriate. Resources, including those for food technology, are adequate.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

99. There was insufficient evidence available during the inspection to make a firm judgement on standards in geography at the end of either key stage. Only one lesson was seen and, as the inspection took place early in the school year, there was limited evidence in pupils’ books. Key Stage 2 pupils were not studying geography during the inspection week as the focus for the half term was on history.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

100. From the evidence of work seen in books from pupils in the Year 2 class, standards are below average. The standard of written work is poor, consisting of a few mainly copied sentences, with some untidy handwriting. The work seen in the Year 3 class suggests that, whilst some pupils are beginning to gain some knowledge of the location of countries on the world map, many have not grasped that location has an effect on climate and that countries nearer the Equator are generally warmer. Since many pupils in this class have low reading levels, it is difficult for them to read the names of countries and continents. Discussion with older pupils reveals that, although they have done some work on geography in the past, they actually find history more interesting. Pupils were unable to talk about anything significant they had done in geography in the past, other than a project on landscapes.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

101. Evidence from three history lessons seen at Key Stage 2, scrutiny of pupils’ work, study of teachers’ planning and discussions with pupils, indicates that standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are below the expectation of pupils of their age. Standards St Mary's C of E Primary School - 41 are similar to those reported at the time of the previous inspection. There was insufficient evidence to make a firm judgement about standards at the end of Key Stage 1.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

102. Much of the Key Stage 2 history work seen consists of worksheets or sometimes copying from books. Although pupils talk confidently about finding information from books, the low standard of their reading and writing skills prevents them from collecting, collating and presenting information easily. Factual knowledge about the periods they have studied is not secure. For example, Year 6 pupils had difficulty in explaining how Rochdale had come to prominence or why life in Tudor times might not have been very comfortable. However, pupils are enthusiastic about the subject and derive great pleasure from educational visits. Pupils were excited about a forthcoming visit to the Egyptian section of Manchester Museum, where they were looking forward to seeing real mummies. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have developed a reassuring sense of chronology. For example, when talking to the inspector, Year 6 pupils were eventually able to correctly sequence the history units

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

they had studied, successfully referring to the classroom timeline to help them.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

103. Teachers plan geography and history lessons carefully and use a range of resources such as books, pictures, videos, worksheets and visits to enliven lessons. The quality of teaching in the lessons observed at Key Stage 2 was satisfactory overall, with a good lesson seen in Year 6. In the Year 6 lesson, the teacher gave pupils the opportunity to do their own research on the Greek Gods. She limited the resources to a narrow range so that pupils would not be confused by having too wide a choice for deciding on the theme of their research. In this way, the teacher successfully assessed the level of pupils’ skills and understanding and they were able to make good progress in their work as a result. Teachers do not always take into account the fact that many pupils have poor reading skills and find it difficult to extract meaning from information books unless they have very clear questions to answer.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

104. The subject co-ordinators have successfully led the staff in implementing the new National Curriculum requirements. There are useful plans in the school improvement plan for them to review and develop the subjects over the next two years. The co- ordinators have a satisfactory understanding of standards in their subjects but are not allocated time to observe their colleagues teaching. They monitor teachers’ planning to make sure all aspects are being covered but do not critically analyse the activities planned. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are largely informal. Resources are adequate. However, there are no historical artefacts in school and none are borrowed from any central resource, though staff sometimes manage to produce items from home.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

105. Standards of attainment at the end of both key stages are in line with those expected of pupils of their age. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Standards show a good improvement since the previous inspection, when they were reported as being well below those expected at the end of both key stages. Teachers’ subject knowledge and the quality and range of ICT equipment have been significantly improved. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 42 106. At Key Stage 1, pupils make satisfactory gains in their knowledge of basic skills, using and identifying the various computer components such as the mouse, cursor and screen. Year 1 pupils are knowledgeable about computers and know the do’s and don’ts of using them. They enter text confidently, including capital letters, on individual electronic notepads in their classroom. By the age of seven, pupils open a paint and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

drawing program confidently and access a variety of paint applications by using the mouse to click on the appropriate icons and colour charts on the screen. They create interesting effects, demonstrating appropriate control of the paint application being practised. For example, Year 2 pupils were observed creating swirling free drawn lines using a spray gun technique and then inserting fine details of a tree using a pencil application. Pupils save their work competently on their own disk and retrieve it when required.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. At Key Stage 2, pupils build successfully on the confidence and skills established at Key Stage 1. They make good progress in their keyboard competence and work well either by themselves or with a partner. By the age of eleven, pupils retrieve previous work and amend text using both the insert key and highlighting as methods. They enter new text directly into the computer, drafting quickly to get their ideas recorded and then amending text, font, spacing and layout afterwards. They have a satisfactory understanding of the functions and applications of spreadsheets. They set up and control devices such as programmable robots with accuracy. Pupils are beginning to use the Internet confidently to research historical details to support their studies, for example a project on the Ancient Egyptians.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. The quality of teaching is good. Since the previous inspection, teachers’ confidence in using and teaching ICT skills has improved significantly and has had a considerable impact on raising standards. Teachers are about to embark on a further round of intensive training. Teachers’ interest and enthusiasm promote good attitudes to the subject amongst pupils. As a result, pupils are interested in using ICT and keen to learn new skills. They behave well and are sensible. Such attitudes greatly aid pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils were observed working independently in the computer suite, where they willingly helped each other to learn new techniques and skills without seeking help from their teacher. These mature attitudes helped them to make good progress in their learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. Teachers plan activities and tasks that successfully promote pupils’ understanding of the ways ICT may be used to improve the presentation of their work. Whilst pupils are becoming technically competent in these skills and procedures, their use of them to support work in other areas of the curriculum, for example translating data into graphs in science or mathematics, is improving but limited. Teachers make good use of literacy and numeracy programs to help pupils with special educational needs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. The co-ordinator has aided her colleagues well in developing their skills and use of computers. The headteacher and co-ordinator recognise the need to consolidate the gains made in teacher expertise and pupil experience in order to make effective use of the computer suite and classroom equipment to support pupils’ learning across the full range of the curriculum. Whilst the suite is well equipped, it is small and can only provide accommodation for half a class at a time. However, its use is well timetabled by the co-ordinator and the resource is used very efficiently in this respect.

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MUSIC

111. Standards of attainment at the end of both key stages are above those expected of St Mary's C of E Primary School - 43 pupils of their age. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. Standards represent a satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection as a result of increased subject knowledge and confidence amongst teachers and effective use of a commercial scheme of work.

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MUSIC

112. At Key Stage 1, pupils make good gains in their ability to sing with enthusiasm and an understanding of pitch and tempo. They sing a range of songs, some with actions, confidently and with evident enjoyment. They begin to distinguish between the sounds they hear when listening to percussion instruments or pieces of music being played. Pupils in Year 1 were observed using their voices to make different sounds such as loud, soft, squeaky and angry. Virtually all pupils took part confidently and were happy to perform in front of others. By the age of seven, pupils play percussion instruments correctly and with care. They sing with a good awareness of others in assemblies.

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MUSIC

113. At Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress in improving their skills of listening, composition and performance. Skills of appraisal are less well developed as many pupils do not find articulating their thoughts easy when expected to make evaluative comments about a piece of music or performances of their peers. Pupils in Year 4 were observed developing their knowledge and understanding of non-standard notation. They responded well to their teacher’s presentation of different ways of representing the duration, tempo and volume of sounds and successfully translated the resulting musical symbols, drawn on a piece of paper, into music played on untuned percussion instruments. Pupils were quick to understand the meaning of the symbols and played their instruments with satisfactory expertise. They followed their teacher’s instructions closely and the resulting final performance at the end of the lesson was of a good standard. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject and pupils’

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MUSIC

good behaviour during the Year 4 lesson illustrated this well. Even though every pupil had an instrument, they rarely allowed their instruments to make a sound out of turn or when the teacher was talking and this meant that the lesson moved at a good pace with no unnecessary interruptions to pupils’ learning. By the age of eleven, the standard of pupils’ singing in assemblies or during choir club is of a high standard. Pupils learn that clear diction, appropriate breathing and attention to the meaning of words are significant elements in creating a quality performance.

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MUSIC

114. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers’ subject knowledge and expertise varies but all staff teach the subject confidently, using a commercial scheme, school resources and, where appropriate, their own particular musical backgrounds and interests, to plan their lessons. The good relationships that teachers have with their pupils play a significant part in maintaining pupils’ interest and confidence in performing with others or by themselves. Good attitudes to the subject are promoted through the importance attached to music in assemblies. Pupils enjoy musical activities and those with weak academic skills benefit considerably from opportunities to express themselves creatively as part of a group or individually. Over fifty pupils attend the choir club and the headteacher makes good use of her own interest and expertise in singing to promote high standards of performance. St Mary's C of E Primary School - 44

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MUSIC

115. The headteacher is the subject co-ordinator. She provides effective leadership and has had a significant impact on standards through her efforts to raise the status of the subject in the curriculum. For example, more pupils now have the opportunity to receive string, wind and brass tuition from the local education authority music service. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning each term and has a satisfactory understanding of standards at both key stages. The commercial scheme of work provides good support for teachers when planning their lessons in the way that it identifies skills and concepts to be developed. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are largely informal and rely on teachers’ personal knowledge of each pupil’s skill level. Resources are well managed, in good condition and of satisfactory quantity. The range of percussion instruments from different world

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

116. Standards of attainment at the end of both key stages are above those expected of pupils of their age. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. Standards represent a satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. Pupils at Key Stage 1 make good gains in their acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding in their body co-ordination in gymnastics, floor work, dance and games activities. This is partly due to pupils’ good attitudes to the subject. Many pupils with weak academic skills show evident enjoyment of physical education activities and try hard to achieve the standards set by their teachers. They are sometimes over enthusiastic. For example, Year 2 pupils failed to heed the warnings from their teacher about their excessive noise during a dance lesson and, as a result, the lesson was cut short. By the age of seven, boys and girls perform confidently when asked to demonstrate movements in front of others.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. At Key Stage 2, pupils develop a good awareness of space and of others when performing movements in the school hall. For example, pupils in Year 5 were observed practising and refining a sequence of gymnastics movements using a variety of shapes and balances. Although space in the school hall is restricted, pupils rarely impeded others' movements and showed good body control as they worked in a small space to improve their performance. By the age of eleven, pupils show good skills of ball control, for example when dribbling a ball with a hockey stick over a short distance around plastic cones. The vast majority of pupils show satisfactory skills of throwing and catching. They perform well as a member of a team and try enthusiastically to help their team complete tasks quickly and within the rules. Pupils co-operate well when working in pairs and a significant number of boys and girls move gracefully and imaginatively when performing sequences of movements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. The quality of teaching is good. Of the lessons seen, about eighty per cent were good or better, including lessons in Year 3 and Year 6 which were very good. The remaining lessons were satisfactory. In the most effective teaching, lessons contain a variety of interesting activities which take account of many pupils’ poor concentration spans. Lessons move at a good pace and this means that pupils are continually active and involved, successfully sustaining their interest and motivation. For example, in a Year 3 gymnastics lesson, the teacher made her expectations of pupils’ behaviour and effort clear at the start of the lesson. This meant that pupils worked in silence and tried very hard to achieve the targets set. She made effective use of St Mary's C of E Primary School - 45 pupils' demonstrations to illustrate good practice and continually encouraged them to evaluate their own and others' performances in order to improve. The teacher made

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

skilful use of praise and encouragement to promote pupils’ continued hard work. She moved the lesson on to each activity at a steady pace, so that pupils were keen to experience the next stage in the lesson. Her awareness of health and safety in the confined space of the hall was very good and pupils were well aware of what was expected of them when setting up apparatus and putting it away. Where lessons have shortcomings, but are otherwise satisfactory, teachers do not include moments in the lesson for pupils to watch others perform and make suggestions as to how they might improve. Pupils are sometimes not given enough time to physically exert themselves, for example in lessons based on radio broadcasts.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. The co-ordinator is experienced and knowledgeable. She has a satisfactory understanding of standards in the subject through looking at teachers’ planning and informal discussions with staff. She has no time allocated to observe her colleagues teaching and is not required to critically analyse the activities in teachers’ lesson plans and so her impact on standards in class lessons is limited. However, she uses her expertise effectively to promote good standards in extra-curricular activities such as netball. The school netball team has achieved notable success in a local tournament, competing against larger schools. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainments are largely informal. Resources are of good quality and quantity, although the lack of wall bar equipment in the school hall limits the development of pupils’ climbing skills and movement at a high level above the ground.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

121. Standards of attainment at the end of both key stages are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Since the previous inspection, the school has improved the provision for pupils’ spiritual development. The quantity and organisation of resources have improved and these are used well to support teaching.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. At Key Stage 1, pupils develop a satisfactory knowledge of stories from the Old and New Testaments. For example, pupils discuss the meaning of some of the stories Jesus told and successfully retell the story of Joseph and his coat of many colours. By writing rules for behaviour in school, they begin to understand that communities and groups of people need to establish rules to organise and order their lives. They visit the adjacent church and make note of some of the significant pieces of furniture and artefacts. At Key Stage 2, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the purpose and symbolism of the furniture and artefacts in the church is successfully extended. In this way, they develop a satisfactory understanding of the symbolic meanings of various artefacts and ceremonies in other religions such as Judaism, and the values associated with particular beliefs. They interview the clergy to gain an understanding

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

of the duties of a religious leader. They go on to study the life and influence of leaders such as Gandhi. They make satisfactory gains in their awareness of the similarities and differences in the beliefs and practices of Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory. Of the lessons seen, two were satisfactory, one was good and one in Year 6 was very good. In the most effective lessons, teachers are prepared to use personal reflections and thoughts to engender a high degree of trust between teachers and pupils. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, the teacher had high expectations of pupils’ response in discussion. Pupils engaged in a lengthy and detailed discussion of the meaning behind the names given to Jesus St Mary's C of E Primary School - 46 and what these may symbolise to Christians. This level of openness and sincerity occurred because the teacher shared personal information about her own name and artefacts that had special meaning for her. This led to good learning, as pupils felt they could openly express ideas about how Jesus shows Christians the way to live or brings light to the world, so that people can see the right way to direct their lives.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Where pupils’ attitudes are so mature, they are a strength of this subject and greatly enhance personal development and understanding of spirituality. Teachers use artefacts, stories and visits effectively to extend pupils’ understanding of the different customs and traditions of world faiths. Where teaching has shortcomings, but is otherwise satisfactory, teachers do not maintain pupils’ interest for the whole of the lesson and some pupils become restless and inattentive.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. The headteacher is the co-ordinator for the subject and has a significant impact on standards and the quality of teaching through her monitoring of teachers’ planning and personal example. The atmosphere of reflection, thought and mutual respect created in the school through collective worship and religious education lessons makes a positive contribution to the improvements in spiritual, moral, and social development of pupils since the previous inspection. Religious education makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ cultural development, although opportunities are missed to promote the development of pupils’ multicultural awareness. Resources are satisfactory and cover an appropriate range of world religions, are readily accessible and used efficiently and effectively by staff and pupils.

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