St Benedict's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School

ST BENEDICT’S C of E VA JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 th – 7 th December 2000

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ST BENEDICT’S C of E VA JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

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ST BENEDICT’S C of E VA JUNIOR 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 Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Benedict Street Glastonbury Somerset

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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: Mrs Z Haworth

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 27 th January 1997 St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Steve Hill Registered inspector Art and design, Design and technology What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? Brian Rance Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Denise Morris Team inspector Special educational needs, Information technology Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Rod Braithwaite Team inspector Mathematics, Physical Education How good are the curricular opportunities offered to pupils? Garry Williams Team inspector Equal Opportunities, Science, Geography, Music Jean Newing Team inspector English, English as an additional language, History

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Evenlode Associates Limited 6 Abbey Close ALCESTER Warwickshire B49 5QW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 24

St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Benedict’s is a large Church of England junior school in Glastonbury. It caters for just over 300 pupils aged from 7 to 11 years. The vast majority of pupils are of white United Kingdom background, but a small minority, including seven for whom English is an additional language, have origins in other European countries. Only one of these pupils is at an early stage of learning English. An above average number of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs. Many of these have moderate learning difficulties, but a significant number have behavioural difficulties. The social circumstances of pupils span a very wide range, but overall are average. Similarly, the attainment of pupils on entry to the school covers a wide range, but is average overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a sound education for its pupils. Standards and teaching are satisfactory, and the management is sound. The effectiveness of the school is satisfactory overall. However, as the school receives much less money per pupil than schools generally, it provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Teaching has improved considerably, is now satisfactory in most lessons, and is often good. • Spiritual development is good. • The majority of pupils behave well, are keen to come to school, and form good relationships with their classmates and their teachers. • Standards in information & communication technology are improving quickly throughout the school. • Standards in swimming are high. • The provision for extra curricular activities is good.

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What could be improved

• Attendance is unsatisfactory. • The involvement of subject leaders in monitoring and supporting standards and teaching is unsatisfactory. • The challenging behaviour of a significant minority of pupils sometimes hinders the learning in lessons, and the management of behaviour is inconsistent between classes. • Work in lessons is not always targeted adequately on the different needs of different pupils, and the use of assessment procedures to support this is inadequate. • Standards in design and technology are low. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Teaching has improved significantly. Standards in the core subjects of maths, English and science have been maintained at satisfactory levels, and standards have improved significantly in art and design and in information and communication technology (ICT). However, standards in design and technology remain low.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Satisfactory progress has been made on the key issues from the last report.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The governing body now has a sound view of strategic planning.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The balance of the curriculum has been improved, particularly in providing properly for pupils to learn about experimental aspects of science.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The high proportion of unsatisfactory teaching at the last inspection has largely been eliminated, and there is a higher proportion of good and very good teaching. However, there are still some weaknesses in teaching, in some classes in particular. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

1998 1999 2000 2000 English B C C D well above average above average A B mathematics B C C D average below average C D Science C C D E well below average E

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

The standards in National Curriculum tests have been broadly average against all schools in England for several years. Fluctuations from year to year are due mainly to differences in the ability of different cohorts. The grades in respect to similar schools refer to those with similar numbers of free school meals. In the group of pupils who took the tests in 2000, the proportion of pupils with free school meals was higher and corresponded to the next “band” of schools. This would show the school to have broadly average standards against this “band”. The differences are not statistically or educationally significant.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Inspection evidence shows that, overall, pupils come into the school with average standards, make satisfactory progress in their learning in English maths and science, and attain average standards by the time they leave. Standards in other subjects are satisfactory, except in design and technology, where too little time is spent on the subject. Standards in art and design, and in ICT, have improved significantly since the last inspection.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory in the light of their attainment on entry to the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Most pupils enjoy school, are positive about their work, try hard to do their best and join in lessons and extra-curricular activities with enthusiasm. However, a minority of pupils display some negative attitudes to school and this hinders their learning. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Most pupils behave well in lessons and this supports their progress well. However, a minority of pupils (2 or 3 in each class) display challenging or attention seeking behaviour. This is not handled consistently by different teachers and, as a result, sometimes hampers learning for these pupils and occasionally for their classmates. There is no significant evidence for any bullying, but over-boisterous behaviour or a lack of self-control sometimes leads to pupils getting hurt. Personal development and relationships Most pupils are friendly and polite and form positive relationships with their

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Aspect Comment

classmates and with the adults in school. A minority find it harder to make friends or to join in with activities. Attendance Attendance is unsatisfactory. Despite the school’s positive efforts, absence, including unauthorised absence, is well above national averages. This term, over 50 pupils have attendance levels below 90%, and this impairs the progress of their learning. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 8

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. During the inspection 96% of teaching was satisfactory or better, and 4% was unsatisfactory. Fifty six per cent of lessons observed were graded good or better, and 14% were very good. One excellent lesson was observed, in swimming. Standards of teaching have improved considerably since the last inspection, when there was a huge amount of unsatisfactory teaching. The number of good and very good lessons has also increased significantly. Although at least one good lesson was observed with every class, there was a lot of variation in teaching between classes. Much of the very good teaching was in two classes in particular, and all of the unsatisfactory teaching was in the same class. Because of this inconsistency, and the

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 7-11 years

evidence of some weaknesses in teaching revealed by the scrutiny of pupils’ work, the overall judgement is that teaching is satisfactory, with some good features.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 7-11 years

A strength is the teaching of basic skills, which is particularly good for numeracy and ICT. A weakness in teaching is that sometimes all the pupils in a class are given the same work, when this is inappropriate. This means that brighter pupils have work that is too easy for them, or pupils who find schoolwork hard have a task that is too difficult. In either case, the progress in the learning of these groups within the class is inadequate. The greatest inconsistency between classes is in the pace of work and in the management of the behaviour of pupils, particularly for the minority of pupils who find it difficult to conform. In better lessons, pace is good, and pupils are involved and interested in their work. Expectations of pupils’ behaviour are high, are made clear, and any sanctions or rewards are applied consistently. Any transgressions are dealt with firmly and sensitively, and high standards of discipline prevail throughout the

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 7-11 years

lesson. In weaker lessons, including some that were judged satisfactory overall, the pace was often pedestrian, and some pupils drifted off task to chatter, or did not concentrate adequately. Expectations of behaviour were not made clear and too much tolerance was sometimes shown for instances of misbehaviour. This slowed down learning for the pupils concerned and, in a few instances hampered, the learning of their classmates.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall. The curriculum is broad and balanced apart from the inadequate provision for design and technology. Sound provision is made to teach literacy and numeracy, but the impact of the current arrangements for teaching pupils in sets is unsatisfactory. Provision for extra-curricular activities is good, and is very good in sport. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. However, the identification of the level of pupils’ need has weaknesses, and the needs of pupils with behavioural problems are not always addressed adequately. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Specialist support is provided when needed, and pupils make similar progress to their classmates.

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Aspect Comment

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

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Provision for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare is good. Procedures for promoting attendance are good. Teachers know their pupils well and work hard to address their individual needs. However, St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 9 formal procedures to monitor and support their personal and academic development are unsatisfactory. The use of assessment to support pupils’ learning is weak. As a consequence, sometimes the work for pupils in lessons is not always closely enough matched to their needs. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are complex, and are applied inconsistently between classes, resulting in behaviour that varies from excellent to unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The head provides strong direction to the school’s work, and has undertaken some extensive work in monitoring teaching. However, too little responsibility has been delegated to subject co-ordinators to monitor standards and provision across the school. This means that the senior management team do not have sufficient information on which to base their decisions, and co-ordinators do not have enough information to provide support where it is most needed. The new senior management team is working hard to provide support to the headteacher and colleagues, but it is too early to assess the impact of this. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Most governors are supportive and have a sound understanding of some major strengths and weaknesses in the school. However, weaknesses in monitoring mean that they do not have enough

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Aspect Comment

information available to make sufficiently well-informed decisions. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good work has been done on evaluating the results of national tests and action taken to try to address identified weaknesses. However, the more detailed evaluation of the school’s work is unsatisfactory. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Spending on ICT has resulted in significantly raised standards. However, there are weaknesses in the deployment of classroom support, and the current setting system is not producing improvements commensurate with the efforts that have been put into it.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, accommodation, and learning resources are satisfactory.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Teaching is good. • The school expects children to work hard and do their best. • Children are making good progress. • A number do not feel well informed about their children’s progress. • Some feel that their children do not get the right amount of homework, and that this varies too much between classes. • Some do not feel the school works closely with them.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The team agrees that teaching and progress are often good, but because of weaknesses in some lessons, are only satisfactory overall. Generally, the school does expect pupils to work hard and do their best. The links with parents and the information provided about their children’s progress are satisfactory overall, although the formal reports to parents are in need of development. The parents are right in stating that the setting of homework is too inconsistent across the school. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1. The results of national curriculum tests have been broadly average against all schools in England for several years. Fluctuations from year to year are due mainly to differences in the ability of different cohorts. There has been a slight downturn this year in respect to grades compared to schools similar numbers of free school meals. In the group of pupils who took the tests in 2000, the proportion of pupils with free school meals was higher and corresponded to the next “band” of schools. This would show the school to have broadly average standards against this “band”. The differences are not statistically or educationally significant.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Standards in English are average, and have remained so for several years. Results of national tests in 2000 were average with respect to all schools nationally, but below average when compared to similar schools (those with similar numbers of free school meals). Results in the national tests have been broadly similar over the past four years, although the school increased the number of pupils achieving above the expected level 4 by ten per cent last year.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. In the 2000 tests in mathematics, results are in line with national averages and slightly below those of similar schools. During the last four years, pupils’ attainment has varied little. Inspection evidence confirmed that standards are average. Overall, standards are similar to those found at the last inspection, and there is clear evidence that the numeracy strategy is having a positive effect on pupils’ skills in mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. The results of national tests in science in 2000 for pupils at the end of the key stage were in line with the national average for pupils achieving Level 4 or above. However, the percentage of pupils achieving Level 5 was below the national average and showed a considerable reduction from the previous year. Overall standards have generally been maintained in line with the national averages since the last inspection but against similar schools, they are below. The reason for the lower percentage of Level 5’s, suggested by the school, was the over-concentration on investigative work, to remedy the weakness identified in the last report. However, this over- concentration has been addressed and an improved balance achieved. Inspection evidence confirms that this has the potential to address the under-achievement of Level 5s obtained.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Inspection evidence shows that, overall, pupils come into the school with average standards, make satisfactory progress in their learning in English maths and science, and attain average standards by the time they leave. Standards in other subjects are satisfactory, except in design and technology, where too little time is spent on the subject. Standards in art and in ICT have improved significantly since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall in the light of their attainment on entry to the school. However, in some lessons the learning of pupils of different abilities has weaknesses and they do not always achieve as well as they should. In these lessons, the fact that all pupils have the same work to do means that it is not appropriate for all of them. In these lessons, pupils who struggle with school-work are sometimes very puzzled by the task, and make too little progress, particularly in very large groups where the teacher has insufficient time to monitor each individual’s progress. Similarly, sometimes able pupils have work which is too easy for them, and “coast”, so that they do not make the progress of which they are capable. However, the generally average number of Level 5s which are attained in national tests show that this is not the case in most lessons. Overall, pupils of all abilities make satisfactory progress in their learning, except in design and

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Pupils with special educational needs make appropriate progress in lessons. Individual education St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 11 plans are good, and some very good targets are in place. Some effective provision to support the literacy needs of pupils, particularly those in Year 3, ensures that they make at least satisfactory progress in learning to read and write. However, the high proportion of pupils who are currently at Stage 1 on the special needs register, have difficulties that warrant additional support or programmes to improve their learning or behaviour. Some of these pupils are in large groups and little additional help has been sought to improve their progress. At such times, they do not make the progress of which they are capable. There is only one pupil who is at an early stage of learning English. A specialist teacher visits the school once a week. The school works closely

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The school’s results and achievements

with the specialist to provide a structured programme to meet the pupil’s needs. She receives a modified literacy hour and has support from a teaching assistant at this time every day. She is making good progress as a result of the good provision. Otherwise, pupils generally make similar progress in their learning, regardless of gender, race or other factors.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Standards in the key skills of numeracy, reading, writing, and ICT are generally average, although they cover a wide range. Overall, sound use is made of these skills in other subjects, although the potential of ICT to support work in other lessons is not fully realised.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Overall the attitudes, behaviour and personal development of the pupils at the school are satisfactory. The vast majority of pupils are eager and keen to come to school. They have very positive attitudes and enjoy their lessons. They respond well to the teachers and get on well with their peers. Many take part in the good range of extra-curricular activities, and there are waiting lists for some of the more popular ones, such as computer club. Most pupils behave well in lessons. They are courteous to adults, eager to talk and discuss their work and helpful in and around the school. Many undertake simple responsibilities such as clearing up at the end of lessons, giving books out, tidying classrooms and performing monitoring duties at lunch times. They undertake these responsibilities with care and with diligence. They form constructive relationships both in class and in the playground, and work well together in pairs and small groups.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. A small, but significant, minority of pupils show unsatisfactory attitudes and behaviour, and this affects their personal development and their learning. There are about two or three pupils in each class who often show a negative approach to learning. These pupils can sometimes affect the learning and behaviour of others. They frequently show little interest in lessons, and can be rude to adults and other pupils. They find it difficult to form constructive friendships and take little part in extra curricular activities. Where teaching is good, and teachers adopt positive and assertive behaviour management approaches, their behaviour improves. In these lessons, the attitudes of this group of pupils become more positive and they conform to the rules of the classroom. Where teachers are less secure in their management of difficult behaviour, there are often disruptions to lessons, and the learning of all pupils is affected. Playground behaviour is boisterous. No

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

evidence of bullying was observed during inspection week, but the accident book indicates that there are some incidences of non-accidental injury weekly. There are sometimes too few staff on duty in the playground and this exacerbates the difficulties.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Overall, pupils’ attendance at school is unsatisfactory. It was below national averages at the time of the previous inspection and continued at a similar level in the following three years. In 1999/2000 the attendance level was poor, having dropped well below average both nationally and when compared with similar schools in Somerset. However, the school has worked hard to gain the co-operation of parents and so far, since the beginning of the present academic year, attendance has been in line with national averages, although nearly 20% of pupils have individual attendance recorded at less than 90%. Every day a small number of pupils, between five and ten, arrive late for school and after registers have been returned to the office. The low level of attendance and poor punctuality adversely affects the learning of all the pupils involved, and the late arrival of pupils inevitably disrupts the whole class.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 12

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, and shows some good features. During the inspection 96% of teaching was satisfactory or better, and 4% was unsatisfactory. Fifty six per cent of lessons observed were graded good or better, and 14% were very good. One excellent lesson was observed, in swimming. Standards of teaching have improved considerably since the last inspection, when there was a huge amount of unsatisfactory teaching. The number of good and very good lessons has also increased significantly. The monitoring of teaching by the head, and the action taken as a result, has contributed positively to this improvement. However, although at least one good lesson was observed with every class, there was a lot of variation in teaching between classes. Much of the very good teaching was in two classes in particular, and all of the unsatisfactory teaching was in the same class. Because of this inconsistency, and the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

evidence of some weaknesses in teaching revealed by the scrutiny of pupils’ work, the overall judgement is that teaching is satisfactory, with some good features.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach are generally satisfactory. The subject co-ordinators show good subject knowledge and, where they have had the opportunity to work to support their colleagues, this has raised teachers’ understanding and improved pupils’ standards. This has been significant, in particular, in ICT, where pupils are making good progress in their learning and standards have improved significantly since the last inspection. Teachers’ understanding of other subjects is sometimes more variable. A notable case is design and technology, where work in pupils’ books shows that too little work is undertaken, and planning shows a very shaky understanding of the subject. Pupils’ learning in this subject is unsatisfactory, because of the lack of opportunities that they have had.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. Teachers’ variable understanding of a subject can sometimes result in variability in the quality of lessons, even when the planning is identical. For example, in three science lessons observed in the same age group, the quality of teaching ranged from very good to unsatisfactory. In the best lesson, the bulk of the teacher’s time was taken up with a lively and enthusiastic explanation of the concepts involved in making simple electrical circuits. Skilled questioning and very good pace supported good learning from the pupils. In the weakest lesson, too little time was spent on this aspect, the pace was very slow, and most of the lesson was devoted to pupils’ undertaking a very undemanding recording task.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. A strength is the teaching of basic skills, which is particularly good for numeracy and ICT. The support for colleagues from the ICT co-ordinator, and the successful implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies, have taken forward teachers’ understanding well. Teachers are generally confident and competent in these lessons and support pupils’ learning well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teachers’ planning is satisfactory overall. Teachers work together effectively to ensure a broadly similar curriculum in parallel classes and they prepare materials for their lessons well. In better lessons, teachers ensure that different groups of pupils have different and appropriate work to do. Pupils who struggle are supported effectively, and more challenging work is given to pupils who find school-work relatively easy. However, in some lessons, there is not enough care given to ensuring that different work is given to pupils with different abilities. This sometimes results in brighter pupils “marking time” with work that is too easy, or to pupils struggling with work which is much too hard for them. This is a particular issue in some sets for English, maths and science. The lack of differentiation in the work given within each set sometimes undermines any benefit gained from putting pupils into sets in the first place.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teachers’ expectations are satisfactory overall, but vary between classes in respect to both work and behaviour. The variations in expectations of work are due to weaknesses in planning and in subject knowledge, as outlined above. The greatest inconsistency between classes is in the pace of work and in the management of the behaviour of pupils, particularly for the minority of pupils St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 13 who find it difficult to conform. In better lessons, pace is good, and pupils are involved and interested in their work. Expectations of pupils’ behaviour are high, are made clear, and any sanctions or rewards are applied consistently. Any transgressions are dealt with firmly and sensitively, and high standards of discipline prevail throughout the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. In weaker lessons, including some that were judged satisfactory overall, the pace is often pedestrian, and some pupils drift off task to chatter, or do not concentrate adequately. Expectations of behaviour are not made clear and too much tolerance is sometimes shown for instances of misbehaviour. This often slows down learning for the pupils concerned, and in a few instances hampers the learning of their classmates. The use by teachers of the complex array of systems to support behaviour is inconsistent. For the small minority of pupils who have significant behaviour difficulties, this can result in unsatisfactory behaviour which slows their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Generally, teachers use an effective range of teaching methods, including work in groups, individual work, or whole-class teaching. The use of time and of support staff is variable. Better lessons have a brisk pace, so that pupils’ attention and interest are sustained and they make good progress. Lessons usually start and finish on time, although sometimes movement between sets means that too much time is taken to settle pupils down at the start of a lesson. Some good use is made of support staff and their skills, for example when a member of staff with considerable expertise in art helped pupils to produce paintings on silk. However, from time to time, inefficient use is made of this valuable resource, when support staff spend too much of the lesson sitting and watching the teacher teach, without being actively involved.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers generally have a good understanding, on a day-to-day informal basis of the strengths and weaknesses of their pupils’ learning and attainment. However, the use of this knowledge, and of more formal assessment information is unsatisfactory. Too often pupils are given the same work to do, resulting in lack of challenge to some and too much difficulty for others. The setting of homework is satisfactory overall, but is inconsistent between classes. Good practice is revealed by homework diaries in Year 4, for example, but in other year groups there is too much variation from week to week, or between different classes.

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PUPILS?

21. The quality and range of learning opportunities for the pupils are satisfactory. All subjects with, the exception of design and technology, are allocated adequate time in the school curriculum, although numeracy lessons sometimes last too long. Since the previous inspection, ICT and art and design have improved and are now satisfactory overall, and the sound provision in most other subjects of the curriculum has been maintained. Design and technology provision is still inadequate. Curriculum provision for pupils with special education needs is satisfactory.

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PUPILS?

22. The national literacy and numeracy strategies have been implemented successfully, and in mathematics this has improved standards in mental arithmetic and the use and application of maths. The school has updated all its schemes of work to conform with the demands of Curriculum 2000, and is shortly to address its policies on personal and social education and citizenship. The improvement in provision and standards in ICT is having a beneficial effect on some other subjects, particularly investigative work in maths and history. Overall planning of the curriculum in the long and medium term is satisfactory, but daily planning pays insufficient detail to the individual needs of pupils.

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PUPILS?

23. The system of setting in English, science and mathematics is not as effective as it should be. There is a wide disparity in sizes of sets throughout all year groups, and in allocation and use of scarce resources, such as classroom assistants. Mixed age classes in Years 5 and 6 also causes confusion in coverage of the curriculum for some pupils. Moving around the building often unsettles the minority of pupils who find it difficult to conform, as does the frequent change of St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 14 teacher. Too often, all the pupils within the set are given identical work, despite sometimes wide differences in their attainment. This means a significant number of pupils have work that is either too easy or too difficult for them, or have work they have covered before. The combination of these negative factors often outweighs the potential benefits of the setting arrangements.

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PUPILS?

24. The school offers a good range of extra-curricular activities, which include clubs for ICT, music and especially sports. The school has developed an enviable reputation for its local prowess in several sports, particularly cross-country running. Pupils and staff alike show great enthusiasm for this and, during the inspection, practised during their lunchtime in pouring rain and thick mud. Older pupils have opportunities for residential visits, to Lyme Regis and Kilve. The whole school visits museums, Glastonbury Abbey and the theatre, and there are visiting guests to the school such as a local poet. Pupils’ representatives from all classes are active on the School Council. 25. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) is satisfactory, including sex education and attention to drug misuse. Circle time is used well in some classes to support topics within the PSHE programme.

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PUPILS?

26. The overall satisfactory provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education in the school is broadly similar to that found at the last inspection.

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PUPILS?

27. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good, which is an improvement on the last inspection. It is developed mainly through school and class assemblies. For example, pupils considered the meaning of Christmas (“it gives me a really funny feeling in my tummy”) both at home and around the world in places such as Mexico and Denmark. They consider the meaning of advent candles, the differences in the lives of themselves and children in India, and think about helping and being helped. Although similar opportunities are not offered so frequently in lessons, pupils occasionally react to events with wonder, for example the boy who described his feelings on listening to some music as “I thought I was in heaven”. A significant aspect in pupils’ spiritual development is the positive contribution of the teaching staff to assemblies.

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PUPILS?

28. Provision for pupils’ moral development is satisfactory. Most pupils behave well and know right from wrong. However, there is an inconsistency of approach between classes, and some teachers allow excessive interruption or chatting when pupils should be listening carefully. Teachers’ application of the ‘Golden Time’ behaviour policy is also inconsistent, and a minority of pupils’ are unconcerned by sanctions which are not always enforced consistently. The large majority of pupils are successfully encouraged to co-operate and share with each other, but a small element is especially boisterous and aggressive in the playground, and is sometimes rude to lunch time supervisors.

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PUPILS?

29. Provision for pupils’ social development is satisfactory. There is encouragement for them to work with each other, and to undertake some simple responsibilities in and around the school. However, some opportunities are lost when teachers do mundane tasks in and around classrooms, which pupils’ would be pleased to do if given the opportunity. When pupils are given opportunities to be involved, as for instance when they raised funds for physical education resources, they react with enthusiasm and initiative.

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PUPILS?

30. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils benefit from careful studies of Christianity and several other religions. They also have opportunities in music, geography and history to study cultures in the West Indies or India. However, planning across the curriculum does not take many opportunities to offer pupils knowledge of the diversity of Britain’s own multi- cultural society. The improvement in provision in art, and opportunities to examine, for example, Aboriginal Art has made a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ cultural development.

p.14

PUPILS?

31. The school's links with the local community are satisfactory. There is an obvious and close relationship with St Benedict's Church, which pupils attend for special services such as Harvest Festival. The carol concert and nativity play are so popular with parents and local residents that it St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 15 is necessary to put on both an afternoon and an evening performance. With the help of a national bank, a school bank is run on behalf of the pupils, and many of the local businesses support the fundraising activities of the school's Parents and Friends Association. The local policeman makes regular and frequent visits to school to promote aspects such as road safety and drugs awareness, and has become a familiar person to all the pupils.

p.14

PUPILS?

32. Links with the infant school that most pupils come from are good, and links with the secondary school to which most pupils transfer are particularly good. Year 6 pupils have a preliminary visit to the secondary school in the Autumn term. During the Spring term the Year 7 co-ordinator and teacher with responsibility for pupils with educational needs visit the school and get a thorough briefing on all pupils, covering both academic and personal development aspects. In July, Year 6 go to the secondary school for a “taster” day in their new Year 7 classes, whilst prospective Year 3 pupils from the infants school have a similar day in St Benedict's.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school’s procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare, health and safety, and the procedures for child protection are good. Routines for dealing with first aid, medicines and accidents are well established, with a medical room that meets national guidelines. The school has an up to date health and safety policy and risk assessments are carried out regularly, as are checks on potentially dangerous equipment, and practice evacuations of the premises.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The procedures for promoting attendance and punctuality are good, and the school has worked hard to stress to parents the importance of regular attendance at school. As a result, the school has gained increasing co-operation from parents in notifying the school about pupils’ absences and minimising the number of family holidays taken during term time. Although the level of attendance has improved in this present academic year, there remain a number of families who continue not to co-operate with the school in these matters and accordingly the proportion of absences recorded as unauthorised is high. For the pupils with poor attendance records the school has useful support from the Education Social Worker, from the area Social Services department. The great majority of pupils arrive at school in good time and are settled ready for registration which is taken promptly so that the day gets off to a good start. However, the school has not yet

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

introduced schemes to positively promote and reward good attendance achieved by individual pupils or classes.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The procedures for promoting good behaviour during lessons are unsatisfactory, because of inconsistencies in application. Whereas the majority of pupils are well behaved and are keen to learn, there are a number of pupils, two or three in each class, who exhibit challenging behaviour for whom the procedures adopted by some staff are ineffective. This applies in particular to the “golden time” system. It is implemented inconsistently by teachers, and this is further exacerbated by the changes of teacher when pupils move sets. It does not impact upon the pupils who need the most help, since they appear not to notice the effect of losing “golden time”.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory overall in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science, and in ICT. However, in all other subjects of the National Curriculum, with the exception of physical education, the school has yet to develop procedures. Procedures for assessing the needs of pupils with special educational needs are satisfactory.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. In the core subjects, learning objectives (what teachers intend that different groups of pupils should learn) are usually clear and are often used effectively to focus the teaching and learning. Teachers are compiling a bank of evidence to indicate what pupils have understood and the skills they are developing, and records of their attainment in annual national tests. However, although St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 16 the teachers know their pupils well, and the on-going assessment in lessons is satisfactory, the records of pupils’ academic development are inconsistent from class to class. Individual target setting and pupil tracking are in the early stages of development, and the school and newly appointed assessment co-ordinator are re-thinking and re-planning assessment procedures and their use in improving pupils’ standards. The school at present is imprecise in identifying clear

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

targets for its pupils, as for instance in the homework diaries and the school reports, and is also not incorporating them sufficiently into day-to-day planning for individual pupils. This results in many lessons when a large majority of pupils, with a wide range of ability, are attempting the same tasks. Consequently some pupils are insufficiently challenged and others find work too difficult.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Although teachers provide caring guidance and support for their pupils on a day-to-day basis, the formal procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development are inadequate. For instance, although rewards and punishments exist through the award of house points, or the deduction of minutes of ‘Golden Time’, and are applied regularly, they are used inconsistently and do not always have the desired effect on pupils’ work or behaviour. Personal targets are set by teachers, and by pupils themselves, but there is insufficient rigour in ensuring successful outcomes, and over time pupils forget or cannot explain what their personal targets are. Although the school has yet to develop a new policy for personal and social education, the use of circle time and class worship makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ personal development, helping their self- esteem and confidence.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The majority of parents are satisfied with what the school provides for their children, although a significant proportion (approximately one quarter) express concern about homework and the information that they receive about their children's progress. Most parents feel welcome in the school and they believe that the teachers are approachable and prepared to discuss any concerns that parents may have.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The information provided to parents is satisfactory, and most parents believe that they are well- informed about the school. Regular newsletters and other notes keep them informed about school activities and any special functions and events. As well as regular consultation evenings, a meeting for parents is held at the beginning of the year to explain what subjects and topics the pupils will be covering in the forthcoming year. The school’s prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents conform to national guidance and statutory requirements. The annual reports for parents on each pupil have some weaknesses, as reported in the previous inspection. They contain insufficient commentary on weaknesses as well as strengths, and do not give specific targets for improvement.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. Parents’ involvement in the work of the school is satisfactory. A large proportion of parents have signed and returned the home-school agreement for each pupil. Although there is a sound homework policy, its implementation, and the use of homework diaries, are variable between classes and between sets in the core subjects. Nevertheless, where reading record books have been used in Years 3 and 4, the parents have been able to make a positive contribution to their children’s learning. The support of parents for the school through the Parent and Friends Association is good as illustrated by the substantial funds raised through their various functions, between £3,000 and £5,000 each year, which is spent on a number of items to improve the school’s resources. A number of parents, approximately 20 which is not quite as many as at the time of the previous inspection, come into school to help on a regular voluntary basis, where they

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

assist in lessons, in the library or in after school clubs.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The management of the school is satisfactory overall and the school has made sound progress St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 17 since the last inspection.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The headteacher gives clear leadership to the staff and sets a clear agenda for the school’s priorities. In doing this she consults appropriately with the governing body and the staff, so that all have the opportunity to contribute effectively to the school’s educational direction. The headteacher has successfully established a culture of working collaboratively among staff, and they give very good informal support to each other and are willing to help and assist each other in a variety of ways. They generally work together effectively to promote the aims and values of the school, which show a good balance between pastoral and academic aspects. However, because of inconsistencies in teaching and in the use of assessment, the school is not always succeeding in its aim of assuring educational excellence for all pupils.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The involvement of governors in the overall agenda for school improvement enables them to play an effective role in shaping the development of the school, and they fulfil their statutory duties appropriately. They have studied the results of National Curriculum tests and have regular updates from staff about how different subjects are progressing. Many visit the school on a regular basis, and have a good understanding of its everyday life. However, weaknesses in monitoring the school’s work in detail means they are not well enough informed about different aspects when they make decisions.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. Monitoring of teaching by the head is well-established and has enabled the school to identify and address a number of problems. Since the last inspection, this has resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of teaching, so that there is more good and very good teaching across the school, and a very much reduced incidence of unsatisfactory teaching. This addresses one of the key issues from the last report. The head is clear about the current weaknesses in teaching, through her monitoring, but has not yet been able to resolve these difficulties.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The role of the subject co-ordinator has been developed successfully in some subjects in terms of providing systematic support to colleagues. This has been particularly valuable in improving standards in ICT, and in art and design, since the last inspection. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been introduced satisfactorily, but changes in personnel and staff absence have meant that the co-ordinators for these subjects are new in post, and are still getting to grips with their new roles. In general, insufficient responsibility for monitoring teaching and standards has been delegated to co-ordinators. The monitoring of teaching has not been a feature of much work outside the subjects of maths, English and ICT, and co-ordinators often have little idea of the variation in how their colleagues teach their subject. The monitoring of standards in the different classes is weak, and means that even when teachers in parallel classes produce very

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

different work from the same planning, this is not identified and addressed. Consequently, subject co-ordinators often do not have sufficient information to target their help where it is most needed.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. Procedures are in line with the Code of Practice, and pupils make appropriate progress in lessons. Individual education plans are good, and some very good targets are in place. Effective links have been established with parents, and provision is well organised. All teachers are aware of pupils’ individual difficulties, and they are involved in the planning of curricular targets for them. Some effective provision to support the literacy needs of pupils, particularly those in Year 3, ensures that they make at least satisfactory progress in learning to read and write.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. However, the number of pupils at the school at Stages 2-5 of the Code of Practice is significantly below average, and the number of those at Stage 1 is well above average. A high proportion of the pupils who are currently at stage 1 have difficulties that warrant additional support or programmes to improve their learning or behaviour. Some of these pupils are in large groups and little additional help has been sought to improve their progress. This is unsatisfactory provision for these pupils. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 18 49. The school development plan is a useful document and is satisfactory overall. It is good at identifying those issues which the school most needs to address. However, it lacks some detail and is not always sufficiently clear about time scales, costs, or how the school will evaluate the effectiveness of what it does. The action to secure improvement in the school is undertaken

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

conscientiously, but there are sometimes weaknesses in implementation which undermine the hard work and good intentions of those involved. The system of setting in English, maths and science, for example, undertaken to improved standards, has not been very effective, because of a number of flaws in its implementation. The improvement of behaviour of a minority of pupils, which the school correctly identifies as a significant issue, has not been effective because of a lack of consistency in implementing the complex systems devised. However, the shared commitment of the staff to improve, and their willingness to work together for the benefit of their pupils, mean that the school is well placed to take on board and address problems which arise.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The level of staffing at the school is generally appropriate, in view of the limited financial resources. However, despite efforts to improve the provision of classroom assistants, there are sometimes lessons where the lack of extra adult support is detrimental to pupils’ learning. Examples of this were seen in large maths sets, where it was impossible for the teacher, despite working very hard, to sufficiently monitor the work of all pupils and address any misconceptions which arose. Similarly, in a large group studying design and technology, despite good teaching, it was impossible for the teacher to give sufficient individual attention to all 40 pupils in the group, and their learning suffered as a consequence.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The accommodation at the school is satisfactory with some good features. It is particularly good in physical education and in information and communication technology. In these subjects the quality of the accommodation has a positive impact on learning. In other subjects the accommodation is satisfactory. However, the school library requires attention. It is currently open plan, which means that there is a constant stream of people walking through it. Consequently it is rarely used, and this inhibits research skills, particularly for older pupils. Accommodation for outdoor play is appropriate, with some interesting areas to enable pupils to seek some quiet time away from more boisterous play. The accommodation is generally used well and is clean and tidy.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Resources for learning are satisfactory overall. They are particularly good in physical education and in ICT. In these subjects the good use of the resources combined with the good accommodation is helping to improve progress across the school. The ICT suite is a recent acquisition, and has been made available through a leasing programme. It enables very good access by a whole class of pupils. This is helping to improve standards quickly. In physical education, many resources have been purchased through fund raising projects, and are having a very positive impact on pupils’ enjoyment and on standards. Resources for design and technology are unsatisfactory. There are not enough construction kits, and too little use is made of the resources that the school has. In all other subjects resources are satisfactory, although the library requires an improvement in quantity and quality of books. Resources in all subjects are generally

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

used well and most are of good quality. The school makes effective use of external resources to support learning. For example, pupils undertake a range of visits to places of interest as part of their history, geography and art studies. Teachers also make or borrow resources to supplement those that are in place.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school is making appropriate arrangements to introduce systems of performance management, in line with new government regulations. Staff are provided with appropriate training, and good provision is made to support those teachers who are new to the profession.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school’s financial planning is effective and is carefully linked to identified priorities. The school receives funding well below national and local averages, and governors and the head work hard to make best use of this, while maintaining a balanced budget. Sound use is made of extra money provided from the standards fund and for pupils with special educational needs. Modern technology is used satisfactorily to support the work of the school. ICT is used well St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 19 administratively and pupils are taught ICT skills well, but as yet are not making sufficient use of them to support work in other lessons.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school provides a sound education for its pupils. Standards and teaching are satisfactory, and the management is sound. The effectiveness of the school is satisfactory overall. However, in view of the very low income which the school receives for each pupil, in relation to similar schools throughout the county, the school provides good value for money. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 20

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to build on the current satisfactory provision the school should:-

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a. Continuing to implement current good procedures to follow up weaknesses in attendance. b. Implementing procedures to actively promote good attendance by individuals and groups. (Paragraphs 11. 34)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Involve subject leaders more in monitoring and supporting teaching and standards by

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a. Setting up procedures to enable them to monitor standards in their subject, on a systematic basis, in different classes and year groups b. Providing opportunities for them to monitory the quality of teaching across the school, as funds permit. c. Providing a systematic means of sharing the information gained, and of promoting good practice. (Paragraphs 46. 73. 77. 78. 93. 98. 107)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Improve behaviour, particularly for those pupils who find it difficult to conform, by

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a. Re-assessing and standardising procedures for promoting good behaviour. b. Considering ways in which the negative impact of setting on some pupils’ behaviour can be minimised. c. Ensuring that staff apply the agreed procedures consistently both in and out of the classroom. (Paragraphs 10. 17. 18. 38. 64. 72. 105. 110)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4. Ensure that work is better targeted on individual pupils’ needs, particularly in large sets, by

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a. Making more use of assessment information to match work to pupils’ current attainment. b. Ensuring that, when appropriate, easier work is planned for pupils who struggle, and harder work is planned to challenge pupils with higher ability. c. Ensuring that pupils’ progress during lessons is monitored, so that any misconceptions or difficulties can be addressed. (Paragraphs6. 16. 22. 23. 35. 37. 64. 70. 92)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

5. Improve standards in design and technology by

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a. Ensuring that the proposed scheme of work is adopted systematically. b. Spending more time on the subject. c. Improving resources for the subject. d. Improving teachers’ subject knowledge, as needed. (Paragraphs 86 - 89) St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 73 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 24

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 1 14 41 40 4 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y3– Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 308 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 45 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y3 – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 85

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 7

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 26

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 8.6 School data 1.1 National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 22

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 36 29 65

p.22

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys 24 25 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 20 25

p.22

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 72(72) 69(68) 85(80) at NC level 4 or above National 75(70) 72(69) 85(78)

p.22

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 28 30 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 22 20 27

p.22

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 77(78) 77(80) 89(78) at NC level 4 or above National 70(68) 72(69) 80(75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 99.7 White 1 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0.3 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.23

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.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.2 Financial year 1999-00

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.25

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Average class size 28 £ Total income 490617 Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total expenditure 489597 Total number of education support staff 12 Expenditure per pupil 1660

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 102 Balance brought forward from previous year Balance carried forward to next year 1020

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 24

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 26 59 7 1 6

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 14 56 15 3 11

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 17 55 21 3 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 17 47 29 3 4

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 42 42 10 2 5

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 46 43 7 1 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 21 50 19 4 5

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 20 55 11 7 7

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 27 58 11 1 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 50 13 1 3 St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 25

p.24

ENGLISH

56. Standards in English are average, and have remained so for several years. Results of national tests in 2000 were average with respect to all schools nationally, but below average when compared to similar schools (those with similar numbers of free school meals). Results in the national tests have been broadly similar over the past four years, although the school increased the number of pupils achieving above the expected Level 4 by ten per cent last year. Pupils enter the school with the usual range of ability found nationally. About half are very articulate, have good attitudes to school and are enthusiastic learners. However, there are a significant proportion whose skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing are below the standards expected for seven year-olds and they need effective teaching to raise their skills to the expected levels.

p.25

ENGLISH

57. By the time pupils are 11 years old the majority express their ideas clearly, participate in class discussions and answer questions thoughtfully. There are some very well-planned opportunities for speaking and listening in the literacy hour in some classes, for example, Year 3 when the lower attaining pupils wrote and presented a play-script using the Mousehole Cat story. In Year 4, several pupils read a poem with expression and others criticised the reading, highlighting the good features and suggesting improvements. However, planning does not indicate that there are regular systematic opportunities to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills as they move through the school.

p.25

ENGLISH

58. Standards in reading for the oldest pupils are in line with standards found nationally. Those pupils who enter the school with above average or average skills in reading continue to make good progress and by the time they leave the school they are confident, fluent readers. Reading skills are taught well in most classes during the literacy hour but there are too few, and insufficiently varied, opportunities for pupils to practise their reading skills. Reading is not well managed throughout the school; practices between classes are inconsistent and reading records give minimal information. They do not inform the pupils or parents about the level achieved and what skills need to be acquired to reach the next level. They do not give pupils any guidance or encouragement to read from a wide range of genre.

p.25

ENGLISH

59. The library is not a stimulating area to encourage pupils to browse, read for pleasure or to develop their research skills. Many of the books are old and need replacing with new attractive books. Pupils have not been able to use the library this term because of building work. Pupils who enter the school with well-developed skills in reading continue to make good progress, but provision for those who are still developing these skills is not given a sufficiently high priority in the lower part of the school. The expectations and pace of learning for this group in Year 3 are too low and pupils are not making enough progress. However, the home/school reading diaries for this group provide an opportunity for effective communication between teacher and home.

p.25

ENGLISH

60. Writing is satisfactory throughout the school. The most able pupils in Year 3 write well-planned stories, use full stops and capital letters accurately and spell most words correctly. Many pupils in Year 3 understand the use of speech marks and can write a short play-script. Pupils with less developed skills do not have enough opportunity to take part in guided writing sessions, matched to their prior learning. In Year 6 many pupils are competent writers as seen by the quality and range of work on Animal Farm and Macbeth. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 understand the rules for biographical and autobiographical writing and can apply these when writing an extract of a biography of Roald Dahl and their own autobiography. Extended writing is being developed in St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 26 each year group and is used well in other curricular areas, for example, history.

p.25

ENGLISH

61. Standards in handwriting are good for the more able pupils but unsatisfactory for many others. There are still some pupils in the lower literacy sets at the top of the school using print. Too little emphasis is given to the teaching of handwriting and, by the end of Year 4, too few pupils can confidently use a cursive script in all their work. Pupils are set for literacy in each year group but at present this arrangement is not meeting the different learning needs of the pupils. Throughout the school, matching work to the pupils’ prior learning is weak. Too often all pupils are expected to complete the same task, whereas in reality there is a wide range of ability within the set.

p.26

ENGLISH

62. Spelling has been identified by the school as an area for development and, this term, teachers have access to new resources to enable them to improve the teaching of spelling. Standards are currently satisfactory overall.

p.26

ENGLISH

63. Presentation is unsatisfactory in too many classes. Teachers’ expectations are often low and consequently pupils do not know what is expected of them. There is no visual display of the expectations and very rarely are pupils reminded about the standard of presentation when they begin a piece of work. However, when pupils know their work is to be displayed they produce neat well-presented pieces.

p.26

ENGLISH

64. Teaching is satisfactory overall, sometimes good and occasionally very good. There is some unsatisfactory teaching in Year 3. In the lessons where teaching is very good the pace is brisk, pupils are managed well, they are presented with interesting challenging tasks and they work hard and produce their best work. The factor that makes much of the teaching satisfactory, rather than good, is that work is not well matched to pupils’ prior learning. Too frequently some pupils work confidently and finish the task, while others are daunted by the task and therefore do not make maximum effort. The main weakness in the unsatisfactory teaching is the slow pace. The teacher has low expectations and the pupils do not learn enough in each lesson. This has a cumulative effect on the standards they achieve. In many of the satisfactory lessons teachers are over-tolerant of unacceptable behaviour, for example, calling out, chatting, coming off task and this

p.26

ENGLISH

65. The quality of marking is inconsistent through the school. Often it is not closely linked to the learning objectives of the lesson and hardly ever does it tell pupils what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. Target setting is at an early stage of development. Pupils’ individual targets are not kept readily available, nor are pupils often reminded about them as they begin a piece of work.

p.26

ENGLISH

66. Good learning is evident in each year group, helped by pupils’ good attitudes, for example working quietly with sustained concentration. Good relationships between teachers and pupils were evident in many lessons and this contributes to pupils’ motivation and a desire to produce their best work. Pupils with special educational needs receive effective support from a teaching assistant during literacy lessons.

p.26

ENGLISH

67. Management of English is satisfactory. The school has had four co-ordinators in the past two years, which has somewhat slowed the pace of development. However, all teachers have received training to enable them to implement the literacy hour effectively. The present co- ordinator has only been in post since September but has already identified the strengths and weaknesses in the subject. Resources are satisfactory, although some of the pupils’ reading books are old and do not promote a love of reading. In some lessons pupils sit in single sex groups, often their own choice. This arrangement does not help class management, nor is it good for pupils’ personal development.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 27 68. By the time pupils leave the school at the end of Key Stage 2, standards are similar to those expected nationally, and all pupils including those with special educational needs, are making satisfactory progress. Numeracy, through the impact of the national numeracy strategy, is the strongest area. There has been improvement in pupils’ ability to use and apply mathematics, through investigation, since the previous inspection. Over a period of four years pupils’ performance has been on average similar to national expectation and has varied little year by year.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

69. In Year 3, pupils recognise and can explain the purpose of pictograms and Venn diagrams in data handling, understanding that data is information to be investigated. Most pupils can count on and back in hundreds accurately, and less able pupils can identify 3 numbers adding to 7 and 4 numbers to 15. Year 4 pupils can identify even numbers between 30 and 50, and name fractions such as 4/7 and 5/9, although finding the concept difficult to understand. The majority of pupils have sound strategies for doubling two digit numbers, and know their 4 times tables accurately, with a smaller number knowing their 8 times tables. In Years 5 and 6, where pupils are setted into 5 different ability groups, the less able are confident in their understanding of multiplication and division to 30, and can work with numbers up to 100. Middle attainers understand the meaning of prime numbers and can establish number sequences involving doubling, and negative numbers.

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MATHEMATICS

Pupils can also approximate and estimate solutions to number problems such as 189 x 3. Higher attainers overall are confident in their 8 and 9 times tables. They investigate accurately the theory that most numbers can be broken down, such that factors will a include a prime number. Pupils can also explain accurately that numbers divisible by 4 will always end in 2 digit multiples of 4 (1024, 2080 etc). Many pupils in the school are now using mathematics well in their work in ICT.

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MATHEMATICS

70. The quality of teaching seen in lessons was always satisfactory and occasionally good or very good. Very good lessons are characterised by the confident subject knowledge and exposition of the teacher, consistent challenge and pace and the setting of appropriate tasks for different groups of pupils. Less successful lessons have lengthy verbal explanations, which are not always checked for understanding, and activities are not always sufficiently appropriate for the individual needs of pupils. The organisation of the sets results in some very large sets (up to 36 pupils) of average and above average attainers, rarely with any other adult support for the teacher. As a consequence, many pupils are attempting the same tasks in spite of the fact that they have a breadth of abilities. Some of them do not therefore make the progress they should. However the smaller sets (down to 18 pupils) generally have additional support and a great majority of the pupils

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MATHEMATICS

make at least satisfactory progress. The school has set Years 5 and 6 together, but it is as yet unclear how the school will ensure that some Year 5 pupils, especially in higher groups, will not repeat work unnecessarily when they reach Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

71. Presentation of work in these years is frequently untidy and careless, often because the exercise books are unsuitable. Marking is inconsistent, often ignoring pupils’ misspelling of mathematical language.

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MATHEMATICS

72. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are generally good and, when really challenged, can be excellent. They enjoy rapid mental sessions, and many work well when in group work, staying on task and co-operating with each other when necessary. Only occasionally, when a lesson loses pace, or when left too long without adult assistance, or when faced with a task either too mundane or too difficult, do a minority of pupils lose interest or distract others with unsatisfactory behaviour.

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MATHEMATICS

73. The recently appointed co-ordinator offers satisfactory leadership and is committed to the successful implementation of the numeracy strategy. Assessment procedures, mainly by half termly testing are satisfactory, although more detailed target setting and pupil tracking is only just beginning. Monitoring of teaching and learning in the classrooms by the headteacher has taken place, and has been effective in improving teaching and identifying some continuing weaknesses. The school has prioritised further monitoring as a target for the co-ordinator next term. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 28

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SCIENCE

74. The results of the year 2000 national tests in science for pupils at the end of the key stage were in line with the national average for pupils achieving Level 4 or above. However, the percentage of pupils achieving Level 5 was below the national average and showed a considerable reduction from the previous year. Overall standards have generally been maintained in line with the national averages since the last inspection but against similar schools, they are below. The reason for the lower percentage of Level 5’s offered by the co-ordinator was the over-concentration on investigative work, to remedy the weakness identified in the last report. However, this over- concentration has been addressed, an improved balance achieved and the co-ordinator believes with a sharper focus and setting the negative imbalance of Level 5’s will be retrieved. Evidence from lessons observed confirm , and the school is well placed to improve next year.

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SCIENCE

75. Standards in the current Year 6 are average. In their work on sound, teachers challenge their pupils well with ‘quick fire’ questioning and pupils understand the principle that sound waves “bounce”. In the lower part of the key stage, pupils understand and can relate the uses and dangers of electricity in the home. As pupils progress through the school, they learn about thermal insulators and conductors and undertake suitable experiments to test their predictions. They display a good understanding of the basic concept of insulation and conductivity. In a final plenary session observed, pupils sensibly discussed the success and difficulties of the test. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of electrical currents are satisfactory for their age. Most pupils understand that unless the circuit is complete, electricity will not flow.

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SCIENCE

76. An analysis of pupils’ work showed that they make consistently satisfactory and sometimes good progress. Most teachers place an increasing emphasis on pupils undertaking their own experiments and investigating for themselves. This leads to improvement in pupils’ enquiry skills. Discussion with pupils at the end of the key stage highlighted their enthusiasm for investigative work as well as their ability to recount confidently and competently the work previously covered, for example, on air pressure and friction. Pupils enjoy investigative work and this is particularly beneficial to pupils with special educational needs who receive good quality support from classroom assistants.

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SCIENCE

77. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with a number of strengths that account for pupils’ good progress in some classes. Teachers plan together in year groups to ensure equality of opportunity for all pupils within the year group. However, the monitoring of teaching, learning and standards is under-developed and this accounts for some unevenness in the teaching and standards across the key stage. Teaching is based on sound subject knowledge that enables teachers to ask probing questions to make pupils think. Teachers generally encourage pupils to explain their thinking to others to help clarify their understanding. In the upper key stage, great emphasis is based on a scientific approach. This occurred in a Year 6 lesson, where the teacher probed pupils’ observations of how sound travelled. Their answers were then used to stimulate discussions of high quality. Teachers use a wide range of resources to effectively support their

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SCIENCE

teaching and hold pupils’ interest. This was observed in a Year 5 class when pupils were conducting an investigation on conductors and insulation.

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SCIENCE

78. Pupils are assessed satisfactorily, both formally and informally. Records are kept of achievements at the end of different topics but as yet, data is not fully used to set targets for future development. Co-ordination of the subject is good, marked by joint planning in year groups where teachers share their ideas and support each other. The co-ordinator has worked hard to resolve successfully the weakness in pupils’ investigative skills, identified in the previous report. Further, he acknowledges the need for more effective monitoring of teaching, learning and standards and more systematic and rigorous assessment procedures to raise standards. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 29

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ART AND DESIGN

79. Standards are satisfactory throughout the school and meet national expectations by the time pupils finish Year 6. Examples of work of good quality were seen in some classes. This is a major improvement since the last inspection, when standards were unsatisfactory. Indications are that standards continue to improve and, in several lessons during the inspection, pupils produced work of a high standard.

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ART AND DESIGN

80. Pupils in Year 3 make good progress in developing their pencil skills. In their sketch-books, they experiment with different ways of shading, and use what they have learned to support their observational drawing. A few pupils attain very high standards for their age in the quality of what they produce. This was confirmed in two good lessons during the inspection when pupils sketched a variety of natural objects. They used pencil very effectively to convey line and texture, and made good progress in their rendering of different tones. Work on display shows sound examples of pupils’ developing their understanding of tone in using other media, such as chalk and charcoal. They develop their use of colour and of brushwork effectively, both through experimenting with techniques and applying them to finished work, such as their pictures influenced by the work of Derain.

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ART AND DESIGN

81. In Year 4, pupils extend the range of materials that they use, producing an interesting array of papier mache masks, based on examples of African masks they have studied. They continue to develop an imaginative approach to using colour, showing good skills in mixing different shades. Better quality work shows great imagination in the use of different objects and materials to decorate the masks, and the finished results are very expressive and individual. During a good lesson observed during the inspection, pupils showed confidence and care in choosing materials and tools, and modified their work effectively as they went along. Pupils were able to explain what they had changed from their original designs, and why. In one class, pastel portraits of clowns showed a sound understanding of this medium.

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ART AND DESIGN

82. Pupils in Year 5 continue to develop their drawing skills effectively. Work in sketch books and in lessons revealed some very good examples of rendering tone, texture and line effectively in pencil, both in drawings of a training shoe, and of “Swiss cheese” plants. Effective pastels, using colour in the style of Monet, showed a good understanding of the artist’s work and a subtle use of colour.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. Pupils in Year 6 develop their work effectively in a range of media. Good examples include their lively and effective work based on aboriginal art, such as charcoal drawings and painted sticks. These showed a good understanding of traditional style and great care in execution. The silk paintings done by Year 6 are of good quality, showing imaginative use of colour and individuality in design.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. The quality of teaching is good. This is enabling the standards in the subject to improve steadily and has raised them from unsatisfactory at the last inspection to sound, with some good features, currently. Most of the teaching seen during the inspection was good, and pupils learned well in these lessons. The wide range of interesting tasks and the good pace expected generally led to enthusiasm and application from the pupils. In the best lessons, clear teaching of specific techniques, careful monitoring of progress and carefully targeted advice, and a good understanding of the requirements of the subject, enabled pupils to learn well. Where teaching was only satisfactory, this was because the pace was more pedestrian, or because a small number of pupils showed a lack of interest, and were inclined to chatter to each other and to “coast” without trying as hard as their classmates. Generally, pupils’ attitudes to the subject are very positive. They enjoy

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ART AND DESIGN

the lessons, work hard, take care with what they do, and show a pride in what they produce.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. The subject is well managed. Good support is given to colleagues by the co-ordinator and he monitors work informally by looking at display around the school. A scheme of work, supporting a broad curriculum, is sorted out on a yearly basis, based on topics which classes are to study. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 30 Although this provides balance within each year, there is no guarantee that a pupil will receive a balanced programme over the course of four years in school. No formal records are kept, either on an individual or class basis to ensure that work is not repeated inappropriately, and that an overall balance is maintained. Nonetheless, the work on display shows a good balance between various aspects of the subject, a study of art from a range of times and places, and a clear improvement in standards since last time. Some useful work has been done in incorporating ICT to

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ART AND DESIGN

support the subject, but full advantage is not always taken of the possibilities, as there is only limited provision of computers in classrooms.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. Standards are low because in the last few years too little time has been spent on the subject. Standards have remained low since the time of the previous inspection. The school is aware that the subject is weak, and this year has introduced the nationally recommended scheme of work to ensure a greater breadth in pupils’ experiences. However, since it is intended to teach the subject in “blocks” of time, and many classes have not yet done any work this year, very little was available in pupils’ books and very few examples of finished models to indicate what they could do. Such work as was available, and photographs of work from last year, showed standards lower than those expected for pupils of this age, with the exception of work linked to art and design, such as the papier mache masks done by pupils in Years 5 and 6. Detailed work on designing and evaluating products, such as would be expected by the end of the junior school, is virtually non-

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. In discussion, pupils in Year 6 showed a great enthusiasm for the subject, and a fond recollection of the little work they had done in the past two years. However, their understanding of aspects of the subject was weak, particularly of design and of how the kind of materials used constrains the nature of what is planned. Conversation revealed that they had had a narrow experience of the subject, for example making very limited use of a range of tools, and with virtually no experience of construction kits, or of using control technology. Examination of the school’s resources, which are unsatisfactory, revealed a major lack of construction kits, and a poor provision of a range of tools for different purposes. The resources are insufficient to fully meet the demands of the national curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. The one lesson observed during the inspection featured good teaching. The lesson was well prepared, and work was carefully targeted at the needs of the pupils. However, pupils’ progress in their learning was only satisfactory, because the group (40 pupils) was so large that the teacher was unable to provide sufficient attention to individuals. This meant that despite their positive attitudes, and good classroom management by the teacher, they made only steady progress from their low starting point, in using different sewing techniques. Such planning and work as was available showed that many teachers lack confidence and expertise in the subject, and will require some further training if they are to help their pupils to progress from their current low standards.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. The co-ordinator for the subject is aware of the shortcomings, but has had little opportunity to support his colleagues or to take the subject forward, because the school has had other priorities. He has a sound plan to improve standards, and is looking to support colleagues in different ways of approaching the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

90. The last time the school was inspected standards in geography were average. Since then standards have been sustained. The previous weakness identified was the under-development of pupils’ research skills. This has largely been resolved because of improved opportunities in this area. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 31 91. By the end of the key stage, pupils have an awareness of the main human and physical resources of India. They use atlases, globes and maps using a range of scales. In the lower key stage, pupils find information on the characteristics of two mountain environments and develop an understanding that varying weather conditions have a significant impact on life in any area. As pupils proceed through the key stage, they show an understanding of the differences and uses of road maps as opposed to street maps. They understand and use the eight points of the compass

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GEOGRAPHY

and use them to indicate the direction of one place from another. This leads them to extend their geographical skills by plotting routes to work out which direction people have to travel. The planning of the subject carefully outlines the opportunities provided for pupils to develop their geographical skills, increase their geographical vocabulary and to use geographical resources effectively.

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GEOGRAPHY

92. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. The management of pupils’ behaviour is generally appropriate but over-tolerance of challenging behaviour with a minority of pupils sometimes impedes progress. Introductory sessions, where objectives are identified to the pupils, are positive and pupils are encouraged to use correct geographical vocabulary. Pupils are successfully enabled to review and consolidate their understanding, for example when they identified which countries and continents two mountain peaks occupy. Pupils are generally active and enthusiastic when responding to teachers’ questioning, but often the written work is insufficiently differentiated to take account of the variety of abilities in the class.

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GEOGRAPHY

93. The co-ordinator has only been in post a few weeks. Assessment and monitoring of teaching, learning and standards are currently unsatisfactory. However, she has identified these as areas of development needed to move the subject forward. Resources are satisfactory overall and are used effectively to promote learning.

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HISTORY

94. Standards in history are in line with the national expectations for 11 year-olds. The standards are the same as at the last inspection.

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HISTORY

95. No teaching of history was seen in Years 3 and 4 as neither group are focussing on history this term. Planning shows that Year 4 will cover history next term and Year 3 in the summer term. Scrutiny of work from last year’s Year 3 pupils shows that when they studied the Anglo Saxon period they learned about how Christianity came to England. They visited Cadbury Castle and there is evidence that literacy and ICT were used well, for example, pie chart to show a day in the life of a monk. Year 4 pupils studied the Aztecs, and topic books from last year indicate that pupils learned about what it was like for a child to grow up in Aztec times and the explorations of the period. Written work showed satisfactory standards being achieved in each age group.

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HISTORY

96. This term pupils in Years 5 and 6 are studying the Tudor period. Pupils have a good knowledge of Tudor monarchs, the important events of the period, for example, the dissolution of the monasteries and the Spanish Amada. They know about famous people from that time, for example, Christopher Columbus, Thomas Wolsey and the contributions they made. All classes have attractive, interesting timelines, which help to develop their sense of chronology. Pupils effectively use a range of evidence, including text, CD Roms, visits, videos and photographs to gather information. During the inspection pupils looked at pictures of Elizabeth I and at Holbein’s painting, “The Ambassadors.” Pupils were able to understand something of how art can be used to persuade, and identified some of the qualities which the artists and sitters intended to project.

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HISTORY

97. Teaching in history is satisfactory overall, ranging from satisfactory to very good. Planning indicates a suitable variety of learning opportunities to enable pupils to acquire knowledge and develop skills. Effective links are made with literacy, ICT. and art. The classes are very large St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 32 but good use is made of teaching assistants so that pupils have opportunities to work in pairs or in small groups, for example to look at and discuss photographs before answering questions about the reign of Elizabeth I. Where teaching is very good it results in very good learning. The pace of the lesson is brisk and pupils are very highly motivated and work hard. Pupils enjoy history. They show real interest in the period and are keen to talk about the knowledge they have gained.

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HISTORY

98. The co-ordinator has only been in post for a few weeks but has already reviewed the policy and drawn up an action plan. She has good subject knowledge and is ensuring that there are sufficient resources for each topic. However, as yet there has been no monitoring of planning, pupils’ work or teaching and learning and this means that the impact of the better teaching is not maximised, and weaker teaching is not being improved.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) meet national expectations by the end of the key stage. They have improved since the last inspection when pupils’ skills were underdeveloped and when pupils had too little access time. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, now benefit from an increased range of resources, and from the improved expertise and confidence of the teachers. There are now more computer systems in place, a very good computer suite, and a broad and balanced curriculum. Overall pupils are now making progress quickly, and this is consistent as they move through the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. Pupil’s progress in ICT is closely linked to the effective planning and organisation of the curriculum that enables them to develop their skills through a structured range of activities from Year 3 through to Year 6. During the week of the inspection all pupils were studying a topic on control and monitoring. They were using “Logo” (a simple programming package), to develop their skills in writing simple programmes. In Year 3, pupils worked in two’s to follow a programme that enabled them to draw a flower on screen. They were able to give clear instructions and work out what they needed to do to improve their drawing. Because of the expertise of the teacher, and the high expectations, almost all pupils were able to achieve the task. In Year 4 they build on this prior knowledge as they begin to write their own programmes. They are able to give instructions for the drawing of squares on screen. Some higher attaining pupils attain well for their age as they devise

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

their own instructions for drawing repeating squares and circles. Pupils in Year 5 begin to create, test and refine their instructions so that they can create more complex designs on screen. By the time they reach Year 6 pupils are confident users of the simple programming package. They draw different shapes to create pictures, showing that they understand how to use “Logo” effectively.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. Pupils across the school also use ICT for a range of purposes, but do not use it enough as a tool to support their work in other subjects. During the inspection, computers were only used during ICT lessons. However, there is evidence of the use of ICT in some subjects. For example, pupils’ work shows that in Year 3 they use an art package to explore colour and experiment with mixing colours. In Year 4 they produce charts to support their work on heart-rate in science. In Year 5 they produce data collected during mathematics lessons in chart form, and in Year 6 they search data-bases to gather information relating to traffic problems as part of their geography studies. All pupils use ICT satisfactorily to word process work in English and some other subjects. The further use of ICT is inhibited by the lack of computers based in classrooms.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. The quality of teaching in ICT is good and has improved since the last inspection. This is the main reason, combined with good support from the co-ordinator, for improvements in standards. Teachers have developed skill and confidence from recent training, and now teach the subject with understanding and knowledge. The best teaching occurs when clear examples are given, and when teachers provide models so that pupils have a good starting point. Because teachers are confident, pupils make good gains in learning during the lessons. They are successfully encouraged to work together and they do this very well. They share resources and help each other well. They St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 33 are excited by what they achieve and they make good progress as they work steadily through the well planned-activities. The positive contribution made to the subject by the computer clubs is

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

103. Leadership is strong, and the use of support for staff is very good. This also has a very positive impact on standards. The curriculum for ICT has improved since the last inspection, and planned activities are appropriate to the ages of the pupils, and allow them to make consistent progress as they move through the school.

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MUSIC

104. Pupils throughout the school attain standards expected for their age and enjoy their singing in assembly and their music making activities. The standards achieved by pupils in music lessons is satisfactory overall but in one lesson observed with Year 6 pupils, the standards were higher. Pupils sing well showing good control of pitch, dynamics and rhythm. They understand the difference between pulse and rhythm, can repeat rhythms with clapping and make up their own simple rhythms. As pupils progress through the key stage they learn to create percussion parts to songs and improvise to accompany cello and violin in a well known song. Pupils record their efforts to listen to, assess and improve different types of music and give reasons why they either liked it or disliked it and compare it with other music they have heard. Where pupils are given opportunities to compare, repeat rhythms and have ‘hands on’ opportunity their experiences are

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MUSIC

enriched. 105. The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is satisfactory overall. Music is sometimes taught to different classes by the co-ordinator, who is a music specialist. The standard of music in these classes is higher than in other classes, where the teachers’ subject knowledge is sufficient to teach basic skills and knowledge but insufficient to challenge and extend pupils’ creative abilities. In these classes, the opportunities to create or improvise music are fewer. However, all teachers provide opportunities for pupils to evaluate the work of their peers. All teachers emphasise and promote the use and understanding of accurate musical vocabulary. Where lessons were only satisfactory, the main weakness was an over-tolerance of challenging behaviour from a minority of pupils, which sometimes interfered with the pace of learning.

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MUSIC

106. The tuition provided by visiting specialists for recorder, strings and woodwind strengthens the musical opportunities for pupils, not only to improve their own expertise but to play in the school orchestra. This, together with the school choir enhances opportunities for all pupils. The orchestra practises regularly and will perform in the Christmas Concert at the Church Carol Service.

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MUSIC

107. At the last inspection, attainment was judged to be in line with national expectations with some pupils achieving good standards in their ability to play a musical instrument. It was indicated that music had a high profile in the school and was well managed by the co-ordinator. These strengths have been sustained. However, the lack of monitoring of teaching and learning means that some opportunities for the co-ordinator use her expertise to support all her colleagues across the school are missed. Resources overall have diminished since the last inspection but a considerable amount of money has been allocated to improve musical resources which has the potential to impact positively on pupils’ learning and raise standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

108. By the time they leave school at the age of 11, pupils’ attain standards in line with national expectations. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make -curricular sport, which are strengths of the school. These findings are similar to those of the previous inspection. St Benedict’s CE VA Junior School Glastonbury - 34 109. In Year 3,most pupils understand the benefits of a brisk warm up and the effects of vigorous activity on their bodies. However, their spatial awareness in underdeveloped and they do not always remember to exercise safely. In Year 4, pupils learn to move thoughtfully to the mood of music they hear, and most can develop interesting sequences of movement based on a theme for example, of the ‘Three Wise Men’. The majority try to vary the height and speed of their movements, and use appropriate gestures. In Years 5 and 6, many pupils have developed good

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and sometimes very good swimming skills, with 100% achieving the expected national 25 metre standard, or better, in most recent years. These pupils are also developing good skills in their use of apparatus in gymnastics; many of them confidently transfer weight and develop a sequence of balances and movements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

110. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, but during the inspection varied between excellent and unsatisfactory. The excellent and good teaching is characterised by clear, progressive objectives for pupils, and a demand for them to do as well as they can. Their learning is developed by the confident subject knowledge of teachers and clear exposition of the development of pupils’ skills. Teaching is less effective when teachers allow pupils to fidget and talk during instruction, and give over long explanations thus depriving the pupils of the opportunity to develop their learning through activity. Few teachers involve pupils in developing their learning through self-evaluation of their activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. Pupils greatly enjoy lessons and nearly all work positively and with enthusiasm. Most listen attentively, respond quickly, and are eager to put out equipment safely. However, a small minority take advantage of some teachers on occasion, ignore instructions, become over excited and noisy and sometimes put themselves and their peers in physical danger. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary when they concentrate and are sufficiently challenged at levels commensurate with their abilities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. Extra curricular provision is good. The subject is well managed and the very confident and dedicated co-ordinator leads a number of clubs including cross country and gymnastics. She is helped by other staff and parents and the school is able to provide a wide number of activities, often involving visits to other schools, where the pupils have competed successfully for a number of years. Good use is made of the school’s minibus in transporting pupils to different sporting venues. With the exception of ageing and worn gymnastics mats, the resources for both indoor and outdoor activities are good. Many of them have been provided by money raised by pupils, parents and local benefactors under the guidance of the co-ordinator. The good resources and wide range of activities contribute significantly to pupils’ standards.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

113. Religious education was inspected under section 23 of the School Inspections Act, and is reported upon elsewhere.

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