St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th – 6 th October 2000

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SCHOOL

Inspection number: 224392 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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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.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bolton Old Road Atherton Manchester Postcode: M46 9FD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr R W Sinclair

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 18 th March 1996 ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Mrs L Furness (8245) Registered inspector Mr J Holmes (19431) Lay inspector Mrs D New (22761) Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Court 8, Bar Meadow Dobcross Saddleworth Oldham OL3 5QW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Philip’s Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided average size primary school having 248 pupils on roll (compared with the national average of 226). Pupils come from the local area and the percentage of pupils having English as an additional language (0.4%) is low. The percentage of pupils having special educational needs (27.4%) is above the national average and the percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs (1.2%) is above the national average. The percentage of pupils eligible for school meals free of charge (11.2%) is below the national average. There are 8 classes, 7 classes of pupils of a single age range and 1 class with pupils from both Years 1 and 2. Children are admitted to the school in the September term following their fourth birthday. Although the attainment of children varies considerably from year to year, initial assessments indicate that the attainment of the majority of children is in line with that expected for their age. In summer

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

2000, the school was successful in its bid to become a Beacon primary school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school, which has many outstanding features. By the time pupils are 11 years of age standards in literacy are very high and in numeracy standards are well above average. Teaching is of a high quality with a high percentage of very good and excellent teaching occurring. The school is very well led with the headteacher working closely with the governing body to provide a high standard of education for all pupils. Pupils achieve very well in their academic and personal development and the school provides very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The 1999 national test results for 11-year-old pupils show that standards of attainment are very high in English and science and are well above the national average in mathematics. • The headteacher has very successfully appointed a strong team of staff who are provided with very clear educational direction and who work effectively together to ensure that standards are high. • The governing body is very knowledgeable and has very good systems in place for checking on the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. • Pupils find learning a pleasure and their interest and enthusiasm helps to deepen their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and their politeness and good manners are a credit to them, the school and their parents. • The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The school recognises that it needs to continue to develop its provision for information and communication technology. • The existing target setting system in school needs to be further refined to become even more effective. 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

ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 8 The school was last inspected in March 1996. It was recognised then as a good school, and the good progress it has made since that time has ensured that it is now a very good school. All of the main issues identified in the previous report have been very successfully addressed. In addition to the main issues the quality of teaching is much improved. There is now no unsatisfactory teaching and a very high percentage of very good and excellent teaching is now evident. The curriculum has benefited from the introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and there is much more use of national test results to focus attention on areas that could be improved. The fact that the school is now judged to be very good indicates that it has successfully maintained and improved upon its high standards of academic work and behaviour.

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

This is an impressive set of results. Standards attained by 11-year-olds have been well above average for several years and in 1999 results in English and science were very high in comparison with the national average and well above the national average in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, pupils’ results were very high in English and science and well above average in mathematics. The school’s performance in English and science was in the highest 5% of schools both nationally and in comparison with similar schools. The trend in the school’s average National Curriculum points for all three subjects has been broadly in line with the national trend over the last four years. In the year 2000 the percentage of pupils attaining the expected level for 11–year- olds is above the national average in mathematics and science and broadly in line with the national average in English. Although results

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STANDARDS

have declined, this group of pupils achieved well in relation to their abilities. Pupils currently in Year 6 are attaining standards in all three subjects that are at least in line with that expected for this time of the year. The school has exceeded the targets set for the year (2000) in mathematics but did not meet the target set for English. Appropriate targets for the forthcoming year have been set and early indications are that the targets in both subjects will be met.

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STANDARDS

Results for pupils aged 7 in 1999 were well above the national average in reading and mathematics and above the national average in writing. In comparison with similar schools results in reading and mathematics were well above average and were above average in writing. The trend in the school’s average National Curriculum points for all three subjects has been one of improvement over the last four years. The present Year 2 pupils are attaining at the expected level for this time of year.

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STANDARDS

All pupils are achieving very well with more able pupils being appropriately challenged by the tasks they are given and less able pupils showing very good improvement in their work over time. ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 9

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are proud of their school. They are very keen to learn and participate fully in all lessons. If they are unsure of anything they are willing to ask for help from their teachers and they learn a great deal from discussions with each other.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. During lessons, in the dining area, in the playground and when moving around the school, pupils’ behaviour is very good. Older pupils are exceptionally polite and well mannered.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils respond very well to any responsibility given to them. They form very good relationships with everyone around them.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good. Pupils attend school regularly and are punctual, allowing lessons to start on time.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Very good and excellent teaching is a strong feature of this school. Teaching is at least satisfactory in all lessons. It is good in 22%, very good in 26% and excellent in 30%. English and mathematics teaching is very good. It is always at least satisfactory and in both subjects it is at least good in six out of ten lessons. Good quality planning in these two subjects ensures that teachers are clear about what pupils are to learn and pupils respond well to the high demands made of them. They are successfully taught to persevere in their work, to give of their best at all times and as they grow older, to take more responsibility for finding things out for themselves in order to consolidate and extend their learning. The skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught throughout the school and in all subjects. The teaching of reception aged children is always good and provides them with a good start to their education.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is of the highest quality in Year 6 where there is a high percentage of excellent teaching. The teacher’s use of excellent questioning fully engages the pupils’ attention and challenges them to recall the knowledge and skills they learn in earlier lessons. At the same time, it enables the teacher to accurately assess the pupils’ current knowledge and understanding of the subject, ensuring that the lesson planned will be well matched to the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 10 The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. Despite giving a focus to literacy and numeracy the school has been very careful to provide a full curriculum, which puts an appropriate emphasis on the creative aspects of learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils’ individual needs are very well identified and the provision of very good support enables them to make very good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Pupils with English as an additional language are well supported and make good progress along with others in their class.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent The school has successfully created an ethos where each pupil is valued and where they are taught to be tolerant of each other and of other people who have different beliefs and ways of life. The school assemblies including the act of worship make a positive contribution to this area of development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school has effective procedures in place to check on pupils’ academic achievements and personal development. Target setting procedures however, need to be further refined

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has effectively appointed a team around her who have the same high expectations of pupils’ performance and achievements. There is a very clear vision of further developments and how to maintain high standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors have appropriate committees in place to help them oversee the work of the school. They know the school’s strengths and recognise areas that need developing. They ensure that all statutory requirements are being met.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. There are very good systems in place to help the school check on its performance. When necessary, good use is made of this information to inform teaching and learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school very carefully evaluates the effects of its spending on the standards it achieves. Careful consideration is given to all spending decisions in order to achieve maximum value for money.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The school is well led and managed. • The school is helping my child to become mature. • The school expects my child to work hard. • A number of parents would like more information about how well their child is progressing in school. • Many commented that limited additional ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 11 • The teaching is good. • Behaviour in the school is good. opportunities are provided for their children out of lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection findings recognise all the positive points made by parents and confirm that they are significant features of the school. However, the inspection team are unable to agree with the first area of concern as the written reports sent home to parents are detailed and comprehensive and there are also regular meetings when parents are invited to come into school to discuss the progress of their child. Although the opportunities provided for older pupils to be involved in activities after school or lunchtime is similar to that offered in many schools, the school does offer very few activities for younger pupils. The inspection team recognises that this is reasonable area for consideration.

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attainment are very high in English and science and are well above the national

2 Pupils’ performance in the 1999 national tests for 11-year-olds is very good. The national tests for 11-year-olds in 1999 show that in English and science the pupils’ results are very high in comparison with the national average and well above the national average in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, pupils’ results are very high in English and science and well above average in mathematics. The school’s performance in English and science is in the highest 5% of schools both nationally and in comparison with similar schools. The previous inspection identified the need for the school to raise levels of attainment for pupils of high ability. The school has worked very hard at this issue, culminating in 1999 with the percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels being very high in English and science and well above the national average in mathematics.

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attainment are very high in English and science and are well above the national

3 Although results have declined in the year 2000 the school is satisfied with the results. This particular cohort of pupils had a significant number of pupils with special educational needs and previous assessment data confirms that the standards they attained were appropriate and that they had achieved well and made good progress. The current Year 6 pupils are attaining standards in all three subjects that are in line with that expected for this time of the year with a significant number of pupils exceeding national expectations. Considering that the majority of children on entry to the reception class have attainment that is in line with that expected for their age, pupils make very good progress in their learning. The school attributes its success to the quality of teaching and to consistently high expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving. This inspection confirms that view.

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attainment are very high in English and science and are well above the national

4 The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have also played a significant part in maintaining high standards. These subjects are given a substantial amount of time each day and teachers have enthusiastically adopted both Strategies. There is good emphasis on literacy supporting pupils’ learning in other subjects such as science and religious education. Improving pupils’ mental calculation skills is also seen to be important and during the daily mathematics lesson teachers’ quick-fire questioning effectively increases pupils’ mental dexterity. Numeracy skills are used effectively to support learning in science, geography and design and technology.

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attainment are very high in English and science and are well above the national

5 Teaching is consistently good in English and mathematics. In the reception class the teacher is introducing appropriate elements of both Strategies carefully and sensitively. In Year 2, pupils ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 12 are encouraged to read with expression and in the context of the poem ‘What is red?’ pupils are encouraged to look for rhyming words, which they then use appropriately in their own writing. By Year 6, pupils are able to confidently write their own poems or pieces of writing about the ‘Blitz’. They learn about the importance of setting the scene and the use of interesting vocabulary. Through excellent questioning, the Year 6 teacher encourages pupils to think and to apply previous knowledge and understanding of language and literature. Numerous opportunities for applying previous learning are provided in all Year 6 lessons. Another very good example is seen in a numeracy lesson, when pupils use their skills of collecting data to

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attainment are very high in English and science and are well above the national

record information in a pie chart The teacher’s very good subject knowledge, clear instructions and explanations ensure that any misunderstandings are dealt with appropriately. Incorrect answers are handled sensitively and the teacher ensures that pupils learn productively from their mistakes.

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attainment are very high in English and science and are well above the national

6 By the age of 11, pupils have a good understanding of scientific concepts. They are given good opportunities to practise experimental and investigative science. For example, Year 4 pupils begin to explore what will happen to different solids when added to a liquid. Correct scientific vocabulary is introduced and the pupils are encouraged to record their findings independently. This independence is continued in Year 6, when pupils themselves plan a suitable fair test to solve the problem of how to help a solid to dissolve more quickly.

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attainment are very high in English and science and are well above the national

7 Standards are high in all three subjects because very good quality teaching makes a positive impact on learning. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and they respond well to the challenges offered to them.

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provided with very clear educational direction and who work effectively together to

9 There is a very strong sense of teamwork and partnership within this school. Each member of staff works hard towards the common goal of ensuring that the education offered to pupils is as high as it can be. The headteacher has successfully encouraged a shared commitment to improvement and has provided staff with the motivation to improve teaching and learning in the school. In the previous inspection there was some unsatisfactory teaching. Teaching is now always at least satisfactory and a high percentage of teaching is very good or excellent. The headteacher has clear priorities, which are effectively shared with all staff, who are in turn provided with clarity of direction.

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provided with very clear educational direction and who work effectively together to

10 The senior management team also plays an important role. Each member has a particular contribution to make, and as a group, they have good systems in place to ensure that decisions they take are reflected in practice. The team is effective in recognising issues, prioritising them and checking to see if the actions that have been taken are having an impact on standards. To this end there is good checking of subjects in place. For example, the literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology co-ordinators are able to identify areas of strength and areas for development in their subjects and have good plans to help support or improve provision.

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provided with very clear educational direction and who work effectively together to

11 Another strength of the headteacher, is her willingness to listen to suggestions and ideas from the staff and the governors. For example, in response to a key issue from the last inspection regarding standards in information and communication technology (ICT), it was suggested that a suite be established. The ICT co-ordinator would assume the role of specialist teacher for a set period of time, until all staff had the opportunity to develop their own confidence and ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 13 expertise in this subject. The headteacher enthusiastically responded to this suggestion and after consultation with the governors, this action was taken. Provision for information and communication technology has now improved and pupils’ standards of attainment have risen

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provided with very clear educational direction and who work effectively together to

12 The leadership of the headteacher is a great strength. She has been very effective in inspiring all staff to work together for the collective good of the pupils and each individual takes pride in the high levels of achievement. Governors, staff and parents recognise that the school is very well led and managed by the headteacher.

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13 The governing body is very knowledgeable and has very good systems in place for

checking on the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.

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13 The governing body is very knowledgeable and has very good systems in place for

14 The governing body fulfils its role very effectively. It has high levels of expertise amongst the group and a number of appropriate committees, enables it to fulfil its statutory responsibilities well. The chair of governors is very supportive of the school, visiting regularly to discuss any issues that have arisen. As in the previous inspection there continues to be a very good partnership between the headteacher and the governors. Governors are also very supportive of each other and an excellent governor handbook is produced which is an outstanding document to support the governors in their work.

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13 The governing body is very knowledgeable and has very good systems in place for

15 All governors take a very active part in the daily work of the school. In response to their own concern about not having enough first-hand knowledge of the school, the governing body decided to allocate a governor to each class. The teachers welcomed the idea and could see many positive benefits including them getting to know the governors better and having an extra adult resource in the classroom. The governors now find more time to be in school partly because they know they are welcomed and partly because they have a clearly defined role. The governors believe that only by knowing the school, understanding its ethos and experiencing the day to day work of teachers and children can informed decisions be made. Through the ‘adopt a governor scheme’, regular meetings, and presentations from the headteacher and co-ordinators, the governors gain a wide range of information from a variety of sources. and this all adds to the very comprehensive collective knowledge which they have.

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13 The governing body is very knowledgeable and has very good systems in place for

16 The governing body is very well informed and uses its knowledge very sensibly in planning for the future development of the school.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

their politeness and good manners are a credit to them, the school and their parents.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

18 The very positive attitudes that all pupils have for learning are a particular feature of this school. All pupils including those with special educational needs enjoy learning. Their enthusiasm for learning is seen in several subjects. For example, in a design and technology lesson, Year 1 pupils enthusiastically learn how to fold and score card correctly to make a hinge for a model house. In the years 5-7 and years 7-11 hymn practices pupils sing with great gusto and enthusiasm. This is partly due to the excellent teaching of the headteacher and the motivation and concentration of the pupils. Learning is very good indeed in these singing sessions and the accomplishments of the pupils are also very good. In literacy the demanding work is only possible because of the very good teaching and the way pupils show great interest and enthusiasm. During a Year 5 lesson, pupils are asked to compare different accounts of an

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

incident. They read the newspaper version with interest and respond to the teacher’s questions very well. They are very willing to share their ideas and explain confidently that ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 14 verbs in the past tense often end with ‘ed.’ Throughout the lesson there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere, with the teacher using praise most effectively to motivate and encourage pupils.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

19 As soon as children start school they are helped to understand what is expected of them. For example, in the reception class, children soon learn about the routines and the part they have to play in keeping resources tidy. They know that when they are asked to do something they are expected to respond quickly. They tidy up their own resources and are attentive listeners. Their personal and social development is good.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

20 The quality of relationships at all levels is a delight to see. Teachers are able to set challenging but realistic learning goals for pupils. They have high expectations of the quality and quantity of work in an environment where all pupils are striving to do their best. In Year 6, for example, the pupils are able to use their personal experiences to relate to the issues being discussed, for example ‘What makes a good friend?’ They know that their points of view will be listened to and respected. Similarly, individual pupils are able to challenge each other’s thinking without fear of hurting feelings or of undermining what other pupils have said.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

21 Both in the responses to the questionnaire and at the parents meeting, parents report that they are very pleased with the pupils’ behaviour. These opinions are well founded. In lessons and in and around the school behaviour is very good. In the playground, pupils play well together and in assemblies, pupils enter and leave the hall in a sensible and mature way. There was an outstanding atmosphere in the hall as the headteacher told the story of the ‘Widow’s mite’ and all pupils listened with the utmost concentration and responded eagerly to questioning.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

22 The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

23 The pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development is an outstanding feature of this school. Pupils learn to value their own faith and there are appropriate opportunities taken throughout the school day to pray and reflect. All the main Christian celebrations form an important part of school life. The school’s daily collective act of worship is particularly effective in creating an atmosphere of spirituality and many controversial issues are dealt with very sensitively during this time. As pupils enter the hall, appropriate music is played, which helps to create an atmosphere of peace and calm. The whole school greeting of ‘Good morning friends’, promotes the very good social ethos. At the end of the act of worship, two pupils singing a welcome song most effectively welcomes the inspection team into the school. All visitors to the school are received in this way and it is a very moving experience.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

24 The religious education curriculum provides many worthwhile opportunities for all pupils to understand about the way other people of the world live and worship. This results in there being great respect for all faiths as well as pupils having good factual knowledge about wider issues related to the different faiths including Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. Visitors are invited to come into school, to talk to the pupils. For example, the Vicar comes into school once a month and both Indian and Chinese visitors have spoken to the pupils about the similarities and differences in their life styles.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

25 Pupils have an excellent understanding of the differences between what is right and what is wrong. The behaviour policy involves all the school community and each class has their own particular agreed code of good behaviour. A variety of rewards including, stickers, certificates, trophies and special assemblies are used to encourage pupils to behave well. The ethos of forgiveness and forgetting is very evident and although inappropriate behaviour is discussed ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 15 immediately, pupils know that they will be encouraged by their teachers to start afresh and forget what has gone on before.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

26 Pupils work very well together and social development is excellent. This is a feature of most lessons and helps teachers to be able to organise their learning using different methods. For example, there is no hesitation in getting pupils to work together in any of the subjects because the teachers know that the pupils’ response will be very good. Adults and pupils show much mutual respect and in each class a warm purposeful relationship has been established. Adults come across as wanting to get it right for the pupils and they in turn want to give of their best for the teachers. Pupils of all ages are encouraged to be aware of the needs of each other and the wider community. Opportunities are provided for pupils to be involved in raising money for different charities. Pupils are given responsibilities, for example preparing the hall for assemblies, door stewards and helping with younger pupils. Older pupils are also trained as

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

playleaders. They work with younger children helping them to successfully play together. Older pupils also have the opportunity of being a member of the School Council, which further supports the pupils’ understanding of teamwork, partnership and social responsibility. Residential holidays are also available for pupils. These are carried out in conjunction with another school, which encourages pupils to make friends across schools.

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

27 Pupils’ cultural development is very good. A wide range of opportunities to broaden pupils’ experiences is provided and pupils enjoy a variety of visits out of school. These include visits to museums, art galleries and the church. The local area is also used well to support the curriculum. For example, pupils visit farms, shops, the power station and the local post office. Pupils gain valuable experience from visitors to the school, for example, an Indian dance group inspired work on relationships. Opportunities to explore other cultures and faiths are very actively promoted through religious education, art, geography, music and history. Stories from different cultures are included in the literacy hour and myths and legends from Ancient Greece are discussed in history. Pupils in Year 4 learn about India, whilst Year 5 pupils study the culture of people living in the Caribbean. Through all these worthwhile experiences pupils are

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their knowledge and understanding of their work. Their behaviour is very good and

very well prepared for diversity of life which they will encounter.

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28 The school recognises that it needs to continue to develop its provision for

information and communication technology (ICT).

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28 The school recognises that it needs to continue to develop its provision for

29 The previous inspection judged information and communication technology (ICT) as an area of concern. Standards needed to be improved. There was too little teaching evident and there was under provision of resources. The school has addressed these weaknesses very well indeed and standards are now at least in line with national expectations at the ages of 7 and 11 with a significant number of pupils exceeding national expectations by Year 6. The school attributes this very good improvement, to the effective two year project, which involves the ICT co-ordinator becoming a specialist teacher of this subject. Through the National Grid for Learning the school has been able to develop a small but useful computer suite where the co- ordinator works with groups of pupils. Each class, apart from reception are allocated two periods a week in the suite and an after-school club is available for pupils who do not have

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28 The school recognises that it needs to continue to develop its provision for

30 The very competent co-ordinator works very closely with teachers and the skills that are taught in the suite are then used in the classroom. The quality of teaching provided by the co- ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 16 ordinator is very good indeed and pupils make very good progress. As the project develops and all teachers become more competent and confident, the plan is that roles will be reversed and teachers will take groups into the suite. Very careful strategic planning has taken place and the ICT co-ordinator is to be complimented on the very good provision that is offered to pupils and to the successful way the project is developing. However, the co-ordinator is very aware of areas for development and knows that teachers’ subject knowledge needs to be further developed. Further hardware is needed in school and although ICT is used in many subjects of the National Curriculum there is still greater potential for it to be used to support pupils’

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31 The existing target setting system in school needs to be further refined to become

32 Central to the drive to maintain and improve standards is the effective way in which teachers assess pupils’ work, judging their progress over time and identifying what pupils need to do next to improve. The teachers and support staff have a very good understanding of the levels of work they should expect of pupils. They regularly look at samples of work together and discuss what should happen next for individual pupils and for year groups. They comment regularly on individual pieces of work giving a clear indication of the present level of work and what the next steps should be for pupils to improve.

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31 The existing target setting system in school needs to be further refined to become

33 The school has developed a good system for tracking the progress of groups of pupils and are able to check that pupils are progressing well in relation to their prior attainment. Teachers also set and share with pupils, clear learning targets. Pupils are therefore able to measure their own progress. However, in order to be even more rigorous in their target setting the school needs to make better use of assessment information. For example, the information received at the end of reception that predicts the levels of attainment that pupils are capable of achieving by the age of 7. Although the staff has a secure understanding of what pupils have to do to attain a National Curriculum level, they are not as secure about measuring the progress of pupils within a level. This information would help the school to set more specific learning targets for pupils and enable the school to measure progress more accurately. The school recognises this and is

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31 The existing target setting system in school needs to be further refined to become

already beginning to develop a plan of action.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

34 In order to maintain high standards and improve further, the school should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Continue to develop information and communication technology (ICT)

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provision by:

• developing further teachers’ subject knowledge; • continuing to improve information and communication technology resources; • the ICT co-ordinator working closely with other subject co-ordinators to ensure that ICT is used effectively in each subject; • checking and evaluating the impact of ICT on learning in each National Curriculum subject. (paragraphs: 28-30)

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provision by:

(2) Refine the existing target setting procedures by: ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 17 • producing a whole-school tracking form, which will allow teachers to group pupils into target groups and then predict their possible attainment; • using baseline information in each year group to predict expected attainment; • developing an agreed understanding of what the learning is for pupils to progress through a level in English, mathematics and science; • using this agreed information to target groups of pupils and improve their rate of progress. (paragraphs: 31-33) ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 13

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 248

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 28

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 68

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 23 16 39

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 20 19 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 14 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 85 (77) 85 (79) 95 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 19 21 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 16 14

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 85 (77) 95 (91) 92 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 13 15 28

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 13 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 14 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 100 (84) 96 (77) 100 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 11 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 14 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (84) 96 (81) 100 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 20

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11 Financial year 1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 394905

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Expenditure per pupil 1519

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 96 Balance brought forward from previous year 27818

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 29421

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) n 1 /a

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher n/a

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff n/a

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week n/a

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 21 ST PHILIP’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL - 22

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 49 43 3 1 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 57 40 0 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 48 7 1 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 43 42 10 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 52 42 6 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 73 27 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 48 42 8 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 73 27 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 40 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 39 40 12 1 8

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