St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 – 7 November 2000

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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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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 James’ CE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery, infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hallfield Lane Wetherby West Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 14 October 1996 St James’ CE Primary School - 4

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Team members

Robert Robinson (21024) Registered inspector Mary Le Mage (9348) Lay inspector Brian Griffiths (2607) Team Inspector

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Team members

Schools Inspection Service Fairfax Hall Beckett Park Campus Leeds LS6 3QS

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St James’ CE Primary School - 5

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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

This is a small Church of England primary school for boys and girls aged three to eleven years that serves mainly the eastern outskirts of the town of Wetherby. It has 106 pupils, 51 boys and 55 girls, who attend full time, including 17 children in the reception class. There are 20 children in the nursery who attend each day either in the morning or afternoon. The number of pupils attending the school has dropped significantly since the last inspection because of the reduction of children of primary school age in the area. There are no pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and no pupils learning English as an additional language. Forty pupils (34 per cent) are on the register of special educational needs, which is above the national average and of these, three pupils have a statement of special educational needs which is also above the national average. Children’s attainment on entry to the nursery varies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

significantly from year to year and within year groups, and is below average overall. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is about 16 per cent, which is about the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school which provides an appropriate education for its pupils. Pupils achieve well overall in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Pupils’ attitudes and their behaviour are positive. The leadership and management of the school are good. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• In mathematics pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment because the quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. • Standards in science by the age of eleven are above the national average. • The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for their further improvement is very effective. • The leadership and management of the headteacher and senior staff are good.

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What could be improved

• Some pupils do not reach their potential in writing. • The allocation of responsibilities within the governing body restricts some governors gaining a deeper understanding of the curriculum and creates additional tasks for the headteacher. 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 progress since the last inspection in October 1996. Pupils’ academic standards and good behaviour have been maintained. The quality of teaching has improved and there is now no unsatisfactory teaching. The leadership and management of the headteacher have improved and are now good. The school has addressed the areas for improvement satisfactorily overall as shown below: • the school has produced a very good system to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for further improvement in literacy and numeracy; • pupils’ punctuality has improved significantly; • marking is now satisfactory though underdeveloped in English; • the school has been unable to sustain a good level of parental involvement in the work of the school because of changed working patterns of parents. The strengths in the quality of teaching and the determination of the school to enhance pupils’

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

achievements place the school in a good position to improve standards. St James’ CE Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

• Pupils’ attainments within each year group range from well above average to well below average and the proportions at each level vary from year-to-year. The small number of pupils in each year group together with the variation in levels of attainment lead to wide variations in the overall performance of pupils from year-to-year thereby making statistical comparisons unreliable and tracking of trends over time complex. However, inspection judgements show that pupils’ achievements in relation to their prior attainments are good overall. • The standards in 1999 were very impressive and show pupils’ performance to be well above the national average. • The results of the tests in 2000 show the effect of the presence of a very high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and pupils with statements of special educational needs in this group of pupils. • Inspection judgements for the present group of ten pupils in Year 6 show that pupils’ performance in

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Key

science is above average and in English and mathematics in line with the national average. All pupils, except those with significant special educational needs, are at the level expected of their age and an average proportion are working at a higher level than would normally be expected of eleven- year-olds. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior attainments. • In the national tests for seven-year-olds in 2000, the performance of pupils was well above the national average in mathematics, above average in reading but below average in writing. This shows that pupils are under-achieving in writing in comparison with their performance in reading and mathematics. In particular, no pupils achieved in writing the higher than expected level for seven- year-olds (Level 3) whereas in reading 40 per cent of pupils and in mathematics 53 per cent of pupils reached this level. Inspection judgement shows that pupils could do better in writing throughout the

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Key

The good quality of teaching and effective assessment procedures place the school in a good position to achieve its demanding targets for eleven years olds in 2001.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good; pupils have positive attitudes to their work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good; pupils behave well and older pupils set a good example for younger pupils. Personal development and relationships Personal development is satisfactory; relationships between pupils are good. Attendance Satisfactory; pupils generally arrive punctually. St James’ CE Primary School - 8 St James’ CE Primary School - 9

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

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

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

The quality of teaching and learning was good overall. It was very good in one out of 14 lessons, good in nine lessons and satisfactory in four lessons. Pupils’ achievements are good overall. The quality of teaching and learning in the nursery and reception classes is satisfactory; it is good in other classes. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual learning targets.

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

English is generally taught well though teachers plan too few opportunities for pupils to write independently and at length in literacy lessons and in other subjects. The teaching of mathematics is good and the skills of numeracy are practised well in other subjects, particularly in science.

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

Teachers plan well to ensure that pupils, irrespective of their level of attainment, are usually challenged and make good progress in their learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and balanced. Worksheets, often imaginatively structured, provide means for pupils to acquire knowledge in subjects, such as science and history; however, the excessive use of worksheets, particularly for higher attainers, inhibits writing so much that pupils’ imagination is not given full rein.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. A step- by-step approach helps lower attainers to develop reading strategies well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school promotes personal development satisfactorily. There is sound provision overall for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, though few opportunities exist for reflection to enhance pupils’ spiritual development further. The provision for pupils’ moral development is good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory; there is appropriate provision for child protection and pupils’ welfare. St James’ CE Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is well led and managed by the headteacher and other senior staff. With the support of curriculum co-ordinators and governors, the school meets its aims effectively and there is a shared commitment to improving pupils’ achievements.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its statutory duties effectively. However, the responsibility for organising governors’ committee meetings and recording proceedings of the meetings rests mainly with the headteacher. Governors work satisfactorily with the staff to provide clear direction to the school. The governing body misses opportunities to become more actively involved in the school and to monitor effectively the work of the school by mainly using governors, who are members of staff or have teaching expertise, to monitor the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good use is made of information technology to enable staff and governors to monitor pupils’ attainment and progress and to set targets for improvement. The quality of teaching and learning is monitored satisfactorily.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The governing body uses its financial resources soundly for the benefit of pupils. The accommodation, both inside and outside, is good and used well by staff to assist teaching and learning. The school deploys its staff well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy school. • The teaching is good and their children make good progress. • Members of staff are approachable and parents are comfortable talking to them. • The school has high expectations of their children to achieve well. • The leadership and management of the school are good. • The range of activities outside lessons is insufficient.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with the positive views of parents; however, they disagree with the view of the minority of parents regarding the range of activities available outside lessons. Considering the small size of the school, inspection judgement is that there is a satisfactory range of activities available over the year. St James’ CE Primary School - 11

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

1 In the national tests for eleven-year-olds in 2000 pupils were in line with the national average both at the level expected of their age (Level 4) and the higher level (Level 5). The group taking the test in 2000 had a very high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and, when taking this into account achieved well. Since the last inspection in 1996 there has been a rising trend in pupils’ performance in the subject. Inspection judgement of the performance of the present group of pupils in Year 6, which is very similar in composition to last year’s Year 6, is that it is likely to be similar to the results achieved in 2000.

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

2 The quality of teaching and learning is good. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and behave well. They work well together industriously with minimal direction needed from the teacher. This allows teachers to concentrate on working with a focus group. Teachers have high expectations of good behaviour and pupils respond well. Occasionally, pupils lose concentration and become restless when teachers expect them to sit on the carpet for an extended period of time during introductory sessions.

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

3 Teachers explain well what pupils are to learn in the lesson and why. For example, in one lesson older pupils were shown different methods of multiplication so that they could find the best method to calculate accurately. Higher attainers multiplied three digits by a single digit quickly and then began to multiply by two digits. Average attainers multiplied two digits by a single digit correctly though they made occasional errors when working with three digits. Lower attainers found different ways of multiplying units by two and five with the support of a teaching assistant. Teachers give good feedback to pupils and explain how well they have done and how they can improve.

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

4 Teachers make good use of computer programs to consolidate and extend learning; for example, pupils in Year 2 gained plenty of practice ordering numbers and higher attainers extended their understanding of numbers by sequencing numbers back from 51 in steps of three.

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

5 Pupils with statements of special educational needs make good progress in relation to the targets in their individual education plans. They are well integrated and follow the same work as other pupils as they are supported effectively by teachers and teaching assistants with appropriate learning resources suited to their needs; for example, a pupil with severe physical and speech disabilities kept up with the work of the other pupils in the class through support from a special needs assistant and the use of a specially adapted computer.

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

6 The leadership and management of the subject are good. The numeracy strategy is implemented well and key objectives from the strategy are most appropriately used in teachers’ planning to provide a curriculum appropriate for pupils at each level of attainment. Individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are very effectively linked to the numeracy strategy at an appropriate level and the progress of the pupils concerned is recorded on the computerised central record of pupils’ achievements. The good quality of teaching and of the leadership and management of the subject place the school in a good position to improve standards further. St James’ CE Primary School - 12 Standards in science by the age of eleven are above the national average.

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

7 In the national tests for eleven-year-olds in 2000 an above average number of pupils achieved both the level expected of their age (Level 4) and the next level (Level 5). The only pupils who did not reach Level 4 had statements of special educational needs. Inspection judgement of the present group of pupils at Year 6 suggests that all pupils will achieve Level 4 or above, except those with significant special educational needs. Standards by the age of eleven in the national tests have been above or well above the national average since the last inspection in 1996.

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

8 Pupils achieve very well in relation to their prior levels of attainment because the quality of teaching and learning is good. In one of the lessons observed the teacher planned very well to provide opportunities for pupils to gain increased understanding of the solubility of solids through the teaching of facts with plenty of time given to practical investigations. The teacher’s very good knowledge and understanding of the subject resulted in very effective questioning which built on pupils’ previous understanding and moved their learning on at a fast pace. Pupils expressed detailed understanding of how to conduct a fair test. They were inquisitive and keen to answer questions. Pupils knew how to make accurate measurements of water in a measuring beaker; they related the work to an earlier visit to a water treatment plant and were secure in their grasp of why it was important to check readings and take the average of several readings during

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

9 A classroom assistant was used well to help a lower attaining group to take a full part in practical work. The recording task was simplified for the pupils with special educational needs. A pupil with a statement of special educational needs was able to explain orally the results of the experiment. Higher attaining pupils were challenged by extension activities on the interpretation of intermediate values on line graphs; they quickly achieved the task set and explained their methods well to others.

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

10 Throughout the lessons observed there was a strong insistence by the teacher on pupils using correct scientific language. The teacher gave pupils a precise format for recording and showed how bullet points could be used in writing. However, higher attainers copied the teacher’s account of the experiment rather than writing their own report which they were capable of doing. Skills in mathematics were developed very well; for example, pupils learnt to draw a line graph from their data and interpret the results.

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quality of teaching and learning is good, and because pupils behave well and have

11 The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The co-ordinator is well qualified and the senior management has arranged staffing to allow the subject leader to teach all classes in the juniors. The school has modified a nationally recommended scheme of work well to suit the mixed-age groups at the school. Assessment procedures are good. Planning and pupils’ work are monitored effectively though there has been no formal monitoring of teaching. The high quality of the leadership of the subject and good quality of teaching enable pupils to achieve well and reach above average standards of attainment. St James’ CE Primary School - 13

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

their further improvement is very effective.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

12 The headteacher, with the support of other members of staff and governors, has developed a very efficient computerised method, using spreadsheets, to track pupils’ attainment from their entry to statutory education to the time they leave the school. This is a powerful tool which, since the beginning of the last academic year, is being used increasingly to set targets for individual pupils, to monitor pupils’ progress very effectively and to direct teachers’ planning in order to raise standards.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

13 In the nursery, spreadsheets detailing small steps of learning are starting to be used to determine individual children’s attainment and progress. Twice a year pupils’ attainments are collated succinctly on a computerised central record. These records will provide information to determine children’s attainment on entry to full-time education.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

14 The results of the assessments of children’s attainment at the beginning of the reception year are logged for English, mathematics and personal, social and emotional development. Teachers monitor progress for each child using assessment and record sheets linked, as appropriate, to the recent nationally recommended early learning goals, level descriptors of the National Curriculum or key objectives from the literacy and numeracy strategies. These sheets show how well each child has achieved an objective. The information guides teachers’ future planning well to enable pupils’ learning to build upon prior attainment. At the end of the reception year levels of pupils’ attainments are recorded on the computerised central record. In addition targets are set for each pupil for the end of Year 1.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

15 The very good procedures continue throughout the school with appropriate assessment and recording sheets. The central record after Year 1 includes the results of teacher assessments, statutory tests and non-statutory tests for all pupils until they leave the school, when the record is sent to the secondary school. Targets are set also for pupils yearly in English and mathematics.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

16 The systems and information are being built up over time and are now beginning to be shared with pupils as well as used to inform parents of their children’s achievements and next steps of learning. However, the information already allows teachers, senior staff and governors to monitor the performance of individuals as well as groups of pupils. The progress of pupils is clearly mapped providing the staff with accurate data to set challenging targets for individuals and with manageable ways to monitor progress. In addition, the procedures identify pupils with special educational needs well and highlight any weaknesses in the curriculum or year groups.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

17 Once fully operational, this integrated system of monitoring and recording pupils’ attainment and progress using computers will place the school in a strong position to move pupils’ learning on at a faster pace.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

The leadership and management of the headteacher and senior staff are good.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

18 The leadership and management of the headteacher and other senior staff are good. The senior teachers and other members of staff ably support the headteacher. The staff works well together and despite a significant period of unavoidable absence of the deputy headteacher during the present and previous academic year the school has moved forward satisfactorily. The headteacher has supported the teaching of the oldest pupils during the absence of the deputy headteacher well. St James’ CE Primary School - 14 19 The headteacher is industrious and has used his expertise in information technology well to provide up-to-date information for staff to assist them to monitor pupils’ progress efficiently and to help them to plan future lessons. Governors are provided with high quality reports by the headteacher to enable them to fulfil their statutory responsibilities; these include good quality information on staffing, pupils’ progress and attainment, and

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

20 The senior members of staff, including the headteacher, have a clear vision for the school and have a determination to improve standards of pupils’ achievements. There are usually weekly staff meetings and formal discussions between senior staff. An additional teacher is employed for half-a-day each week to enable the co-ordinator for special educational needs to fulfil her duties. Co-ordinators are given responsibility for their subjects and the science co-ordinator teaches the subject to all classes in the juniors which has a positive impact on standards achieved.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

21 The school meets its mission statement effectively ‘to provide a high quality education for all its pupils, founded on Christian principles but embracing differences in individuals, races, creeds and cultures’. The senior members of staff in conjunction with the governors have improved access to the school for pupils with physical difficulties. Pupils with serious medical and physical problems are integrated fully into the life of the school; their needs are identified well and supported effectively by experienced staff so that they can, whenever possible, follow a similar curriculum to other pupils. The organisation of groups of pupils throughout the school enables pupils to achieve generally well in relation to their prior attainment.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

22 The monitoring of standards and trends in this school with small year groups and wide variations in attainment is difficult. However, by the efficient use of information technology the senior members of staff have, rightly, identified a relative weakness in pupils’ writing and devised an action plan to address the under-achievement of some pupils in this aspect of literacy. The senior members of staff are very aware of the areas for improvement and have incorporated these into the school development plan appropriately.

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The use of information technology to track pupils’ attainments and to set targets for

23 The parents’ questionnaire returns rightly praised the leadership and management of the school. The governing body’s view that the school is well led by a dedicated and hardworking staff who work well together is supported by inspection findings. The leadership and management of the senior staff are well placed to continue to improve standards. St James’ CE Primary School - 15

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Some pupils do not reach their potential in writing .

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

24 The school has rightly identified pupils’ writing as an area for improvement in its school development plan. The results of the national tests in 2000 show that standards in writing are not as high as they should be. Inspection judgement is that higher attainers are not doing as well as they could in writing though other pupils are achieving well in comparison with their prior attainments.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

25 The performance of pupils in writing in the national tests for seven-year-olds was below the national average; the results in writing conflicted with the results for reading which were above average. Analysis of the test results show that no pupils achieved the higher than expected level for seven-year-olds (Level 3) in writing whereas 40 per cent of pupils achieved Level 3 in reading. In the national tests for eleven-year-olds in 2000 there were similar differences between the performances in writing compared to reading at the higher than expected level for eleven-year-olds (Level 5). In writing 14 per cent of pupils achieved Level 5 compared with 45 per cent in reading.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

26 The quality of teaching and learning observed was generally good; however, the analysis of pupils’ work and teaching in other subjects showed clearly some of the reasons for the lower than expected achievement of potentially higher attainers. Although teachers plan carefully, they provide insufficient opportunities for pupils to write independently; on occasions, average and lower attainers have a clear structure enabling them to develop their writing skills well but the tight structure of writing inhibits the creativity of higher attainers. This was apparent in a literacy lesson; the teacher structured pupils’ poetry writing carefully; most pupils have some success following a worksheet, but the worksheet limited independent expression. As a result, the poems were quite acceptable but similar in style and format and showing a narrow range of average attainment. In another lesson higher attaining pupils completed quickly a typewritten

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

sheet with missing words by selecting from a small list of verbs; however, the work was not extended to enable these pupils to practise writing sentences with interesting verbs they had selected themselves.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

27 The marking of pupils’ work is variable though satisfactory overall. The marking is done conscientiously but it does not follow the school’s policy. Comments are supportive and often clearly indicate to older pupils whether they have put enough effort into their work but they rarely indicate how pupils can improve. Sometimes comments such as ‘excellent’ bear no relationship to the quality of the work and occasionally teachers do not show a good enough example in the standard of their own writing and spelling in their written comments. Examination of previous work in English shows excessive use of worksheets and insufficient independent writing. Higher attainers’ writing is often too short and lacks detail.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

28 Writing in other subjects, such as history and science, consists mainly of copying teachers’ writing or copying directly from books. Opportunities are missed for encouraging pupils, particularly higher attainers, to write independently details of investigations; for example, in a science lesson the teacher led a high quality discussion about ‘fair’ testing and challenged pupils very well to state important considerations in their investigation. The teacher wrote the points down and then all of the class copied the writing; this was appropriate for the lower attainers but did not challenge the higher attainers to write independently their account of the experiment. Examination of history and science books shows that pupils copy a good body of factual information from teachers’ writing or from books, but rarely write independently and at length. St James’ CE Primary School - 16 29 Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to word-process but a minority of the pupils’

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

skills in word-processing is barely satisfactory. Much of the word-processed work consists of typing up handwriting rather than composing accounts on the computer.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

30 The school has begun very recently to share with parents the sequence of learning objectives from the National Literacy Strategy and details of their child’s level of attainment. The sheets are very informative and assist parents to understand how well their child is doing and the next step of learning appropriate for the child. These learning objectives have not yet been linked to homework in order to consolidate writing skills.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

31 The strong assessment procedures and the determination of the staff to raise standards place the school in a good position to improve pupils’ standards of writing.

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gaining a deeper understanding of the curriculum and creates additional tasks for the

32 The governing body meets its statutory responsibilities satisfactorily and governors are very supportive of the school. However, the understanding of some governors of the curriculum is limited.

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gaining a deeper understanding of the curriculum and creates additional tasks for the

33 The chair and vice chair of governors are regular visitors to the school and have observed lessons on a number of occasions. The chair of governors works alongside staff frequently and helps to teach pupils to play recorders. However, the understanding of the school’s approach to teaching and the curriculum are limited mainly to a few governors who are either staff members or have been teachers in other schools. Other governors are interested to find out more; for example, a governor expressed the desire during the inspection to find out more about the literacy strategy by observing literacy lessons. There are few planned opportunities for governors to become actively involved in the classrooms to enable them to have a more informed view when considering the future direction of the school. Almost all governors with responsibility for subjects and special educational needs are staff members or have previously been teachers; this

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gaining a deeper understanding of the curriculum and creates additional tasks for the

limits other governors’ opportunities to monitor the work of the school dispassionately and, to develop their understanding of the curriculum.

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gaining a deeper understanding of the curriculum and creates additional tasks for the

34 The governing body is kept well informed through the headteacher’s termly reports and the minutes of the committee meetings. However, the responsibility for arranging committee meetings and writing minutes rests usually with the headteacher; these duties could be delegated to other governors to increase their involvement in the school and reduce the headteacher’s workload. The committee system works well but almost all of the governors on the curriculum committee have backgrounds in teaching; this reduces the school’s capacity to use the expertise of other governors and to develop their understanding of the work of the school further. St James’ CE Primary School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

35 The school should improve the standard of pupils’ writing*. To do this it will be necessary to undertake the following:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ provide pupils with more opportunities to write at length in their own words, rather than copy too much from the board or fill in gaps in worksheets; § make greater use of the opportunities that are presented in all subjects for pupils to write, – especially when pupils’ enthusiasm for the topic will provide a real incentive for them to work hard and pleasurably; § plan for and demand that pupils, especially the potential high achievers, write at greater length and include more detail in their writing; § use marking more systematically not only to congratulate pupils on good work but also to indicate where further improvements should be made; § develop pupils’ skills in word processing and make better use of these skills for composing accounts rather than for typing up writing that has already been completed; § make more use of parents to assist their children’s learning through sharing with them information on their children’s attainments and next steps of learning, and

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ways they can help them at home; § develop teachers’ skills and confidence in order to make the above improvements.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

36 The school should develop further the effectiveness of the governing body by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ creating more opportunities for all governors to develop a deeper understanding of the curriculum; § ensuring that the responsibilities of governors are appropriate and do not conflict with the governing body’s role for monitoring dispassionately the work of the school.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

*This area for improvement has been identified already by staff and governors. St James’ 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 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

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) 10 106

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals - 19

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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 0 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 40

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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 0

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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 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

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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 James’ 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 2000 10 5 15

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (58) 87 (67) 87 (63) at NC level 2 or above National 86 (82) 88 (83) 93 (87)

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 87 (58) 87 (63) 93 (67) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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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 2000 10 12 22

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 64 (74) 73 (79) 91 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 78 (70) 75 (69) 89 (78)

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 45 (74) 64 (74) 77 (79) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) St James’ CE Primary School - 20 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. *Details of the number of boys and girls achieving Level 2 or Level 4 have not been included because fewer than 11 boys or girls were in the year groups. St James’ CE Primary School - 21

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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 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.5 Financial year 1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 341970

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 2534

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 92 Balance brought forward from previous year -4370

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -7290

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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) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 10.0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. St James’ CE Primary School - 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 48 0 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 32 60 4 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 24 64 12 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 38 46 12 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 31 7 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 42 46 8 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 20 65 15 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 31 61 4 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 27 65 8 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 8 69 15 4 4

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