St Nicolas C.E. Junior School

ST NICOLAS C. OF E. JUNIOR SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Gloria Hitchcock

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ST NICOLAS C. OF E. JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27 th – 28 th November 2000

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ST NICOLAS C. OF E. JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

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ST NICOLAS C. OF E. JUNIOR SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 3 - November 2000

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Link Road Newbury Berkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr A Straszewski

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 15/01/96 St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 4 - November 2000

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Team members

G Hitchcock 2535 Registered inspector M Brennand 9146 Lay inspector A J Tapsfield 26514 Team inspector

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Team members

Strathblane House, Ashfield Road, Cheadle, Stockport SK8 1BB

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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 Nicolas C of E Junior School - 5 - November 2000

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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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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The leadership of the school is good; in particular the headteacher has a very clear vision of what the school should be and is supported well by staff and governors.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

There is a very positive climate for learning, where pupils are encouraged to do as well as they can .

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13

Standards in information and communication technology.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13

Standards in writing, including handwriting.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 15

St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 6 - November 2000

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Newbury St Nicolas C of E Voluntary Aided Junior School is located in the centre of Newbury, Berkshire. Most of the pupils come from the immediate area. There are 250 pupils (133 boys and 117 girls), which is about the same as other junior schools. At the time of the last inspection there were 244 pupils, so numbers have risen slightly because the population in the locality has risen. Most pupils come from the local infant school; they start school when they are seven and leave when they are eleven. They are taught in eight classes with two classes in each age group. Pupils have a wide variety of social and educational backgrounds; generally, the level of attainment when they start school is below average. Ten per cent of pupils are entitled to receive free school meals, which is in line with the national average and about 1% speak English as an additional language, which is broadly average. Sixteen per cent of pupils are identified as having special educational needs, which

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

is broadly average and 2.8 per cent have statements of special educational need, which is above the national average. The main areas of special educational need are learning difficulty and physical disabilities.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school. Standards and pupils’ attitudes to school have improved. Pupils have very good attitudes to school and make very good progress due partly to the good leadership, where the headteacher has a very strong influence on the constant drive for improvement and partly to the good teaching pupils receive. The school has an average level of income and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards are above average, especially in English, mathematics and science. • The leadership of the school is good; in particular the headteacher has a very clear vision of what the school should be and is supported well by staff and governors. • There is a very positive climate for learning.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology which are well below average. • Standards in writing, including handwriting.

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What could be improved

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good and sufficient improvements since the last inspection in January 1996. Standards are now higher, as shown in the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds. Standards were above average in English and science and below average in mathematics at the time of the last inspection, whereas they are now well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science. The quality of teaching has been improved, partly due to staff training and partly due to the way that teaching is checked to identify what works well and what needs to be improved. All the key issues for improvement have been dealt with well. The school has made strenuous efforts to improve provision for information and communication technology, but the problems created by the technical systems that were installed have impeded progress in this area, which still needs to be improved. Leadership has strengthened and provision for the more able pupils as well as those with

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

special educational needs has improved. The school is on course to meet its targets for English and mathematics in 2001. It is well placed to continue to improve. St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 7 - November 2000

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

This table, which adds up the scores of all the pupils and uses the average to judge standards, shows that the school has done well in the standards it has achieved over the last three years. They are well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science when compared with all schools nationally and have improved since the last inspection in 1996. Given that pupils start school with below average standards this shows that they make very good progress, which is due partly to the strong leadership, which sets challenging targets for pupils, partly to the fact that teachers challenge the more able pupils to achieve as well as they possibly can as well as supporting pupils with special educational needs very effectively, and partly to pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. Particular strengths are pupils’ skills in reading; they perform less well in writing, which is a national trend, but the school’s results still match the national average. Another strong feature is the fact that

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Key

almost half of all pupils taking the national tests in 2000 gained the higher than expected Level 5 in English and science. The school has set slightly lower targets for 11-year-olds in 2001 because there is a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. This reflects the judgements of work seen during the inspection, which was still above average, but not quite as high as the previous year. Standards in information and communication technology are not good enough and should be improved. Standards in art are also above average, particularly in pottery, where pupils produce some outstanding models of people, tiles and pots, which they paint and glaze to a high standard. Standards have improved since the last inspection and the rate of improvement has been better than the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and work hard. Their attitudes improve as they move up through the school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. There is a wide range of opportunities for taking responsibilities and pupils gain increasing confidence as they move through the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Above average. St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 8 - November 2000 Pupils like coming to school and most concentrate well in lessons and enjoy the good range of out of school activities. They are proud of their school and keep it clean and tidy, which makes a positive contribution to the atmosphere in which they learn. Most pupils’ behaviour is very good; a minority has difficulty in behaving well but they respond positively to the school’s clear discipline policy. The system of ‘shadowing’ where each Year 3 pupil has someone in Year 6 to whom they can turn for help means that most pupils develop a clear sense of personal responsibility for others as they move through the school.

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

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

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

Teaching was at least good in 79 per cent of all lessons observed. In 37 per cent it was very good. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. The teaching of English, mathematics and science is very effective. This is partly due to the leadership decision to use the expertise of specialist teachers where possible and partly to the very good support for pupils with special educational needs. Teachers’ high expectations that all pupils should do well have a significant impact on the very good progress they make as they move through the school. This progress is helped by the thorough grounding in reading, writing and number that they receive in Year 3, which gives them a good basis to move on. Pupils at all levels of attainment are challenged in their work and show increasing enjoyment in the tasks they are set as they move through the school. Particular strengths are teachers’ very good management of the pupils, which means that even those who have difficulty in concentrating are expected to work

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

hard throughout the lesson and pupils have targets to meet to help them achieve this. One pupil, for example, had a target which he said was ‘not to call out’ and other class members were expected to support him in trying to achieve this. An occasional weakness was that pupils of different abilities were not always given different work, but in most lessons this was satisfactory. When pupils are taught in groups according to how well they are doing in the subject, the work is very well matched to their abilities. Another strong feature is the excitement often generated by teachers, which has a positive impact on pupils’ learning, as in a Year 6 numeracy lesson where pupils buzzed with enthusiasm as they used long division and multiplication in a team competition to find the answers first.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. Strong emphasis on development of literacy and numeracy skills, but provides a wide range of other opportunities for learning such as art, music and drama.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils throughout the school receive effective help based on their individual needs.

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Aspect Comment

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

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well.

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Aspect Comment

A wide range of extra-curricular activities and educational visits enriches the curriculum. However the school does not meet the legal requirements for the National Curriculum because it does not cover all St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 9 - November 2000 the elements required in information and communication technology. This is mainly because it is hampered by the system of computers installed in the school. However, staff are working hard to deal with this problem. There is constant emphasis on the need to respect others’ feelings, to take responsibility for actions and to apologise for inappropriate behaviour. In particular the support given to the small number of pupils who find it difficult to behave well has a positive impact on the extent to which they develop self-control. Staff know the pupils very well and are committed to caring for them. There are very good procedures for tracking how well each pupil is performing in their schoolwork.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. In particular the headteacher provides very good leadership, with a clear view of what the school should be like and what should be done to achieve it.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are committed to the school and perform their duties effectively and have a positive influence on the future direction of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance A very strong feature. The headteacher and staff with key subject responsibilities check standards of pupils’ work and the quality of teaching systematically.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The headteacher and governors make the most of the money they have.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher and governing body have responded well to the previous inspection. They have raised standards and improved the school building and classrooms, with new building and redecoration. The accommodation and resources for learning are good and there are sufficient staff to meet the needs of the curriculum. Money is spent according to the priorities in the school’s plan for improvement. The money allocated for information and communication technology has not proved to be cost-effective, but this is largely because the expert advice given to the school has proved to be unhelpful. The school applies the principles of best value when purchasing goods and services. There are satisfactory links with parents, most of whom think highly of the school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The teaching is good. • The school expects pupils to work hard. • Their children make good progress. • The school is well led. • The school helps their children to become mature. • Behaviour. • The range of activities provided. • The amount of homework. Some wanted more and some wanted less. • Closer links with parents. • More information on how their child is getting on.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive views. Behaviour is good overall; there is a small minority of pupils who find it difficult to behave properly but there are clear procedures for discipline and the school takes steps to ensure that behaviour is constantly checked. Some parents wanted more homework and some wanted less. The amount of homework required is similar to that of other primary schools, is consistent with government guidelines and is judged to be appropriate. There is a written report on pupil’s progress once a year as well as two parent’s evenings and teachers are always happy to answer informal queries. These arrangements are judged to be sufficient. Parents attending the parents meeting were very happy with the links with parents and particularly liked the fact that a range of people can contribute occasionally, rather than there being a small group leading parental activities. Some parents help in school, for example with reading and

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 10 - November 2000 computers while others have recently volunteered their skills in skipping to help make lunchtime play more constructive. Overall it is judged that the school works satisfactorily with parents. St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 11 - November 2000

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Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science

1 The pupils achieved well above average standards in English in the national tests for 11-year-olds in 2000 and above average standards in science and mathematics, including one pupil who reached levels expected of secondary school pupils in mathematics. When compared with similar schools the results were also above average in mathematics but were well above average in science as well as English. This positive picture is a significant improvement since the last inspection when standards were above average in English and science but below average in mathematics. Standards in writing, while still slightly above the national average, are much lower than reading standards. The school places a high priority on giving pupils a wide range of experiences, as well as rightly focussing on the important skills of literacy and numeracy. Consequently pupils reach good standards in other subjects especially art, where they produce impressive pottery models. The pupils make very

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Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science

good progress during their time in school given that when they start in Year 3, on the whole standards are below average.

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Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science

2 Standards have risen partly due to the closer check that the headteacher and staff with subject responsibilities keep on standards of pupils’ work and the quality of teaching in the classroom. Together with improved training, this monitoring has had a major impact on teaching, which in turn has helped improve pupils’ learning. For example, the headteacher and literacy co-ordinator jointly observe all staff teaching literacy. Together they identified a range of good practice, which was shared with other staff. They also identified areas needing improvement, as in the teaching of writing, where the co-ordinator has asked all staff to ‘model’ writing, explaining the decisions the teacher makes when writing, the thought processes involved and the correct punctuation. She then led a whole staff training session, which is already, after only a year, beginning to have an effect on the quality of teaching writing. The need

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Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science

for more joined up handwriting by staff was also identified through the observations and this has an impact on the standard of pupils’ handwriting, which is not as good as other aspects of their work. However, literacy and numeracy are taught well overall.

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Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science

3 The school’s targets for the national tests in 2000 are slightly lower than 1999, because there are a higher number of pupils with special educational needs. This is reflected in the standards observed during the inspection, which, although still strong, were above average rather than well above average.

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Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science

4 Part of the reason for pupils’ good progress is the special effort put into Year 3, where pupils are given a very good grounding in the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. An example of the school’s determination to raise standards is that Year 3 teaching staff and classroom assistants give up 15 minutes of their lunch break every day to read with pupils either in groups or individually. The emphasis on reading pays off, as by the time they leave school at the age of eleven, the standard of pupils’ reading is one of the strengths. In addition, the very effective support for pupils with special educational needs has a positive impact on pupils’ progress.

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Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science

5 The headteacher’s decision to use specialist teachers wherever possible has a significant impact on the standards pupils achieve, for example in mathematics, English, science and art. The organisation of pupils into ability groups for mathematics teaching has had the effect of raising standards in mathematics for all pupils. St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 12 - November 2000 6 Teachers generate a real sense of excitement and enthusiasm in many lessons; for example pupils in Year 6 were captivated by learning in their science lesson about the way that a music box makes sound. In a numeracy lesson lower attaining pupils positively buzzed with excitement as they tried to be the first team to work out long division and multiplication challenges around the ‘6 times table’ in their heads. This sense of excitement has a very powerful impact on pupils’ very good attitudes to learning, which in turn influences how well and how quickly pupils learn.

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Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science

7 Teachers’ management of pupils who have difficulty in settling or in relating to others is very good. There are clear procedures for discipline and clear expectations of how pupils behave. Those who are sometimes disruptive, for example in the playground, are given extra help, as in a very good session where pupils played games to help them understand the need to respect others and think of their feelings. Pupils have targets to achieve, not just in their subject work but in their behaviour. This is reinforced throughout the school and is an essential element in setting the climate in which pupils can learn. An excellent illustration of how teachers put this into practice was evident in one class where the teacher had her own target on the board ‘ I will try not to shout’. Pupils helped complete her chart at the end of every day, colouring in one block on the ladder for every day she succeeded.

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Standards are high, especially in English, mathematics and science

8 Teachers know the pupils well and use their knowledge of what pupils understand so that they are challenged to improve further; the approach has a major impact on the very good progress pupils make.

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vision of what the school should be like and is supported well by staff and governors

9 The headteacher’s strong sense of purpose and commitment to provide a high standard of education for the pupils are of crucial importance to the school’s success. She has the support of staff and governors, so that there is a consistent drive for higher standards throughout the school. A particularly strong feature is the level of monitoring where the headteacher and staff with subject responsibilities systematically check the standard of pupils’ work and the teaching taking place in classrooms. As a result the school has identified a number of positive practices that are shared amongst staff, such as letting children know clearly at the start of a lesson what they are expected to learn and providing challenging, pacy lessons.

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vision of what the school should be like and is supported well by staff and governors

10 The school has identified clear, appropriate priorities for the school to work on to develop further and these plans are used to guide the way money is spent. The headteacher and governors spend money prudently and as a result have managed to redesign part of the building to provide more effective space for learning. They also have a good range of resources to help pupils learn and are creative in employing teachers to provide extra help for mathematics and for specialist teaching such as science. The money previously spent on a computer system was not an effective use of resources, but the school identified exactly what it needed and sought expert advice. In practice the system has not delivered what was stated and the school suffers from trying to use inappropriate equipment. St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 13 - November 2000 11 Another example of the impact of the leadership on standards is the very thorough

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vision of what the school should be like and is supported well by staff and governors

analysis of how each child performs, not simply in the tests for 11-year-olds but throughout the school. There are detailed records and the information gained by assessing pupils is used effectively to guide their learning, for example high ability groups are given greater challenge, others work in ‘booster groups’, others are given carefully targeted support for any special educational need. As a result of the clear focus given by the leadership the whole school community knows that there is a constant drive to improve standards and pupils know that they are expected to work hard, which has a positive impact on the very good progress they make.

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vision of what the school should be like and is supported well by staff and governors

There is a very positive climate for learning.

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vision of what the school should be like and is supported well by staff and governors

12 The emphasis on each pupil reaching the highest standards possible is a strong feature of the school and filters through almost all activities. However this does not detract from the school’s determination to provide good opportunities for pupils enjoy a wide range of activities, to develop as individuals and to understand their contribution to society. There is a broad range of learning activities, such as the first rate art and pottery sessions where pupils take pride in the colourful models of human figures, glazed tiles and Indian pots they produce. Pupils also enjoy music, drama and contributing to projects such as the large Millennium Wall Hanging to be completed before Christmas.

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vision of what the school should be like and is supported well by staff and governors

13 The wide range of out-of-school activities open to pupils enriches their experience and pupils do well in a range of sporting activities such as football, netball, rugby and swimming. Pupils support the lower school choir well and make a positive contribution to the school’s concerts, including their Christmas concert. Residential visits to Sheldon in Devon for Year 5 pupils and Lakeside, Cumbria for Year 6 pupils make a valuable contribution to pupils’ personal development and maturity. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social and moral development. Staff have a personal interest in each pupil and work hard to help them understand right from wrong and the impact they have on others. Pupils are expected to apologise for inappropriate behaviour and often to write a letter to the person they may have offended, as when two Year 3 pupils wrote to a visiting adult to apologise for ‘showing off’.

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vision of what the school should be like and is supported well by staff and governors

14 Pupils gain increasing independence and maturity as they move up through the school and take on responsibilities willingly; for example some act as dinner monitors, where they help lunchtime supervisors manage the lunch queues and clear tables. Other pupils from Year 6 or Year 5 act as door monitors at playtime, letting pupils who have permission into the school if they know the secret code given to them by an adult. There is a good system of ‘shadowing’, where each Year 6 pupil is asked to support a Year 3 pupil when they start school. This almost always works well and a number of Year 3 pupils said ‘If we’ve got a problem we go to our shadow and they sort it out.’

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vision of what the school should be like and is supported well by staff and governors

15 Another opportunity to develop increasing independence and responsibility is through the School Council, where pupils elect representatives from every class to serve on this decision-making body. For example, pupils are currently considering whether to change the rules for school uniform and introduce trousers for girls as well as boys. This illustrates a real trust in the pupils’ ability to take responsibility and gives council members invaluable decision-making experience.

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vision of what the school should be like and is supported well by staff and governors

16 Overall there is an atmosphere of busy, active learning throughout the school, with little groups working with adults or alone in different areas of the school, with a sense of purpose. An example of how pupils are trusted, and how well they respond to that trust, was when a Year 5 class was dispatched in small groups to work on computers St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 14 - November 2000 in all the Year 3 and 4 classrooms, while Years 3 and 4 pupils were at Assembly. They behaved with complete responsibility, working hard to complete their task before the younger pupils returned. When the computer system crashed they controlled themselves admirably and did the best they could by collaborating with others on the few computers that did work.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Standards in information and communication technology.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

17 Standards are well below average in information and communication technology throughout the school, in sharp contrast to most other areas of the National Curriculum. A key issue for improvement in the last inspection report was to improve the provision in this area and the school made significant efforts to do so. It sought expert advice on the computers and operating system needed and laid out clear instructions on what was needed. However, the system that has been installed does not meet the needs of this educational establishment, with the result that staff are continually trying to create ways of making it useful for pupils. This has undermined staff confidence and had an adverse impact on the standards pupils achieve.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

18 The comparatively new, very knowledgeable co-ordinator, who joined the school within the last year, has provided useful guidance and training for teachers, who have followed this up by working on their own computers at home. Consequently staff confidence and enthusiasm for information and communication technology is much higher than at the time of the last inspection. However, the regular malfunction of the system, as in one Year 5 lesson where the network crashed as pupils worked in groups to practise setting up a simple spreadsheet, has a negative effect on the standards pupils achieve.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

19 The school has already identified information and communication technology as a priority for improvement and recognises that it does not currently meet legal requirements for delivering the National Curriculum in this subject. The headteacher and co-ordinator are committed to raising standards in this area and have the subject expertise, supported by the co-operation of teachers, to enable them to succeed.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Standards in writing, including handwriting.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

20 Although the school achieved well above average results in the English national tests for 11-year-olds in 2000, pupils’ achievements in writing were much lower than their reading results. This follows a national trend, and in fact the school’s writing results were still slightly above the national average. However, the difference between reading and writing is too great and standards of writing are not sufficiently high.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

21 The school has already identified this problem as a result of its detailed analysis of results and of the joint observation of classroom teaching carried out by the headteacher and literacy co-ordinator. There are clear plans to raise standards in writing, some of which have already been started, such as the whole school training of teachers by the literacy co-ordinator, where she encourages teachers to provide more examples of good writing and punctuation, together with explanations as to why they take a particular approach. The school also has good plans to investigate other approaches to teaching writing in order to raise pupils’ writing to the same high standard as their reading. St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 15 - November 2000 22 The standard of handwriting throughout the school is also not as good as it should be. Pupils receive regular handwriting practice in Year 3, but there is not a handwriting

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

policy and handwriting is not taught consistently throughout the school. Consequently pupils adopt different styles of writing and standards of presentation vary from class to class. In addition, too many pupils do not use ‘joined up’ handwriting, which impedes their progress.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

23 In order to improve the standards of attainment and quality of education further, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1 Raise standards in information and communication technology by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) providing sufficient opportunities for pupils to work with computers that have reliable educational software;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

b) Implementing the very good plans for each year group developed by the co-ordinator;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

c) continuing the programme of staff training to build teachers’ confidence and expertise further. (paragraph references 10, 17, 18, 19)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) continuing the programme of staff training in the teaching of writing;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

b) developing a handwriting policy that is implemented consistently throughout the school. (paragraph references 1, 2, 20, 21, 22)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

( The school has already identified these issues in its School Improvement Plan) St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 16 - November 2000

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 16

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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

0% 37% 42% 21% 0% 0% 0% 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 Y3 – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 250

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 24 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y3 – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 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 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 17 - November 2000

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 30 31 61

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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 25 27 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 27 25 29

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 85(87) 85(85) 92(87) At NC level 4 or above National 75(70) 71(69) 84(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 26 28 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 26 22 28

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 85(87) 82(85) (9288) At NC level 4 or above National 71(68) 71(69) 79(75) St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 18 - November 2000

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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 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) 11.2 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.32

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total expenditure 473,194

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Expenditure per pupil 1,795

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 134 Balance brought forward from previous year 23,159

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 32,665

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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) 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Nicolas C of E Junior School - 19 - November 2000

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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. 44 47 5 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 32 47 12 2 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 19 61 17 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 17 63 14 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 42 47 7 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 59 37 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 17 63 15 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 37 53 8 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 41 47 7 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 27 53 12 3 5

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