Chorley All Saints Church of England Primary School and Nursery Unit

ALL SAINTS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 to 17 November 2000

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ALL SAINTS PRIMARY 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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ALL SAINTS PRIMARY 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. All Saints Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Moor Road Chorley Lancashire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: All Saints Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Reverend Edmund Straszak

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1998 All Saints Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Eileen Parry. Registered inspector Information and communication technology Equal opportunities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Music Special educational needs Teaching and learning The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? Mickie Jacobs Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Alan McGregor Team inspector Mathematics

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Design and technology Physical education Simon Reynolds Team inspector English How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Geography History Hilary Ring 8601 Team inspector Foundation Stage Science Art English as Additional Language

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Peak Education Partnership 19, Huddersfield Road Barnsley South Yorkshire S70 2LT 01226 280290

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division All Saints Primary School - 5 Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE All Saints Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

All Saints is an average sized Church of England primary school near to the centre of Chorley. Currently 176 children attend; 74 boys and 102 girls. Thirty nine children go to the nursery part time. Most children live in homes close to the school. Unemployment in the area is high and almost half of the children have free school meals. This figure is much higher than in most schools. The children are all from white British families.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Nine children have statements of special educational needs. A further sixty one are on the special needs register in the school and nine in the nursery. This is more than is found in most schools. A significant number of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties or emotional and behavioural problems. About a third of the children move to or from the school within the year. This is quite a large number and represents a turnover of pupils which is greater than is usually found.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school has a nursery with places for twenty six children in each session. It serves a number of schools in the area and some of the children will go to these for full time education rather than to All Saints. Children coming to the nursery range from those with special needs to the more able but overall, skills and abilities are lower than for most children at the age of three and are still generally below the expected level when children start full time education in the reception class.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school which cares well for the children. There is a good management team who benefit from strong leadership from the headteacher. Teaching in three quarters of the lessons seen is good although there are still areas of teaching that can be improved. All subjects now have good planning. These improvements are beginning to raise standards but some improvements are still too recent to have had a major impact on the results of the national tests that children do in Year 6. Children achieve standards that are below those nationally but are satisfactory given what they know when they start school. The provision for the youngest children is very good. Overall, the school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school is well led by the headteacher and senior management team. • Staff are committed, work hard and carry out their special responsibilities well. • Teaching in 7 out of 10 lessons is good or better. • There is a very good curriculum for children in the nursery and reception classes and the children are taught very well. • The school has good systems to identify when children have special needs. • Very good information is provided to parents with children's reports at the end of the year being particularly good.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, science, mathematics and information and communication technology. • Some aspects of teaching such as marking. • Aspects of the building both inside and outside which are unsatisfactory. • Attendance which is below average; quite a few children arrive late. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. All Saints Primary School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in March 1998 and has made good progress on the issues it was given so that it no longer has the serious weaknesses identified in that report despite having to deal with many staff changes which have slowed down the pace of change. Management of the school is now good; the headteacher gives a strong lead on what needs to be done. Teachers responsible for subjects have put together good plans based on national guidance and they are beginning to check to see how well these plans are working. Teaching is much better. As a result, standards are beginning to rise and are likely to rise more rapidly as improvements become more firmly embedded. There is a rigorous system for identifying when children have special needs and assessment of how well all children are doing has improved. The school analyses information from these assessments to plan what to do next with the children. It can now move on to using other forms of analysis to make

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

progress more rapid. The school is well placed to continue improving.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English E E* D C well above average above average A B mathematics E* E* E* D average below average C D science E* E E* D well below average in the bottom 5% E E*

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STANDARDS

Standards in the tests for eleven year olds in English, mathematics and science are improving slowly over time but are not as good as in most schools. In mathematics and science, the results in 2000 were in the bottom 5 per cent nationally and were below those of schools where a similar number of pupils have free school meals. In English, standards were well below the national average but in line with those of similar schools. The school set ambitious targets in all three subjects based on all pupils who did not have special needs reaching the recommended level for eleven year olds. These targets were almost reached in English and science but not in mathematics. All of the Year 2 children reached the expected level in reading which is a considerable improvement from the previous year but not enough children reached the higher grades. Their writing results are not as good as reading and results for mathematics fell to be in the bottom 5 per cent of schools.

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STANDARDS

Children make good progress in nursery and reception classes especially in language and in their personal and social development. Standards in English and mathematics are overall below the expected levels by the end of the infant and junior stages. Standards in science are below average for Year 2 pupils. These standards are acceptable because of the low starting points that many children have and the number who have special needs. For those in Year 6, standards in science are well below average and not good enough. Many children do not always have the precise vocabulary to say what they have learned. This shows for example, when they try to talk about work in science and mathematics. Generally, children find writing difficult. They achieve satisfactory standards in music, design and technology, art and physical education. In history and geography, standards are below those expected but All Saints Primary School - 9

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STANDARDS

are satisfactory given that so many of the children have limited knowledge and understanding of the world when they start school. In information and communication technology, standards are below the national expectation for pupils' ages. This still represents a satisfactory achievement because children have had only limited experiences until this year due to shortage of resources.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Satisfactory. Children enjoy coming to school. All are capable of working hard and responding well especially when they are inspired by good teaching, but they do not do so consistently.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. The large majority of children behave well in classrooms and outside. There is a small number who have special needs related to behaviour and who can at times be difficult.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory. There are good relationships between staff and children. Children respond very well to being given responsibilities in school. Many need more help to learn to study by themselves.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Below the national average. A few pupils arrive late.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 6-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Very good Satisfactory Satisfactory 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 6 years aged 6-7 years aged 7-11 years

Teaching was at least satisfactory in 92 per cent of the lessons seen, good in 47 per cent of these and very good in 28 per cent. In 8 per cent of lessons, teaching was unsatisfactory including two which were poor. Taking into account children's work and discussions with them as well as lessons seen, teaching is satisfactory overall. The teachers who are permanent and experienced teach well for most of the time. They manage lessons effectively so that little time is wasted. The pace of children's learning is good and they want to do well. The teaching of the youngest children is very good. Teaching which had significant weaknesses came from a supply teacher who only stayed three days. A small number of other lessons were unsatisfactory due to inexperience. Generally, marking can be improved. It is sometimes over generous and does not always tell children clearly how well they have completed their work. Homework is set inconsistently and does not make

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 6-7 years aged 7-11 years

sufficient contribution to children's learning.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 6-7 years aged 7-11 years

Literacy skills are taught effectively in special lessons. However, time for English is barely adequate and more could be done to develop skills, such as reading and writing, through other subjects. The teaching of numeracy is often good especially when the work challenges All Saints Primary School - 10 all of the children equally but this is not always the case in the group work parts of the lessons.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 6-7 years aged 7-11 years

Most children want to learn and try hard to do their best. They enjoy talking about what they have done but many cannot describe their work precisely enough because they do not know, or have forgotten, special words. Some are held back by a lack of confidence in their reading and writing. By the time they are in Year 6, some children can work by themselves capably but many still lack confidence and depend on adults for direction and support.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum There is a very good curriculum for children in the nursery and reception classes. For infants and juniors, the curriculum is satisfactory. The school is following the newest guidance but developments are too recent for the full impacts of this to be felt. Whilst the school does provide children with education on personal and social issues, this is not yet taught systematically.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall. Procedures are very effective in saying what children need and getting help for those with special needs. Mostly these needs are met effectively but there are odd occasions when this is not the case.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Provision for pupils’ social and moral development is better than that for spiritual and cultural development. The school could do more to teach children about people from different cultures.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Teachers know the children well and have set up good arrangements to check how well children are doing. These procedures are most effective in the nursery and reception classes.

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Aspect Comment

The school encourages parents to help with their children’s education at school and at home. Only a few do so regularly and the school needs to look for other ways to help parents to help their children. A good range of information is provided and the teachers write very informative reports for parents to tell them how well their children are doing. All Saints Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and the senior management team provide a very good lead to staff and governors in stating what the school needs to do to improve. Teachers now have clear management responsibilities. Time has been given to them to ensure that the most urgent issues have been tackled, for example in improving the curriculum and provision for special educational needs. The many staff changes have slowed down the pace of change and affected the continuity of developments. Spending is carefully considered to secure the best value.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors are becoming better informed about the school and about what needs to be done to raise standards.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The headteacher keeps governors in touch with how well plans are going. Teachers are beginning to develop skills in evaluating what is happening in their own subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school improvement plan identifies effectively what needs to be done and governors support this through the budget.

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Aspect Comment

There are sufficient teachers for the numbers of pupils who come to the school. Although there is a good number of education support staff, this is barely sufficient to meet the wide range of special educational needs within the school. There are enough classrooms but aspects of the accommodation are unsatisfactory. Noise from tables and chairs scraping on hard wooden floors is often a hindrance to establishing a quiet working atmosphere. The library is too small. Storage space is very limited and physical education lessons in the hall are adversely affected by equipment stored around the sides. The playground at the front is barren and unattractive. The school generally has enough resources in all subjects but some could be improved further especially those for history, mathematics, physical education and information and communication technology. .

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like coming to school and are making good progress. • Teachers expect children to work hard. • Teachers provide good role models so that children learn good values. • They are encouraged to help in school and feel valued when they do so. • They can approach school with their problems knowing that they will be heard. • The range of activities outside of lessons. • Being better informed about how well their children are getting on. • Closer working with parents. • Children's learning is affected by some poor behaviour.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with the parents' positive views of the school. The range of other activities is satisfactory and similar to other schools of this size. The reports that the school sends home for children at the end of the year are of a high standard. Parents can ask about how All Saints Primary School - 12 their children are doing when they want more information and the school is always willing to make arrangements for those who find it difficult to come. A number of parents help regularly in school and staff are keen to involve as many people as possible but clearly a few parents do not feel comfortable about offering. Whilst the large majority of children behave well and work hard, it is true that a small number have special needs related to their behaviour and they can affect what goes on for the whole class. In most cases, teachers deal effectively with such behavioural problems but occasionally these pupils do not respond no matter what

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

is tried. All Saints Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Results in the national tests for English, mathematics and science for eleven year olds are low. Although improved from the previous year, standards in mathematics and science in 2000 are in the bottom 5 per cent nationally. They are also below those of schools where the take up of free school meals is similar. In English, test results are well below the national average but in line with those of similar schools. Boys have continuously had lower results than the girls each year but this is particularly so in English. This affects the school's overall results when, as in 1999, there are many more boys than girls taking the tests.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. It has been difficult for the school to set realistic targets because of the lack of good assessment information previously kept. Targets set before the current headteacher took up post were based on what it was thought pupils would achieve and these were very low. On taking up her appointment, the headteacher used a temporary measure of deciding which pupils were unlikely to reach level 4, given the nature of their special educational needs, and set the targets high for all pupils to reach the expected level no matter what level they were currently working at. The targets were almost met in science and English but not in mathematics. Ambitious targets have also been set for 2001, in an attempt to lift standards considerably. The inspection team considers these targets to be possible but difficult to achieve unless the school addresses the present weaknesses in standards and teaching in Year 6.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. In the national tests and assessments for seven year olds in 2000, all of the pupils reached the expected level in reading which is a considerable improvement from the previous year. However, results are below those of similar schools because so many of the pupils only reached the lower grade within level 2 and none reached the higher level. Writing has remained well below average levels reached nationally and for similar schools, and results for mathematics are in the bottom 5 per cent.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. In the lessons and work seen in English, standards are typically below those found in most schools. Because of improvements in the curriculum and teaching, pupils are now making satisfactory, if uneven, progress. In most year groups they achieve acceptable standards and sometimes better given the low starting points for many five year olds. Many pupils struggle to describe their work in words or in writing and their weak literacy skills affect what they do in other subjects. By the end of Year 2, pupils are all off the mark in reading but by Year 6 many still lack confidence and are dependent on adults to guide their choice of books; few eleven year olds are enthusiastic readers. Standards in writing are too low at the end of both key stages, although pupils in some classes make good progress in using words to enliven the text. Handwriting is weak and presentation is often not good enough.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. By the age of eleven, some pupils are working at the expected levels in all the strands of mathematics but a large number are not. Data handling is one particular weakness. Only a minority of pupils use diagrams, arrays of data and graphs appropriately, a skill which they need to support their work in subjects such as science. Other areas for improvement include using and applying mathematical skills in practical situations but there are some good examples such as when pupils measure competently for their work in design and technology. Some aspects of mental and oral work are not yet as good as they could be. There are some seven year olds reaching the expected levels and a significant group who are not. Mathematical language is used appropriately by some pupils throughout the school, but others are much less confident. All Saints Primary School - 14 6. Work in science at this point of the year is below what is expected. Pupils in Year 2

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The school’s results and achievements

show average factual knowledge in discussions, for example of physical processes, but their written work does not reflect their growing understanding. Throughout the school, knowledge of specific scientific words is a particular weakness which prevents pupils from talking or writing clearly even when it seems that they have understood the tasks. In most classes, pupils achieve at least satisfactorily given their starting points. Year 6 pupils are not doing well enough, however. Their written work and their understanding of it shown in discussions does not reflect well what they should have done according to the planning.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. In physical education, standards are typical of what most pupils achieve in all aspects including swimming. Good specialist teaching ensures that pupils are achieving average standards for their age in music. Standards in history and geography are below those found in most schools at the end of Key Stage 2, partly because pupils start school with limited experiences and many do not have opportunity through family visits, personal reading and travel to add to what is taught in school. Overall, standards of work in art are similar to those found in most primary schools at the ends of both key stages but there are examples of work which show that some pupils can achieve better standards through effective teaching. Although standards are below those expected, pupils are beginning to achieve well in information and communication technology (ICT). They start from a low baseline in terms of hand and eye control at Year 1. Older pupils have not had enough time on computers in the

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The school’s results and achievements

past to improve further because there have not been enough resources. The decision to teach at the level recommended for each year in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) guidance is helping to promote better standards. In design and technology, standards are in line with expectations throughout the school.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Children start at the nursery with a wide range of skills and abilities from the more able to those with special needs but many have quite low levels of attainment in all areas of learning including social skills. Some of the children go to other schools for full time education. Of those who stay, many will not have reached the targets expected for six year olds although they will have made good progress. They are much closer to expected levels in activities such as music and physical education. Key areas such as early reading, writing and mathematical knowledge are areas where their attainment is lower.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are satisfactory. When they want to work and co-operate, they show interest and enthusiasm for their lessons. For example, in a Year 1 science lesson, pupils were industrious, involved and keen to answer questions, Year 3 pupils showed eager attention in literacy and Year 2 pupils enjoyed music. Pupils participate well in extra curricular activities such as skittleball, the information and communication technology club and recorders. However, in some lessons, pupils deliberately try to distract others by muttering, rocking on chairs and wriggling in their seats or on the carpet. The Year 6 class took advantage of a new supply teacher, some of them being insolent and unkind.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The majority of pupils behave well. They are chatty, open and friendly. Most pupils listen well, concentrate in their lessons and try hard with their work. However, a minority of pupils is badly behaved and shows little regard for the effect of their behaviour on the rest of their class. At times they do not respond to the teachers' requests and when they persist in unacceptable behaviour, they affect the learning of other pupils as well as their own as seen in a physical education lesson in Year 5 when there were times that pupils' actions were unsafe. Parents and lunchtime welfare assistants also express their concerns about the All Saints Primary School - 15 behaviour of these pupils. Some pupils are very rude and disrespectful towards the welfare assistants. There was a permanent exclusion last year and there has been a fixed period exclusion this term.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. When pupils are given responsibilities and privileges, particularly in Year 6, they carry these out with pride. However, they do know that they have to earn these rights and that poor behaviour will lead to these jobs being withdrawn. Pupils are house captains and librarians. They are responsible for distributing registers and they help and play with younger children at lunchtime. They take turns and share the jobs well. All pupils are proud to earn house points and certificates. However, opportunities for pupils to take on responsibility for their own learning and for personal study are few. They are not given the chance during lessons to go to the library to research books or computers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Relationships between pupils and staff and amongst pupils themselves are mostly good. Pupils can work well together in pairs and small groups when asked to. Most of the Year 5 pupils in a physical education lesson worked very well in twos to guide each other through an obstacle course, despite the unsafe behaviour of a few of their classmates. However, relationships with lunchtime welfare assistants are often confrontational.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Attendance is poor and below the national average for primary schools. Unauthorised absence is well above the average. Most parents inform school of why their children are absent, but sometimes they condone the absence. Punctuality is poor. A few pupils are late in the morning and this disrupts the beginning of the school day in several classes. Registers are clearly marked and collated.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory. It has improved significantly from the last inspection. For example, 92 per cent of lessons were satisfactory or better this time compared with 80 per cent previously. Twenty eight per cent were judged to be very good compared to 15 per cent previously. Whilst there have been some staff changes, the main reasons for the improvement lie in the way that teaching is being carefully monitored and that schemes of work are being introduced which give a clear structure to what teachers plan.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Some very good teaching occurred in all key stages. The greatest consistency in good teaching was in Years 1,3,4 and 5. The poor lessons came from a supply teacher who came in on the first day of the inspection and who proved not to have the teaching and management skills to take over a class at short notice. Once the teaching weaknesses were known, the headteacher made arrangements for permanent staff to cover the lessons until the teacher was replaced. This minimised further adverse effects on the inspection evidence. Some unsatisfactory teaching from permanent teachers was due to a lack of experience, for example in dealing with different behaviour problems.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. In the foundation stage, teaching is very good. Teachers have adopted the new foundation curriculum and plan with this in mind. The reception class teacher takes account of literacy and numeracy strategies but adapts them to suit the younger children. Assessments are thorough and used to inform both individual and more general learning needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching is satisfactory overall in Key Stages 1 and 2 despite a good proportion of lessons being good or very good. This is because some weaknesses are found in pupils' work and are evident in discussions with pupils. Pupils are not encouraged often enough to improve their work through drafting and editing; presentation is often unsatisfactory. All Saints Primary School - 16 Generally marking lacks consistency. Whilst there are some good and very good examples of marking that make it clear how well pupils have done, there are also examples where work of a low standard receives comments such as 'excellent'. If this is a reflection of effort rather than standards, then this needs to be made clear. There is an evident dip in the quality of work in Year 6. For example, work in science is not as well presented or as detailed as that in Year 5.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teachers plan lessons carefully. There are often interesting ways to start lessons and capture pupils' interest as, for example, in a Year 2 geography lesson where pupils used photographs of different views around the school . Questions are used well to check pupils' understanding, to make them think or to promote further enquiry. In a history lesson, for instance, pupils were challenged to find out when the Vikings raided monasteries, why and where they did it. Teachers give a good emphasis to increasing pupils' vocabulary and to the quality of their speech because they know that this is an area where pupils need to improve. In nursery and reception classes, teachers consistently encourage the children to talk in sentences rather than reply in words or gestures. They extend children's vocabulary constantly, for example in physical education or when children say how wet pasta feels. Pupils throughout the school are encouraged to think of alternative words as they write.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Teachers use the special vocabulary that pupils need to hear and learn, for instance in science and mathematics, and work hard to see that pupils use the appropriate words.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching in English is satisfactory overall in both key stages. Teachers usually deliver their literacy lessons well keeping pupils interested and keen to learn but their planning does not always make it clear what different groups of pupils should be learning so the group work is sometimes insufficiently focused. Objectives are not always shared with the pupils. Handwriting is not taught effectively. Teachers take care to help pupils to learn more vocabulary by giving or discussing alternatives but pupils are not given enough opportunities to write in other subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In mathematics, teaching and learning are good. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject, pupils respond well to high expectations of behaviour and good pace and much is achieved in a single lesson. At best, group work is highly effective but at other times, this aspect of the lesson is not well enough matched to pupils' abilities. Pupils make much less progress than they do in the rest of the lesson and some, including higher attainers, are insufficiently stretched in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Overall, teaching in science is satisfactory although lessons were mainly taught well during the inspection. This was especially so when teachers made pupils clear about what they were going to do and when acceptable behaviour and presentation were clearly conveyed. Good examples of teaching were seen in a Year 1 lesson on light and in a Year 5 lesson about gases. Sometimes there is not enough challenge for the more able and not enough use is made of review to ensure that pupils have learned what was intended. Evidence from planning and pupils' work suggests that there are some weaknesses which need to be tackled. Planning does not take enough account of the range of pupils' abilities and this is sometimes evident in the tasks they do and in the recording. Marking needs to be more specific about what is being praised and needs to give indication of how pupils can do better.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching in the music lessons in both key stages was very effective because it was taught by a visiting specialist who has good subject expertise. Information and communication technology is being taught in short whole class sessions where skills are demonstrated and followed up. Although few of these sessions were observed, teaching was sound. A well planned curriculum, sufficient resources and staff training has improved pupils’ experiences and is beginning to raise standards. There were too few lesson observed All Saints Primary School - 17 in art, history and geography to make secure judgements about the effectiveness of teaching but pupils' work suggests that a satisfactory programme of experiences is planned and taught. In physical education, good teaching is helping pupils to work with enthusiasm and reach satisfactory standards. The quality of teaching and learning in design and technology

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

in both key stages are good and are clearly reflected in the good attitudes and behaviour of pupils during their lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The quality of learning in both key stages is mostly satisfactory although a little uneven. Obviously where teaching is strongest, pupils learn more effectively. Sometimes the work is well planned to match pupils' needs and to encourage learning but also there are times when the work is too similar, for example when all the pupils use the same recording sheets in science. Support assistants also help to make learning more effective by giving individual support when pupils need it. Pupils usually listen carefully, are interested in what they are doing and work hard. They are encouraged to develop their ability to study independently but in general pupils are not as able to research and work by themselves as they should do by the end of Key Stage 2.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers write individual plans for pupils with special educational needs with the support of the co-ordinator so that they are now in a better position to ensure that learning needs are met within class. Most of the pupils with special needs make good progress but there are a number who have problems related to speech and language who don't make as much progress as they could because parents do not keep appointments for treatment at health centres.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. A number of pupils have special needs related to behaviour. Teachers work with these pupils with great patience and use a wide range of strategies to control poor behaviour and keep pupils involved. Classroom assistants provide invaluable help by giving close support. Sometimes, despite the best efforts of teachers and support assistants, pupils will not respond by settling down and working. These pupils are capable of listening but generally find it difficult. This presents least problems when pupils work individually and most problems in whole class work.

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PUPILS?

26. The curriculum in the previous inspection was found to be unsatisfactory. The school has made good progress in dealing with almost all of the weaknesses identified and, from a low base, now has a sound curriculum with a number of important strengths.

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PUPILS?

27. The foundation curriculum for children under six is very good. All areas of learning are given appropriate emphasis and the planning, including very good liaison between the nursery and reception classes, ensures that children make good progress towards the nationally prescribed early learning goals.

p.17

PUPILS?

28. In Key Stages 1 and 2, all subjects now benefit from clear programmes of work. The national literacy and numeracy strategies have been adopted in all classes and the school is effective in teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. This is because the introduction of the strategies has been accompanied by good training and well-managed external support aimed specifically at raising standards. The setting of pupils across the whole of Key Stage 2 for numeracy teaching has some disadvantages, especially when a pupil is placed in a set for reasons to do with behaviour and not mathematics. The subject schemes have recently been augmented by guidance on the key skills to be taught in each All Saints Primary School - 18 year group. This is a valuable and relevant initiative, although not yet in place long enough to significantly raise standards.

p.17

PUPILS?

29. A notable feature in the development of the curriculum has been the efforts of the senior management team to raise expectations as to what pupils can achieve. This is demonstrated, for example, by the decision to use the prescribed year groups as a basis for planning, even when most pupils are working at a lower level. The provision for pupils with special educational needs has also improved since the previous inspection. The school is committed to an inclusive approach and individual education plans are used well as a basis for providing additional support, particularly when they have been constructed by the class teachers with help from the co-ordinator. Statutory curriculum requirements are now met in full.

p.18

PUPILS?

30. Planning is now more consistent and thorough, supported and monitored by senior staff and subject co-ordinators. Learning objectives are clear and appropriate, although teachers vary in the rigour of their weekly planning when thinking about the needs of different groups of pupils.

p.18

PUPILS?

31. The balance of time for the areas of learning in the foundation stage is good. The school has maintained sufficient time for the non-core subjects in Key Stages 1 and 2. However, given the very proper concern to raise standards in English, the time allocated for this is barely sufficient, notably in the infant classes. The school needs to consider increasing the time available either in dedicated English lessons or by the more systematic teaching of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills through other subjects. A useful scheme for speaking and listening is beginning to help staff identify what needs to be taught in each year group. Some good examples were seen of this being applied in practice, but opportunities are missed, for example in the way pupils write up their science investigations, to use their developing literacy skills.

p.18

PUPILS?

32. The curriculum is enhanced in two important ways. A good programme of visits and visitors is arranged to extend pupils' experience and stimulate their studies. For example an author and storyteller worked with the Year 5 class during the inspection and opened the pupils’ eyes to the ways that an amusing story can be developed. Secondly, staff work hard to provide a range of extra-curricular activities that include sport, music and a computer club. These are very popular and in some cases need to be rationed to give everyone a turn.

p.18

PUPILS?

33. Personal, social and health education (PSHE) are covered adequately through subjects such as science and specific lessons such as circle times when pupils themselves play a part in identifying matters that they want to discuss. Some staff have received recent training in the new recommendations for PSHE and in developing a drugs education policy. However, current provision for sex and drugs education and for PSHE is unsatisfactory because the school has yet to agree its approach and the content to be covered.

p.18

PUPILS?

34. The school is strongly committed to social inclusion and to ensuring that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. The most dramatic improvement since the previous inspection is in the provision made for supporting pupils with special educational needs. These pupils are now often effectively supported within the classroom and when they are withdrawn the work is usually negotiated between the class teacher and the support assistant. There are, however, occasions, such as the provision of additional literacy support, when a group of pupils misses part of other lessons. Assessment information is being increasingly analysed to see if groups of pupils are disadvantaged. Strategies for dealing with this, for example the relative underachievement of boys in English or meeting the needs of pupils capable of achieving higher levels, are currently underdeveloped. All Saints Primary School - 19

p.18

PUPILS?

35. Good links have been made with the community – for example older pupils working with the police to examine ways of reducing vandalism and annoyance in a local residential home. There are very good arrangements for headteachers and staff across a local group of primary schools to work together. Curriculum links with the main secondary school to which pupils transfer are less well developed.

p.19

PUPILS?

36. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. It is satisfactory for spiritual and cultural and good for moral and social.

p.19

PUPILS?

37. Pupils’ spiritual development is mainly fostered through assemblies that take themes, which encourage them to think and reflect. Brief prayers are given which link to the theme. Year 6 led an assembly on remembrance for the rest of the school which they had prepared and practised themselves. They wrote their own prayer. Preparing the assembly made a good contribution to their spiritual awareness. In subjects, there are a few examples of special moments but in general the joy of learning is not as evident as it should be. A Year 4 pupil was thrilled when she managed to cut and paste an image of Father Christmas on the computer screen. In a Year 1 art lesson, pupils were beginning to appreciate the beauty of autumn and winter landscapes. Year 3 pupils listened with rapt attention while their teacher read a poem.

p.19

PUPILS?

38. Pupils’ moral development is good. Moral issues such as name calling, bullying and telling tales are considered in assemblies. Year 4 pupils were reminded by their teacher to be kind to Year 6 and listen to them because they had worked hard to prepare their assembly. Year 6 pupils discussed the rights and wrongs of hitting someone who has annoyed them or been unpleasant. Pupils have discussed and chosen their own classroom rules. Parents feel that staff set good examples and try to teach pupils right from wrong.

p.19

PUPILS?

39. Pupils’ social development is good. Year 6 are given a range of responsibilities which they undertake with pride. They are house captains, librarians, in charge of collecting registers and help with younger pupils at lunchtime. They are also given privileges such as being allowed to stay in and use computers at lunchtime. They are very aware that these responsibilities and privileges will be taken away if they misbehave. In circle time, pupils of all ages are learning to respect each other's right to speak and be listened to.

p.19

PUPILS?

40. Cultural development is sound. In subjects such as history and geography, pupils learn about the life styles of past civilisations and living in other countries. In art, Year 4 pupils have drawn and painted chairs in the style of Rennie Mackintosh and Year 2 have painted in the style of Mondrian. Visitors also help to raise pupils’ awareness. A visiting theatre group provided a Shakespeare workshop with Year 6 pupils, which they really appreciated. Year 5 enjoyed the visit of an author. However, there is limited opportunity for pupils to explore the multicultural make up of society for example there is no evidence of art from around the world.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school provides a caring, supportive ethos in which pupils are encouraged to develop academically and personally.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Governors carry out regular health and safety checks and risk assessments nevertheless the inspection found a number of areas of concern. The playground, for example, is sited at the front of school on a main road but there is no ball-stop fence. Barriers separating the car park have sharp edges and are at a height that pupils could hurt All Saints Primary School - 20 themselves against. Pupils also swing over the bars and could fall onto the hard core playground. When it rains, puddles form in the centre of the playground, which leaves mud behind and creates a very slippery surface. The school is fortunate to have a large field, part of which could be converted to a playground without reducing access to a good size grass area. Storage of large PE equipment around the hall is unsafe and leads to unsafe behaviour by a minority of pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Child protection procedures are very secure. The nominated person and other staff have received training. There is good liaison with social services and other outside agencies. Several members of staff have first aid training and letters are sent to parents if a pupil bumps their head. However, not all minor accidents are recorded.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Staff know pupils well and they use their knowledge sensitively to support and guide them as individuals. General comments on annual reports to parents from class teachers and the headteacher are very perceptive and show just how well each pupil is understood. Pupils are confident in their teachers and the headteacher and feel they will be listened to and helped if they have a problem or worry. Getting to know children begins in the nursery, when parents are invited to a personal meeting with the nursery teacher before their child starts school. Nursery and reception staff work closely together so that those children who stay on at the school are familiar with their new teachers. Children start reception with a half day for a few weeks to help them adjust to school routines. In Year 6, good links with secondary schools including visits for science and ICT help pupils to be well prepared to move on. Care

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

given to pupils at lunchtime is variable. Older pupils feel they do not have enough time to eat. Some of the welfare staff have a kindly approach but others tend to shout. There is little attempt to become involved in pupils’ play and the staff feel that they need more support to develop skills to support pupils better at lunchtimes.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school works hard to improve attendance and punctuality and is currently being supported by an education welfare service project. There is a very good display of slogans designed to promote awareness of attendance and punctuality. Year 6 pupils chose where the display should be so that they would see it frequently and some of them helped to select the signs and posters. Parents are often reminded of the importance of regular, prompt attendance through newsletters. Attendance is not currently rewarded specifically, although sometimes a pupil’s effort may be recognised as part of a certificate for example for good work or effort.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. There is a good policy for promoting behaviour with responsibility shared between school, pupils and parents and there is a linked anti-bullying policy. The emphasis is on rewarding good behaviour but with sanctions to be used when needed. Pupils understand what will happen if they misbehave. They are proud to earn house points. Year 6 pupils were very disappointed when their responsibilities and privileges were withdrawn for poor behaviour. Circle Time is used effectively to consider behaviour and how this affects others. Year 6 pupils freely talk about behaviour and how the behaviour of some pupils affects them all and they have developed their own set of classroom rules. There are good systems in place for recording, reporting and monitoring behaviour.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Assessment procedures have improved greatly since the previous inspection when there were many areas of concern. Procedures are now good. Schemes of work linked to national guidance form a valuable basis for assessment and information is beginning to be used for planning the next steps in learning. Although there is some use of data to identify and target specific groups of pupils, for example for the setting arrangements for mathematics, the school has not gone far enough with analysing information precisely and using that information. Assessment in the nursery and reception classes is very good. It is thorough, comprehensive and used very well to guide teaching and learning. All Saints Primary School - 21 48. The identification and assessment of pupils with special needs using the code of practice guidance has improved significantly. The good procedures have, for example, ensured that fifteen pupils in the last year received statements of educational need. Some

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

were for provision in special schools where pupils' learning needs could be better met. Most of the statements have some learner support time so that pupils are enabled to be in lessons rather than being taught very largely as individuals or in small groups as was the previous practice.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school is working hard to involve and interest parents in their children’s education and keeps them very well informed.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The quality of information to parents is very good. When families first join the school, the nursery booklet and prospectus are very helpful, well written and well presented. The governors’ annual report to parents is too brief and does not give parents a real insight into what the school has achieved over the previous year nor does it celebrate the achievements of pupils. The prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents do not report authorised and unauthorised absence in percentages. The prospectus does not contain a statement relating to the school’s policy on sex education. Newsletters are regular and informative, keeping parents up to date with what is happening in school. Half termly information about the curriculum is particularly useful in helping parents to know what their children will be learning. Reports are of a very high standard. They clearly tell parents what their children

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

know, understand and can do and targets are set for every subject. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Parents attend annual reporting evenings but are less keen to attend workshops on specific subjects such as the national literacy and numeracy projects. A significant number of parents do not attend the reception parents’ pre-intake meeting.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. A small number of parents help in school regularly. They are well briefed and confident to support individual pupils and groups in all lessons. They hear pupils read and help them to change library books. Their work is highly valued by teachers and makes a good contribution to learning. All parents are encouraged to help but the school has difficulty in getting more to participate. A further small group of willing and committed parents arranges fund raising events to bring much appreciated extra money into school for additional resources such as a digital camera and a CD Rom storage system. They also organise discos and the Christmas parties for pupils, providing and preparing all the food. However, the majority of parents are not actively involved in their children’s education. Teachers make themselves available to parents at the beginning and end of the school day and the headteacher tries to see parents on demand, unless she is teaching. The school is not

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

sufficiently imaginative and creative in finding ways to involve parents and other family members in their children’s reading.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher was appointed about two years ago and has successfully taken the school forward. As a result there has been a good response to the serious weaknesses identified in the previous report and the school has turned the corner in raising standards. The headteacher provides good leadership through her analysis of priorities, commitment and teaching. All Saints Primary School - 22 53. Staff changes have slowed down the pace of change somewhat and have had adverse effects on the continuity of developments. In order to minimise any further delays, the headteacher has established management teams so that if one person leaves, there is always someone else to take over a particular responsibility in the short term. The school now has a defined structure with co-ordinators who have clear management responsibilities. Time has been allocated to ensure that the most urgent issues have been tackled.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Examples of this are the hard work that has been put into establishing effective procedures for recognising the special needs of some of the pupils and the time that has been given to co-ordinators to set schemes of work in place and to begin to monitor what is happening. All of the teachers are involved in monitoring teaching, for example through checking that teaching plans reflect the schemes of work. Some effective analysis of pupils' work has taken place and some review of data from the national tests and assessments but this is at relatively early stages and has not yet been developed far enough to give more detailed information. For instance, the school is rightly proud of the fact that all pupils in Year 2 reached the expected level. However, there was very little awareness of the fact that the results are still below those of other schools, the reason why this is so, or the way that information from the data can be used to target support more effectively.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governing body continue to work through their committees and have a satisfactory role in establishing priorities. They rely on the headteacher and staff to take a strong lead in developments. School improvement planning is good. Priorities reflect well the need of the school to remedy the issues identified in the previous report and to raise standards. There are clear links between the priorities and the budget.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school has an appropriate number of qualified teachers to fulfil the demands of the national curriculum and effectively take on roles as subject co-ordinators. They are well supported by teaching assistants who are properly trained. The reception class has no support in the afternoons and this presents some difficulties in practical lessons especially given the number of pupils in the class who have special needs. All staff have appropriate access to training to develop their skills and interests. The school is well prepared for performance management and has good systems in place to mentor and support new teachers and students. Lunchtime welfare assistants feel undervalued. They feel that they are too few in number and inadequately trained to deal with the very difficult behaviour of some pupils.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school has enough classrooms and space for the number of children. In the nursery and reception classes, accommodation is good with light bright rooms, appropriate cloakrooms and very good use of display to create a vibrant learning environment. In the main school, some classes have been painted but there is a general air of neglect and dilapidation. Poor flooring, which is not covered by carpets, has an adverse impact on learning because of the noise created by scraping chairs. This sometimes exacerbates the behaviour of pupils who already have behavioural difficulties. For instance, in Year 5, where there is quite a large group who have such special educational needs, learning for all pupils is made more difficult because of the noise levels created by muttering and movement. This is exacerbated by the hard wooden floors which echo the sound and make it difficult for the teacher to maintain a quiet working atmosphere.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. There is a shortage of storage space, although some additional storage has recently been created. The storage room for physical education equipment is used for other materials and physical education equipment has therefore to be stored around the hall. This is significantly affecting lessons because it restricts the space available and on occasions leads to extremely unsafe behaviour when pupils climb on to the equipment. Although, most teachers have tried to improve the appearance of rooms with display, some display boards are too high for pupils to be able to see properly. The playground is in poor condition and is All Saints Primary School - 23 not in the best position for safe play. It is barren and under-developed. There is no provision for social seating. The school has ample grounds with a large field, which is used to extend play and physical education when weather permits.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Resources in most subjects are adequate. Large physical education equipment is worn although maintained satisfactorily; some is unsuitable for older pupils. The library is too small for the size of the school, and although significant improvements have been made, there are still shortages or unsatisfactory material in some subjects for example history, information and communication technology, mathematics and physical education.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school bursar has a significant role in day to day administration, financial control and planning. Good systems are in place with appropriate checks and back up records. She gives very good information to the finance committee and full governing body so that they fully understand the financial position at any given time. Knowledge and application of best value principles related to finance is good. Although the school has a surplus, financial planning is prudent and carefully linked to priorities identified in the school development plan.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

60. In order to improve further the quality of education, the headteacher, governors and staff should:-

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Continue to improve the standards that pupils reach :-

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) in mathematics by:- ♦ reviewing the teaching arrangements to create a less complex system; ♦ focusing further attention on: a) refining and improving the quality and depth of mental/oral work and plenary sessions; b) continuing to focus strongly on the development of pupils’ understanding and use of mathematical language; c) improving opportunities for, and standards in, using and applying mathematics, data handling and other identified aspects to ensure more consistent progress and continuity in teaching and learning; paragraphs 100-107

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii) in English by :- ♦ ensuring that sufficient time is allocated both in English lessons and within other subjects; ♦ raising the quality of handwriting and presentation through more purposeful teaching, higher expectations and more frequent opportunities for pupils to redraft and edit their writing; ♦ renewing efforts to build a stronger home-school partnership; ♦ providing more focused work in the literacy hour for different groups of pupils and sharing the learning objectives more explicitly with pupils; ♦ continuing to explore ways of encouraging pupils, particularly boys, to become enthusiastic readers; paragraphs 83-99

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iii) in science by:- ♦ ensuring the planned scheme is fully implemented and monitored continuously to check its effectiveness; All Saints Primary School - 24 ♦ helping teachers to plan for differing attainment levels especially when practical experimentation occurs; ♦ aiming higher to stretch the more able; ♦ checking at the end of lessons to see that pupils have learned the most essential information; ♦ push pupils to use essential scientific vocabulary when they talk and write about their work; paragraphs 108-117

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iv) in information and communication technology by:- ♦ keeping the high level of adult support particularly at Key Stage 1 and ensuring that helpers are clear about the best ways they can do this; ♦ monitoring pupils' work to see that the planned activities are being taught; ♦ continuing to extend the range of software. paragraphs 137-141

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Improve the quality of teaching by:- ♦ continuing to support all staff, especially newer members, through monitoring teaching within classrooms; ♦ providing more opportunities for teachers to benefit from observing good teaching; ♦ making sure that the work is well matched to the needs of all pupils; ♦ ensuring that pupils are clear about what they are going to learn in all lessons; ♦ marking work more precisely to identify what the pupils do well and what they could do better. paragraphs 17-23; 104; 113; 129; 135.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Improve the quality of the learning environment by;- ♦ finding ways to minimise noise levels in classrooms with hard wooden floors, for example by carpeting; ♦ reviewing current storage arrangements so that physical education equipment can by properly stored in the cupboard available in the hall; ♦ improving the quality of the playground as a learning environment. paragraphs 42; 56/7; 99; 149

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4. Improving pupils' attendance and punctuality by:-

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ continuing to keep this as an important priority; ♦ looking for ways which might encourage pupils to come to school and to arrive on time. paragraph 13

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Other minor issues which the governors should address in their action plan can be found in paragraphs: 40; 44; 53; 58; 80; 119 All Saints Primary School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 37

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 20 176

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/a 90

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 9

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 9 61

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 31

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 26

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.1 National comparative data 0.1

p.25

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. All Saints Primary School - 26

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year (1999) 13 9 22 (29)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 13 7 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 8 8

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (72) 71 (66) 71 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (80) 90 (87)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 13 13 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 8 8

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (62) 95 (72) 91 (66) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 82 (80) 88 (86)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year (1999) 10 10 22 (16)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 5 4 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 7 4 7

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 55 (31) 36 (55) 55 (44) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 5 3 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 6 5 7

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 50 36 59 at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 ((75)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. All Saints Primary School - 27

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 2000

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total expenditure 391007

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Expenditure per pupil 1889

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 81 Balance brought forward from previous year 12681

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 21048

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 40

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 27.5

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. All Saints Primary School - 28 Results of the survey of parents and carers

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

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

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

My child is making good progress in school. 55 36 7 0 2

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Behaviour in the school is good. 37 44 4 5 9

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 48 7 2 9

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 40 15 4 1

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 56 35 4 3 1

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 56 36 3 0 4

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school works closely with parents. 37 38 14 4 5

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school is well led and managed. 43 38 8 4 7

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 48 40 7 1 4

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 29 18 5 18 All Saints Primary School - 29

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. The school has improved on the provision for children in the nursery and reception classes since the previous inspection. This is now very good. The class teachers, although relatively new to this age phase, are now well established and highly organised. The school provides a safe environment, which, together with the calm and purposeful atmosphere in the classrooms, enables children to feel secure. Very good quality teaching is having a positive impact on children’s learning.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Most children enter the nursery with poor linguistic and early mathematical skills. They have limited first hand experiences and their personal and social development is below average. These findings are confirmed by the initial assessments that are made by the nursery teacher. Less than half of the children who began in the nursery go on into the reception class and in this particular year group there is a significant proportion of children with special educational needs. By the time that the children are ready to start Year 1, although they make rapid progress as a result of highly skilful teaching, their overall attainment is still below average because their language skills are not sufficiently developed by then to enable them to reach average standards in other areas of learning.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. Children start part time in the nursery in September. At present there are 39 children on roll. In the reception class there are 18. Some children have attended a pre-school centre and play groups.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Personal, social and emotional development

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Many of the children enter the nursery with immature personal and social skills but by the time that they leave the reception class they are approaching nationally expected levels in this area. This shows good achievement and is the result of skilful teaching where children are constantly encouraged to feel confident about what they can do. Despite being in school for such a short time, children are very well settled and have already learned to share and take turns while exploring the variety of activities. The staff have worked hard to ensure that during snack times for example, children sit and talk to others and make decisions about what they would like to eat. Children play and work together well and deal with personal hygiene competently. They show consideration towards each other and are helped to learn how to apologise if they upset one another by their actions. One boy kept turning off the

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computer and the nursery teacher explained that others couldn’t use it and showed him how to say sorry. The children are enthusiastic about their learning. One child exclaimed when trying to post a birthday card in the post box, ‘This is fun’. Even at this early stage in the nursery the children settle quickly to more structured activities such as literacy and numeracy and show the ability to concentrate for short periods of time.

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65. Personal and social development is planned for and promoted very well in all areas of learning. The well-established routines and caring nature of the provision allow all children to know what is happening next. The adults provide excellent role models for the children, always treating each other with respect and helping the children to develop an awareness of others. They give praise and encouragement, which the children copy when working and playing with their friends. The adults also promote children’s personal independence very effectively. Nursery children carry out self-registration and also look for their names on chairs. The nursery teacher takes the children ‘on the train’ to look at the possibilities in the activities at the beginning of the sessions and then children make choices about which ones they will choose. Later this is a chance for children to share their experiences with others in

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All Saints Primary School - 30 a discussion. The adults help to guide children towards specific skills by limiting the activities sometimes so that all children will eventually experience baking, for example. Similarly in the reception class, children are encouraged to take decisions and solve problems for themselves. During circle time, they learn to express themselves, by passing round a teddy and speaking when it is their turn to hold it. They consider things that they are good at, pass ‘happy thoughts’ around and develop an awareness of others’ feelings through stories such as Mr Grumpy.

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66. Many children start nursery with poor ability to hold conversations, give descriptions and explain themselves. They have limited concentration when handling books and do not realise that the print gives meaning. They make very good progress because all the staff give an emphasis to engaging the children in discussions and introducing them to new words and expressions. The quality of teaching is very good. Children are encouraged to reply to questions in sentences and the adults give running commentaries of what is happening when they work with children, as occurred when children made models and investigated parcels. By the time that they reach Year 1, the children’s skills are still below average especially as in the present reception class there are several children who have specific difficulties with speech and language. The adults are very active listeners and show children how to make

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appropriate responses. They introduce them to rhymes, stories and jingles and play games such as Kim’s game, which also help the children to develop their memory skills.

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67. The children’s ability to listen carefully is developing well and they are gaining confidence to talk in front of the class. They enjoy listening to stories such as Little Red Riding Hood and a very good literacy session with reception children resulted in them acting out the story, recognising a few words from the text and starting to think about the structure of a story. They learn the sounds by remembering the characters from Letterland and the teacher reinforces these whenever possible. Little games, where letters are ‘drawn’ on the back of a child using a finger so that guesses are made, captivate those children who are watching and make them eager to be involved. They begin to hear, say and have a go at identifying the initial letters of words.

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68. In the nursery and reception classes, there are good opportunities for children to pretend that they are writing. They 'sign in' when going on the computer, write birthday cards in the Post Office and take details in the Travel Agents. The home loan scheme where children take home library books helps children to see that books are enjoyable, but unfortunately not all parents participate in this scheme. The literacy hour is well structured and appropriate for the children in both the nursery and the reception classes. The work is carefully matched to cater for children's different needs and the teaching is thorough without being too pressured.

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69. Children make good progress in their mathematical development because teachers plan imaginative ways for learning. Despite this, the children of the present reception class are not likely to meet all the early learning goals by the time that they enter Year 1. This is because they have come from a low starting point, have limited mathematical vocabularies and also because there is a high proportion of children in this class who have special educational needs.

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70. Nursery children have a wide range of practical experiences such as threading beads and continuing to make a pattern, sorting and matching items and ordering numbers. A few children recognise numbers and say which is the smallest one. They learn to count in a All Saints Primary School - 31 sequence but few realise that when they say the final number 'four’ it means the number of items in the set. Many have difficulty in pointing to the items and saying the accurate number. Exciting opportunities help them to practise their skills. For example, when playing outside they park their vehicles in bays according to the numbers and learn to listen for ‘Come in number one!’. Stories of Mr Rush and Mr Happy introduce them to the idea of a triangle or a circle as these shapes form the characters’ bodies. With help from the teacher they successfully pick out blue and red animals and put them in the correct hoops to make a set.

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About half of the nursery children know that the yellow bear will go outside the hoop, for example, and they are encouraged to use the appropriate positional words.

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71. Very good teaching was seen when children explored the shapes of parcels and tested them on scales to see which of two was heavier or lighter. They were very enthusiastic to unwrap them and then had the chance to see if the paper would fit round them. This exciting work helped them to learn about shape and space. Following this they tested to see if their parcels would fit into the post box. In a very good lesson when a group learned how to make bread, the nursery nurse used every possible opportunity to develop the children’s understanding by asking questions such as which was the bigger or smaller piece of dough, and she constantly explained what would be happening. Children were excited to see that the dough changed shape and also became harder once it was baked.

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72. All the work is very well planned even in the sand and water trays so that children learn about capacity and use language such as more and less when teachers point out the possibilities. In both classes, teachers take opportunities to alert children to mathematics all around them and in the reception class the numeracy lesson is appropriate and supports children’s developing skills in mental calculations. Work on discovering the sets of children who have different coloured eyes enables them to see data displayed. At times some of this thoughtful work could be used further to give simple calculations and to enable children to ‘read’ the data for more information.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

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73. Children enter the nursery with a limited general knowledge. Many of them make very good progress as a result of excellent first hand experience prepared by the staff. By the time that they are six, there is a wide variation in attainment in knowledge and understanding of the world but overall it remains below the average expected of children of this age.

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74. In the nursery, children pretend that they are in ‘All Saints Post Office' and are very willing to sell stamps, weigh parcels, sell birthday cards and give out payments. A visit from Postman Pat has helped all the young children to find out more about the postal service and they pretend to deliver the post by using a sack. Teachers and staff help children to understand about places beyond their own locality, such as those they go to for their holidays. In the reception class children have fun when writing postcards and charting the places that are visited on a map. A topic on road safety involved a visit from ‘The Crossing Lady’ and the children were eager to learn about her role. They have also visited Blackpool Sea Life Centre and observed a variety of marine animals and fish. Watching the class guinea pig ‘ Beano’ has helped the children to discover the needs of living things on a daily

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75. The children use the computer with confidence and nursery children can already control the mouse to click on balloons to make them pop and point to numbers when they sing along with a simple nursery rhyme program. Reception children can follow the story of Goldilocks and operate the cursor accurately. Activities are well planned within the themes and discussion forms an important part of the work to help children to understand what they are learning. Nursery children are encouraged to be observant when they collect autumnal All Saints Primary School - 32 things from a walk and this also encourages them to look closely at the world around them. They observe changes in the weather and learn about months and different days of the week. A visit from a baby, toddler and an older child has helped the youngest children to learn about how we grow.

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76. The nursery and reception children show attainment in line with expectations when they make models based on their work. For example in the nursery they make imaginative models such as a ‘bin man’ and ‘a big monster’, while reception children make complicated models as very precise teaching has shown them how to join a range of materials in several ways. Two children tried hard to replicate what they had seen when making ‘Dad’s lorry’ with a bed and curtains the cabin, and a big tractor with complicated equipment attached. A wide range of construction toys and materials are provided for all the children to explore and they pretend to build roads and draw street scenes from their observations. Children are involved in the life of the school and from time to time attend the local church for special services, especially at Christmas or Harvest time.

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77. By the end of the reception year, several children will have reached the early learning goals in their physical development but overall attainment is likely to be below average. Many worthwhile activities are planned by both teachers to enable children to develop precision when handling equipment such as jigsaws, cutting, sticking, placing figures in position during small world play and developing control when using paintbrushes. However, the children’s' skills are particularly poor when they enter the nursery, especially when holding and directing pencils so although very good progress is made as a result of carefully managed activities, the attainment of the majority remains low in this respect.

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78. For cycling and balancing, climbing and clambering, children in the nursery have daily access to an enclosed area. They are able to dig, use sand, wheel pushchairs and work together with vehicles. All these activities help them to develop their muscular co-ordination. Similarly they pummel bread dough and make it into hedgehogs and learn to roll, cut and shape it appropriately. Children were seen manoeuvring their vehicles into the ‘Petrol Station’ and had to wait while they were ‘filled up' by the teacher. They learned to place their vehicles in the correct position and this helped them to handle their bicycles and cars in particular ways. The reception children use the outside area twice a week but they do not have an enclosed covered space that is purpose built for outdoor play. There are plans to provide this in the future.

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79. During physical education sessions, the children take a long time to dress and undress but are learning to hop, jump, throw and catch a beanbag well. Imaginative games such as pretending to be a cup and saucer and travelling between them engages children and keeps them well focused. All staff work hard to teach language such as ‘travel, stretch, learn, stride’ and they use demonstrations sensibly to help children to improve. The very good quality of the teaching is reflected in the rapid progress that children made.

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80. Most children start at a low level when they begin in the nursery but make very good progress in exploring painting activities, three dimensional materials and collage work as a result of very good teaching. The techniques are carefully demonstrated by the nursery teacher and this has improved the quality of children's work. Some children would benefit by having the painting materials available during every session so that they can apply their growing skills and paint from memory and imagination more frequently. Children are encouraged to see what happens when substances are mixed, for example when sand is All Saints Primary School - 33 added to paint. As they play with pasta in the water trough, they learn new words such as ‘squidgy, slimy, slippery, flowy’. One girl was enthralled when running her fingers through the pasta in the water and said that it made her happy!

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81. Children are encouraged to imagine themselves in different roles. In the reception class, they were very involved in playing out the story of Red Riding Hood and ‘the wolf’. They gave directions to Red Riding Hood and told her that she hadn’t ‘done enough skipping on the way to the cottage’ as the story said. Other children in reception used finger puppets to explore aspects of the story. This helped them to put the story in the correct order and to remember phrases such as ‘What big eyes you’ve got’. In the nursery, children acted scenes with dinosaurs and also used puppets well as a result of good guidance from the staff.

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82. The children show a developing musical awareness. In the nursery they are keen to make musical instruments for themselves and explore the display. They sing songs with the computer and with the staff and evidently enjoy the repetition that this brings. In the reception class, children are learning to clap their names and sing simple songs.

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83. Standards in English in the last inspection were unsatisfactory and the school’s test results for 7 and 11 year olds were well below average. Results over the last five years have gradually improved and the school is beginning to close the gap compared with other schools. In both key stages, results improved substantially in 2000. The school almost reached its Key Stage 2 target and has set a much higher target for next year, reflecting a determination to raise standards further. Staff will need to work very hard over the remainder of this school year to achieve their ambitious aim that two thirds of 11 year olds will reach the expected level.

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84. In the most recent tests for eleven year olds, results continue to be much lower than in most schools, but about the same as schools in similar circumstances. However, there is room for further improvement. The tests for seven year olds in writing are well below average, although every pupil reached the expected reading level. Boys are lagging behind girls, a major cause of exceptionally poor results at the end of Key Stage 2 in 1999 when 75 per cent of the pupils tested were boys. Very few seven or eleven year olds reach standards above the expected level for their age.

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85. The inspection indicates that standards in English continue to be below those in most schools, but because of improvements in the curriculum and teaching, pupils are now making satisfactory, if uneven, progress through each key stage. In most year groups they achieve acceptable standards and sometimes better given the low starting points for many five year olds. Pupils with special educational needs, a large number of which relate to language development, make good progress, not least because of the support they receive within literacy lessons and at other times.

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86. Many pupils start Key Stage 1 with very immature speaking and listening skills. The school recognises this and places emphasis on developing confidence and vocabulary both in English lessons and other subjects. By the age of seven most pupils can talk about matters of immediate interest and will listen carefully to the teacher or other adults. Most have a limited spoken vocabulary, a weakness that continues through Key Stage 2 in spite of the efforts of staff. Seven year olds generally have not begun to respond to the needs of different audiences, for example they usually talk to the teacher even when reporting to the rest of their class. By the age of eleven, most pupils have a better understanding of this, for All Saints Primary School - 34 example when Year 6 pupils presented an assembly on the Second World War to the rest of the school. Some are beginning to use the conventions of standard English, but many

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struggle to give opinions or to listen to the views of others in a discussion. Staff sometimes have to work hard to ensure that all pupils listen without interrupting each other.

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87. By the age of seven most pupils, other than those with special educational needs, can read with sufficient fluency to make sense of their books. They make particularly rapid progress in Year 1 where they enjoy finding rhyming words and recognising the sounds of letters; using this knowledge to build up new words. At the same time they are acquiring a good range of words that they can read on sight. Many lack confidence, for example in following simple written instructions, but even the poorer readers enjoy joining in reading the shared text and can find the main book features such as the title or the author.

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88. Most eleven year olds can read applying a satisfactory range of strategies for unfamiliar words. Some pupils read with expression, for instance using punctuation such as an exclamation mark to alter their voice and interest the listener. However, few in Year 6 are enthusiastic readers and their general awareness of different types of books, newspapers or authors is weaker than in most schools. Unusually, pupils continue to be very dependent on adults to guide and encourage them in their reading. For example, many like to read aloud to an appreciative adult and favourite books are mostly chosen for them in school or at home. They make satisfactory progress through the key stage in understanding characters in a story, but progress in reading for information and research is less marked and many pupils find it hard to infer or predict beyond the literal meaning of the text.

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89. Standards in writing are too low, although pupils in Years 1, 3 and 5 make good progress in some aspects of their written work such as the use of increasingly interesting words to enliven the text and the improvement of spelling skills which many pupils find difficult. In all classes, pupils are learning to write in a good range of different styles and formats. By the end of Key Stage 1, for instance, they can make lists, write instructions and address an envelope as well as beginning to write short accounts and stories. They use simple speech appropriately, with brighter pupils making satisfactory use of punctuation.

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90. Handwriting is unsatisfactory, a problem that persists through Key Stage 2. Very few pupils develop a flowing and legible style and the poor presentation in many books makes it difficult for pupils to feel proud and confident in their written work. The problem is not helped by the lack of opportunity for pupils to redraft and edit some of their work. The school has identified this weakness. Too little is done to enable pupils by the age of 11 to improve their writing for instance by enlivening their earlier drafts, using more complex sentences or taking real care to present some writing in their very best joined hand. In Years 3 and 5 pupils make better progress because they have more frequent opportunities to write and teachers show real appreciation of interesting writing such as “Oh, I forgot to tell you that I bite my nails I don’t look very appealing at the moment.” In contrast in Year 6, although pupils are making

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satisfactory progress in what they do, they have not completed sufficient written work to cover the full programme for the year. Through the school pupils make insufficient use of ICT.

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91. The use of literacy skills across the curriculum is variable and there are weaknesses that the school needs to address. Almost all teachers very effectively introduce new vocabulary to extend pupils’ learning. Consequently most pupils understand these technical words, but do not use them readily themselves, sometimes choosing words like “thingy” as a substitute for the proper name. Reading confidence is a real hindrance to the learning of some less able pupils. They do not feel able to read instructions without reassurance from the teacher and can give up too easily when trying to find information from a reference book. All Saints Primary School - 35 Some writing opportunities are missed, for example in science when brighter pupils could record their investigations more often in their own words.

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92. Teaching and learning overall are satisfactory, an improvement since the previous inspection when they were judged to be unsatisfactory. However, there is a great deal of variation from very good teaching in three classes to a poor lesson seen in a class taken by a temporary teacher.

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93. The national literacy strategy has been successfully introduced in all classes. Teachers have good knowledge of the subject and the best techniques for teaching reading and writing. This is particularly true for the teaching of reading where teachers and support staff use a well-balanced approach. This results in pupils learning a range of reading skills whilst building appreciation of literature. A good example was seen in a Year 3 group receiving intensive support. The teaching was extremely well-focused and structured. The pupils enjoyed working in the library with the additional literacy support assistant and tried very hard throughout a 30 minute session.

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94. In spite of the relatively weak literacy skills of many pupils – up to half the pupils in some classes have special educational needs – the school has wisely decided to base its English teaching on the relevant year group in the literacy strategy. This is improving progress by demonstrating high expectations. An example was seen, again in a Year 3 lesson, where pupils were not only expected to find the verbs in a poem, but to suggest alternative, more interesting words such as “hobble” and “stagger”. In most lessons teachers manage the class well. As a result little time is wasted and the pace of learning is high. The range of learning covered in one literacy hour in Year 1 for instance was very impressive and pupils worked hard throughout. In this, and other lessons, the warm relationships between adults and pupils result in pupils wanting to please their teachers, giving of their best even when they find the learning hard.

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95. Planning is consistent through the school and effectively monitored by the subject co- ordinator. Whilst the learning objectives overall are appropriate, at times teachers are less clear about what different groups of pupils should be learning and so the group work is sometimes insufficiently focused. Objectives are not always shared with the pupils. This, and the imprecise marking of the work in some classes, results in pupils not being clear about what they can do well and what they need to improve. Handwriting is not taught effectively and the expectations of some teachers about this area of English are too low. For example in one class, very untidy work is marked as “excellent” because the teacher is more concerned to praise effort without making clear what could be done better next time. As a result, pupils do not improve their presentation sufficiently over time.

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96. Unsatisfactory teaching is found where teachers lack experience and, in the case of the poor lesson in Year 6, the teacher did not know how to manage or organise the class and pupils quickly became disinterested and naughty.

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ENGLISH

97. The school has a number of procedures to involve parents and carers in their children’s English work. Some parents find it difficult to sustain these and the school needs to be more imaginative in its approaches and the support provided, if all pupils are to benefit from a close partnership between home and school.

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ENGLISH

98. The subject is well managed. New initiatives are accompanied by effective training and monitoring and the co-ordinator is very knowledgeable and clear about priorities. She has made good use of external support. Assessment procedures are sound and particularly good use is being made of a range of assessment information to target school improvement. All Saints Primary School - 36 More work is needed to identify the reasons for the underachievement of boys and to make sure that the most able pupils have every opportunity to reach the higher levels.

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99. The accommodation is unsatisfactory. Lack of carpeting, display boards that are too high and difficulties in creating areas where pupils can read or study quietly, hinder the hard work of staff to improve standards. The library is too small to accommodate more than a very small group. The school needs to ensure sufficient planned time for the subject, both in English lessons and in the use of other subjects to apply language skills.

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100. The results of the 2000 National Curriculum tests at the end of both key stages were in the lowest five per cent of schools nationally and were below average in comparison with similar schools. These figures appear to reflect a continuation of the persistent trend in low attainment, stretching back over four years in which both boys and girls underachieve in similar measure. However, whilst the inspection found that current standards are still below national expectations, considerable progress has been made recently in improving the quality of teaching and learning across the school. This improvement is closely linked with the introduction of the national numeracy strategy into the curriculum and is just beginning to have a positive effect on standards. The effect may well have been rather greater but for a number of negative influences, including a significant turnover of staff at a crucial time.

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Nevertheless, all the staff are working very hard to implement national approaches and strategies. The appropriately upgraded targets set for this year’s test results were not reached, although small but significant gains were made. Expectations of pupils' performance continue to be lifted and ambitious targets have been set for 2001. 101. By the age of seven, many pupils are able to use sound recall of basic number facts with reasonable accuracy to ten and some can work with larger numbers. However, a number of pupils, especially higher attainers, could be extended further. Similarly some pupils are beginning to use an appropriate range of mathematical language and vocabulary, but others are much less confident. Most pupils recognise simple sequences of numbers, including odd and even numbers, and can count forwards and backwards using small numbers and complete missing numbers in a simple sequence with varying degrees of

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success. Many know the names of some two-dimensional and several three-dimensional shapes although fewer pupils are able to describe their properties with similar levels of accuracy. Some can measure using an increasing range of standard units, whilst others are more reticent and less successful.

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102. By the age of eleven, some pupils are able to use mental recall appropriately but a significant number are somewhat less competent. A minority of pupils were able to use effectively an appropriate range of different strategies in their mental and oral work, including rounding and doubling, to estimate and work out answers. Some pupils are developing a sound understanding of place value although others are more uncertain. Many can find the perimeters of simple regular shapes and some the areas of such shapes by counting squares. Some pupils can recognise different angles and a few can measure them with appropriate accuracy. Many pupils, but not all, are developing now a sound understanding of decimals and fractions. A minority of pupils use diagrams, arrays of data and graphs appropriately. However, it is recognised by the school that handling data in Key Stage 2 requires more attention, along with a number of other important areas in both key stages.

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103. Pupils’ attitudes to mathematics are good. They often listen carefully, respond well to questions, work hard and see the subject as important. On numerous occasions they, very evidently, enjoy aspects of the work, especially stimulating and challenging mental and oral activities and practical tasks. Most pupils take pride in their work and achievements. On a All Saints Primary School - 37 few occasions, pupils’ attention wanders when the tasks are insufficiently well matched to their age and ability or management strategies, momentarily, are less effective. Teaching and learning in both key stages are good; occasionally they are very good and no teaching was found to be unsatisfactory. This represents a significant improvement on the findings of the last inspection, where unsatisfactory teaching was found in each key stage. Teachers often have a good knowledge of the subject in lessons, expectations of behaviour and pupils’

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learning are high, the pace is rapid and much is achieved in a single lesson.

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104. Teachers plan and organise their lessons with care and make increasingly effective use of national numeracy approaches and strategies. Learning objectives are consistently identified and in the best lessons they are precise, well communicated with pupils and carefully targeted to raise levels of achievement of pupils, including those aspiring to higher levels and areas of underachievement in the curriculum. Lessons are frequently well structured with appropriate and often good use being made of the mental and oral session at the beginning and the plenary at the end. At best, the targeted group work is highly effective and pupils make rapid progress in their learning, as they often do elsewhere in lessons. However, on occasions, this aspect of lessons is insufficiently developed, particularly where the work is imprecisely matched to pupils’ prior learning, assessment is not sufficiently well

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used or applied to guide teachers’ planning. In such cases, the good quality direct teaching, seen abundantly elsewhere in the lesson, is often diluted in an effort to support all pupils instead of systematically targeting different groups over a period of time. Sometimes in these group tasks, pupils make much less progress than they do in the rest of the lesson and some pupils, including higher attainers, are insufficiently stretched in their learning.

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105. The setting arrangements in Key Stage 2 are regularly reviewed and modified and great care is taken in the assessment and other arrangements made to support this provision. However, some aspects are still somewhat over-complex, especially where three year groups are represented in one set. On occasions now, different aspects of the teaching arrangements are restricting the rate at which some pupils in each age group are able to develop confidence and make consistent and rapid progress in the National Curriculum. In addition and in spite of the best efforts related to recent management, changes of staff and other factors now mean that pupils at the end of each key stage, especially Key Stage 2, require overall stability and the highest quality of teaching and learning to redress inconsistencies in curriculum continuity and progress over some time. Support staff are often effective in lessons, although on some occasions, sharper targeting of work during joint

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planning with teachers would enable even better use of the valuable contribution which support staff often provide in the school.

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106. The school uses national numeracy strategy documentation and approaches well to support teachers in their planning and organisation. The arrangements for assessment are satisfactory and aspects, such as those used to place pupils in sets, are well developed. Some valuable analysis of assessment results from a variety of sources is carried out, although further assessment information and approaches could usefully be developed. Increasingly effective use of continuous assessment is being made to guide teachers’ planning. Marking varies in the quality of guidance for pupils on how they could improve.

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MATHEMATICS

107. The experienced co-ordinator is providing strong leadership and management, actively supported by the headteacher and all the staff. Arrangements for staff development are good with valuable support being used from the local authority and other sources. Monitoring and evaluation are increasingly being used to provide accurate and helpful feedback on the effectiveness of strategies and as guidance for teaching and learning. Careful attention has been given to aspects of strategic planning which has helped the school considerably in moving forward. A new strategic plan is now needed to raise standards and All Saints Primary School - 38 quality further, building on the improvements already made and tackling current weaknesses in a rigorous and systematic way.

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SCIENCE

108. Based on teacher assessments, results for seven year olds in 2000 are below average compared to those of other schools nationally and are lower than reported at the previous inspection. This is because there was a large proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the year group and also because the work has not been pitched high enough. In the year 2000, no pupils gained the higher level 3 whereas in the previous year’s assessments, the proportion was in line with the average for similar schools.

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109. Standards in the current Year 2 are below average. Pupils’ written work in Key Stage 1 suggests that, over time their progress is satisfactory, considering that their attainment at the beginning of the key stage shows a low level of understanding and experience. Progress is good in Year 1 but is slower at the end of the key stage as the work does not provide the necessary challenge in a consistent way from week to week. Pupils in Year 2 show average factual knowledge of physical processes such as pushes and pulls when in discussion, but the output of work in their books is small and does not reflect their growing understanding. All pupils use the same worksheets. Some of these are difficult for pupils to read and understand although they easily recognise the scientific principles behind them. There are too many worksheets and not enough variety in the way pupils record. Many of the worksheets are not dated and this means that it is difficult for teachers to track the progress

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110. During the autumn term, Year 2 pupils usually focus on learning about the physical processes of electricity, forces and motion, to the exclusion of work concerning life and living processes and properties of materials. Although some experimental work has been successfully planned and covered, the pupils’ attainment in scientific enquiry methods is lower than in the other areas of learning. One of the reasons for this is that they have limited language skills to explain what they have found out and do not use simple scientific terms. During lessons, pupils are animated by the imaginative ideas put forward in the teaching. For example, when learning about electricity, the Year 2 teacher demonstrated a wide variety of resources and helped pupils to discuss which household items and toys had batteries or used mains electricity. The pupils showed good knowledge about charging up mobile phones and how to fit batteries into a torch. A few of them believed that an item which had a

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moving part such as a bicycle pump or a clock must always be powered by electricity and opportunities to correct some misconceptions, or take the leads from higher attainers, were not pursued. In the particular lesson seen, the time was too short and meant that pupils had to stop just when they were completely engrossed. The teacher's efforts therefore did not have the expected impact on helping pupils to learn, as the follow up tasks could not be completed.

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SCIENCE

111. The 2000 national tests show that eleven year olds achieved results that were very low and in the bottom 5 per cent of schools nationally. When compared to similar schools they were below average. These results reflect the frequent staff changes that have occurred in recent years, inconsistencies in the treatment of elements of the subject when these are not taught in sufficient depth, and significant numbers of pupils with special educational needs. The curriculum is now geared towards the QCA scheme of work and theoretically provides a very suitable focus on all the required elements of the subject. This has not yet been in place long enough to have an impact on the standards achieved in this year’s national tests and the standards being attained by the present Year 6. This year’s All Saints Primary School - 39 results reflect an improvement on the 1999 figures as 55 per cent achieved Level 4

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SCIENCE

112. Standards in the current Year 6 are well below what would be expected. This is a similar finding to that of the last inspection and indicates that the good planning has not yet influenced the standards in science of pupils at the end of the key stage. Teachers in Years 3, 4 and 5 are working hard to help pupils to explain their understanding of practical work and use the necessary scientific vocabulary. The work in their books shows that pupils are increasing their knowledge and understanding from week to week.

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SCIENCE

113. Pupils in Year 6 are not making enough progress, however, as the subject is not being taught systematically so that pupils can build on their experiences, develop their understanding and draw out scientific conclusions from their investigations. In discussions, pupils can describe the experiments they have undertaken in simple language but do not use the appropriate scientific terms. They eagerly recall when they made parachutes or completed circuits to make a bulb light up. They know that tests must be fair but they are frequently unaware of the underlying scientific reasons or conclusions that can be drawn. Skills in observation, looking for patterns, forming a hypothesis, testing and evaluating are generally weak. In their practical work the scientific element is often obscured and the associated written work is not well matched to the different pupils’ capabilities. Pupils in Year 6 have completed only a very small amount of written work and this pin-points gaps in the

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SCIENCE

work covered and consequently poor progress in that time. The quality of the presentation is often untidy. Pupils explain that they have carried out some of their history project work in science lesson times and have helped to put up displays in the classroom. Often the work is pitched at a level that is too simple, for example when pupils carry out experiments that are usually seen earlier in the key stage. These examples show that the teacher's expectations are too low, the work does not provide sufficient challenge and lacks rigour. The marking is often appreciative but fails to show pupils how they might improve.

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SCIENCE

114. As in Key Stage 1, the specific targets necessary for the higher attainers to achieve at higher levels are not always emphasised in lesson planning or focused on during the lessons themselves. Opportunities are missed at the end of Key Stage 2 for pupils to apply their skills in literacy and numeracy in practical situations. This is not the case in other classes in Key Stage 2. In a good Year 3 lesson, for example, pupils were encouraged to discuss their findings from closely observing rocks. They presented these to the rest of the class in both written and verbal form. Similarly in a Year 4 lesson, pupils analysed a detailed table of temperature readings when they had tested tap water, standing water, hot water and ice every fifteen minutes to discover how quickly they reached room temperature. They worked out the significant changes in temperature that occurred over short periods of time and were

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SCIENCE

going on to use the information gained to produce graphs in a subsequent lesson. Later they were encouraged to summarise in a discussion what they intended to find out when testing thermal insulators and were skilfully led by the teacher to explain what the requirements would be to ensure that the test was fair.

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SCIENCE

115. At both key stages, pupils with special educational needs are included in lessons, although their needs are not always specifically mentioned in the planning. When they receive good one-to-one or small group support, they can fully participate in the work of the other pupils and make similar progress, given their prior attainment.

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SCIENCE

116. Taken over time, the quality of teaching and learning are broadly satisfactory in both key stages. Good teaching and learning occurred in lessons where the learning objectives were precise and well planned, where pupils were clear about what they were going to do and how they were going to do it. In a Year 1 lesson, for instance, pupils learned about the sources of light as a result of purposeful questioning that probed their understanding and All Saints Primary School - 40 encouraged them to think about why there is light in a computer and what it shows. By drawing the class together to check on understanding, further information could be given and developed and by the end it was evident that the pupils had reached the targets for their age. In a good Year 5 lesson, a lively demonstration captured the pupils’ interest consistently when they tried to detect the presence of gas in a bottle by putting a balloon on the neck. The

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SCIENCE

teacher’s high expectations that pupils with special educational needs could do as well as their friends spurred them on to pursue the investigation doggedly. Where teachers have strong management skills, the organisation and relationships with pupils are first rate and lead pupils to feel confident enough to tackle work that initially appears to be difficult. On occasions, teachers limit discussions because of concerns that pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties may lose concentration and cause some disruption when they work independently.

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SCIENCE

117. The co-ordinator gives a very good lead due to her understanding of the needs of the subject and her own good classroom practice. Meticulous work on the documentation and scheme of work has led to recent clear target setting and assessment procedures and a comprehensive curriculum has been carefully planned according to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority material. The co-ordinator is fully aware of the present difficulties and has solutions for improvement. Unfortunately she has not had sufficient release time to support staff on a frequent basis and to monitor the quality of teaching and learning across the school. Inexperienced members of staff have not had the benefit of seeing the exemplary good practice in science teaching.

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ART

118. It was only possible to see one art and design lesson during the inspection and judgements are therefore based on evidence from displays, samples of pupils' previous work and from discussions with pupils. The indications are that pupils attain as expected for their ages and reach average standards by the end of both key stages. The previous inspection findings were that standards were above average. The pressure to include literacy and numeracy has meant that it has been more difficult to fit art into the timetable. Within the portfolios of work that are kept for each year group, however, there are some individual examples of work that are above average. This is particularly marked in Year 1 where pupils consistently produce work of good quality. A notable example is when they use pastels to produce observational drawings of autumn trees or winter scenes. The quality of teaching has evidently been good in order to enable the children to choose colours, apply different

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ART

strokes and blend shades to produce misty or soft effects. The careful detail shows that pupils have concentrated very well and have been encouraged to take a pride in their presentation. Skills have been carefully taught so that pupils know how to use textured paints to create a fluffy effect, identify primary colours and mix colours to produce secondary ones. Pupils study the work of Van Gogh, especially by trying to produce paintings and drawings of sunflowers in his style. However, there are few examples where pupils have had the freedom to apply the new techniques to their own pieces of work.

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ART

119. By the end of Year 2, pupils have also studied the work of the artist Mondrian and have built on their earlier skills by using felt tip pens, crayons and chalk. They examine cold and hot colours and mix shades and have clearly been shown the techniques of producing different shades by adding white. Some good work is also imaginatively linked with language development when warm colours are portrayed by using curvy lines and sharp and jagged ones are included in ‘cold’ designs. There are few examples to show that pupils have investigated three dimensional materials including textiles in order to design and make artefacts, or have had the chance to select materials and develop their own work. All Saints Primary School - 41 120. Pupils in Year 3 produce some very effective results when extending a pattern and making printing blocks from various materials. High expectations and a good lead from the

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ART

teacher have led the pupils to produce complex drawings and designs of onions with good awareness of tone and pattern when sketching. An unusual focus on the work of Charles Rennie Macintosh has alerted the children in Year 4 to different designs of chairs, and they talk animatedly about their efforts. Although this work is of a high standard, there is little evidence in displays to indicate that pupils are broadening their personal expertise by painting and sketching freely to practise their newly acquired skills. In a Year 5 lesson, good subject knowledge and expertise displayed by the teacher and a well-organised and structured content enabled the pupils to produce sensitive studies of a bicycle. Skills in observational drawing were developed particularly well when the teacher focused the pupils' attention on specific parts of the machine. In this lesson several pupils were able to produce work of a

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ART

good quality as a result of strong teaching where the work was evaluated thoughtfully by the teacher and improvements suggested. By the end, pupils were endeavouring to be honest in their drawings and to convey exactly what they saw. They were carefully led to consider the effect of light on an object and how this can be produced by making marks on paper. Unfortunately the good skills developing in Years 3, 4 and 5 are not sustained in Year 6 where there are few examples of art on display. These are linked to science and geography where pupils have painted animals very simply as part of the work on food chains and drawn and painted mountain scenes based on pictures of Everest.

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ART

121. Leadership in the subject is good. The co-ordinator has clear ideas of how to develop the subject and the work is carefully planned according to the QCA scheme of work. This should ensure that pupils now develop their skills systematically as they move through the school provided that art features regularly on the timetable. The work is well planned to relate to other curricular areas in some classes, for example, young pupils look at teddy bears as part of their history topic, make symmetrical butterflies to complement their work in mathematics and Year 3 pupils make close observational drawings of rocks as part of their investigations in science.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. During the inspection only a few lessons were seen in design and technology, but a range of evidence was available including pupils’ work, teachers’ planning, records and discussions with pupils about their work. On the basis of this evidence, appropriate opportunities are being provided to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding in the subject. Overall, standards of attainment are in line with expectations at the end of each key stage. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection, where standards of attainment were seen to be below expectations at the end of Key Stage 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. By the age of seven, most pupils have engaged in a range of activities often, but not always, linked to topics in other subjects. Younger pupils have designed and made simple levers and sliding mechanisms to create effective moving pictures to go with stories they have read such as “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”. In Year 2, pupils have looked closely at a range of wheeled vehicles, investigated materials and designed and made simple vehicles with particular attention to the assembly of wheels and axles. Most pupils are able to select appropriate tools, techniques and materials and describe why they made such choices. They can also join and assemble materials in a variety of appropriate ways and can identify simple strengths and weaknesses in what they have made.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. By the age of eleven, pupils can work competently using a variety of tools and materials with an appropriate degree of accuracy and attention to fitness for purpose and quality of finish. Year 3 pupils designed and made successful working pop-up cards using a All Saints Primary School - 42 range of card engineering effectively. Most were able to measure, cut and fold with a reasonable degree of accuracy and many showed significant competence in designing and making skills. This work was extended well in Year 4, where pupils developed their skills further in relation to card engineering. In making more advanced pop-up cards they used sketches to plan different cuts and folds with simple tools such as scissors and rotary cutters. They then went on to examine, design and make the cards using different linkage and lever mechanisms to produce different types of movement. Throughout the school

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

pupils are encouraged effectively to evaluate their plans and results to good effect. Careful attention is also given to issues of health and safety which are well covered and put into practice.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. Pupils really enjoy design and technology, work hard and achieve creditable results which they take pride in. Most pupils show persistence in tackling problems and quickly learn from their experiences and each other. They often collaborate well together and provide effective feedback and help, both formally and informally, for each other during tasks. The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons, listen carefully and are keen to get on with the varied range of interesting and challenging tasks with which they are provided.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. The quality of teaching and learning in both key stages are good and are clearly reflected in the good attitudes and behaviour of pupils throughout the school. All the staff work hard to develop design and technology, see it as important and have taken part in a range of courses related to the subject. Staff show a good knowledge of the subject in their work, have high expectations of behaviour and pupils’ learning, plan and organise their lessons well, with clear learning objectives which the pupils understand. Teachers’ planning, overall, is comprehensive and of good quality, with assessment often built in to the work. Staff make effective use of national guidelines and other relevant materials. The co-ordinator is providing strong, informed and sensitive leadership and management in the subject. Whilst there are some useful aspects of monitoring and evaluation, these are underdeveloped.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. Only two geography lessons were observed during the inspection, due to the timetable, and no overall judgement can be made about the quality of teaching. Examination of past work and discussion with pupils indicate that standards are below those found in most schools at the end of Key Stage 2, not least because pupils start school with a relatively weak knowledge and understanding of the world. Many pupils do not have opportunity through family visits, personal reading and travel to add to what is taught in school. Standards are lower than reported in the previous inspection. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are similar to those in other schools, with pupils making good progress because of interesting teaching and a relevant curriculum.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. By the age of 7, pupils can follow a simple street plan, for example tracing their route from home to school, and brighter pupils can identify key geographical features such as a church or shops. They are becoming aware of different places in the world, partly through the imaginary travels of Barney Bear, and some are beginning to identify features in an atlas, for instance finding out whether Germany has a coastline.

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GEOGRAPHY

129. By the time they leave the school, pupils can use co-ordinates and keys to find information from maps of different scales. Their knowledge of the world is, however, below expectations. Other than the small number of high attainers, most have difficulty identifying countries or towns in the United Kingdom or the continents of the world. Most realise that different parts of the world have different climates and can make simple weather All Saints Primary School - 43 observations with some understanding of the water cycle. They have a rudimentary understanding of environmental issues. For example, in studying the growth of Chorley in Year 5, pupils are able to identify features they like and dislike about the town. Progress in Year 6 this term has been unsatisfactory because too little has been covered in the study of mountains and too many pieces of work are unfinished.

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GEOGRAPHY

130. Although the subject has not been a school development priority for some time, a new scheme of work has been successfully introduced supported by the experienced co- ordinator. She has identified the difficulties of continuity posed by the high turnover of staff and children and the adoption of a nationally recommended scheme of work is a sensible strategy to reduce the associated problems. To date, monitoring of teaching and learning has been limited to looking at planning and the occasional examination of completed work. Resources for fieldwork are unsatisfactory and new software is needed to make greater use of ICT. However, the school makes good use of the locality to extend pupils’ experience. More use could be made of photographs and displays to communicate these valuable experiences to other pupils and adults.

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HISTORY

131. As in the previous report, standards in history continue to be below those found in most schools. However, the evidence shows that, compared with the inspection in 1998, when the school was criticised for an overemphasis on factual learning, historical skills are now being taught more effectively. Consequently, pupils make satisfactory progress through both key stages and mostly achieve standards that are appropriate given their knowledge and understanding of the world when they start school.

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HISTORY

132. By the age of seven almost all pupils can distinguish what happened in the past and relate it to life in the present day. For example, in a Year 1 lesson they looked at photographs of seaside holidays about 100 years ago and, by comparing horse drawn trams and the clothes worn by children and adults, could describe some aspects of how life has changed and where it has stayed the same. Pupils can recall information about one or two people beyond living memory, but most find it difficult to place this in the correct time sequence. The brightest pupils can make connections between different parts of their historical knowledge, for instance the changes brought about by the improvements in transport.

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HISTORY

133. By the age of 11, pupils have adequate knowledge about everyday life in different periods such as the Victorians and Tudor times and brighter pupils can account for why things may have changed. They can draw up a timeline of their own life relating this to their parents’ and grandparents’ generations in a family tree. Most pupils are not secure, however, in placing different periods chronologically, reflecting a tendency to treat each topic as a separate entity. Teachers rarely start a new topic by checking what pupils already know or what they are interested in finding out. Most pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the use of historical artefacts and some can distinguish between primary and secondary sources. However, the use of undemanding worksheets in some junior classes – such as the colouring-in of photocopied drawings about Victorian life – do not extend the average and more able pupils, missing opportunities for them to apply literacy skills in researching and

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HISTORY

134. Teaching and learning are good in both key stages, primarily because staff are making good use of the recently adopted scheme of work to plan interesting lessons that combine the teaching of skills and knowledge. For example in a Year 4 class looking at the Viking raids on the monasteries, pupils were using relevant information about the invaders to help them in finding out more from reference books. Almost all pupils were keen to display All Saints Primary School - 44 their knowledge and the simple questions posed by the teacher were very well judged to deepen understanding. As a result pupils worked hard at a suitably challenging level.

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HISTORY

135. The school's resources are somewhat limited but good use is made of visits and borrowed artefacts to provide pupils with first hand experiences. Year 3 were studying canal life and enjoyed a visit prior to looking more closely at a good selection of canal boat items such as decorated cooking ware. The lesson emphasised the need for pupils to observe carefully before answering a challenging series of questions. The teacher drew very effectively on the findings of different groups at the end of the lesson when they talked about their research. In some classes, displays are used well as a stimulus and to reflect work of a high standard, but this is not universal. Too often all pupils are expected to complete the same work. As a result, pieces of work are unfinished by some pupils who need more time and the brightest pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable.

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HISTORY

136. Subject leadership has undergone a number of recent changes and the introduction of a new scheme of work has not been accompanied by staff training. Statutory requirements are being met through the adoption of a national scheme, augmented by the school’s own skills programme. These improvements have not been in place long enough to raise standards and there is currently some repetition of learning that is slowing progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. Standards in information and communication technology are below those expected nationally for pupils' ages at the end of both key stages. This is because the school has only recently acquired sufficient computers and programs to give the pupils a worthwhile experience. Little direct teaching was seen during the inspection, but what was seen was sound. Teachers plan that the pupils work at the recommended level but are also aware of the need to adapt and change where pupils' skills are not good enough.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. At Key Stage 1, teachers provide a suitable range of experiences. They demonstrate the skills that pupils need in short whole class sessions. Pupils are able to work independently where the program requires a simple response. However, they do not have good enough skills nor secure enough reading to work independently on more complex tasks. For example, some Year 1 pupils selected words from a computer word bank to describe an object they had chosen from a tray. They understood the mechanics of the program but could not read the words. They knew that they could type their own word in but did not always recognise the capital letter on the keyboard. The teachers try to provide support in class through parent and other adult support to give the children maximum help with these more difficult tasks.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. In Key Stage 2, the quality of pupils' experience is enriched by a computer club and, for the oldest pupils, by visits to a secondary school to use their facilities. A group of Year 6 pupils who were interviewed had their own computers and therefore have a good degree of confidence and reasonable skill in some areas. They could load and save their own work, knew about the internet and could describe programs they had used. They knew how to use different fonts, sizes and colour when word processing. They talk about what they are doing with enthusiasm but are unable to talk more widely about how computers are used and how they affect our lives. Although they have their own personal disks and files to store their work, these contained little and pupils could not recall when they had last used the computer in class. The pupils knew how to input data but were less clear about which types of graph

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

were most suitable for different purposes nor about spreadsheets. All Saints Primary School - 45 140. There was more evidence of pupils' work in earlier classes. Quite a few classes were using art programs so that pupils could plan, design and make their own Christmas cards and wrapping paper. The completed ones are colourful and show that pupils can use different skills and knowledge. Pupils in Year 3, supported by an adult, were shown how to create different effects on their cards. They worked with great enthusiasm and patience in repeating lines and colouring techniques until they were satisfied. The pupils would have found great difficulty in doing this without support but sometimes there was too much adult help. They were not learning the techniques as quickly as they might had they been allowed to correct their mistakes consistently by themselves. In Year 4, pupils were using a different

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

range of skills to make wrapping paper and showed great delight when the finished result came off the printer. Year 5 pupils were reminded how to locate a program and were able to put in their own data. There are examples of graphs in folders and of word processed instructions seen in Year 4 and poems such as the personal limericks in Year 3.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. The school has put in a lot of effort since the previous inspection and has improved the provision for information and communication technology. The number of computers and range of software is now satisfactory. The co-ordinator has used time well to provide a scheme of work based on QCA guidance and has recently had training to increase her skills and therefore be in a position to help colleagues better. Everything is now in place to improve standards.

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MUSIC

142. No lessons were seen in Year 6 and there is not enough evidence to make a judgement about the standards reached by the time pupils leave school. In the lessons seen in Years 2, 3 and 4, pupils were working at standards expected for their age. Some pupils are learning to play recorders at lunchtimes. They are keen and enthusiastic but still at relatively early stages. They can follow a simple score using a limited range of notes and keep a steady and accurate rhythm as they play helped by the rhythm of the words that accompany the tune.

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MUSIC

143. Pupils listen to music of different types as they enter the hall for assembly. Appropriately, given the time of year, music during the inspection week was from the time of World War 2. Singing in assembly is satisfactory. Pupils sing in tune and keep to the speed of the music. However, the tape accompaniment didn't inspire them to sing with joy. Younger pupils in Key Stage 2 were helped to listen to some quite challenging classical music because the teacher had built up their skills gradually. They were able to indicate changes in the mood of the music by relating it to simple pictures. They showed good control as they translated the differences they had heard to differences in volume when playing percussion instruments of their own choice.

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MUSIC

144. Year 2 pupils eagerly joined the teacher to make train noises to accompany their song. They listened to music with concentration trying to say when it indicated that the train set off, stopped or restarted. They practised in pairs using percussion instruments to illustrate the patterns of the journey. Most of the pairs worked well together although some found it difficult to wait for their turn and to share. Most of the pupils were able to copy and clap rhythms successfully although a few cannot sustain a regular beat. Pupils are learning some of the special words used to describe music such as accelerate and rallentando, timbre and tempo. They are being introduced to an increasingly wide range of instruments and can name the ones they are playing.

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MUSIC

145. Most teachers lack confidence in music and a specialist teacher regularly takes music lessons. This ensures that pupils have good teaching at least once a fortnight. It also All Saints Primary School - 46 gives teachers ideas about what they can do and how they can follow up and supports their professional development.

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MUSIC

146. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory and is due in part to the external support and expertise that the school has received.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. Standards of attainment are in line with national expectations, overall, at the end of both key stages. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection, which found standards in the subject to be unsatisfactory at the end of both key stages. By the age of seven, most pupils now show appropriate body awareness and agility in games, dance and gymnastic activities. Many pupils are able to use an appropriate range of games skills, such as dribbling a ball with a stick around obstacles as part of a simple team game. In a dance lesson, most were able to use the stimuli of a circus to create a simple dance showing a sequence of three acts, such as balancing on the “tightrope” of line markings on the hall floor. In composing and linking simple dance movements, most pupils were able to make one or two simple changes to their sequence which included a beginning, middle and end and comment on the performance of others.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148. By the age of eleven, most pupils can swim 25 metres and some pupils achieve more than this in distance and range of swimming and survival skills. In gymnastics they are often able to refine and improve sequences of movement previously performed, using a range of apparatus. They often show an appropriate use of space and given the opportunity work well in small groups and with a partner. In dance, many younger pupils in the key stage were able compose a sequence of “factory” movements varied in speed and direction and were able to express feelings and mood in response to the music. Pupils throughout the school are aware of the importance of health and safety aspects. Most pupils show a good understanding for their age of the importance and effects of physical exercise on their bodies and health. Positive emphasis is placed on equality of opportunity in the subject for all pupils, including that for girls and boys. Many pupils engage in an appropriate range of extra-

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

curricular activities and team sports arranged by staff in the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. Pupils’ attitudes towards the subject are generally good. They often look forward to lessons, work hard and take a pride in their own and others’ achievements. On one occasion, pupils’ progress in a Year 5 lesson was impeded where the limited attitudes and responses of a very small number of pupils interrupted the flow and pace of physical aspects of the lesson. In spite of the best efforts of the teacher involved to maintain the flow of the lesson, several pupils showed unsafe behaviour, exacerbated by large apparatus stored at the sides of the hall. Purpose built storage space for physical education equipment, immediately adjacent to the hall and currently used to store other materials, should be used for this purpose, to avoid such dangers and to make full use of precious large floor space for physical education and other activities related to the National Curriculum. This is needed for

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

all age groups but is essential for older juniors who require much more space to carry out relevant and appropriately challenging physical activities in safety.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. The quality of teaching and learning, overall, are sound and often they are good. In the best lessons, teachers have a detailed knowledge of the subject related to the lesson, high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and progress and make real demands on the pupils. In such lessons there are clear and well-matched learning objectives, which are fully understood by the pupils. Teachers’ planning and organisation in these lessons is of good quality and the teaching has structure and pace so that much is achieved during the course of a single lesson. Teachers make use of national guidance and other relevant materials. All Saints Primary School - 47 151. The new co-ordinator is aware of the strengths and limitations in physical education in the school. Resources are adequate, with the exception of the weakness in storage already mentioned and several items of large apparatus which are in need of replacement or

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

renewal. As yet, aspects of assessment together with monitoring and evaluation are insufficiently developed.

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