St Margaret's CofE Primary School

ST. MARGARET’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Pauline A Simpson

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ST. MARGARET’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 October – 2 November 2000

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ST. MARGARET’S CE 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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ST. MARGARET’S CE 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. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Withington Road Whalley Range Manchester

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr R Boulter

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 18 November 1996 St. Margaret’s CE 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

Pauline Simpson Registered inspector Information and communication technology Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievement. How well is the school led and managed? Susan Dixon Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Peter Tuttle Team inspector Science Physical education How well does the school care for its pupils? Andreas Markides Team inspector Special educational needs English as an additional language Jim Stirrup Team inspector English Art Music How well are pupils taught?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Philip Crookall Team inspector Mathematics Design and technology Geography How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Ann Welch Team inspector History Religious education Under fives The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

PkR Educational Consultants Ltd 6 Sherman Road Bromley Kent BR1 3JH Tel: 020 8289 1923/4/5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a larger than average, mixed, community primary school located in Whalley Range, a suburb of Manchester, with a total roll of 309 boys and girls aged 3-11. The school population is transient with changes to the roll occurring on a very regular basis. At the time of the inspection 113 children were under the age of six. Two main ethnic groups make up 77 per cent of the school population: 43 per cent of the children are of Pakistani heritage, with 34 per cent of African and African/Caribbean heritage. Just under 10 per cent of the children are white. Three other ethnic groups largely make up the rest of the school. The number of pupils for whom English is an additional language is 202 which is very high. Thirteen different languages are spoken by children within the school. Attainment on entry to the school in basic English and mathematics skills is very low; many children are at an early stage of language acquisition and many do not speak English as an additional language. The

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

number of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above average. The school has 19.7 per cent of pupils on the special needs register including two with statements. This is broadly average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school that has a number of strengths which outweigh its areas for development. Pupils’ achievements overall are good bearing in mind their low attainment on entry. Their attitudes, values and personal development are good. The quality of education provided is good, particularly the teaching. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and for those with English as an additional language it is very good. The school is led well by the acting headteacher and senior staff. The governing body provides good support on a regular basis. The school continues to give good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The monitoring and evaluation of its performance and taking effective actions for improvement. • The education provided for pupils for whom English is an additional language is very good. • By the age of eleven attainment is well above average in English when compared with similar schools. • All pupils by the age of eleven make good progress in English, mathematics and science in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. • The overall quality of teaching is good and as a result makes a significant impact on standards. • The quality of education provided in the nursery is a strength of the school. • The overall provision for spiritual, moral, social and in particular the pupils’ cultural development and the respect pupils have for the feelings, beliefs and values of others.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Longer term school development planning and the quality and presentation of the yearly plan. • Standards in both key stages in information and communication technology. • Levels of attendance. • Meeting the statutory requirement to teach swimming in Key Stage2. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection in November 1996. It has improved on most of the areas of concern identified at the time. There have been several staff changes and long term staff illnesses. The deputy headteacher has been the acting headteacher for nearly two years. The large areas of glass identified in need of attention so as to make them safe were fitted with armorgard safety film in the spring of 1997. Members of the governing body are linked to curriculum areas now and they work alongside subject co-ordinators in monitoring the curriculum, and in visiting classrooms to observe the teaching and learning. A programme is in place for subject co-ordinators to report formally to the full governing body on developments in their areas of responsibility. They have been on several training courses related to school improvement. They are more informed about the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 7 performance of the school following the initiative the acting head teacher has introduced in formally monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning. Extensive use is now being made of comparative national and local performance data as a means of informing target setting and the tracking of individual pupils. The resourcing for information and communication technology (ICT) has improved since 1996. A new information and communication technology suite for the discrete teaching of ICT was opened in September 2000. Due to the limited opportunities made available for pupils to study ICT since 1996 their attainment levels are still below average by the age of seven and well below average in Key Stage 2. Not all staff are secure in teaching the breadth of study required in the national curriculum for ICT. Many teachers are in need of training to improve their own skills in using computers within the directly taught

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

lessons and as a means of using ICT to support learning across the curriculum. Standards by the age of seven have remained similar to those reported for 1996 in English, mathematics and science but there has been a significant improvement in the progress made and the standard attained by the age of eleven in English. The very good additional support for pupils from ethnic minority communities to develop their language skills, including English, has improved their access to the National Curriculum and has led to raised standards. The school’s achievements in 2000 were higher than the local education authority average at the age of eleven for those pupils eligible for additional support through the Ethnic Minority and Traveller achievement grant. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection as a result of the monitoring carried out by senior staff. There is more very good teaching and less of an

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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 1998 1999 2000 2000 Key English C E B A* well above average above average A B Mathematics D E E C average below average C D Science C E D C well below average E

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STANDARDS

The good quality of teaching and support enables pupils to progress from a very low starting point as they move through the school, so that they do very well in English at the end of Key Stage 2 when compared with schools who have a similar proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals. By the age of eleven in 2000 the school’s performance in English is in the highest five per cent nationally when compared with similar schools. This is a remarkable achievement given that on entry to the nursery early screening shows that the vast majority of the children have little or no competency in the speaking of English. The percentage of pupils on roll speaking English as an additional language (65.3 per cent) is very high. There is no national or local data available to compare this school’s performance against similar schools based on English as an additional language criterion. In mathematics and science when

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STANDARDS

compared to similar schools the results are average. In comparison with all schools standards are above the national average in English in 2000; this is a significant improvement on earlier years. Standards by the age of 11 in 2000 are well below the national average in mathematics and below average in science when compared with all schools. The school substantially exceeded the targets set by the governing body for the last Year 6 group, in English by 15 per cent and in mathematics by four per cent. This is due to the successful implementation of the national literacy and numeracy strategies and rigorous monitoring of the school’s performance with detailed analyses made of test results which include, gender, ethnicity and first language, special educational needs and mobility factors. Individual targets for English and mathematics are agreed with the pupils, with formal tracking led by senior staff as a means

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STANDARDS

of checking that individual potential is being fully met. The school’s trend of improvement is broadly in line with that found nationally. The work seen during the inspection shows that on entry to the nursery children get a very good start to their education. By the end of the foundation stage and at the end of St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 8 Key Stage 1 standards of work seen are below average in English, and mathematics (Key Stage 1). The best progress is mainly in Years 5 and 6 in English, science, history, music and physical education. In information and communication technology standards are below what is expected nationally in Key Stage 1 and they are well below average in Key Stage 2.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Good overall. Most pupils approach lessons with enthusiasm but some are passive and contribute little to their learning. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good overall. This has a beneficial effect upon learning. There were five fixed term exclusions in the year prior to the inspection. Personal development and relationships Good. Generally pupils show respect for one another but, on occasions, a few do not. Attendance Very low in comparison with other schools.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The rate of unauthorised absence is above the national average. The majority of pupils have satisfactory attendance rates but there are some pupils with poor attendance records and some are taken on holiday in term time or on extended visits abroad. The school experiences considerable problems with punctuality, many pupils come to school persistently late. However, some improvement has been made recently. The school does not yet have a home/school agreement as is legally required.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years Lessons seen overall Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The overall quality of the teaching observed is satisfactory or better in 94 per cent of the lessons, it is very good in 16 per cent and unsatisfactory or worse in six per cent. The six per cent of the unsatisfactory or poor teaching was all in Key Stage 2. This is an overall improvement since the last inspection. All teaching in the foundation stage and Key Stage 1 was at least satisfactory or better. The high proportion of good or better teaching (59 per cent) is a particular strength of the school and makes a significant impact on the way in which pupils learn and make progress. Teaching in the nursery is very good whilst in the reception it is satisfactory. Routines are established early in the nursery and adults provide an environment for learning in which the children can participate fully in activities. The teaching in English and mathematics which is delivered largely in the literacy and numeracy lessons is mainly good

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

or better. The lessons are usually planned well, with the learning objectives made clear to the pupils. Occasionally, lessons in literacy and numeracy lack clear direction and the activities do not match the needs and abilities of all pupils including higher attainers. Generally the school meets the needs of most of its pupils except in ICT. A number of teachers are insecure in the teaching of information technology; this impacts on the progress and standards of attainment in both key stages in this all-important area of the curriculum. Teachers use assessment well in the core subjects of the curriculum but the use of assessment in the non-core subjects, as a means of informing future planning to meet individual needs, is inconsistent. Pupils with special educational needs, English as an additional language and those identified as under-achievers make good progress as a result of the good support they receive from

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

teaching and non-teaching staff. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 9

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. Although the national curriculum requirements are recognised in the latest plans for ICT, pupils have not had full access to the national curriculum programmes of study in the past. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall. Pupils are integrated well into all aspects of school life.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Communication with families for whom English is an additional language is good and is well supported by members of staff that speak a variety of different languages. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good overall. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good, as is the respect that pupils have for the feelings, beliefs and values of others.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory overall. The school provides a caring environment for learning to take place. The school has not conducted a full risk assessment.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Overall, parents and carers are satisfied with what the school provides and achieves. The school endeavours to provide good links with parents. The school chooses to teach some swimming activities and water safety in Key Stage 1 but in Key Stage 2 the required swimming activities are not provided. As a result standards in swimming are lower than would be expected by the age of eleven. The school has not taught the full programmes of study in ICT and as a result this has led to lower than average standards particularly by the end of Key Stage 2. The school has timetabled black history sessions for Years 5/6 as a special feature of its work. The good range of extra-curricular activities which enhances pupils’ attainment, especially in music. The caretaking staff work hard to maintain a clean and safe environment. Despite this there are some areas of the building and site that require attention.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Aspect Comment Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. There is a good flow of information and a commitment to improve. Action taken to meet the school’s targets is good, especially by the end of Key Stage 2. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The school does not fulfil the requirements for the teaching of ICT, swimming is not provided in Key Stage 2. Risk assessments have not been fully conducted. Some of the recommendations in the 1998 audit report were not acted upon. Governors are better involved now in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance This is a strength of the school ably led by the acting headteacher. The monitoring of teaching and learning is good. The strategic use of resources The strategic use of resources is satisfactory overall. The school does not have a longer term development plan with documented priorities for

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There has been a high turnover in staffing since the last inspection, including secondments, long term illnesses and promotions. As a result there are now several staff in temporary or acting posts. Despite this the school has worked towards maintaining and improving standards especially by the end of Key Stage 2 and in this it has been successful in the core subjects particularly in English. The accommodation is adequate. Access to the library is too limited and the new information and technology suite is currently only scheduled for use for about 40 per cent of the school week during the current term. This is an inefficient use of such important resources for teaching and learning. Computers in classrooms are outdated and some have not worked properly for long periods of time. There are shortages of outdoor play equipment for the foundation stage of the curriculum. The school applies the principles of best value satisfactorily.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school. • The school is especially good at raising the self-esteem of pupils and celebrating the diversity of cultures and faiths represented. • The good progress their children make. • The good quality of teaching and the high expectations of pupils. • The ease with which parents can discuss problems with the school. • The homework policy and the amount of homework in particular for older pupils. • More information about how their child is progressing at school. • The school does not work closely enough with parents. • The range of activities provided outside of lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with the majority of parents’ positive views. Progress in ICT is not good in both key stages, but developments are in place to address this area of the curriculum as a priority for 2000 and beyond. The majority of the teaching in the school is good or very good. The diverse needs of pupils are known well by most teachers. The teaching in the nursery is very good and enables the children to get a very good start in their education. Arrangements for homework which are usually for English and mathematics are satisfactory but the school policy on homework is not informed by the national homework guidelines for Primary Schools. The school does not yet have a Home/School Agreement as is required. The school reports annually to parents on pupils’ achievements, but the layout of the annual reports restricts the amount of detail that can be written about how their child is performing in relation to

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

their potential, past achievements and to national standards. The inspectors acknowledge that the school endeavours to work closely with all parents. Parents are welcomed to the school, they are invited to assemblies, school performances and other events. Communication with families for whom English is an additional language is good and is well supported by members of staff that speak a variety of different languages. The last governors’ annual report (1999) to parents did not include all of the information that is required by regulations. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities over the time pupils are at this school, mainly for older pupils, but all parents are not aware of the full range of the extra-curricular provision. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. The majority of children enter the nursery with little or no observable competency in the speaking of English. Their English and mathematical basic skills are well below what is expected for children of this age. By the end of Key Stage 2 they attain standards which are above the national average in English. In science standards are broadly in line with the national average and they are below average in mathematics. The good quality of teaching and support for all pupils, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and English as an additional language (EAL) enables them to make a good rate of progress overall from a very low starting point.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Standards attained by pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 in the Year 2000 National Curriculum tests were well below the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics when compared with all schools. In comparison with similar schools the results were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics. The assessments made by teachers in 2000 in science placed pupils well below the national average. When compared with similar schools based on the number of pupils who are eligible for free school meals, the pupils’ results were below the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Results in the National Curriculum 2000 end of Key Stage 2 English tests were above the national average in comparison with all schools nationally and they were broadly in line with the national average in science and below average in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools based on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals, the results in English were very high. The school’s performance in Year 2000 English tests places it in the top five per cent of schools nationally. The mathematics and science results were broadly in line with the average for similar schools. The school’s 2000 English end of Key Stage 2 results are an improvement on its 1999 results which were above the average when compared with similar schools.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. There is no national comparative data available to compare this school’s performance with similar schools who have significant numbers of bilingual pupils.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Taking the three years 1998-2000 together, attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 was well below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. There were no significant differences in the performance of boys and girls in reading over this period. Boys’ performance was just above that of girls in writing and girls’ performance was slightly higher than boys in mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Over the same three years, pupils’ overall attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 fell below the national average for their age group. However, based on the figures for the latest year, 2000, the performance of the pupils in English exceeded the national average for their age group. In mathematics and science it fell below the national average. There are no marked differences in the performance of boys and girls in this latest year 2000. The school’s trend of improvement over the period 1996 to 2000 for all core subjects is broadly in line with that found nationally. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 12 7. The overall attainments of the Year 6 group in 2000 who qualified for Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Grant (EMTAG) support, who were of mainly African Caribbean heritage, were higher than the average for EMTAG schools in the local education authority (LEA) by nine per cent. Boys did particularly well in their English test results,

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The school’s results and achievements

with 83 per cent of the group gaining the Level 4 or higher against the local authority EMTAG average for boys of 58 per cent.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. The inspection findings show that by the time they enter the reception class most pupils have progressed well in their language, literacy and mathematical development based on their prior learning. With the exception of their communication, language and literacy development, most of the children in the reception class are likely to achieve the early learning goals by the time they transfer to the National Curriculum in Key Stage 1. Progress is steady in Key Stage 1 and in Years 3 and 4 in English and mathematics, but the best rate of progress is made in Years 5 and 6 in these subjects. This is the result of the effective use of performance data linked to school improvement. Target setting and the tracking of pupils is carried out on an informed basis.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. The work seen during the inspection confirms that from entry to the nursery children get a very good start to their education. The overall rate of progress made in the nursery is very good. This is a similar picture to the last inspection. The results of the screening conducted in the reception class in the first weeks of transfer from the nursery shows that seven out of ten children are achieving the expected standards for children of this age in their English, reading, writing and mathematics basic skills development, but their speaking and listening skills are less well developed in English. From this screening an analysis is made of the needs of individual children to target specific support for pupils with English as an additional language. By the time they reach the end of the reception year most children are on target to meet the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding

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The school’s results and achievements

of the world, physical development and creative development. Communication, language and literacy skills are not as well developed as the other five areas of learning.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. The standards of work seen during the inspection of pupils in Key Stage 1 are below average in English, mathematics, and information and communication technology (ICT). They are average in science, art, design and technology, geography, history, religious education, and above the standard expected nationally in music and physical education. By the end of Key Stage 2; standards in English, music and physical education are higher than average with the exception of swimming. They are broadly average in mathematics, science, art, design and technology, geography, history and religious education; and they are well below average in ICT.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. The large majority of pupils enter Key Stage 1 with well below average skills in language and literacy. Many of the pupils have limited exposure to the English language at home. It takes some time for them to develop good listening skills, but this improves as pupils are able to understand what staff are saying and they understand what is expected of them. Though many pupils develop satisfactory social oral skills as they move up the school, many pupils in Key Stage 2 lack confidence and the ability to speak in extended sentences in formal situations. Attainment in reading is well below average by the age of seven. The majority of children on entry to school have a very limited knowledge of books. Teachers and support staff use a satisfactory range of strategies and phonics skills to promote reading. Most pupils make satisfactory progress in their reading at Key Stage 1. As they move up the school, progress is good and by the end of Year 4 most

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The school’s results and achievements

are becoming independent readers. Guided reading and the good range of books from other countries and traditions contribute to learning and, by the end of Key Stage 2, St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 13 pupils’ standards of attainment in reading are broadly average. Standards in writing are well below average at the end of Key Stage 1 but, due to the good rate of progress made in Years 5 and 6, they are above average by the end of Key Stage 2. Many pupils become independent writers by the age of seven, but the quality of handwriting and spelling is wide and often lacks consistency. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can write for a range of purposes, in different styles and with a specific audience in mind.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Although there is an improving trend in pupils’ achievements in mathematics in Key Stage 1, standards are below average. By the end of Key Stage 2, due to the good rate of progress made particularly in the development of mathematical knowledge, vocabulary and skills, standards are broadly average. The daily numeracy sessions of mental arithmetic and problem-solving activities are effective in helping all pupils to rehearse and apply gained knowledge.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. Standards are lower than average overall in ICT. This is similar to that reported in 1996. Many pupils in Key Stage 2 are not confident in their abilities to use computers. Pupils have not had sufficient access to ICT at all ages. As a result, all pupils are not making the best possible progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

14. The school substantially exceeded the targets set by the governing body for the Year 2000 Year 6 group, by 15 per cent in English and four per cent in mathematics. This was mainly due to the rigorous monitoring of the school’s performance with detailed analysis conducted of test results by gender, ethnicity, first language spoken, special educational needs and mobility factors. As a result, feasible targets were set and agreed with pupils in English and mathematics. The formal tracking of pupils led by senior staff enabled progress to be assessed and targets met. The school targets for English and mathematics have been set and agreed by the governing body for 2001 in consultation with the LEA. They are 73 per cent Level 4 and above for English and 65 per cent in mathematics. They take full account of the analyses made using prior attainment data, results of optional national tests, aided by comprehensive tracking of

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The school’s results and achievements

the current Year 6 group of pupils as a means of monitoring whether they are achieving their full potential.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils have good attitudes to their work. They enjoy coming to school and approach their lessons and activities with enthusiasm. In lessons pupils respond well to challenging and stimulating questions and their answers are given with confidence. For the most part pupils listen well to their teachers and each other and instructions are followed quickly and quietly. In lessons where the teachers have high expectations pupils settle to work quickly and maintain concentration well throughout. A minority of pupils are not well motivated and contribute little to their own learning. Teachers use praise effectively to recognise success and to promote good behaviour. Pupils work well alone but do not always have sufficient opportunities to use their initiative or to develop investigative skills. They work alongside each other amicably and willingly offer help and encouragement to their classmates. There are a few occasions where older

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

pupils work less well in groups. The high value placed upon pupils and their achievements is evident in the attractive displays of work in the classrooms and corridors and in the sharing of each others work in assemblies and lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The behaviour of pupils is generally good. This has a beneficial effect upon their learning and upon the school community as a whole. The majority of pupils behave well in lessons, assemblies and at lunchtimes. Most pupils understand and follow the school rules well. Praise and reward for good work and behaviour are received with pride. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 14 Where sanctions are used these are effective in bringing about improvement. Pupils treat the resources and equipment they use with care and respect. There have been a small number of exclusions in the past year, which have been accompanied by appropriate procedures. The school discipline system promotes and rewards good behaviour, all pupils are encouraged to work in an atmosphere free from oppressive behaviour.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The relationships amongst all members of the school community are generally good. Adults in school present good role models and pupils show a genuine care and appreciation for each other. Pupils are friendly and helpful and pupils from the many different cultural backgrounds represented in the school work and play together in harmony. Lunchtimes are generally sociable and pleasant but there are a few occasions when pupils are disrespectful to each other and use inappropriate behaviour.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils are encouraged to act responsibly and are provided with opportunities to carry out class duties or to serve the whole school community, for example by serving on the school council. Opportunities are provided for pupils to express their opinions and feelings in lessons including personal, social and health education sessions (PSHE) where they discuss their views sitting in a circle – known as ‘circle time’. Confidence and independence grow considerably as pupils progress through the school. Pupils learn to appreciate their own achievements and difficulties when considering their contribution to the annual written reports for parents. A particular feature of the school is the very good respect that pupils show for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. The cultural diversity of the school is celebrated widely and permeates every aspect of school life. School assemblies and the very good cultural

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Attendance rates are well below the national average. The majority of pupils have satisfactory attendance records but there are some pupils with poor attendance records and some who take holidays in term time or make visits to extended families abroad. Such interruption to pupils’ schooling reduces their progress and there is discontinuity in their school learning experiences. The school has experienced a considerable problem with punctuality. Many pupils have arrived persistently late. Action has been taken recently to remedy this and indications are that a significant improvement has been achieved already.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching in the school is good overall, with teaching being satisfactory and better in 94 per cent of lessons. Teaching is good and better in 59 per cent of lessons, with six per cent of lessons being unsatisfactory or poor. This is an overall improvement on the previous inspection. In the foundation stage of the curriculum teaching is always at least satisfactory, with good and better teaching taking place in 50 per cent of lessons, and it is very good in a third of lessons. In Key stage 1, teaching is at least satisfactory in lessons observed, and good and better in three-quarters of lessons. It is very good in 20 per cent of the lessons observed in Key Stage 1. The quality of teaching in nine out of ten lessons in Key Stage 2 is at least satisfactory or better with 50 per cent of lessons being good and better. One in ten lessons is very good in Key Stage 2. All unsatisfactory teaching observed took place in Key Stage 2 within Years 3 and 4.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

The high proportion of good and very good teaching is a particular strength of the school and it has a significant impact on the way in which pupils learn and make progress within both key stages.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching in the nursery is very good, whilst teaching in the reception class is generally St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 15 satisfactory. Lessons in the foundation stage of teaching are well planned, with teachers and classroom assistants working in a co-ordinated manner. They provide well-focused activities, good support and a secure and safe environment in which children can work towards their early learning goals. Routines are well established.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The National Literacy and Numeracy strategies are implemented well, with a significant proportion of good and better teaching taking place in these lessons. In both instances lessons are planned well, with learning objectives being made known to pupils. Appropriate emphasis is placed on the development of key skills such as mental maths and English language skills. All activities are planned well and generally match the range of attainment levels within the class. Teachers in English and mathematics use the drawing together at the end of the session in an effective manner to share and celebrate pupils’ achievements and to assess their knowledge and understanding. The unsatisfactory lessons seen in literacy and numeracy came about because they lacked a clear sense of focus and direction, and planned activities did not match the needs and abilities of all pupils in the class. Science is well taught, with a good focus given to

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

scientific enquiry. Planned activities match the interests and abilities of pupils.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Non-core subjects are taught in a satisfactory and often good manner. Teachers in the parallel mixed year classes work together to plan effective medium and short-term plans, which allow for the building up of skills and knowledge across terms and years. In those lessons judged to be good or better, the teachers have high expectations of pupils and provide pupils with interesting and challenging activities which match pupils’ attainment levels. Teachers make good use of questioning skills to reinforce pupils’ knowledge and understanding and to get pupils to think in greater depth. Teachers as a whole have good organisational and managerial skills, and ensure that pupils stay on task. The plenary session used in literacy and numeracy is now applied to all subjects, with teachers using this part of the lesson to raise pupils’ self-esteem by focusing on what they have learned. In the less successful lessons pupils do not always fully

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

understand what is expected of them, and work does not always match their individual needs. Teachers are secure in their subject knowledge of the core subjects and most of the non-core subjects. A number of teachers, however, lack the skills and confidence to deliver the ICT curriculum. This impacts on the progress made by pupils, with attainment in both key stages being lower than the national averages and expectation of these age groups in this all-important area of the national curriculum.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers use assessment procedures in the core subjects well, and they provide all pupils with clear measurable targets for improvement. In the non-core subjects of design and technology, geography, history and ICT, there are inconsistencies in the formal use of assessment to inform future lesson plans and the meeting of individual needs.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support from both classroom teachers and teaching assistants, which enables then to make good progress, both within withdrawn groups and as part of a whole class. The pupils accept this extra support enthusiastically, enjoy working in small groups and develop good working relationships with the adults who help them. These promote good learning. Pupils with English as an additional language receive good support from the Ethnic Minorities Achievement Service (EMAS) teachers and classroom assistants. This enables them to make good progress overall, particularly in Key Stage 2.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Relationships between teachers and support staff and pupils are good. This is a significant factor in the good learning made by pupils. Clear examples were observed where pupils wished to please their teachers and support staff, and worked well at the St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 16 activities in which they were involved. The majority of pupils take a positive approach to their learning, and work with real commitment and interest. Occasionally, a significant minority of pupils take a somewhat passive approach to lessons and contribute little to their own learning. Lessons in a number of subjects are teacher-led, with limited opportunities for pupils to develop independent research and reference skills so as to become more independent learners. When homework is set, usually for English or mathematics, it is satisfactory.

p.15

PUPILS?

27. In general the school provides a curriculum that has a satisfactory breadth and balance. It meets the requirements of the foundation stage for children aged three to the end of the reception year and for most of the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education with the exceptions of information technology, swimming in Key Stage 2 and food technology in both key stages. Since the last inspection the school has maintained an appropriate balance in the rest of the curriculum, despite increased emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The curriculum planning and staff training for literacy and numeracy have ensured the satisfactory implementation of these strategies. Teachers of parallel year group classes meet at weekly intervals to monitor progress and plan lessons as a means of building on pupils’ earlier learning and experiences. The flexibility of the setting arrangements is addressed through these regular discussions.

p.16

PUPILS?

28. Personal, social and health education (PHSE) is promoted effectively throughout the school. Sex education is taught in the context of the science curriculum. Matters relating to education about drugs awareness are dealt with satisfactorily on a regular basis with visits from outside agencies and through the curriculum where appropriate.

p.16

PUPILS?

29. All subjects have satisfactory policies and schemes of work, although the teaching and cross-curricular use of ICT is not fully implemented. Furthermore, the opportunities provided by the school for swimming instruction do not fully meet the statutory requirements and prevent some pupils from achieving the expected standards in swimming by the time they reach the end of Key Stage 2. The school does not yet provide pupils with opportunities to design and make products using food.

p.16

PUPILS?

30. Strategies to ensure that all pupils have equality of access to the planned curriculum are in place with considerable attention given to integrating pupils with special needs and those with English language difficulties. However, occasional time table clashes with choir rehearsals has prevented some pupils from attending up to 20 per cent of their numeracy lessons in Years 3 and 4.

p.16

PUPILS?

31. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities, which enhance pupils’ attainment, especially in music. Musical activities include choir, recorders, steel band, Indian music group and African drumming. Sports activities include participation in netball, football, cricket and athletics in inter-school tournaments and cup competitions. Field trips and visits to museums are regular features and include a visit to a Halle Concert at the Bridgewater Hall, Victorians at Castlefields, Egyptians at the Manchester museum, history tour of Chester and local arts festivals. Visits to the ‘Crucial Crew’, comprising members of the emergency services and railways, promote health and safety issues. Links with the community are well established by reciprocal visits by representatives of the many different cultures represented in the school. In addition, the music groups perform at community festivals and events including the involvement of Year 6 over the

p.16

PUPILS?

past six years in the annual Manchester Arts Festival. The Year 6 group will be involved in the performance of ‘The Tempest’ as a part of the Year 2000 Festival. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 17 32. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is good but a particular strength of the school is its provision for cultural development.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. The school’s ethos statement accurately reflects its provision to thoughtfully nurture the promotion of spiritual values that represent its rich cultural, secular and religious intake. The school actively promotes equality of opportunity irrespective of race, culture, religion, gender, class or ability and is developing an inclusive community where spiritual values of caring, respecting and achieving underpin the curriculum.

p.17

PUPILS?

34. A strong sense of morality pervades the school and pupils have a good sense of right and wrong. They are aware of the responsibility they have for their own actions and show a concern for the well being of others. Opportunities are provided in religious education, geography, history and English to explore moral issues. Themes in assemblies reinforce these. The school’s code of conduct and theme for the week are usually displayed in the classroom and in the main corridor.

p.17

PUPILS?

35. Pupils develop good social skills as they move through the school. All staff provide good role models for pupils. Pupils recognise the expectation made of them in behaviour and, on the whole, respond in a positive manner. Their understanding of good citizenship is well developed by fund-raising, litter campaigns and the operation of the school council which meets to make recommendations on a wide range of matters affecting the school. Pupils take responsibility to perform tasks in the classroom.

p.17

PUPILS?

36. The quality of provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. In a community in which there are many different cultures every effort is made to accommodate important festivals. A display in the entrance corridor emphasises this with reference to Martin Luther King, Anna Frank, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Eid-ul-Fitr, Easter and Christmas. The musical activities reinforce positive attitudes and the study of Black history raises important issues of slavery, segregation and apartheid. Visits to the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Archive at the University of Manchester enable pupils to learn about a the contribution of black people to British, European and American development. The school has sponsored an artist in residence, Kim Boyle. Pupils are regularly involved in a range of dance performances, both in the school and in the community, such as Indian dance and African socca dancing. Visual and performing arts activities contribute

p.17

PUPILS?

significantly to pupils’ personal and cultural development.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The overall procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are satisfactory. Pupils are all well known and treated with care and sensitivity. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and provided for. This is equally so for pupils with English as an additional language. Generally health and safety procedures are satisfactory. There is an appropriate health and safety policy and day-to-day practice is good, but risk assessments have not been carried out fully. The caretaking staff work hard to maintain a clean and safe environment. Despite this there are some areas of the school building and site that require attention. The school site has been vandalised. This has resulted in the destruction of the nursery veranda and damage to the nursery fencing and the outdoor drinking fountain, leaving pupils without ready access to fresh drinking water. This matter was raised by parents at the pre-inspection

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

meeting. The arrangements for child protection are good. There is an appropriate policy and written guidance for all staff which is in accordance with the local area Child Protection Committee. The level of knowledge and awareness amongst all the staff is good and the school maintains a close relationship with specialist agencies should the St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 18 need arise.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Arrangements for monitoring and supporting pupils' personal development are effective. The school has produced a policy for the development of pupils' personal, social and health education and citizenship (PHSE) in line with National Curriculum 2000 requirements. Teachers know their pupils well and respond positively to their needs. In planning for PHSE, the school focuses on a theme for the week, friendship and caring being the theme during the week of the inspection. ‘Circle time’ gives an opportunity for pupils to share feelings and experiences in a group situation. Procedures are now in place to make end-of-year comments within the annual report to parents on pupils’ achievements in their personal development; these are included in pupils' individual profiles alongside their academic achievements and information records. These records which are built up from nursery through to Year 6 are shared with parents

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress are satisfactory overall. In the nursery, a baseline assessment is carried out seven weeks into the first term and then formal screening is conducted in the reception class. These give the opportunity for teachers to plot progress and to set individual targets. In addition to the statutory national tests for seven and eleven year old pupils, the school uses a range of standardised and optional assessment tests in the core subjects of English and mathematics. Recently acquired assessment tests for science will give additional support to this area of monitoring and assessing pupils' progress. The school is very active in its analysis of pupils' achievements and following all testing, differences in standards with respect to gender, ethnicity, special educational needs, attendance and the transient nature of its pupils are recorded. Good use is made of this analysis to

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

inform planning and to set future targets for groups and individual pupils. The school has identified that female pupils need to have a better access to scientific enquiry in science lessons and have made plans for them to achieve this. In monitoring overall achievement in subject areas, teachers base their day-to-day assessments on three grades of expectation against specific learning objectives. In the non-core subjects assessments are not always linked to National Curriculum levels of attainment.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are good. The teachers are consistent in their use of praise and reward. Special assemblies celebrate good work and behaviour. The school maintains a weekly theme which is carefully linked to the schools Mission Statement. During the inspection the theme was ‘caring and friendship’. The weekly theme is supported and promoted well in assemblies, displays in the classrooms and personal and social education lessons. The well-structured system of rewards and sanctions provides pupils with clear messages about unacceptable behaviour. School rules are well understood by all. Any incidents that occur are dealt with appropriately and with the involvement of parents at an early stage. The school has identified a need to update the behaviour policy and to convey its contents to parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory. The school meets statutory requirements and the administrative arrangements are efficient. Attendance is monitored and where attendance causes concern the Education Welfare Officer is involved. There are some inconsistencies in the completion of registers which may lead to inaccuracies in the reporting of attendance information. Recent initiatives to improve attendance and punctuality have included the use of certificates to reward good attendance and punctuality. Other strategies have been used and considerable improvement in punctuality has been achieved recently. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 19

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Overall parents and carers are satisfied with what the school provides and achieves. They are appreciative of the education provided for their children. Parents are pleased that their children like school and the approachability of the staff. They feel that their children are making good progress and are expected to work hard. Many parents feel that the school is especially good at raising the self-esteem of all the pupils and celebrating the diverse cultures represented in school. Some parents have expressed concern about the amount of homework provided, the way the school works with parents, the information about how their child is getting on and the provision for activities outside lessons. Arrangements for homework, which are usually for English and mathematics, are satisfactory. However, the school policy is not known by parents and is not informed by the national guidance about homework in primary schools. The

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

school does not have a home/school agreement as is required. The school reports to parents annually about the pupil’s achievements but the amount of detail is restricted by the format of the report.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents is good. Parents are welcomed into school and they find the staff to be approachable and responsive. Parents are invited to regular assemblies and to school performances. They can gain insight into their children’s learning through family events centred around different areas of the curriculum. Communication with families for whom English is an additional language is good and is well supported by the members of staff that speak a variety of different languages.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The impact of parents’ involvement on the work of the school is satisfactory. Some parents are able to offer help in the classrooms, with extra curricular clubs or with the playgroup. School events and fund-raisers are well supported and there is a successful Parents and Staff Association. A variety of fund raising and social events are held for both pupils and parents. Funds raised provide the school with welcome additional resources.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The quality of the information provided for parents is satisfactory overall. The school brochure and newsletters are well written and keep parents well informed about the life of the school. There are useful booklets which provide guidance on supporting learning at home and topic information is conveyed regularly. The governors’ annual report to parents does not include all the information that is required by regulations. Information about pupils’ work and progress is conveyed through consultation events and in annual written reports about pupils’ achievements. The information they give does reflect a good knowledge of the individual pupil and provides good guidance for improvement. Pupils’ comments are included in the annual report and show that they have an understanding of their achievements. Some parents have expressed a wish to be better informed about their children’s progress and achievements.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The need to update the Homework policy has been identified by the school. Parents have expressed a wish for greater understanding of the schools policy and provision in order that they might provide better support at home.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. St Margaret’s is led well by the acting headteacher and senior staff for the benefit of all its pupils. The school is successful in ensuring that all pupils achieve academically and in their personal development from the very low starting point many have in their English St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 20 and mathematics basic skills development when they enter this school. The governing body has recently adopted a school ethos statement which reflects the rich cultural, secular and religious intake. Everyone is given equality of opportunity, irrespective of race, culture, religion, class or gender. This approach maximises and develops the strength of St Margaret’s Church of England foundation, namely to grow as an inclusive school community where the spiritual values of caring, respecting and achieving are promoted. The school has maintained the Investors In People standard. The standard was re-awarded in 1999.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The acting headteacher has during her short time in this post taken a lead in formally monitoring and evaluating whether all pupils are doing as well as they can, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. She has created a culture of improvement which is informed effectively by the use of performance data on a national and local level alongside ethnic and gender monitoring of the school’s own performance. The emphasis is on promoting high standards and improving teaching and learning. The monitoring and evaluation of school performance, where strengths and weaknesses are identified and effective action is taken to secure improvements, is working very well. Most pupils on entry to the nursery have little competency in the basic skills of reading, writing, speaking or listening in English. In their mathematical skills, although most of the pupils are well below average, a small percentage have some

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

developing confidence in using numbers. By the time the pupils leave the school at the age of eleven most have achieved good standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science relative to their attainment on entry. When compared with similar schools based on the free school meals eligibility St Margaret's comes high up in English. This is of particular significance given that two thirds of the pupils are identified as having English as an additional language. The school is very successful in improving the attainment and personal development of all its pupils including those with special educational needs and those of minority ethnic groups. The school has an equal opportunities policy which is outdated and does not now represent all that is planned for and promoted in regard to educational inclusion. The school pays systematic attention to the achievements of all pupils whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, attainment and

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

background. Targets to improve further equality of opportunity are identified within the current Year 2000-2001 school improvement plan.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The governing body provides good support on a regular basis across the school. They are formally designated to subject areas and are now involved in monitoring teaching and learning through class visits, working with subject co-ordinators and using assessment data as a means of informing feasible targets related to each of the Year 6 groups. The acting headteacher has sought to inform the governors of national and local developments and to extend their understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This is an improvement on the last inspection when a key issue was that the governing body was not sufficiently involved in monitoring standards and the quality of education provided. The whole governing body meets each month. When required, committees are formed for admissions, staffing and discipline. The governing body fulfils most of its statutory responsibilities. There are omissions in the ICT curriculum

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and swimming is not provided in Key Stage 2, there are some health and safety matters to attend to including conducting full risk assessments as required, and not all of the statutory information is given in the governors’ annual report to parents. A number of the recommendations in the audit report of 1998 have not been acted upon. The governors’ role in shaping the school is better than in 1996, but there is no strategic development plan which gives priorities for development supported by the school’s financial planning. The yearly school improvement plan is unwieldy and not easy to access without page numbers and contents. There is no formal review at the end of the financial year as to whether the identified success criteria have been met or not in each of the sections St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 21 documented for improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. There is a good structure and flow of information internally. Relationships between all staff are a strength of this school. Senior staff have a good understanding of their delegated responsibilities and carry them out positively.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Appraisal was in place until the end of the former appraisal arrangements. A draft policy is under discussion for performance management. The school has good systems in place for meeting its targets and for monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching. There is a shared commitment to improvement despite many staffing changes since the last inspection. The match of teachers and support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum has fluctuated considerably, in particular over the past two years, including long and shorter-term staff illnesses and leave. As a consequence, there are a number of teaching staff working in an acting capacity including the substantive deputy head who has been the acting headteacher for five terms. Throughout this time all new staff have received supportive induction including newly qualified teachers and they all feel from the outset very much a part of the life of the school. The school has an established

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

relationship with Manchester Metropolitan University and trainee teachers are a welcomed regular contributor to the work of the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school’s provision for pupils with English as an additional language is very good. The Ethnic Minority Assessment Service (EMAS) team leader provides effective leadership and management. There is very good teamwork between the EMAS staff, the class teachers, professionals from other agencies, voluntary bodies and parents. The EMAS policy document is comprehensive and extensive records are kept. The special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) provides good leadership and the Code of Practice is administered as required. However, there is insufficient time made available for the SENCO to monitor the teaching and learning for those pupils with special educational needs.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The accommodation is adequate for the curriculum provided. The caretaker and his staff work hard to ensure that the building, a former secondary school, is clean and maintained. They are fully aware of where improvements are needed both building inside and outside. Full risk assessments have not been conducted. Although the school is four floors high it has no lift for pupils with physical disabilities. The school uses new technologies including computers for monitoring attendance, assessment records and analysis and administration purposes. Day-to-day administration is informed well and is efficient. The school administrator is very effective in regard to responding to all manner of needs, thus enabling teachers to concentrate on their work. The school within its current one-year improvement plan recognises the need to document budget commitments against the areas of action to be taken but many of the

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

sections are incomplete. The school has been in deficit for several years until recently. This is largely due to the falling roll, long-term staff absences and the cost of providing teacher supply cover. The school makes appropriate use of its available resources. There is a carry forward of 11 per cent of the budget from the last financial year as a result of an increasing roll. The school has held this in contingency until the permanent appointment of a headteacher. This funding will be directed to improving the accommodation and learning resources, including ICT provision and outdoor play equipment for nursery and reception children to use. The library is not used to its full capacity due to the limitations of its opening hours, and the new ICT suite is underused. Updated information is provided on a monthly basis to the governing body about the finances of the school. The recommendations of the last audit report of 1998 were not

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

fully acted upon. The standards fund grants are scheduled to be used for the required initiatives in Year 2000 /01. The Ethnic Minorities and Traveller Achievement Grant St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 22 (EMTAG) provides additional support for pupils from ethnic minority communities. The Ethnic Minorities Achievement Service team of two work closely with the school in making specific provision through targeted support for pupils qualifying for this additional support as a means of raising achievements and/or language skills. This provision includes developing pupils’ English language and literacy skills and in encouraging the use of a pupil’s first language so as to improve access to the national curriculum. In this they are very successful as the national curriculum test results show. For example, when comparing the attainment by the age of 11 of those pupils in the Year 2000 group, with all other designated EMTAG schools in the Manchester LEA the school’s test

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

results were nine per cent higher than the LEA’s overall trend for those gaining Level 4 or higher in both English and mathematics. Good use is made by the senior staff to compare standards and costs with those of other schools and tenders are sought for services and supplies as required as a means of applying best value principles. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 23

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

54. The specific matters which the governing body, headteacher and staff should include in the school’s post-inspection action are listed as issues for action in order of importance as a means of developing the school further through school improvement and the raising of standards.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Determine and document a strategic development plan which gives clear long-term school priorities and share this more widely as a part of school review and consultation with parents and the community. (Paragraphs 49, 53, 124, 133, 134)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the quality and presentation of the yearly school improvement plan and, as a part of school development planning, formally review whether the actions identified in the yearly plan have been met and assess whether the financial and other resources committed to these actions have improved educational outcomes. (Paragraphs 49, 53)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise standards in information and communication technology by fully implementing the National Curriculum for information and communication technology as planned. Provide training to increase teachers’ knowledge of the Year 2000 revised ICT National Curriculum programmes of study and the methods and organisational strategies to teach the subject more effectively throughout the school following national guidance. (Paragraphs 10, 13, 23, 27, 29, 49, 53, 83, 92, 111, 116, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 132)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Introduce a home/school agreement and parental declaration as is required based on the Department for Education and Employment guidance for schools following consultation with all parents and carers including details as to what the school expectations are in regard to regular and punctual attendance. (Paragraphs 19, 41)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Increase levels of attendance and reduce the rate of unauthorised absence in accordance with the school’s formal procedures for monitoring and improving attendance by ensuring that all parents support regular attendance of their children and that they are fully aware of their responsibility for ensuring that all children of compulsory school age attend on a regular basis and that they are responsible for notifying the school if their child cannot attend. (Paragraphs 19, 41)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Fully provide swimming activities and water safety as a part of the physical education curriculum requirements so that by the end of Key Stage 2 pupils attain the expected standard in their swimming and water safety knowledge. (Paragraphs 10, 27, 49, 143)

p.23

improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

• Extend the breadth of study in design and technology so that all pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 have the opportunity as is required in the revised National Curriculum 2000 to design and made products using food. (Paragraphs 27, 111) St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 24 • Ensure that the policy for assessment is consistently applied throughout the school in regard to formally assessing pupils’ progress in the non-core subjects of the National Curriculum. (Paragraphs 24, 39, 116, 123, 131)

p.23

improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

• Fully address the recommendations made in the audit report. (Paragraphs 53)

p.24

improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

• Attend to the health and safety issues raised during the inspection and conduct full risk assessments. (Paragraphs 37, 49, 53)

p.24

improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

• Ensure that all statutory information is given in the governors’ annual report to parents and that all parents are made aware of the full range of extra-curricular activities that take place over the time pupils are at this school. (Paragraphs 31, 42, 45, 49)

p.24

improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

• Review the arrangements for choir practice so that all pupils in Years 3 and 4 have their full entitlement to the mathematics curriculum. (Paragraphs 30, 92)

p.24

improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

• Promote the use of the library as a means of developing reading and research skills and review the times that it is open. (Paragraphs 11, 53, 73, 82)

p.24

improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

• Improve the provision for outdoor play as planned for pupils in the nursery and reception classes. (Paragraphs 37, 53, 64)

p.24

improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

• Review the homework policy, informed by the national guidelines for primary schools on homework. (Paragraphs 26, 42, 46)

p.24

improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

The school has recognised in its Year 2000/2001 improvement plan the need to improve the teaching and learning in ICT. The school is aware that the yearly improvement plan is unwieldy and is in need of improvement so as to make it an accessible working document. The school has targeted pupils’ punctuality and attendance as a priority again this year and a target of 94 per cent has been set by the governing body in conjunction with the local education authority. Actions are in place to develop and improve the school’s health and safety systems. There is a comprehensive recently revised assessment, recording and reporting policy which gives clear guidance on how it is to be implemented and monitored, as a means of using all assessment information to raise standards and monitor equality of opportunity. Funding has been identified in the Year 2000-2001 to improve the outdoor play provision for children in the foundation stage of the curriculum.

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 44

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) 57 263

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 115

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 3

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 62

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 191

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 83

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 47

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.25

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St. Margaret’s CE 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 2000 (1999) (27) (17) (44)

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 11 (17) 11 (20) 12 (17) Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 (11) 11 (14) 14 (16)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 67 (64) 67 (77) 79 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 (16) 12 (18) 12 (18) Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 (14) 14 (15) 12 (16)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 70 (68) 79 (75) 73 (77) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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 2000 (1999) (32) (23) (55)

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 18 (19) 14 (19) 17 (21) Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 (15) 11 (8) 14 (13)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (62) 69 (49) 86 (62) 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 12 (17) 14 (21) 15 (27) Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 (14) 8 (13) 11 (14)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 58 (56) 61 (62) 72 (75) 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. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 27

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 3 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 10 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 15 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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) 14 Financial year 1999-2000

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.9:1

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 590,367

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1,923.02

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 180 Balance brought forward from previous year 50,352

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 66,503

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) 2

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.5:1

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 28

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 32 54 10 1 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 40 12 4 6

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 19 47 19 10 4

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 32 36 16 12 4

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 49 40 6 3 1

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 37 44 7 3 9

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 32 37 12 15 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 29 39 12 12 8

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 33 39 8 8 11

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 30 36 11 9 13 St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 29

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Children enter the nursery at the age of three years. They transfer to the reception class at the beginning of the autumn or spring terms. At the time of the inspection 55 children attended the nursery full-time. Twenty-two children attended the reception class full- time.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. When children start in the nursery their achievements vary widely but are generally well below the levels expected for their age. Many are at the early stage of acquiring English. While several have gained considerable independence, others are experiencing life away from their families for the first time. Parents are welcome to attend sessions with the children and are encouraged to become partners with the school in their children’s education. During their time in the nursery, children make good or very good progress in everything they do. As a result, with the exception of communication, language and literacy development, most of the children by the time they are ready to start in Year 1, attain the early learning goals in personal, social, emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. In the nursery, the quality of teaching is very good in regard to the six areas of learning: personal, social emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. In the reception class the quality of teaching is satisfactory in each of the six areas of learning. In general, children in the foundation stage get a very good start to their education. This is a similar picture to the previous inspection.

p.29

Personal, social and emotional development

58. By the time children leave the reception class they are achieving the early learning goals in this area of their work. Personal, social and emotional development are very strong features of all planned activities. With very good support and guidance, children settle quickly into the nursery’s routines and clearly enjoy friendships with each other and with adults. Teachers and support staff are patient and understanding. They explain instructions clearly so that children know exactly what is expected of them and, as a result, there is usually a purposeful working atmosphere in the nursery. Teachers in the nursery encourage children to be independent. For example, they are encouraged to find their name card and to place it on the picture of their chosen activity at the start of a free choice session. Children show how safe they feel in the nursery when they approach unfamiliar adults with invitations to look at their work or to give an opinion on

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Personal, social and emotional development

how soapy the doll’s hair is in the bath. Reception children know the rules and routines of the classroom and most follow the conventions of discussion by taking turns and remembering not to call out. They sit quietly and enjoy assemblies in the hall, eat their meals sensibly in the dining room and play happily with their friends at break. They quickly learn to get ready for physical education without help and to tidy equipment away after they have completed their work. No unfriendly behaviour was seen in either the nursery or reception class and children treat toys and books with care. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 30

p.29

Communication, Language and Literacy

59. By the time the children end the reception year their skills in the areas of communication, language and literacy are much lower than average for their age. Teachers and support staff in the nursery have a thorough knowledge of how to develop early language in everything children do. They make very good use of role play, puppets and games. They talk to the children during their activities and intervene very supportively in role-play to develop children’s language skills. Children learn to listen attentively in small groups to the interesting activities planned by teachers, particularly to stories or activities such as copying rhythms made by their teacher during singing. As a result of teachers providing many opportunities for discussions, children extend their vocabulary while in the nursery. However, because of their poor English language skills, many still have a long way to go before they talk about themselves or their work with

p.30

Communication, Language and Literacy

confidence. Reception children listen carefully to stories and discussions that capture their interest and respond willingly to questions albeit with short phrases or single word answers. The school’s bi-lingual support assistants put their skills to good use in the foundation stage. As a result, children who encounter difficulties with language, receive effective help for their learning.

p.30

Communication, Language and Literacy

60. Children in the nursery have good access to a range of books and enjoy sharing them with an adult or a friend. Most children recognise their own name and have the opportunity to read it each day. Higher and average attaining children in the reception class use the pictures to tell the story of a book they have practised reading with their teacher. Although their English language skills are restricted, this represents good progress towards the levels of reading expected of five-year-olds, and is supported effectively by the teacher in the frequent opportunities provided for pupils to share books with adults. All children take books home on a regular basis which further promotes their interest in reading.

p.30

Communication, Language and Literacy

61. A lot of hard work goes on in both nursery and reception classes to ensure that children have sufficient understanding of the names and sounds of letters to enable them to write independently. Writing areas in both classes are popular with children who write notes and letters to their families and friends. By writing for the whole class, the reception teacher successfully demonstrates how writing works. Because children are given many opportunities to put writing into practice, by the time they are five, the brightest children write short sentences without help. Less capable children experiment with writing and copy sentences they have dictated for an adult to write. A weakness exists in planning for literacy when teacher expectations of what reception children can do are too low and activities are sometimes repeated unnecessarily.

p.30

Mathematical development

62. Most children are achieving the early learning goals in this area of their work. Carefully planned activities and daily opportunities to count and use mathematical language help children in the nursery to make very good progress in understanding number. Teachers in the nursery and reception class make learning mathematics fun. Enjoyable activities, such as singing and performing the actions to number rhymes give children an understanding of adding and taking away. This is reinforced by the good use of number games. While playing a subtraction game with their teacher, children in the nursery understand take away and how many left as they remove the correct number of leaves from their card and successfully count how many remain. The stimulating resources children use in the nursery fruit shop to add and subtract money give them realistic access to shopping. Practical activities, such as feeling the corners and sides of

p.30

Mathematical development

objects, help children identify common shapes such as circle and square and learn the St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 31 difference between in, on, under and behind as Spot the Dog is positioned with his box. By the time they are five, average attaining children in reception add numbers totalling less than ten and subtract from five, while the more able use numbers to twenty. Less able children work with numbers to five. However, as with literacy, the teacher’s expectations of what children can do are too low in the reception class.

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

63. Teachers plan a very good range of activities and opportunities to widen children’s knowledge of the world. They build on their basic general knowledge and by the end of the reception year they are nearly all achieving the early learning goals in this area of their work. Through water play they explore the properties of floating and sinking and know that wet sand can be moulded into shapes. Nursery children visit the local park at regular intervals during the year and use their senses to note the changes in the trees and plants. This helps them to understand about the seasons and their effect on the environment. In scientific investigations, pupils in reception enjoy using their sense of taste to identify salt, sugar and flour, and to decide their preferences when tasting fruit. Children make good progress when using constructional materials to make models. As children in the nursery become familiar with the computer, they develop early skills with

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

the mouse and use it to move objects around the screen, for example, to dress a teddy. This learning is consolidated and extended as children practise their information and communication technology skills in reception, for example, by using computer software to decorate a vase.

p.31

Physical development

64. Good teaching of physical development in the nursery ensures that children become adept at using pencils, paintbrushes and scissors. Teachers plan plenty of opportunities for children to work with coloured play dough, which they roll, squeeze, push and kneed into shape, for example, when making leaves. When playing outside and during physical education lessons they alter direction successfully to avoid bumping into one another. During an indoor movement lesson, an effective demonstration by their teacher helped children in reception to move with confidence and control as they interpreted the movements of Little Miss Muffet and the spider. The children hold scissors correctly and they cut paper and are careful not to spill glue. Opportunities for physical development outside the nursery are restricted due to a lack of resources such as large or wheeled equipment. The school is aware of the deficiencies in its provision for

p.31

Physical development

outdoor play for children in the foundation stage. This is a priority area for development in the Year 2000-2001 school improvement plan.

p.31

Creative development

65. By the time the children end reception year they are nearly all achieving the early learning goals. In the nursery they achieve very well in the music aspect of their creative development and make very good progress as a result of the high quality of the teaching. Teachers provide many activities where they can explore colour, texture and shape and ensure that they are taught skills such as mixing paint. They observe patterns and colours in the environment, for example, leaves turning brown, orange and red in the autumn and represent this through printing. They enjoy singing simple songs, distinguish between loud and soft sounds and play a range of percussion instruments. Because of their teacher’s good demonstration, children accurately beat the rhythm to nursery songs. Reception children’s enjoyment of music is apparent as they sing enthusiastically during assemblies. They know how to engage in imaginative play, for

p.31

Creative development

example, when pretending to be a teacher or in the role of hairdresser. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 32 66. Very good organisation of the available space results in a nursery which is attractive and exciting. The good use of furniture keeps areas discrete. In both the nursery and reception, display is colourful and available for the children to interact. It includes good examples of children’s work. A strength of the teaching in the foundation stage is the way teachers assess what children can do. Detailed records of each child’s achievements help parents to measure progress. Plans to review the policy for the foundation stage to ensure a match with the new Year 2000 early learning goals places the school in a good position to maintain standards.

p.31

ENGLISH

67. The large majority of pupils enter Key Stage 1 with well below average skills in all areas of communication, language and literacy. Despite the good progress made in Key Stage 1, standards of attainment in reading by the time pupils are seven remains well below average. This is reflected in the 2000 end of Key Stage 1 national test results where reading was well below the national average in comparison with all schools and below average when compared with similar schools based on free school meals eligibility. The test results also reveal that the standard of attainment in pupils’ writing at the age of seven is well below the national average and is below average when compared with similar schools.

p.32

ENGLISH

68. Pupils’ attainment in English by the end of Key Stage 2, as reflected in the Year 2000 National Curriculum tests is above the national average. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ results are very high and in this most recent year this places the school in the top five per cent nationally. Strategies for this improvement include booster teaching time for all pupils in Year 6, and the rigorous tracking of the rate of progress made, so as to ensure that pupils reached their full potential. The school exceeded the end of Key Stage 2 target set for English by the governing body for the Year 2000 group by 15 per cent more pupils attaining Level 4 or higher.

p.32

ENGLISH

69. Standards achieved by pupils must be set in context of the school’s high mobility rate with many pupils arriving at and leaving the school throughout both key stages. Attainment is also very much influenced by the very significant number of pupils for whom English is an additional language. By the beginning of Key Stage 2 most pupils use English as their main language to access and understand the curriculum, with their first or community language being a very important dimension of their social and cultural identity.

p.32

ENGLISH

70. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills upon entry are low, with many pupils having limited exposure to the English language at home. It takes some time for many pupils to develop good listening skills, with a number of pupils having low levels of concentration. This improves as pupils become more able to understand what their teachers are saying and what is expected of them in their work. Teachers and support staff uses good open-ended questions to promote oral skills. Though many seven-year olds are able to talk to their teachers and friends in a reasonably confident manner, a significant number of pupils lack the confidence and ability to talk in clear extended sentences in anything like a formal situation. Attainment in speaking and listening skills at the end of Key Stage 1 remains well below average.

p.32

ENGLISH

71. Many pupils develop satisfactory English oral skills as they move through Key Stage 2. Some still lack the confidence and ability to organise their thoughts and ideas in a logical and structured manner, and speak on their own to an audience of their friends. With the exception of an assembly where pupils were engaged in simple role-play, all oral St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 33 activities observed during the period of the inspection came about as a result of pupils’ responses to teachers’ questions at the beginning and end of lessons. Increased opportunities need to be found to explore speaking and listening as a discrete attainment target within the English curriculum.

p.32

ENGLISH

72. Many pupils, in particular those with English as an additional language, and this refers to the majority of pupils, arrive at school with a very limited knowledge of books. Although class teachers, EMAS teachers and classroom assistants use a satisfactory range of strategies and phonics skills to promote reading, the large majority of pupils take some time in developing the phonic and de-coding skills required to make them fluent readers by the time they are seven. Even when pupils are able to string words together in order to make sentences, they often have limited reading comprehension skills and find it difficult to talk about the content of the books they are reading.

p.33

ENGLISH

73. The school has an effective home-school reading scheme with good support being provided by many parents. Despite the fact that many pupils make satisfactory progress in their reading, attainment in reading for pupils at seven remains well below average.

p.33

ENGLISH

74. Attainment in reading improves as pupils move through Key Stage 2, with most pupils becoming independent readers by the end of Year 4. Guided reading is used in an effective manner to help pupils to develop their reading skills and their ability to read for understanding. Opportunities are also found for pupils to engage in silent reading activities. Teachers provide pupils with the chance to read a good range of reading materials, including pre-twentieth century poetry and prose and literature from other countries and traditions. This enables above average and average pupils to make good progress throughout the key stage and achieve reading standards in line with their chronological age. However a number of pupils, in particular those for whom English is an additional language, and those with special educational needs, continue to have problems in de-coding complex words, and find it difficult to talk about the characters,

p.33

ENGLISH

storylines and issues in the books they are reading.

p.33

ENGLISH

75. Standards of writing for seven year olds are well below average. Pupils have limited writing experiences prior to entering full time education and take some time in developing appropriate letter formation and writing skills. Although most pupils eventually become independent writers by the time they are seven, the quality of written work, including handwriting and presentation, is extremely variable. By the end of Key Stage 1 most pupils have an understanding of the use of capital letters and full stops and can use them in practice. Few pupils are able to use more complex punctuation skills, and written work is often being somewhat brief and lacking in consistency in terms of the use of grammar and spelling.

p.33

ENGLISH

76. Opportunities are provided for pupils to make satisfactory and often good progress in their writing skills as they move through Key Stage 2. Although teachers in Years 3 and 4 provide pupils with an interesting range of writing activities, there is an over-emphasis on the development of isolated basic English skills which are not always appropriate to the needs of the pupils. Whilst the significant number of comprehension activities undergone by pupils in Years 3 and 4 provide pupils with those skills required for later national assessment tasks, they often only require brief responses and do little to challenge potentially more able pupils.

p.33

ENGLISH

77. The range and quality of the English curriculum improves in Years 5 and 6 with pupils being able to write for a range of purposes, in different styles and with a specific audience in mind. The good range of reading experiences is used as a good stimulus for writing activities. Although pupils explore factual and media materials, much of St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 34 pupils’ written work comes about as a response to poetry and stories read in class. Opportunity for pupils to write in a factual manner remains an area for development. Whilst additional time is set aside for pupils to engage in extended writing, a significant number of pupils still find it difficult to write at length in any real depth and detail. Though pupils regularly plan their writing activities, there are limited opportunities for pupils to draft and re-draft their work. As a result of this, opportunities are lost for teachers to use

p.33

ENGLISH

this valuable strategy to support less able pupils and to truly extend the potentially more able.

p.34

ENGLISH

78. The majority of pupils in both key stages approach their work in a committed and interested manner. Behaviour in lessons is generally good. Examples of unacceptable behaviour are quickly dealt with by staff. Occasionally a minority of pupils, both boys and girls, approach the literacy hour in a passive manner, and contribute little to their own learning. When this occurs it is not always actively challenged by teachers.

p.34

ENGLISH

79. The quality of teaching in both key stages is good. Teachers have responded well to the demands of the National Literacy Strategy and use the literacy hour in an effective manner. Lessons are always well planned and organised, with pupils having a clear understanding of the lesson objectives and what they should achieve by the end of the lesson. There is a good balance between whole class shared reading and writing activities, and individual and group activities. The plenary session where the lesson is drawn together at the end is used to good effect, to share and celebrate pupils’ achievement, as well as assessing their knowledge and understanding. Good working relationships exist between teachers and support staff and between adults and pupils. Whilst it is the school policy to provide pupils with work to three levels of ability, this policy is inconsistent in practice and on occasions pupils were observed working on the

p.34

ENGLISH

same activity immaterial of their ability. Teachers correct pupils’ work regularly and apply encouraging comments. However, pupils do not correct their own errors and opportunities are lost for pupils to learn through their own mistakes. All pupils have clear targets for improvement in the inside cover of their books.

p.34

ENGLISH

80. Support for pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs is good with these pupils making good progress throughout both key stages

p.34

ENGLISH

81. Where teaching is good teachers demonstrate a personal enthusiasm for the work in hand and high expectations of pupils. They provide challenging individual and group activities, which match the needs and abilities of pupils and are closely linked to the shared reading and writing activity. All this produces an active and rigorous working environment in which pupils work willingly and hard to please their teachers and to fulfil the objective of the lesson. This was observed on a number of occasions.

p.34

ENGLISH

82. The large majority of lessons are teacher led with limited opportunities for pupils to develop independent learning skills. This is not helped by the limited access that pupils have to the school library.

p.34

ENGLISH

83. There is a policy for the subject with the school using the National Literacy Strategy documentation as its scheme of work. Teachers in parallel classes produce satisfactory medium and short-term plans. This promotes progress and the continuous development of pupils skills across years and key stages. Pupils explore moral and cultural issues in their English work. Good attention is given to the appreciation of poetry and literature from different cultures and traditions. There is only a limited use of ICT to support learning in English. Pupils do not have sufficient planned opportunities to St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 35 improve and develop their word processing or reference skills.

p.34

ENGLISH

84. The subject uses a very good range of targeting and assessment procedures to support pupils in their learning. The subject is led by an enthusiastic and well-informed co- ordinator who is aware of a number of the issues in this report, and is taking appropriate steps to rectify them. Once these areas for development are embedded in practice the school will be in a strong position to move forward. Improvement since the last inspection is good. This is particularly notable by the end of Key Stage 2 in the standards attained in English.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

85. Standards in mathematics in the Year 2000 end of Key Stage 1 National Curriculum tests are well below the national average when compared with all schools and they are below average when compared with similar schools based on free school meals eligibility. The trend in pupils’ results at Key Stage 1 over recent years has been downward.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

86. In year 2000, by the end of Key Stage 2, in the national curriculum tests, the pupils’ performance is well below the national average in comparison with all schools and it is broadly average in comparison with schools in similar contexts using free school meals data. In the end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests, the percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 or above in 2000 shows an improvement on the previous year (1999). The performance of the pupils shows a rise of 20 per cent at Level 4 or above. In 2000, 69 per cent of pupils gained Level 4 or above as against 49 per cent in 1999. The school exceeded its set target for the number of pupils gaining Level 4 or above in 2000 by four per cent.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

87. Since the last inspection there have been fluctuations in standards attained by the pupils but, although there is evidence that the school is recovering from a low, there is no overall improvement at Key Stage 1. The inspection findings show pupils are achieving standards below the national average. At Key Stage 2 results show that standards have improved over the same period. There is no significant difference in the performances of girls and boys. Targets set by the governing body for 2001 appear realistic and achievable based on the analyses of pupils individual progress linked to their prior attainment levels carried out from entry to the school up to Year 5.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

88. By the end of the Key Stage 1, pupils cover all strands of the curriculum and are developing their mathematical vocabulary. Simple calculations are carried out satisfactorily and pupils are able to add and subtract single figures to tens and units, count on and back in tens. Pupils in Year 2 can identify multiples of 2 and 5 and add on in patterns of 2, 3, 5 and 10. They use a variety of strategies in their mental calculations including doubling and adding ten and plus or minus one for operations involving eleven and nine respectively. They can count up to 20 objects and beyond and are able to tell the time by half and quarter hours reinforcing other activities in simple fractions. They study number patterns and sequences and can readily identify odd and even numbers. They can name regular two and three dimensional shapes and are familiar with corners, faces etc. There are strong links with art through work on reflective symmetry and the

p.35

MATHEMATICS

creation of pictures from geometric shapes. Tallying activities lead to some good work in data handling based on weather, birthdays and favourite foods. Sorting activities extend to science and design technology, giving opportunities for links across the curriculum. Clearly, the strength is in the number work. Other areas, most particularly investigations and data handling remain underdeveloped. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 36 89. Inspection findings show that attainment is becoming closer to average by the end of Key Stage 2. The majority of pupils have a good knowledge of multiplication tables and are making good progress in number. In oral and mental activities they develop strategies for calculations. They can order 4 digit numbers, count on and back in variable amounts through zero. They are familiar with different ways of multiplying large numbers including grids and experience with Napier’s rods. Most pupils work

p.35

MATHEMATICS

successfully with vulgar and decimal fractions, understand ratio and proportion. They use standard and non standard units effectively, measure and calculate perimeters and construct three dimensional shapes using a variety of materials. Investigation and problem solving activities include the design and evaluation of suitable nets for cubes. Other geometric work, however, is limited and further attention is needed in exploring the properties of triangles, angles, perpendicular and parallel lines. Data handling and tallying activities cover bar and pie charts but opportunities to use computer software to promote the comparison of graphical displays and their interpretation are not taken.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

90. The progress in the pupils' learning is good overall, particularly in the development of skills, knowledge and the use of key vocabulary with older pupils in Key Stage 2. The daily class sessions of mental arithmetic and problem solving activities are effective in helping pupils to rehearse and apply knowledge. The grouping of pupils in the mixed age classes promotes opportunities for further differentiation of tasks to meet the needs of all pupils. Generally pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress, with the support of classroom assistants, and they are integrated into the activities of the class as appropriate. Pupils with English as an additional language are given specific help by classroom assistants and also by their peers who often act as translators.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

91. Overall the quality of teaching is good in both key stages. The teaching observed ranged from very good to unsatisfactory. The better teaching mainly occurs in Key Stage 1 and with the older classes of Key Stage 2. All teachers are teaching according to the structure and principles of the numeracy strategy. The more successful lessons have greater pace and the attention of the teacher is more equally divided between the ability groups in the group tasks. There is a strong emphasis on promoting investigatory methods of learning but where the foundations are not carefully prepared there is less success in the learning. In particular, for extending higher attaining pupils. In the plenary sessions where the lesson is drawn together, the teachers revise and summarise the learning from the lesson, inviting the pupils to display and describe their work for the benefit of the whole class. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 37

p.36

MATHEMATICS

92. The subject is managed well by the co-ordinator who has temporary responsibility for mathematics. Considerable time has been given to incorporating the numeracy strategy and planning appropriate activities for all the age groups and monitoring the teaching and learning. However, occasional time table clashes with choir rehearsals has prevented some pupils from attending up to 20 per cent of their numeracy lessons in Years 3 and 4. A policy document and schemes of work are used which include assessment and marking procedures. Assessments are analysed in detail and individual pupil targets are set. The mixed year classes are setted by ability and the performances of the pupils are carefully monitored to ensure flexibility of movement between sets. Lesson planning in the parallel age groups take place in weekly planning meetings where medium term planning is co-ordinated. Pupil targets are discussed at

p.37

MATHEMATICS

these meetings and posted in the pupils’ books. Resources are adequate and in good condition and the co-ordinator has budgetary control over new purchases. Information technology is under used although appropriate software has been identified for use in mathematics.

p.37

SCIENCE

93. By the time pupils reach the end of Key Stage 1 the standards they achieve in science are well below the national average. This has been the case in 1999 and in the 2000 National Curriculum teacher assessments. Results by the end of Key Stage 1 have fallen since the previous inspection. Analysis of the 2000 teacher assessments, shows that no pupils achieved a higher than average level in experimental and investigative science; this compares with 14 per cent in 1999. The school has identified that both the transient nature of its pupils (over half of its 1996 nursery pupils did not stay at the school) and the lack of language and writing skills of pupils had a big impact on the overall levels of achievement for this group of pupils.

p.37

SCIENCE

94. In the end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests the standards achieved by 11-year- olds at the school are below the national average when compared with all schools but when compared with similar schools they are broadly in line with the average. This is an improvement since 1999 when standards compared with all schools were well below the national average for that year and an improvement since the previous inspection. The school attributes this rise on targeted support for its pupils following careful assessments and support through booster classes. An area for further development is to raise the numbers of pupils achieving above the nationally expected level.

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SCIENCE

95. From the lessons observed and the scrutiny of pupils' work in Years 1 and 2, standards being achieved are better than those found at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2000. Pupils are developing good observational skills in work focusing on scientific enquiry. In two lessons, pupils have the opportunity to investigate their immediate environment in search of plants and animals. They respond with interest and application and in recording their findings show that they are attaining in line with expectation for their age group in both the areas of scientific enquiry and life processes and living things. From the lessons observed and the scrutiny of pupils' work in upper Key Stage 2, standards being achieved are in line with expectation. Pupils continue to develop and expand on their skills in investigations as well as learning about the properties of sound within their study of physical processes. They have opportunities to develop their speaking and

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SCIENCE

listening skills when they report their experimental findings to the whole class including those with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language. Pupils of all abilities make good progress in these lessons and are ably supported by teachers and classroom assistants. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 38 96. The overall quality of teaching is good. Across both key stages is never less than satisfactory and in over half of the lessons it is good. In the better lessons teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the subject focus, as seen in a lesson on sound and two lessons on a study of plants and animals in the local environment. These teachers organise their lessons well having clear introductions, during which they determine pupils' prior knowledge and share the objectives of the lesson. They challenge pupils to achieve good standards and support them with appropriate

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SCIENCE

resources to meet the needs of the lesson focus. Plenary sessions are used to good effect by teachers to both review and consolidate new learning and to assess whether objectives have been met. Opportunities to use information and communication technology to support learning in science are not sufficiently considered or provided in teachers planning.

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SCIENCE

97. Generally pupils have a positive attitude in science lessons. They co-operate well and appreciate their classmates' work. In many lessons pupils show enthusiasm and interest, keen to share things with their friends. In a study of animals in the local environment one pupil, on finding a green fly under a rose leaf, was keen that all should share in his discovery. Behaviour of most pupils is good or even very good. However a minority of older pupils, display immaturity during scientific enquiry lessons when they use resources inappropriately.

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SCIENCE

98. The co-ordinator, in post for a year and a half, has made a positive impact on science provision at the school. She is aware of the past low standards at the end of Key Stage 1 and has acted to improve them. Evidence from lesson observations and analysis of pupil’s work is that remedial action taken is being effective. The school has agreed to adopt the new science scheme proposed by the co-ordinator and a new policy has been written. Guidance on assessment and the use of resources is not however documented within the policy. The co-ordinator has recently acquired assessment tests that will aid in measuring achievement and setting targets for improvement. Resources are adequate to meet the demands of the teaching and learning for primary National Curriculum science and statutory requirements are met. The monitoring of science teaching and learning has begun and is a priority in development in 2001.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. Due to the timetabling arrangements for art and design only one lesson was observed during the inspection. Based on all available evidence, including teachers’ planning, discussions with staff and observations of pupils’ work on display, this shows that pupils make at least satisfactory progress in art. In both key stages they achieve standards in line with the expectations for their ages. Standards in art have been maintained since the previous inspection. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 explored African and Islamic signs and symbols and used them in the creation of a polystyrene print block moving on to print them on paper in a series of colours and styles. Pupils in the same class also produced layered and low-level relief collage pictures. The good progress made in this lesson was much influenced by the teacher’s own personal enthusiasm for the work in hand and her good demonstration of the skills to be learned and developed. This encouraged the pupils to work with enthusiasm within an active and committed working environment.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Work on display in classrooms and around the school indicates that pupils are provided with the opportunity to engage in a good range of art activities, and develop a sound range of skills by using a range of media including textiles, clay and paint. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 produce collage faces on paper plates, weave paper patterns and take St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 39 part in tie-dying activities. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 produce a good range of paintings on the theme of ‘Journeys’. They use African art as a stimulus for work on the theme of friendship and relationships, and have contributed to high quality wall hangings and banners, on such themes as Human Rights for Children. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 produce some imaginative self-portraits based on the work of Van Gogh, Holbein, Modigliani and Picasso. Three-dimensional work remains underdeveloped. As well as considering the work of a range of artists, and painting in their styles, pupils also

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ART AND DESIGN

consider art from different cultures, Africa, Islam, and Aborigine and use these as a starting point for their own work. There are few planned opportunities for pupils to investigate shape, colour and patterns using computer software.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. It is not possible to make a secure judgement on the quality of teaching on the evidence of one lesson. This lesson plus teachers’ documentation however indicates that lessons are well planned, organised and resourced. Discussion with pupils reveals that they enjoy their art lessons, and take pride in their finished efforts.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. The subject is led by a well-informed co-ordinator. There is a policy for the subject, with the school currently trialling a nationally produced scheme of work.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. The subject does much to promote pupils’ cultural development, provides a warm and stimulating environment in classrooms, and makes a significant contribution to the schools’ climate for learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. Due to the arrangements of the timetable, it was possible to observe only three lessons; one in Key Stage 1 and two in Key Stage 2. These lessons together with an analysis of pupils’ work, teachers’ plans, discussions with pupils and teachers and with the subject co-ordinator, show that the overall attainment of pupils in both key stages in design technology is broadly satisfactory and the standards of the last report have been maintained.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Since the last report some progress in the design element of the subject has been made but it still requires attention. Teachers recognise the design stage as important and are improving their understanding, but this is not always apparent in pupils’ work. There are some good examples of planning stages but this is not consistent throughout the school. Often there is no statement of the problem nor record of the step by step planning required. A list of the processes, tools and materials, which might be considered appropriate to the solution of the tasks, is frequently overlooked.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Early experiences in Key Stage 1 centre on identifying and sorting fruits and vegetables according to different properties. The class teacher used the opportunity to promote communication skills and develop language whilst investigating and evaluating a variety of familiar foods. Pupils were invited to give the names of fruit and vegetables in their first language thus encouraging pupils with English as an additional language to contribute to the discussion. Year 1 pupils showed confidence when acting as translators for the benefit of the teacher and their friends.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. Progress in Key Stage 2 is satisfactory overall and very good at times. Pupils are developing skills in using scissors accurately and joining paper and card with different fixings. In Years 3 and 4, they are able to make models involving simple mechanisms for ‘pop up’ and moving illustrations. Previous work in these classes indicate a knowledge of simple circuits using batteries, wires and bulbs to design and build working models of lighthouses. Work with the older pupils shows strong links with St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 40 history and science. Models of Egyptian shadufs reveal in depth studies of the mechanical principles involved and the comparison of the lever and the pulley in the efficient collection of water from the river. Detailed planning and evaluations accompany a rich learning experience for the pupils of Years 5 and 6. Work in designing musical instruments links with the study of sound in science. Other examples of work

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

in Key Stage 2 include the design and construction of slippers using fabrics.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Pupils are enthusiastic and interested in solving the problems presented to them. They work well together in small groups taking turns and supporting each other. They talk confidently about their work and can describe setbacks and successes.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. There is a clear progression in the work planned. Teachers support and encourage their pupils to produce good designs and finished items. Health and safety procedures are observed and pupils are carefully supervised when using tools.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. The current subject co-ordinator has only recently assumed responsibility for the subject but is keen to develop it, recognising the areas that are in need of attention. There is an effective policy document and scheme of work to promote and guide the teaching of the strands of the National Curriculum but procedures for assessment are underdeveloped. The school has satisfactory resources and accommodation for teaching design and technology, although there is no opportunity to teach or learn about food technology as is required. Materials and tools are stored centrally but are readily available to all classrooms. The use of information and communication technology is not promoted enough by teachers as a means of planning and displaying ideas for example, using a printer and word processor.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. Due to timetable arrangements, only one lesson was observed during the inspection. A judgement on the quality of teaching is therefore not given. Other sources of evidence included the scrutiny of pupils’ work, teachers’ plans, discussions with pupils and teachers and with the subject co-ordinator. From this evidence it is clear that standards in geography are average in both key stages. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in the development of geographical skills, knowledge and understanding as they move through the school. These findings are similar to those reported at the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. In all classes, pupils develop their mapping skills and knowledge of the local environment through local scale studies. At Key Stage 1, pupils collect and record information using photographs taken on their frequent walks in the neighbourhood. With this evidence they are able to evaluate features of the locality and see how the environment is influenced by people. A comparative study of life on the Isle of Struay and that in Whalley Range promoted an awareness of localities beyond their own and a contrast in environmental features. A study of the seaside, now and then, included a trip to Lytham St. Annes and links with history.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. At Key Stage 2 an in-depth study of the theme “Water” included the purification and treatment of water and environmental issues. The study of the course of the river extended into the school with a visit to the boiler room and an examination of the principles governing the circulation of water within the school. Pupils make comparative studies of settlements and world climates. A study of Weather Around The World linked important issues of climate change and the effects of extreme weather conditions. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 41 115. Although prepared worksheets are widely used, pupils are given sufficient opportunities to write freely. This provides the higher attaining pupils with the opportunities to express themselves and pursue individual research.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. The subject co-ordinator is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and has worked hard to provide a good basis on which to develop the subject. Procedures for assessing pupils’ work are underdeveloped but the policy and schemes of work are based on the National Curriculum programmes of study and are being delivered satisfactorily. Resources are generally adequate but there are shortages in computer software.

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HISTORY

117. Standards in history are typical of those expected of seven and eleven year olds. This means that pupils’ achievements are similar to those seen at the last inspection. By the time they leave school, most pupils, including the bi-lingual and those with special educational needs, have a well-developed sense of the past. They know about periods of history from ancient times to the more recent past, such as Ancient Egypt, Anglo- Saxon and Viking England and the Victorians.

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HISTORY

118. No teaching was seen at Key Stage 1. Extra evidence was gathered from samples of work and discussions with teachers and pupils. In Key Stage 1, teachers introduce pupils to people like Florence Nightingale and events from the past such as the Fire of London. By the time they are seven, pupils begin to understand about the passage of time as they use objects and facts about their families as an introduction to the past. Teachers choose topics that are interesting to pupils and ensure that there is a wide range of resources available to them. As they compare their own toys with those of their parents and grandparents pupils in Year 2 use words and phrases such as old, rusty, well used with new, shiny and clean. They begin to develop their sense of chronology by studying houses in the local area. They compare the age of their own house with others. A more able pupil wrote my house is Victorian and is over a hundred years old but new

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HISTORY

ones were built in 1998 and 1999. Lower attaining pupils are able to make simple distinctions between old and new.

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HISTORY

119. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good overall. Teachers use their good knowledge and understanding of history to stimulate pupils’ interest and enthusiasm by bringing the subject to life. They use a good balance of practical work, such as research and handling resources, with active, direct teaching. They make good use of questions to determine what pupils know and to deepen their thinking. After posing the question Why was Howard Carter’s discovery so important? the teacher in a Years 5 and 6 class used the pupils’ responses not only to build up their factual knowledge about the Ancient Egyptians but to deepen their understanding of the importance the Egyptians placed on their preparations for a new life in the underworld.

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HISTORY

120. A strong feature of the history curriculum is the inclusion of the Black History programme which gives pupils in Years 5 and 6 the opportunity to study aspects of history such as slavery, segregation and apartheid. In a very effective lesson in Year 5, pupils gained a good understanding of the legacy of slavery as they considered the achievements, against the odds, of Mary Seacole. A strong feature of the lesson was the way in which the teacher shared the objectives of learning with the pupils. This ensured that they knew what was happening and what they were expected to learn. Because of this careful preparation, pupils remained engrossed in the story of Mary Seacole and took a full part in the discussions at intervals during the story. A further strength of the teaching was the way in which the teacher developed the pupils’ skills of empathy. In their roles as interviewer and interviewee, they gained a deeper insight into

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HISTORY

St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 42 the hardships experienced by Mary Seacole and her determination to succeed at all costs.

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HISTORY

121. Teachers enrich pupils’ understanding of the reality of the past by visits to museums and historic buildings. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 add to their knowledge of invaders during a visit to the Grosvenor Museum at Chester while pupils in Year 5 visit the Pumphouse People’s History Museum to see the harsh conditions experienced by factory workers in Victorian times. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 visit the Manchester Museum to see for themselves how the Ancient Egyptians mummified bodies to preserve them. As a part of Black History, pupils visit the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Archive in Manchester. The history curriculum makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal social and cultural development.

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HISTORY

122. Good control of pupils’ behaviour is evident in most lessons and teachers expect pupils to concentrate and to do their best. Pupils are keen to learn about history. They particularly enjoy carrying out research by studying objects and books. Teachers link history effectively to subjects such as English, mathematics, geography and design and technology. In Years 5 and 6, pupils write letters home in the role of an archaeologist present during the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. They draw in the River Nile on a map of Africa and design and make a shaduf for raising water. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 make good use of a time line to show the different times when invaders arrived in Britain. Teachers do not make sufficient use of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning.

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HISTORY

123. The co-ordinator has improved the range of resources since the last inspection and these are now sufficient to support all the topics studied. The co-ordinator checks the quality of planning but has not observed how well it works in the classroom. Although teachers check pupils’ progress and have a sound understanding of what pupils know and can do, procedures for recording progress are in the early stages and require further development. Plans for this purpose, together with the introduction of a new national programme of work for pupils, places the school in a good position to raise standards.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

124. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are below average overall. This is a similar situation to that reported on in the last inspection of 1996. Too few opportunities have been provided to use ICT on a systematic basis until more recently and as a result this has led to the lower than average achievements by the time pupils leave this school. The older pupils do not feel confident in their own abilities due to the lack of opportunities to develop their own ideas and skills through exchanging and sharing information and making things happen. The suggested links to other subjects of the curriculum and the contribution that ICT makes to them is not sufficiently well advanced. At all ages pupils found difficulty in discussing the uses of ICT both in/out of school as many have not had sufficient access to computing and communications facilities that variously support teaching, learning and other educational activities. The

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

recent adoption of a national scheme of work and the provision of the new ICT suite from September 2000 funded by national grants, means that the school is in a better position to provide the full programmes of study for ICT as is statutorily required.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

125. By the age of seven at the end of Key Stage 1 standards overall are below average. By the age of 11 at the end of Key Stage 2 standards overall are well below average.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

126. In Key Stage 1 the standards observed are below those expected for the pupil’s age. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 43 This is because all Year 1 and 2 pupils have not until very recently experienced access to computers on a regular basis. The school is now teaching specific information technology skills on a weekly basis in its new computer suite. In years 1 and 2 pupils are beginning to realise that computers and robotic toys such as the ‘ Pixie Roamer’ respond to signals and commands. They are working with simple programs to explore information and work with text and pictures. Higher attainers use the mouse carefully and accurately. These skills are practised at home and therefore they are more confident when using computers to drag and drop images when using plants and animals. Many pupils in Year1 and 2 cannot proceed in using a computer without continuing support from adults. There was some amazement in Years 1-2 their work

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

was actually printed in colour. From this activity they realised that the computer responds to commands. Earlier work shows that the younger pupils have represented information graphically, using pictograms, when presenting work on pets and children in their families. Year 2 have found out about the seashore using CD-ROM and the samples of work provided indicate that instructions were followed accurately.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

127. The attainment of pupils aged 11 years is well below that expected for their age. Those who have access to computers at home in Year 4 could find their work and programs they had used readily, but some Years 3 and 4 pupils did not know how to proceed in setting up the computer and loading their work. Those who were more capable willingly showed their classmates what to do. Years 3 and 4 have used text when writing poems and they have found out information using the CD-ROM in their search for knowledge about plants. Years 5 and 6 self-assessment sheets indicate that some pupils can load a program, enter, save and print text but some cannot. Pupils have not used the computer for e-mail and their knowledge and understanding of the Internet is limited. The school has yet to agree an Internet policy.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

128. In the lessons seen, most Year 1 and 2 pupils made satisfactory progress based on their earlier learning. Some however, tend to chatter when the teacher is speaking and then lose sight of the purposes of the lesson. When entering their names into the computer, many spelt them correctly and a number used capital letters accurately. Where paper-based exercises took place in all classes in Key Stage 2 new knowledge was gained about storing and communicating information. However many of the pupils in Key Stage 2 are not sufficiently capable of working on these tasks independently. Where support was given, including for those with special educational needs, the rate of progress made was usually satisfactory and new learning took place. Although there is some improvement on 1996 where progress was judged unsatisfactory throughout the key stages all pupils including those with special educational needs and from all ethnic

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

groups are capable of higher achievement than that observed. A higher proportion of good teaching and opportunity for pupils to use and develop their skills in the specialist ICT suite and within the other subjects of the curriculum would facilitate more rapid progress and achievement.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

129. Pupils have timetabled lessons in information and communication technology and within these discrete lessons the attainment of both boys and girls is starting to improve. All pupils including those with special educational needs, gain new skills when using computers in work that is appropriate to their age and earlier attainment. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of uses of ICT is not sufficiently advanced and, although planned for, there has been too little opportunity provided for older pupils to discuss, investigate and compare their experiences of ICT inside and outside of school as is required in the National Curriculum programmes of study. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are integrated well and they make satisfactory progress based on their earlier achievements which are more usually related to handling and communicating information. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 44

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

130. Pupils’ attitudes are very positive. Most behave and concentrate well and the higher attainers readily share their ideas with those who are unsure about using computers. Higher attainers are pleased to show their peers what they know about a program and its potential.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

131. The overall quality of the teaching is satisfactory and on occasions the teaching seen in Key Stage 1 in the computer suite was good with effective support from non teaching staff which enabled less confident pupils to participate fully in the task. Most of the ICT teaching that took place during the inspection was class based involving paper-based tasks, despite the fact that the computer suite was actually booked for use during these times. On occasions the pace of the teaching in Years 3 and 4 was slow and the pupils did not complete the task in hand fully. The diversity of individual needs in English and mathematics is well known by staff but it is less so in ICT. In general, work is not sufficiently modified to suit pupils’ prior knowledge and skills in ICT. The school is now developing pupils’ individual knowledge, skills, and understanding from the time they enter the school, through the discrete teaching of ICT as a national curriculum subject.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

However, the time allocated to use the specialist facilities is too short in Key Stage1 and, as a consequence, ‘hands on’ progress using computers is hindered. The provision has improved since the last inspection due to the creation of specialist facilities and ongoing training for teaching and non- teaching staff in ICT skills development. Many teachers are still in need of training including that for the full National Curriculum requirements. Satisfactory attention is given in the specialist lessons to reinforcing basic literacy and numeracy skills. Lesson planning is detailed with clearly documented learning objectives based on the units and programmes of study references provided in the national scheme of work which is relatively new to all staff. Assessment rarely features in the daily plans so that not all teaching is geared to meeting pupils needs including those of higher attainers. Most teachers do not yet

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

incorporate ICT in their planning for the other subjects of the curriculum as is required. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 45 132. The use of ICT to support learning across the curriculum is not promoted enough in the other subjects and in some classes this is restricted by the facilities available in the classrooms. At present all pupils are not making the best possible progress in the overall development of their ICT skills in all age groups. The school is aware of the deficiencies in its ICT provision and there are plans for improvement.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

133. Since the last inspection the school has moved forward in its provision for ICT, with national grid for learning and specific standards fund contributions for ICT. Achievements in ICT however, are not as high as those attained in English, mathematics and science by the age of 11. The senior staff and subject co-ordinators are clear as to what needs to be done to raise standards further both in ICT as a subject of the national curriculum and in the application of ICT skills across the curriculum. Good attention has been given to reviewing the ICT policy to meet the revised national curriculum requirements and a scheme of work has been adopted that is in accordance with national guidance for ICT in the year 2000. Staff training and the bid for additional funding through the national ‘New Opportunities Fund’ are the next priority for development in ICT. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning has taken place

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

in some of the taught ICT lessons involving a subject co-ordinator. There has been no formal monitoring and evaluations made in regard to the use of ICT to support teaching and learning across the curriculum. A co-ordinator for classroom ICT has been appointed and is well informed about what needs to be done. The specialist suite is only timetabled for about 40 per cent usage this term and this is inefficient. Where it was timetabled for use during the inspection week many of the lessons did not take place in this accommodation as scheduled. There are no ICT reference books in the library for pupils to investigate and compare the uses of ICT both in/out of school.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

134. The school is fully aware of the deficiencies and limitations in its ICT provision including teaching and resourcing. There are plans to improve provision as a means of raising standards and the quality of teaching in ICT as a whole. As the school does not have a strategic development plan the longer-term priorities for ICT development are unclear. A draft ICT policy has been formulated recently and is awaiting ratification by the governing body and an Internet Policy and Parental Agreement Forms will be the next stage of consultation by the governing body.

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MUSIC

135. Pupils are attaining above the standards expected for their ages. Improvement since the last inspection is good. It was only possible to observe one music lesson in Key Stage 1. This lesson plus teachers’ planning indicates that pupils make at least satisfactory progress in music and in Key stage 2 pupils make a good overall rate of progress.

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MUSIC

136. In Years 1 and 2 pupils know a number of simple songs by heart and sing them in a tuneful manner. They can identify the beat of the music, and can keep time by clapping. Pupils select a number of untuned percussion instruments sensibly to support them in their singing. The satisfactory progress made in this lesson was much influenced by the teacher’s organisation and management of the lesson and the pupils’ pleasure in their musical activities and their commitment to the subject. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 46 137. In Years 3 and 4 pupils sing a number of previously learned songs, and identify the pitch and dynamics of the song by raising and lowering their hands as the notes of the music increased or decreased. Pupils can clap out a range of rhythmic patterns and repeat them on xylophones. Pupils are also provided with the opportunity to work together in pairs with one pupil putting together a rhythmic ‘question’ with their partner providing a

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MUSIC

rhythmic answer. Opportunities are provided by teachers for pupils to listen to and constructively appraise each other’s efforts.

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MUSIC

138. In Year 5 and 6 pupils sing known songs, and identify the pitch and dynamics of the pace through symbolic notation. Pupils have a simple yet effective knowledge of formal musical notation, and are able to follow a number of variations on a simple tune by following the appropriate musical notation. Pupils are able to create their own rhythmic patterns, by using a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments.

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MUSIC

139. The quality of singing as observed in lessons, the choir and assemblies is good, though some pupils’ levels of language acquisition occasionally inhibits their ability to interpret lyrics in an appropriate manner.

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MUSIC

140. The satisfactory and often good progress made in Key Stage 2 was influenced by the pupils’ sheer pleasure in their musical activities, their commitment to the subject, and their ability to work in a collaborative manner.

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MUSIC

141. Even when not considering themselves musical specialists the teaching is well planned and organised, active and well paced. Teachers provide pupils with the opportunity to improve musical skills through repetition. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and provide them with a challenging range of musical activities. The school is able to call on the services of a number of well-qualified music teachers and instructors from the local music service as well as freelance musicians. The school supports two high quality steel bands as well as a large and very talented choir. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in an Indian music group and a recorder group. Pupils are also introduced to African drumming activities. Regular opportunities are provided for pupils to perform both within the local community and in school. Pupils also perform at local music and art festivals. Approximately half of the school is involved in extra-curricular musical

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MUSIC

activities. All pupils have equality of access to these groups. All this does much to raise pupils’ self-esteem and to increase their pride in their musical and cultural heritage.

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MUSIC

142. The subject is led by a well-informed and enthusiastic co-ordinator. There is a policy for the subject with the school using the LEA scheme of work. The subject makes a significant contribution to pupil’s cultural development and the overall ethos of the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. The previous inspection identified standards in physical education to be satisfactory. This overall situation has been improved and standards of work seen during the inspection are above average in both key stages with the exception of swimming in Key Stage 2. Pupils learn to swim in Key Stage 1, but there is no provision for swimming in Key Stage 2. By the time they leave school some pupils have not achieved the required standard in their swimming activities. The school is aware of this and new provision is planned for Years 3 and 4.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. Pupils have good opportunities to develop their skills and perform in dance, gymnastics, games, athletics and in Key Stage 1 swimming lessons. Pupils in Years 1 and Year 2 St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 47 show good control and co-ordination in their gymnastics lessons. They show proficiency in linking three different ways of travelling. They readily transfer these skills onto small apparatus they have previously set up in a circuit, under the supervision of their teacher. Pupils make good progress in the lesson. A classroom assistant works with a pupil with special educational needs to good effect. This pupil achieves a sound level of achievement with this additional support and likewise makes good progress. Pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 make good progress in a dance lesson when they change pathways as they respond to the 'Magic Spell' poem and to sound of a tambourine. The pupils make good use of space and express in their movements the feelings of the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

poem, music or sounds they hear. Years 5 and 6 pupils extend their skills in movement and dance in response to the moods they associate with a poem 'Duel for Witch and Wizard'. Pupils achieve sound standards in these lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. The overall quality of teaching is good. It is never less than satisfactory and in four out of five lessons it is good or very good. In the very good lessons, teachers share the teaching objectives with their pupils, effect very good introductions and set clear challenges. The pace in all these lessons is good. The organisation of lessons is very good. Teachers develop pupils' decision making and independence skills as the pupils set up apparatus. In other good lessons, teachers review achievements allowing pupils to demonstrate their skills as well as giving an insight into future work. This was seen to good effect in a Year 3 and 4 gymnastics lesson. Teachers use a time-out system to correct inappropriate behaviour and this is generally effective. However, occasionally over-use of this system means some pupils are not involved in all the activities of the lesson. Support assistants make a good contribution in physical education lessons,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

both during school time and in extra-curricular activities. One assistant runs a soccer activity and pupils take part showing enthusiasm and commitment. Inter-school competitions and friendly matches give an opportunity for pupils to perform and practise their skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. Pupils show enthusiasm and application during their lessons. They are keen to perform their acquired skills and new learning to their classmates. This is well received and appreciated by all. Pupils develop their self-esteem and personal development, during inter-school events.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. The recently appointed co-ordinator gives strong leadership for the subject and has already re-written the school policy and scheme of work in conjunction with the local authority's adviser. Apart from the lack of provision for swimming for older pupils, this new scheme and policy gives good direction for teachers in their planning for physical education. The co-ordinator gives good support to teachers and has targeted areas for development and improvement.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148. In the previous inspection unprotected glass in the hall was identified as an unacceptable risk. Prompt action, was taken by the school and the glass in question was fitted with armorgazed safety film in 1997. Resources are adequate to meet the needs of delivering National Curriculum primary physical education. St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 48

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

149. The school has maintained standards of achievement in religious education since the previous inspection. In both key stages pupils including bilingual and those with special educational needs, reach standards that are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Overall, religious education makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

150. The quality of teaching is satisfactory at both key stages. Teachers respect the culture and traditions of others and pass this positive attitude on to pupils. This approach makes a valuable contribution to the racial harmony that exists in the school. By celebrating most of the major festivals of world faiths such as Christmas, Eid-ul-Fitr and Diwali, pupils learn to respect and celebrate each other’s different beliefs and customs and this enables them in turn to reflect upon their own beliefs.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

151. Teachers in Key Stage 1 are good at developing pupils’ awareness of the basic concepts necessary to the understanding of religions such as feelings of being special and belonging. In a Years 1 and 2 class, the teacher’s interesting descriptions and good use of resources enabled pupils to see similarities and differences between special places including a church, a mosque and a Hindu temple in the local area. Pupils show a sense of belonging to a community as they write about their school, for example, school is special and my uniform shows I belong to school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

152. Regardless of their own beliefs, teachers’ secure knowledge and understanding of the subject enables them to provide pupils with valuable insights into religious beliefs, moral values, feelings and behaviour. This is increased by visits to places of worship of different faiths which bring pupils in to contact with the reality of what they learn in the classroom. Good use is made of visitors representative of various world faiths for example, the local Church of England minister and the grandmother of one of the pupils, who is a Sikh. In a Years 5 and 6 lesson, the teacher encouraged contributions from Muslim pupils, which helped other pupils to understand the significance for Muslims of fasting during Ramadam. Pupils enjoyed the discussions and remained attentive.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153. Teachers plan lessons so that there is a good balance between imparting factual information and providing opportunities for pupils to think more deeply about religion. Good use is made of stories and drama which focus on values, relationships or religious teachings so that pupils consider the relevance of this to their own lives. After hearing the story of Abraham and Isaac, pupils in a Years 5 and 6 class considered their feelings about forgiveness. One pupil wrote about his relationship with his brother after a quarrel, in his heart and mine we are both loyal and kind to each other and we forget the past. Pupils in Years 3 and 4, after acting out the story of Baisakhi interpreted the message behind it as trusting God and always having faith.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

154. Teachers show that they value pupils’ work by the comments they write when marking their books. This is particularly strong in Years 3 and 4 and encourages pupils to reflect further and justify their responses. Attitudes to learning are generally positive and pupils enjoy their work, which is evident in their readiness to answer questions and join in discussions. However, when the behaviour of a small minority of pupils interrupts the flow of a Years 5 and 6 lesson, progress is less marked.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155. The management of religious education is good. The co-ordinator gives practical advice and support to other teachers. Satisfactory procedures are in place to check pupils’ progress. Resources are now good, with sufficient to represent each of the taught St. Margaret’s CE Primary School - 49 faiths. With a new scheme of work to supplement the locally agreed syllabus and plans to develop the use of information technology, the school is in a good position to improve pupils’ attainment. Although teachers’ planning is monitored regularly to identify gaps in pupils’ achievements, the school does not provide the co-ordinator with opportunities to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom. This is planned for 2001 as a part of school improvement planning.

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