St John's Highbury Vale CofE Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th - 20 th September 2000

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SCHOOL

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

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SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Foundation, Infant and Junior

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Conewood Street London N5 1DL

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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: Jeanette Cragg

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 th - 14 th June 1996 St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 2

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Team members

Tom Shine Registered inspector Brian Jones Lay inspector Pauline Osborne Team inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BSI 5RW

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 8 - 11

By age eleven, attainment is very high in English and well above average in mathematics. Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning and searching questions are particular features contributing to pupils’ good progress. Pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour help them to learn effectively. The headteacher and deputy head provide good leadership and are very well supported by the governing body in providing an effective learning environment. Parents think highly of the school and give of their time and resources to support their children’s learning effectively.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 11 - 12

Equipment for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and some teachers’ expertise in the subject need to be developed. There is a limited range of extra-curricular activities.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 13 - 16

St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This voluntary school is one form entry and has 207 pupils on roll, which is about the same as other schools of this type. There is no nursery but the majority of children come to the school with a variety of pre-school experience and attainment on entry overall is above average. There are 29 pupils with special educational needs (SEN) (14 per cent); the majority have moderate learning needs, but one has a statement. This is below the national average but excludes children in the reception class who, at the time of the inspection, had not been in the school long enough to have been assessed. The ethnic composition of the school is mainly white with an increasing minority of pupils coming from the African and Caribbean communities. There are approximately 11 per cent of pupils with English as an additional language; all are competent in English.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St John’s Highbury Vale is a good school, achieving high standards. These are the result of good teaching and the effective leadership of the headteacher and senior staff, very ably supported by the governing body. The school is well on its way to achieving its aim of promoting the highest academic standards in all aspects of the curriculum and ensuring that all pupils develop to their fullest potential. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• By age eleven, attainment is very high in English and well above average in mathematics. • Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning and searching questions are particular features contributing to pupils’ good progress. • Pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour help them to learn effectively. • The headteacher and deputy head provide good leadership and are very well supported by the governing body in providing an effective learning environment. • Parents think highly of the school and give of their time and resources to support their children’s learning effectively.

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What could be improved

• Equipment for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and some teachers’ expertise in the subject need to be developed. • There is a limited range of extra-curricular activities. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress overall since the last inspection in June 1996. A good start has been made in putting in place effective systems to assess and track pupils’ progress and in making good use of the information from statutory and non-statutory tests to trace individual development. Standards are now much better in English and mathematics than at the last inspection and pupils are benefiting from the increased emphasis on literacy and numeracy. Standards in design and technology are also much better than four years ago when they were described as unsatisfactory. The reason for these improvements is because teaching is much better than it was in 1996. Although the standards in ICT have improved since the last inspection, and statutory requirements are met, the headteacher and governors are aware that there is still a long way to go, as the school has not kept pace with the general

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

national improvements in the subject. St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

Science E B A A* very high well above average above average average below average well below average A* A B C D E

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Key

These are very good results and show consistently high standards being maintained in English and improvement in mathematics over time. Improvement in science is even more impressive. The results in English are in the highest five per cent of schools nationally. They are also in the highest five per cent when compared to schools in similar circumstances, that is, schools with a comparable proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. In mathematics, standards are well above the national average and those of similar schools. Science is also well above the national average and is in the top five per cent compared to similar schools. It is not yet possible to compare the most recent (unpublished) results for 2000 with the national average but they show that the percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard (Level 4) and above is similar to the previous year. The English results, however, are higher than

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Key

those in 1999 and better than the school expected for pupils reaching Level 4.

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Key

The inspection took place very early in the year. Based on the evidence available, inspectors found that pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics is on course broadly to reflect the published results above by age eleven, standards in English being very high and in mathematics being well above average. There was insufficient evidence during the inspection to make judgements about science. In Year 2, standards are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. These standards are good but are not quite as high as the 1999 results might suggest, as there are more pupils with learning difficulties in this year group than in the 1999 cohort. However, most pupils are making good progress in response to good teaching. In the work seen, standards in design and technology are appropriate for the ages of the pupils. Standards in ICT are not high enough – pupils do not have sufficient access to computers in

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Key

school. However plans intended to improve standards are to be implemented imminently. The school knows its pupils well but its targets for 2000 were insufficiently challenging and below those actually achieved. This was because they were based on the supposition that some higher attaining pupils would leave for the independent sector and be replaced by less able pupils. In the event this prediction proved to be unfounded.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school These are positive and help pupils in their learning. For example, most pupils show interest in their lessons, concentrate well and enjoy school. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms This is good in and around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships These are good. Pupils have good relationships with each other and with members of staff. Older pupils look after younger pupils well. St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 6 Attendance This is above the national average. There is very little absence.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour help them to learn well. St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 7

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

Teaching has improved since the last inspection when it was satisfactory overall, but was unsatisfactory or poor in 11 per cent of lessons and good or better in 49 per cent of lessons. In this inspection teaching was satisfactory or better in 100 per cent of lessons seen. The overall quality of teaching was good or better in 81 per cent of lessons. Five per cent of lessons were very good or better at the last inspection; in this inspection it was 10 per cent. In the lessons seen, teaching was consistently good in the foundation stage (up to the end of the reception class when all children are five) and in both key stages, overall. Teaching has improved because there has been a significant change of staff since the last inspection and teachers have a good grasp of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy and teach these skills well. There was more variation in the quality of teaching for pupils aged 5 to 7, where 29 per

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

cent of teaching was satisfactory and with the same percentage being very good. The rest was good. For pupils aged 7 to 11, 17 per cent was satisfactory and the rest was good. The quality of teaching is the main reason pupils have made good progress by the time they leave the school.

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

Most lessons are well planned and the best feature very good questioning. These questions do two things: they challenge pupils effectively to recall their previous learning and also enable the teachers to assess whether the pupils have sufficiently grasped the concepts to move on to the next stage of their learning. Most teachers are secure in their knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach. The exception is ICT where teachers’ expertise is variable. Some teachers are very confident in the subject whilst others need to develop their skills. However, the co-ordinator provides good leadership and is fully aware of what needs to be done. Teachers generally plan their lessons well to meet the needs of all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs. Occasionally, insufficient regard is given to the needs of the higher attaining pupils as in a mathematics lesson for younger pupils when they

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

could have tackled the tasks given in half the time allowed. Pupils use their speaking and listening skills and their general literacy skills well in their learning and understanding of other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Sound overall. The curriculum is broad and reasonably well balanced and meets statutory requirements, although ICT is not used consistently throughout the curriculum. Although a range of visits and visitors enriches the curriculum, there is room for improvement in the range of activities outside school, which is limited.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The school identifies the needs of children early and support provided by teachers, including the special educational needs co- ordinator (SENCO), and these children make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Overall, this is good. Assemblies, and areas of the curriculum such as music, art and poetry, have a positive impact on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of pupils’ personal development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides very high levels of care for its pupils. St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 8 The school is right to identify ICT as an area for immediate development in its planning. Resources for the subject are to be increased significantly and most importantly the school is to ensure that all teachers’ skills and expertise are brought up to the level of the best in order to make the most efficient use of the new equipment in raising pupils’ standards. The school places strong emphasis on the development of all pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills and does well to provide additional time for pupils to practise their writing skills.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and deputy head provide good leadership and effective management in meeting their aim of providing their pupils with a high standard of education within a happy, secure and caring school. They know the strengths and weaknesses of the school well and are aware of the need to raise standards in ICT through the provision of better equipment and improved teaching.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities very well. They are highly knowledgeable and well informed and committed to maintaining high standards and improving those not up to the same level, such as in ICT.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Teachers know their pupils well and track their progress effectively. Governors monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their initiatives on the quality of standards achieved.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes effective use of specific grants, including funding for ICT development.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher and deputy head, very well supported by the governing body, provide clear educational direction for the work and development of the school and promote high standards. A computer suite and additional computers for classrooms funded by grants from the Education Action Zone are about to be installed to raise standards in ICT. In seeking to achieve the aim of using its financial resources effectively and efficiently, the school applies the principles of best value well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school. • They make good progress. • Behaviour is good. • Teaching is good. • It has high expectations. • The school works closely with parents. • The school is well managed and led. • It helps pupils become mature and responsible. • The right amount of homework. • The range of activities outside school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors are in agreement with parents’ positive views. A minority in the questionnaire was not satisfied with homework, although at the meeting the general view was that homework was improving, and was now more appropriate, and the school was responding well to parental concerns. Inspectors found that whilst there were variations between classes, homework was generally set effectively. A significant proportion of parents who responded to the questionnaire (50 per cent) was not happy with the range of activities outside of lessons. At the meeting, some parents wanted more opportunities for sport and playing musical instruments. The school extends the curriculum well by providing many visits to places of interest in London and beyond but inspectors found the range of extra-curricular activities provided by the school to be too narrow. St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 9

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

By age eleven, attainment is very high in English and well above average in mathematics.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. Standards in English are very high and are well on course to reflect the standards as shown by the exceptionally good results published for 1999 by the time pupils are eleven. The unpublished results for 2000 are even more impressive if the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard is considered. Whilst at the time of writing they cannot be compared with national averages the percentage reaching Level 4 is well up on that of 1999 but is not quite replicated in the current Year 6 as there are some pupils with learning difficulties.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. Throughout the school standards in speaking and listening are well above average and pupils benefit from frequent opportunities to practise these skills both in lessons and during other activities such as assemblies. In Year 1, during the Literacy Hour, the pupils study the text of Ben’s Surprise , the aim being to encourage them to tell a shared story. They listen very well to their teacher as they are introduced to words such as title and blurb and are shown a home-made book full of colourful pictures but with no text. They respond well to this imaginative stimulus and all are able to contribute to the evolving story. One child said, “The doctor telephoned the ambulance” . The teacher asked, “What happened next?” Another child replied, “The ambulance came quickly”. As the story developed, the children continued to listen very attentively and then spoke very confidently when asked. In an assembly for the whole school, all children listened very well and pupils from Year 6

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

read prayers confidently and clearly, yet thoughtfully, to which all replied, reflectively, “Amen”. Many good opportunities for speaking are provided in response to good, challenging questions. In studying the forests in Poems on Conservation by Judith Nicholls in Year 6 for example, the teacher asked of the poem What is One? “What is the conservation message here?” The class thought for a moment and one pupil replied, “It means there is really only one forest, and if you destroy the forest you destroy the Earth” . Because they know their contributions will be valued, pupils are confident in answering questions and value one another’s answers. On being asked to identify a number of animals in the same author’s poems, one pupil identified huntsmen . Another pupil in the same group said, “No, that is a human”. But the original pupil confidently replied, “But humans are animals” to which the group nodded in agreement . Throughout the school there is good use of specialist

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

language; in poetry in Year 6, pupils use words such as skimming, rhyme and rhythm ; in art they describe sunset and landscape effectively and explain the use of light , contrast and perspective in painting. In Year 3, pupils are confident in using scientific language such as transparent, translucent, opaque and reflective . This ease with the use of language helps pupils progress well in most areas of the curriculum.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. By age seven, standards of reading are above average. Pupils of all attainment levels are making good progress and are set to raise their standards still further by the end of the academic year. Pupils read with reasonable fluency and accuracy. Many pupils read confidently and use clues from the structure of unknown words to identify and pronounce them. Some are able to predict what could happen next. When reading the Rabbits’ Story Book , a higher attaining pupil was able to say, “Felicity will meet Totty and they will become friendly and play with one another and Rene the rabbit will run away frightened because she had never seen anything like them before” . In Year 6 the general level of reading is very high. Pupils read with appropriate expression and many show a good understanding of significant ideas, events and characters. One pupil explained why he liked the Harry Potter books, “ It’s a mix between a comedy and an adventure story – it has a lot of new ideas

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

about magic such as having rooms in school to learn about magic. It also has passwords – like St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 10 spies do – so it has aspects of a spy thriller.” Most pupils’ research skills are very good; most are able to use the library well and are able to locate books effectively.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. By age 11 pupils write very well, writing in a range of forms and using language imaginatively, as in this extract from a group’s work about the whale written during the inspection:

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

“You gracefully glide across the glassy water, your sonic song echoing, You dominate the ocean depths, a living mountain ruling the sea. Your enormous tail beating the waves into a foamy froth.”

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. By this age pupils’ handwriting across the curriculum is impressive. It is clear and fluent and they have developed an individual joined style. Literacy supports pupils’ learning well in other subjects such as Religious Education (RE), science and history. In RE for example, pupils in Year 6 write their own prayers that are read in assembly: “ Thank you for helping those who had been hurt in past days. Help those who haven’t any homes, or have lost their closest friends or family.” In science, pupils use their literacy skills to enhance their developing skills of note-taking as in this example from a pupil’s notebook: • “You can get back the material when it dissolves”. • “When something changes from another thing, say liquid to gas and back to solid, it is called reversible; some are irreversible - burning is an irreversible change”. In history, pupils described very effectively the social changes brought about by the Second World

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

War: “Since every man and woman in Britain was involved in the war effort in one way or another, you could say a woman had to do nearly half of the things men at war do as in a fireworker or a munitions worker.”

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. Numeracy is emphasised well and pupils of all attainment levels make good progress over time in developing their skills, especially in mental mathematics. In Year 2 pupils are able to add and subtract using mental calculations involving two-digit numbers. They identify accurately and reasonably quickly, 30 more than 60 and 10 more than 50 . They are also able to subtract 20 from 80, 30 from 70 and 10 from 90 . Most pupils make good progress but in the lesson seen, higher attaining pupils could have made even better progress still as they were not sufficiently challenged, the level and time allowed for the tasks being well within their capabilities. By age 11, pupils’ facility in mental mathematics is well above average. Pupils compute mentally and accurately 9 tenths of 100, a third of 24 and double 58 , and are able to give logical explanations for their answers. They consider the mathematics involved in solving problems such as comparing the annual salary of a

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

secretary with the monthly salary of a caretaker and confidently explain their methods in working out who is earning the most. They are confident in representing data clearly in the form of pie charts and bar charts. Pupils of all attainment levels make good progress.

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Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning

and searching questions are particular features contributing to pupils’ good progress.

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Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning

7. Teaching was good overall in all age groups with all lessons being satisfactory or better. Indeed as 19 per cent of lessons was satisfactory, the vast majority was actually good or better. In the 5 to 7 year age groups, although there was more teaching classed as satisfactory compared with the 7 to 11 year age group, (29 per cent compared to 17 per cent of lessons respectively), the very good lessons were also in this age group. In one of these very good lessons the children were encouraged to write a shared story. The lesson was very well planned with a clear introduction, a variety of shared activities followed by a group activity. The teacher used her good subject knowledge in the introduction to encourage the children to write a shared story and used very good resources, such as colourful books with stimulating pictures, that captured their imagination very successfully. Children concentrated very well and their behaviour was excellent as they were led through the world of their

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Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning

imagination by the teacher’s gentle but searching questions: “What happened next? What do you think might happen?” In another very good music lesson the class teacher and the piano accompanist planned very well together and led the children as a confident team. Very good progress in singing was clear during the lesson and the standard was very high. St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 11 8. Teachers’ good planning contains clear learning goals. In a numeracy lesson in Year 2 the intentions are set out clearly – to read and write numerals the right way round. To add and subtract multiples of 10. The teacher uses good questioning to assess her pupils’ level of knowledge, and to encourage them to think and to recall their previous learning: “What do I mean by multiples of 10?” In a numeracy lesson in Year 6, the intentions are clearly identified: to identify operations involved in solving money problems. The teacher uses questions well to assess her pupils’ understanding of

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Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning

how to solve the problems before proceeding: “What’s the maths you’ve got to do?” The children answered confidently and explained their methods clearly.

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Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning

9. Teachers know their pupils well and generally make good provision for all attainment levels, including pupils with special educational needs (SEN). Teachers work well with the few support assistants in the school, helping pupils with SEN make good progress. They have high expectations of work and behaviour and pupils respond accordingly. They also have good relationships with their pupils and this contributes to the effective management of their classes. All teachers are confident in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and teach these subjects well. In the questionnaire responses, the vast majority of parents were happy with the quality of teaching. On this evidence they are right to be so.

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Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning

Pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour help them to learn effectively.

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Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning

10. Pupils enjoy learning and their attitudes are good. In lessons they sustain high levels of concentration. The school achieves its aim of encouraging learning by providing a welcoming, friendly and supportive environment. Children, for example, are made very welcome when they first enter the school as under-fives. This provides a solid foundation for the development of good attitudes and positive values that are reinforced by good teaching as pupils progress through the school. This good teaching fosters positive relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults. Pupils respond well to their teachers’ high expectations that they will give of their best and this increases their confidence in learning. In the questionnaire responses and at the meeting, parents said they were happy with the attitudes promoted by the school and believed that their children like school.

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Overall, teaching is good, with over 80 per cent of lessons being good or better; good planning

11. Parents were also very positive about pupils’ behaviour. Inspection findings bear out this confidence. In lessons and in and around the school, behaviour is good and this enables pupils to be able to learn effectively. Pupils play well at break times and when it is raining they remain inside and are still well behaved. At assemblies, they enter and leave the hall in an orderly fashion and generously applaud the good efforts of their peers. The school has developed its Golden Rules, identifying them as the foundation of behaviour expectations for all children, and these are displayed prominently throughout the school. The emphasis is on encouraging good behaviour rather than punishing the bad. Bullying is very rare. Parents reported that on the one occasion that an incident attracted high profile attention, the school investigated fully and dealt with the incident well.

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The headteacher and deputy head provide good leadership and are very well supported by the

governing body in providing an effective learning environment.

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The headteacher and deputy head provide good leadership and are very well supported by the

12. The headteacher provides good leadership and has a clear vision of what sort of school St John’s should be. He has built an effective team that is committed to high standards in teaching and learning. Poor teaching has been addressed, partly through support and monitoring, but also by making good appointments of teachers who are able to get to grips effectively with, for example, the new initiatives for literacy and numeracy. He is fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and has ensured that the school has made good progress in most of the areas identified at the last inspection. He is focused on raising standards. For example, following the introduction of the Literacy Hour, the school monitored its effect on English, noticing an improvement in reading but less of an improvement in writing. As a result, more sessions have been provided on the timetable for extended writing to raise standards still further. The deputy head and the other members of the

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The headteacher and deputy head provide good leadership and are very well supported by the

senior management team provide effective support. The deputy head is also the SENCO and is very clear about her role, raising staff awareness about the nature of pupils’ needs on a regular basis.

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The headteacher and deputy head provide good leadership and are very well supported by the

13. The school brochure describes the role of the governing body as being to support the school by ensuring that it is effectively managed and has close links with the community that it serves. It is St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 12 well placed to achieve this as the governors are very well informed and effective and many have impressive levels of expertise. There are a number of appropriate committees and working parties to enable the governing body to fulfil its statutory responsibilities well. The chair and vice-chair are very supportive of the school and visit regularly, and the governing body as a whole is effectively involved in the preparation of the school development plan, ensuring it is budgeted for appropriately. The governing body is fully supportive of ensuring the relevant resources are in place, for example for ICT, as soon as possible. It is mindful of the need for openness with parents so that they know how the

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The headteacher and deputy head provide good leadership and are very well supported by the

money they have raised is spent. During the inspection, one governor observer was seen supporting pupils in Year 6 under the direction of the class teacher.

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The headteacher and deputy head provide good leadership and are very well supported by the

14. The senior management and governors have identified one of the aims of the school as being to show concern and care, through a strong sense of Christian values, for all members of the school community. The school achieves this aim very well. It has very good regard to the welfare and health and safety of its pupils and its arrangements for child protection are very secure. This caring attitude has a positive influence on the pupils. Older pupils are very caring and look after the younger children very well. In the questionnaire parents were pleased with how the school is led and managed.

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Parents think highly of the school and give of their time and resources to support their

15. Parents’ support for the school is strong. They are constructively critical but, as the notes of the parents’ meeting and the responses to the questionnaire show, they are above all supportive and believe St John’s to be a good school. The Friends’ Association is very effective, and is very well supported and has raised substantial sums for various projects by a number of fund raising activities such as auctions, quiz nights and a Christmas Fair. Seven thousand pounds for example has been donated for additional resources for literacy and numeracy. The Association also generously contributes regular amounts to recurring commitments that enhance the school’s curriculum provision for its pupils, such as for the piano accompanist. In order to involve parents further in the life of the school a School and Community Governor’s Working Party has been set up with clear terms of reference, one of which is to consider how communications and relationships with parents and the

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Parents think highly of the school and give of their time and resources to support their

local community could be improved. This is working effectively as parents report that the exchange between parents and teachers is improving and that overall the school is more responsive to parents’ suggestions and concerns. There is a real sense of partnership with parents and the school.

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Parents think highly of the school and give of their time and resources to support their

16. Parents’ involvement in the school is by no means just financial. Parents give of their time and employ a wide range of skills in a number of curriculum initiatives. Over the last few years these have included clubs for chess, the school magazine club and drama workshops and a poetry recitation competition and have effectively extended extra-curricular activities for pupils. Parents are energetic and help with time-consuming projects such as Christmas productions. They also help with hearing children read and give support in mathematics and science, and in supporting children with special educational needs. They also accompany classes on outside visits including sessions to the local swimming pool.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Equipment for ICT and some teachers’ expertise in the subject need to be developed.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

17. The school is right to have identified the development of ICT in the school as a very high priority. At the last inspection levels of attainment for many of the older pupils in the school were below national expectations. From limited evidence, the conclusion from this inspection is that the position in the school is broadly the same. There is evidence to support the school’s claim that ICT is better than it was in that statutory requirements are now broadly met. However, developments in the school have not kept pace with most other schools in the country and standards are generally below the standards set for pupils by the age of 11. There are two reasons for this: first, the equipment for ICT in the school is inadequate. There are not enough computers, and they are not yet connected for internet and e-mail access; secondly, the subject knowledge and expertise of some teachers is inadequate to push pupils to the limits of which they are capable.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 13 18. The problem of insufficient equipment is soon to be remedied. The library is to be reorganised almost immediately into a joint resources room, combining the existing area as a library and a new computer suite. Funding for fifteen machines that will form the heart of the computer suite has been secured and these have been ordered, and at the time of inspection the electrical work for the machines to be networked to the internet had been completed. There are also plans to provide an interactive white board linked to a master computer for use in class teaching. Funding has also been secured for additional computers in classrooms linked to a specialist mathematics program for pupils with SEN.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

19. The knowledge and expertise of the teachers in ICT is very variable and is typically better among those more recently qualified. The value of the new technology about to enter the school will only be fully felt when all teachers are competent to use it thoroughly, including its use in supporting learning in other subjects. The co-ordinator has a clear vision for the development of ICT and is fully aware of the changes to the National Curriculum for 2000. Her aim is to provide training for all staff in the use of the ICT suite and to extend this to increasing their confidence in the use of the internet and e-mail. She intends to encourage the staff to look jointly at the curriculum and at the ICT objectives for each curricular subject. Additional in-service training will be provided on site by an outside agency. She has not had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching to ensure it is adequate to enable

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

There is a limited range of extra-curricular activities.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

20. In their responses to the questionnaire, half of parents were not happy with the range of activities outside of school hours. At the meeting some parents agreed, mentioning in particular sport and the lack of opportunities for pupils to learn to play a musical instrument. Some of the after-school clubs take place on a fee-paying basis, such as French and the recorder club. Inspectors support the views of parents, finding that there are few opportunities provided through extra-curricular activities for pupils to develop their sporting and music skills. Activities such as the chess club are organised by parents. However, given the demand from parents and the willingness of pupils to participate, the school should give serious consideration to extend the current limited extra-curricular activities to include sporting and musical opportunities.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) raise pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving all teachers’ knowledge and expertise in the subject to ensure it is taught to a satisfactory level throughout the school (paragraph 19); • monitoring teaching to ensure it is adequate to enable pupils to make appropriate progress. (paragraph 19); • updating equipment, including the installation of a computer suite (paragraph 18) ;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

b) expand the range of extra-curricular activities to include sport and music, including instrumental playing (paragraph 20) . St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 14 St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 19

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 207

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 30

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 29

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 23

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 19

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 9 21 30

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 21 21

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 83 (81) 87 (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 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 21 21

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (93) 100 (87) 100 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 14 11 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 11 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 11 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (82) 88 (63) 92 (74) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 80 (78) 76 (67) 84 (78) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 17 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Some rows for boys include no data. This is because there were 10 or fewer pupils in the group and the results of such small groups would be unreliable .

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 6 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 10 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 29 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9 Financial year 1999/00

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 470,166

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 2,282

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 87 Balance brought forward from previous year 33,477

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 35,788 St John’s Highbury Vale C of E Primary School - 18

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 47 50 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 43 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 35 43 15 4 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 18 69 12 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 46 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 43 51 5 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 27 66 7 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 31 65 3 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 41 54 0 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 12 31 32 18 7

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

These responses show very strong support for the school and were broadly reflected at the parents’ meeting. A minority of parents in the questionnaire was not happy with homework, although most at the meeting felt it was improving. From the evidence available, and accepting that there are variations, inspectors found it is set effectively. Half of those who responded were not satisfied with the range of out of school activities. At the meeting lack of sporting and musical opportunities were mentioned. Inspectors agree with these comments.

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