St Thomas' Church of England Primary School Heaton Chapel

ST THOMAS’ CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 2 nd – 4 th October 2000

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ST THOMAS’ 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 THOMAS’ 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 Thomas’ CE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Wellington Road North Heaton Chapel Stockport Cheshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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

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Team members

6 Star Corner Barby Rugby Warwickshire CV23 8UD

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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 Thomas’ CE Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school, which is of average size, serves the parish of St.Thomas and the surrounding district of Heaton Chapel in Stockport. The number of boys and girls aged four to eleven has remained at about the current level of 238 since the last inspection. Ten per cent of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, most of whom speak English as an additional language but none of whom are at an early stage of English language acquisition. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs, including statements, is well below the national average. Ten per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, about half the national average. Thirty- five pupils are under six and provision for them is in a reception class and in a mixed-age reception/Year 1 class. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is broadly above average. There has been a change of headteacher since the last inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

By the ages of seven and eleven pupils achieve standards in English, mathematics and science which are well above the national average. Standards in mathematics are very high at eleven. The quality of teaching is good overall with very good teaching across the whole curriculum in Years 2 and 6. Literacy and numeracy are well taught. Pupils have very positive attitudes and behave well both in and out of lessons. Personal relationships are excellent. The headteacher provides strong, firm and purposeful leadership and is supported well by governors and staff. The school has recently been granted Beacon Status in recognition of its achievements. This is a very effective, improving school that provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and eleven; standards are particularly high in numeracy by the time pupils leave the school. • Pupils show interest in their work, are keen to learn and have high levels of concentration. • The change of leadership has been managed well, enabling the school to further improve its effectiveness.

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What could be improved

• Aspects of the curriculum for information and communication technology receive insufficient emphasis.

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What could be improved

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

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in October 1996 and was judged to be a successful school. Since then there has been a change of headteacher and some change in staff responsibilities. In 1998, at the time of the appointment of the present headteacher, attainment at eleven had declined from its previously high levels to round about the average. Since then standards have risen strongly and are now well above those achieved at the time of the previous report. The quality of teaching has improved and eight out of ten lessons are now good or very good with no unsatisfactory teaching. The headteacher manages change well. The key issues of the last report have been very effectively dealt with; standards in design and technology and art are now good, the curriculum for physical education and geography is much improved, monitoring and evaluating the work of the school is now a shared responsibility and there is an excellent partnership with parents and the community.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

In 1999 in mathematics the school was among the top five per cent compared with all schools and with similar schools. Overall, standards were very high compared with similar schools. Test results for 2000 are higher than for 1999. Inspection evidence confirms the high standards indicated by the test results. In 1999, pupils aged seven attained well above average results in reading and writing while in mathematics results were broadly in line with the national average. In 2000 mathematics test results for seven-year-olds are considerably higher. In 1999 the school exceeded its targets for pupils aged eleven.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils are very positive, work hard and are keen to learn.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms There is a very good standard of behaviour.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships are excellent and the personal development of pupils is good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance The attendance rate is above the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ attitudes and values are a strength of the school and these have a very positive impact on the learning.

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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

The overall teaching is good and in 40 per cent of lessons it is very good and occasionally excellent. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Literacy and numeracy are taught well and this helps pupils to make very good progress, especially in Years 2 and 6. Particularly strong features of the best teaching are the effective use of assessment to set individual targets, high expectations and careful planning to meet the needs of all pupils. English is taught well as an additional language. Support staff make a valuable contribution. Occasionally the pace of the lesson is not sufficiently brisk with too much time spent on instruction. St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and balanced with literacy and numeracy well integrated into other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is good and pupils make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils are taught well and make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall, with social and moral development being especially strong.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The welfare, health and safety of pupils are supported well through the provision of a caring environment.

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Aspect Comment

The curriculum fully meets statutory requirements. The school provides a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils are listened to and respected by all adults in the school. They are known well by all members of staff who give effective support, guidance and care.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Leadership by the headteacher and senior management team is very effective.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their responsibilities but wider participation in the life of the school by all governors would further strengthen the support they give to the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Monitoring and evaluation are effectively carried out by all staff and have been successful in targeting areas for development.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Expenditure is well planned and efficiently controlled. School day-to-day administration is of a high order. Principles of best value are well applied.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher has developed a strongly supportive team. She provides clear direction and purposeful leadership in the drive for further improvement.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Behaviour is good and their children like school. • The school is well led and managed and staff are approachable. • The teaching is good and their children make good progress. • A number of parents would like there to be a wider range of extra-curricular activities. • Greater consultation when major changes are to take place, for example the formation of two mixed-age classes.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team strongly endorses parents’ positive views. Evidence during the inspection of extra- curricular activities including residential experiences, sport, music, choir and French clubs suggest parents’ St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 9 concerns are unfounded. The headteacher feels that the issue of the formation of mixed-age classes was contentious but was fully discussed at governors’ meetings. St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 10

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

eleven; standards are particularly high in numeracy by the time pupils leave the school.

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

1. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests, pupils aged eleven attained above average standards in English, well above average standards in science and very high standards in mathematics compared to all schools. When compared to similar schools, very high standards were attained in mathematics and well above average standards in the other two subjects. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds unconfirmed results indicate a considerable improvement on the 1999 scores in English, especially in reading. Mathematics and science scores continue at a very high level. These high standards are broadly mirrored in the results for seven-year-olds. In reading and writing, results in 1999 were well above the national average, though in mathematics results were at an average level. In 2000 mathematics results at seven have improved strongly with twice as many pupils attaining the higher level 3 than in the previous

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

2. These results illustrate the attention the school pays to careful analysis and evaluation of results with well-planned work to correct deficiencies or to further improve already good standards. Inspection evidence of lessons and in the scrutiny of work shows that pupils make good progress over time and that this progress quickens in Years 5 and 6. Younger children make good progress in their reading and, by the age of seven, are able to read simple stories. They have acquired good word building skills and have developed a range of strategies to read unfamiliar words. All enjoy reading, can use dictionaries efficiently, have a good understanding of initial letter blends and accurately retell stories. By the time they are eleven, pupils have acquired a love of books, almost all having their own collections. They still read regularly to an adult at home and almost all belong to a public library, which they visit regularly. These

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

factors illustrate the success the school has in its reading programme.

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

3. High priority is given to the teaching of literacy and numeracy and the teaching is well planned. Teaching is very good in Years 2 and 6. The literacy and numeracy strategies are planned to include all elements of the programmes and use is made of them in other subjects to reinforce the learning. In a lesson on personal and social education, the teacher encouraged pupils to speak to different audiences, encouraged careful listening by posing well thought-out questions and invited pupils to pose their own questions. In a history lesson relating to the Greeks, pupils used the CD-ROM well when searching for relevant information. They were then encouraged to look for connections on how Greek society, sport and religious gods were connected. Pupils finally had to order the information to write a coherent account. This was a good lesson with well taken opportunities for language extension. Teachers have high

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

expectations of pupils, encouraging them through the quality of marking, which often suggests ways in which future work can be improved. Lessons usually proceed at a good pace with appropriate time given to the introduction, core activities for groups of differing abilities with well-planned extension activities and a plenary session, which is used by teachers to assess the learning that has taken place. Through careful analysis of assessments, the school has restructured the literacy strategy to include more time for extended writing and this is proving effective in raising standards.

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

4. Teachers have a very good knowledge of literacy and numeracy and this helps them to set work that is not only interesting but which also consistently extends pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding and meets their range of needs. In a lesson with Year 6 pupils, the teacher introduced the Robert Bridges poem ‘London Snow’. Pupils then compared this with work previously covered on Kipling. Work was then set at appropriate levels to extend pupils’ word power through careful questioning and understanding of structure in poetry, with the result that all pupils in the class made very good progress. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in their acquisition of language skills through the very careful attention they are given by classroom support teachers and assistants. This is also the case with pupils who have special educational needs. Collaborative planning by all concerned

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

helps to ensure that good progress is made. The policy of inclusion of all pupils in the full curriculum helps pupils’ self-esteem and assists in their learning from others.

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

5. Through the increased attention the school is paying to writing, pupils are making good progress. The National Literacy Strategy now takes place four days a week with the fifth day being given over to focused work on aspects of writing. Pupils have their own drafting books, which are used to aid their construction of writing accounts and stories for different audiences. A new handwriting scheme has been St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 11 adopted and there are sessions solely devoted to improving handwriting. This is making a definite improvement.

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

6. In mathematics, infant pupils are making good progress. Work seen was well above average and consistently across the ability range. It is neat and accurate and covers all areas of the numeracy strategy and the National Curriculum. Particularly good attention is paid to the practical application of number. By the time pupils are eleven, all are at average levels or above, with a few pupils working well towards gaining the average levels of pupils aged fourteen (Level 6). Throughout the school, there is an insistence on neat, accurate working with pupils being set challenging problems to solve in class and at home. Homework is used well to advance standards, particularly in mental mathematics. The adoption of the numeracy strategy, very good attention being paid to practical applications, high expectations of pupils’ mental abilities and teachers’ very good knowledge and understanding, have ensured that pupils are

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Literacy and numeracy are taught thoroughly and well resulting in very good standards at ages seven and

gaining the highest levels of attainment.

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Pupils show interest in their work and are keen to learn

7. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards the school. They concentrate well in lessons, working hard to obtain pleasing results for themselves, their teachers and parents. These very good learning habits are built on throughout the school. An advantage is that most children have acquired a thirst for knowledge and skills when they arrive in the reception class. Pupils who had only been in school for four weeks were able to talk interestingly about autumn colours, patterns in leaves, and to use clay and paint with a good level of control. Usually pupils concentrate well throughout the lesson and work quietly with a sense of purpose.

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Pupils show interest in their work and are keen to learn

8. Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and adults, are excellent and there is a very good standard of behaviour, both in lessons and in the playground. Pupils enter the hall for assembly in a quiet, orderly fashion listening closely to the music. They sing together well and listen intently to the story, being able to recall events later with accuracy. Older pupils show respect towards each other, to younger pupils and to their environment. All play happily together in the playground, with older junior pupils taking care of infant pupils.

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The change of headship has been managed well, and the school has continued to improve its effectiveness

9. The firm and purposeful leadership by the headteacher of the school has led to the attainment of higher standards in an atmosphere of co-operation and mutual support. By careful analysis of the needs of pupils and staff she has established a clear framework of priorities for the further advancement of the school’s aims and values. This has been recognised by the recent granting of Beacon status by the Department for Education and Employment. Pupils, and the work of adults within the school, are highly valued and this engenders a very positive ethos.

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The change of headship has been managed well, and the school has continued to improve its effectiveness

10. The senior management team is highly effective in its contribution to developments and in its support to the headteacher. The weekly full staff meeting is a forum where open debate is encouraged, enabling all staff to feel part of the decision-making process. It aids the establishment of a corporate identity, with all staff working together in a coherent and agreed manner. The careful distribution of responsibilities within the staff, and clearly defined job descriptions, have led to all being involved in monitoring, evaluating and reporting back regularly on their areas of responsibility. In this way all staff have a clear understanding of where developments are required.

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The change of headship has been managed well, and the school has continued to improve its effectiveness

11. The current school development plan is a substantial and well-constructed document, which reviews the effectiveness of the previous year’s plans and states clearly what is to be developed in the future. Priorities are well chosen and carefully costed. Key issues from the last inspection have all been well attended to. The school is now well on the way to successfully introducing a performance management system that is primarily designed to increase performance in the classrooms. Other priorities relate to maintaining the impetus towards higher standards.

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The change of headship has been managed well, and the school has continued to improve its effectiveness

12. Recently there have been a number of changes within the governing body and over half the governors are new. Governors are well led by the chairman and the regular meetings of the sub-committees help ensure that issues are discussed before decisions are taken. As many of the governors are new, efforts are being made to involve them all fully into the life of the school. The class-governor liaison scheme, recently introduced, is designed to ensure governors are familiar to everyone in the school and that they have greater knowledge of the teaching and learning. St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 12 13. Principles of best value are well applied. Identified priorities within the school development plan are carefully costed and purchasing of large items is by tender or through the local education authority. Standards Fund money has been well applied to support work in information technology, additional

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The change of headship has been managed well, and the school has continued to improve its effectiveness

support in literacy and numeracy and to enable curriculum co-ordinators time for monitoring their subject responsibilities. The school provides very good value for money.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

14. Aspects of the curriculum for information and communication technology receive insufficient attention. Modelling and control do not feature sufficiently prominently in the curriculum for information and control technology (ICT). Though expertise among most members of staff is sufficiently well developed in most aspects of the subject there is a need to review and improve expertise of some staff in these aspects of the subject. This issue is not of sufficient importance to constitute a key issue for action

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

There are no key issues. St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 13

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

4 40 40 16 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 238

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 22 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 41

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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 25

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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 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2 St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 14

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

National comparative data 94.1 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 19 16 35

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 17 18 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 14

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Percentage of pupils School 91 (100) 94 (100) 89 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (77) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 17 17 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 94 (100) 94 (100) 94 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 15 16 31

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys 14 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 16 15

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 87 (58) 100 (57) 97 (67) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (65) 78 (69)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 14 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 15 15

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 90 (66) 97 (66) 97 (69) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups 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. There were no fixed or permanent exclusions St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 16

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10 Financial year 1999/2000

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 364,048

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1,576

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 85 Balance brought forward from previous year 23,170

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Balance carried forward to next year 17,019

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Thomas’ CE Primary School - 17

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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. 60 38 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 57 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 55 7 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 54 40 6 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 25 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. 57 39 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 43 51 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 71 29 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 39 2 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 15 49 21 2 14

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Other issues raised by parents

Parents who were affected by the formation of the two mixed-age classes would have wished for more consultation on this issue.

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