St Mary's Catholic Infant School

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 – 16 November 2000

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ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC INFANT SCHOOL

Inspection number: 225210 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. MARY’S CATHOLIC INFANT 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. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Victoria Road Newton-Le-Willows

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev. Canon T Naughton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 18 November 1996 St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mrs E LaBrum Registered inspector Mr D Blanchflower Lay inspector Mrs V McGrath Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr I H Jones Kingston Centre Fairway Stafford ST16 3TW

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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. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 6

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REPORT CONTENTS

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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REPORT CONTENTS

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 21

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 22-25 St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Mary’s School has 212 boys and girls in the age range three to seven years. This includes a Nursery for 50 part–time pupils in the morning and afternoon. This is about the same size as most infant schools. The admission policy requires that all pupils have been baptised in the Catholic faith. At the time of the inspection there were 84 pupils under six years of age. The school is organized into seven classes, two classes in each year group and one class of mixed Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. The school is situated in a suburban area of Newton-Le-Willows. 11% of pupils are eligible for free school meals which is close to the national average. There are 10 pupils on the school’s register for special educational needs which is close to the average. One pupil has a statement of special educational need this is close to the national figure. Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds but overall their social background is typical of that seen nationally. Pupils’ attainment on entry to

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

the school is above that usually seen in pupils of this age after attending the school nursery.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school with some significant strengths. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are very high, whilst standards in other subjects are typical or above what is usually seen by the age of seven. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good overall in response to effective teaching. The curriculum is satisfactory overall and the school is soundly led and managed. Attainment on entry to the school is above what is usually seen; and pupils make very good progress in English and mathematics and scientific knowledge to attain very high standards. Overall pupils achieve well. Despite the high costs of educating pupils at the school, it gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English are exceptionally high. • Standards in mathematics are exceptionally high. • English and mathematics are well taught. • Pupils’ attitudes to learning and behaviour are good.

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What could be improved

• Providing increased opportunities for pupils to learn actively and exercise initiative and choice. • Providing additional information about what pupils will be learning at school and suggesting activities so that parents can support their children at home more extensively. 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 teachers have worked very hard and successfully in the absence of a permanent headteacher and have successfully maintained the very high standards identified in the last inspection. The quality of teaching has been maintained. Almost all the key issues have been tackled successfully including improving curriculum plans for history and music and completing schemes of work. There is now a consistent approach to marking and target setting for pupils and the school has developed portfolios St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 8 of pupils’ work further. However, although there has been some increase in opportunities for investigative work and problem solving, especially in mathematics, too many activities are still very strongly teacher directed. As a result pupils have limited opportunities to exercise initiative and choice in their learning.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

Reading A A A A* well above average above average A B Writing A A A* A* average below average C D Mathematics A A A* A* well below average E

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Key

Pupils enter the school with attainment that is generally above what is usually seen. By the end of the Reception Year a small minority are attaining well above what is usually expected. They build very well on this good start in Years 1 and 2, making very good progress in English, mathematics and scientific knowledge, and achieve very well. The results of the statutory tests at the age of seven have remained consistently well above those attained nationally in reading, writing and mathematics over the last three years. Standards are in the top five per cent of schools nationally in writing and mathematics, and when compared with similar schools. In reading they are in the highest five per cent of schools of a similar type and are very high when compared nationally. Standards in science, as demonstrated in the statutory assessments by their teachers, are very high when compared with the national average. Pupils’ current work confirms these high standards and reflects very high

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Key

achievement by all pupils. Standards in information technology are above what is usually seen. However, much of the work in science, geography and history is heavily directed by the teacher and recorded by pupils on undemanding worksheets. Therefore pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to demonstrate their full capacity to carry out and record their own investigations or express their ideas creatively, even though they have a good level of subject knowledge and understanding. Standards in art and in design and technology are typical of those seen by the age of seven. St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good overall. Pupils always begin lessons with very positive attitudes and maintain these when they are actively engaged in interesting tasks. However, they lose concentration and interest when they are kept sitting and listening for overlong periods.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good overall. Behaviour around school is usually very good. Pupils are friendly and courteous and are quickly obedient to instructions. However, when lesson introductions are too long pupils begin to get restless and teachers have to work hard to achieve the standards of behaviour they expect.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good overall. Pupils’ ability to work independently and to find, use and put away equipment is well developed. They make good use of the limited opportunities offered to make decisions. They are quick to build good relationships with adults and other pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is satisfactory although it is slightly below the national average. Pupils enjoy coming to school.

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Aspect Comment

Generally pupils develop well as individuals. Their ability to work independently makes a significant contribution to the effective conduct of lessons and allows teachers to work uninterrupted with small groups and individuals. Pupils are friendly, courteous and are show thoughtfulness to other pupils. Their well-developed skills in listening and speaking help them to co-operate well together.

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

Lessons seen overall 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

The quality of teaching is good overall. In all the lessons observed teaching was at least satisfactory. In 60 per cent of lessons it was good or better with 15 per cent of the teaching judged to be very good. The teaching of English, literacy, mathematics and numeracy is a strength of the school and accounts for all the very good teaching seen during the inspection. It has a major and positive impact on pupils’ very high levels of attainment and reflects a close match to pupils’ needs. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in lessons. The teaching seen in the Foundation Stage was good overall. In Key Stage 1 teaching was good overall and included all the instances where teaching was very good. In the good and very good lessons teachers were careful to ensure a balance between teacher direction and opportunities for pupils to be actively engaged in interesting St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 10

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

tasks. What distinguished the satisfactory teaching from that which was judged good was that pupils were kept sitting for too long and the tasks given them were very highly structured with little opportunity for pupils to exercise choice or initiative.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Sound. The curriculum is broad and meets the statutory requirements. Teachers plan most conscientiously and in great detail. The curriculum lacks balance with too much time allocated to direct teaching methods and too little time given for pupils to develop initiative and to make decisions for themselves. There are no extra-curricular activities offered to pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The special educational needs co-ordinator works very closely with teachers to write effective individual education plans so that pupils are fully involved in all class activities and make good progress against the targets set for them.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for all these aspects of pupils’ development is good. There are good opportunities for pupils to discuss moral issues in story time. Adults provide very good models of the kind of behaviour they expect of pupils and promote good relationships. The curriculum is enhanced by a sound range of visits and visitors.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes good care of its pupils. The school provides a high level of careful supervision of pupils at all times. Relationships are good and the school encourages pupils to work hard and achieve well.

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Aspect Comment

Overall, the curriculum is satisfactory. There are significant strengths in the provision for English and literacy and for mathematics and number and these have a positive impact on the very high standards that pupils attain at the age of seven. In other subjects the opportunities for pupils to develop the skills of designing and carrying out their investigations are limited. Although there are very good examples of pupils recording their own factual reports, too often they record their learning on undemanding task sheets. The procedures for assessment and tracking pupils’ progress are good but are limited to those areas assessed by the national tests at the end of Year 2. St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is soundly led and managed and is improving steadily. The headteacher, key staff and governors are working together well to ensure that the school continues to maintain its high standards and to improve the quality of educational provision further.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The recently established governing body is effective in carrying out its responsibilities. Governors are well informed about all aspects of the school beginning to act as effective critical friends.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has begun to implement procedures to monitor its work in a systematic way, but these are not yet fully implemented.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school uses its resources efficiently to provide a good education for its pupils. Funding from grants is used appropriately for specific needs or initiatives.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a recently appointed headteacher who has already identified several focused areas to improve provision, including extending the partnership with parents and improving the balance of time between teacher-directed activities and opportunities for pupils to explore, experiment, investigates and express themselves creatively. The school has only recently had its own governing body. The governors work well together and are very supportive of the school. The school has anticipated changes in the number of pupils on roll and has taken effective action to manage its funds accordingly. The school applies the principles of best value to the acquisition of resources. The daily financial and general administration are very effective and this allows the headteacher to concentrate on the educational issues.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Pupils like coming to school. • Pupils’ attain high standards and make very good progress. • Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour are good. • The high quality of teaching. • The school expects high standards of attainment, effort and behaviour from pupils. • It is easy to approach the school with suggestions and concerns. • More information about their children’s progress. • Parents’ involvement in the school and their own children’s learning. • The range of extra-curricular activities. St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 12 The findings of the inspectors confirm all the positive views expressed by parents. They also support their views that the opportunities for them to be involved in the children’s learning and in the school could be extended. The school does not offer any extra-curricular activities and in this respect provides much less than other schools of the same type. Some parents are concerned that

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

the amount of work given to pupils at home is too little. However, inspection findings are that homework is neither too little nor too much. It is more than most infant schools provide. It has a positive impact on learning in the classroom that is reflected in the high standards pupils attain. St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 13

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Standards in English particularly in writing are exceptionally high.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1 When pupils begin school, their attainment in English is above that usually seen in children of that age after attending the school nursery. By the age of seven standards as shown by statutory tests and teachers’ assessments are well above the national average and when compared with schools of a similar type. In writing the results are in the highest five per cent both nationally and in comparison with similar schools. Many more pupils than usual attain the higher Level 3 in the tests. These very high standards have been successfully maintained since the last inspection. Pupils make consistently very good progress and achieve very well. These very high standards are the result of effective teaching and curriculum plans that provide teachers with good guidance on how to move pupils from one level of skills to the next. The co-ordinator for English has provided good leadership in establishing high quality

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

curriculum plans and guidance to colleagues.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2 Pupils are surrounded with an environment rich in language and make great strides in acquiring a correct technical vocabulary in a variety of subjects. By the end of the Foundation Stage, which is the end of the Reception Year, almost all pupils have reached standards that are above what is typically seen. By the age of seven, 85 per cent of pupils have attained standards that are above the expected Level 2; and many more pupils than usual have attained the higher Level 3.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3 Standards in speaking and listening are very high. Pupils are courteous and patient listeners. They show by the relevance and clarity of their answers that they have paid great attention to what the speaker has said. They are confident speakers, often able to marshal their ideas and express them articulately. They readily initiate conversation with adults and other pupils. They make good use of their speaking and listening skills when they are engaged in role- play. A good example of this was seen in the Reception class where a group of pupils were preparing an imaginary meal for four. Their capacity for co-operation was good and they were able to allocate tasks and maintain themselves in role. Adults do not always join pupils in role–play, but pupils’ gains in commanding language and acquiring social skills are greatest when these role-play activities are supported by an adult.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4 Pupils attain very high standards in reading. Parents and teachers work well together to promote a love of reading. Pupils talk about the books they have read with enthusiasm, discussing their favourite characters and summarising the story lines very clearly. They write book reviews as an element of the range of work they do at home. These show that pupils have likes and dislikes that they can share confidently with adults and other pupils.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5 Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that the school often provides high quality activities to develop writing skills in much of their work in English and other subjects; and standards of writing are very high by the age of seven. Pupils are able to write brief but well sequenced accounts of what they have learned in lessons. For instance, Year 1 pupils composed very St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 14 succinct reports on what they had studied in a geography lesson on the migration of birds in winter. They build well on this good start. A particularly good example of Year 2 pupils’ high level of skills in writing factual reports were seen in The Diary Of a Frog where pupils demonstrated a very good understanding of the life cycle of a frog through imaginative writing. Similarly, their work on writing on an insect or mini-beast of their choice showed that pupils can combine research skills with the ability to communicate information clearly.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

In their story writing such as Katy and the Sheep and The Magic Carpet pupils show a rich vocabulary and the ability to write extended pieces with clear sequencing, complex sentence structure, correct use of punctuation and high levels of accuracy in their spelling. Nevertheless, there are occasions when pupils record what they have learned on worksheets that are too easy for them. On these occasions standards are not so high because pupils are not able to demonstrate their real capabilities.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Standards in mathematics are exceptionally high.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6 When pupils begin school their attainment in mathematics is above that usually seen in children of that age. By the age of seven standards as shown by statutory tests and teachers’ assessments are very high and are in the top five per cent when compared both nationally and with schools of a similar type. In the use of number and algebra, standards are in the top five per cent. Standards are well above the national average and well above those attained by pupils in similar schools. Pupils have particular strengths in using and applying mathematics and in their understanding of space, shape and measuring. Many more pupils than usual attain the higher Level 3 in the tests and in teachers’ statutory assessments. Both girls and boys have consistently performed very highly over the last four years. These very high standards have been successfully maintained since the last inspection. Pupils make consistently very good progress and achieve very well. The very

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

high standards attained in mathematics reflect effective teaching and the successful implementation of the numeracy framework. The co-ordinator for mathematics has provided strong and effective leadership. This has resulted in high quality curriculum planning that ensures a very good basis for teaching.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7 In the Nursery and Reception pupils have good opportunities to learn colours, shapes and numbers through practical activities. Pupils in the Reception class recognize and count numbers to ten and can match one-to-one, as they demonstrated when setting a table for a meal for four people. They know and can name shapes like squares, circles, triangles and rectangles and are beginning to develop an understanding of three-dimensional shapes like cylinders, cubes and spheres. They can combine their knowledge of colours and shapes to maintain and continue patterns. They know a good range of number songs and rhymes.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8 In Key Stage 1 pupils build well on the good start they have made in the Nursery and Reception classes. Standards in Year 1 in number are already high at this early stage in the academic year. Many more pupils than usual can count backwards and forwards to 100 and above in fives and tens and the most able can count in hundreds above a thousand. Almost all can identify missing numbers when the teacher counts either forwards or back in hundreds. All recognise odd and even numbers and recite them. They have a good vocabulary for estimating, understanding and using terms like estimate, approximate, about, St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 15 nearly and a sensible guess. They can order a set of shapes according to size and interpret the displays that they have created. The pupils of lower prior attainment in Year 2 can match these standards. In all numeracy lessons where the ‘warm-up session’ was observed,

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

teachers expected pupils to be alert and ready to learn. Pupils responded with enthusiasm and high levels of concentration to exciting input from the teacher delivered at a brisk speed. They clearly enjoy mathematics lessons and this has a positive impact on their learning but particularly in mental mathematics.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9 Pupils in Year 2 continue the very good progress they have made in Year 1. They respond with eager interest and enjoy their mathematics lessons whilst maintaining a sense of purpose and confidence about their work. These very positive attitudes have a strong impact on the standards they achieve. In number work, most pupils are already exceeding the expected outcomes for the end of Year 2 and many are working on outcomes expected of Year 3 pupils. For instance, they respond rapidly to oral questions such as ‘share 18 between 2’ and ‘if half of 4 is 2 what is half of 40?’ Their skills in handling number are very well developed and they have a very good understanding of place value. They handled numbers to 1,100 accurately and with confidence. For instance, they can all use ‘near-doubles’ to calculate the addition and subtraction of 9 and 11. Most of them can extend this strategy to include 21, 32, 19 and 29. When calculating these examples and halving and doubling

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

numbers to 800, they can explain how they found their answers with great clarity. The most able are able to describe more than one way of answering questions. Pupils are very secure in the basic skills and have little difficulty in moving on to solving problems involving centimetres, metres, grams and money. This is a direct result of the very effective way teachers make problem solving and number sentence work a natural extension of acquiring basic number skills. Pupils have a good body of knowledge about two and three- dimensional shapes and can describe their properties with precision.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10 The standards in pupils’ current mathematical work indicate that results in the national tests are likely to match the very standards the school has been attaining for the last four years.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

English and mathematics are well taught.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

11 Overall the teaching of English and mathematics seen during the inspection was good. This indicates that the quality has been maintained since the last inspection. It ranged from satisfactory and accounted for all the very good teaching observed during the inspection. Teachers have very effective strategies for teaching English and mathematics. These are strengths of the educational provision and have a very positive impact on the standards pupils achieve and the progress they make.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

12 Teachers plan most conscientiously and their plans provide a very sound basis for teaching. They know exactly what they want pupils to learn and share the targets for learning with their pupils. This gives pupils a sense of purpose and they work with a will. In the best lessons teachers give lively introductions, well-timed to move pupils onto to active tasks and to move them on in their learning as they master each step. A very good example was seen in the lesson on doubling and halving numbers to Year 2 pupils. Here, the teacher built steadily on pupils’ earlier knowledge of their two-times tables and their ability to count in St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 16 tens and hundred, so that by the end of the warm-up session pupils were quickly and confidently doubling and halving numbers to 800.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

13 Teachers have briefed the classroom assistants well and they in turn work very well on focused activities with their groups of pupils. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and most often their discipline is very effective and low key.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

14 Although the school had decided not to adopt the literacy hour in its entirety, teachers have been trained in several elements and use these to very good effect in the daily English lessons. They make particularly good use of shared and guided reading and work at both word and sentence level is very well planned and delivered. The school has implemented a system for grouping pupils of similar ability together for word-level work. This work very well for the initial activity but does slow the pace when pupils regroup with their teachers for the remainder of the lesson. Nevertheless, the work offered matches very closely the needs of all pupils. Teachers use a range of exciting, short games to develop pupils’ skills; and pupils respond with high levels of interest and concentration. A very good example of this was seen in the English lesson for Year 1 pupils where pupils played Full Circle and Silly

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Questions. They made very good gains in learning and behaved very well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

15 Adults do not always join pupils in role-play but pupils’ gains in commanding language and social skills are greatest when these role-play activities are supported by an adult. A good example was seen in the Nursery when the teacher joined in an imaginary situation involving the fire service. Pupils quickly picked up the convention of ringing the emergency services and organising what they wanted to say. Another example was seen in the role-play situation for the mixed age Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. The teacher had carefully equipped the ‘Travel Agency’ with brochures and a range of forms for booking holidays and recording payment. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the visit made by the headteacher to book her holiday and were able to relate the whole process very clearly afterwards.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

16 Teachers are often very successful in promoting pupils’ literacy skills and a correct technical vocabulary in other subjects. During the inspection instances of very effective use of shared reading were seen, particularly in story time when the content was often related to other subjects. Two notable examples were observed. One was observed in a Year 1 lesson to teach pupils about the migration of birds to Great Britain for the winter and about the migration of swallows to Africa at the end of summer. Similarly, the teacher in a Year 2 class made very good use of the ‘big book’ Teddy Bears from Long Ago to help pupils learn about the past and identify similarities and differences between old and new. Teachers value what pupils have to say and this gives pupils the confidence to contribute in class discussions.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

17 Teachers have a very secure command of their subjects. In both English and mathematics this allows them to make very good use of direct teaching through clear explanations and demonstrations. For instance, when pupils in Year 2 were seen to be repeating simple connectives like ‘then’ and ‘after’ they were taught directly to use other more sophisticated ways to sequence their writing such as in the meantime, luckily, it wasn’t long before and shortly afterwards . Teachers make very good use of skilled questioning to promote high St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 17 levels of reading skills. As a result pupils can understand much more than is made explicit in the text. In creative writing pupils have good opportunities to exercise their imagination as in their stories on The Magic Carpet and recording the life-cycle of a frog through story telling. Displays in the classrooms with a good level of language help pupils with their

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

learning. These are linked to topics and help pupils to build subject specific vocabulary. Good examples were seen in displays on two and three-dimensional shapes in maths, on the migration of birds in winter. Another display in the class for mixed Year 1 and 2 pupils supported their learning very well in their study on Africa. Pupils’ independent written work is valued and used for making teaching points.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

18 Where the quality of teaching in English was less than good a disproportionate amount of time was given to pupils listening to the teacher with insufficient opportunities to contribute ideas and news that they were obviously very keen to share. Often this was because teachers were anxious to cover all the content that they had prepared. Nevertheless this left pupils disappointed. They lost some of their eagerness to learn and teachers’ discipline had to become overt to maintain good behaviour.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

19 All daily mathematics lessons include the suggested elements from the National Numeracy Strategy, of a mental warm-up, main learning activities and a plenary when pupils gather together to report what they have done and learned. A consistently good feature of the warm-up sessions was the way in which groups of pupils with differing learning needs were given equal opportunities to contribute. Where teaching was very good the warm-up session and teacher’s explanation were of high quality. Expectations were high and the lesson moved along at a brisk but realistic pace. Sufficient time was given to consolidate earlier learning and for pupils to master each step before moving on to more challenging work. In the best lessons pupils were told what they were expected to report back on, and were able to focus their efforts and concentrate very well. In the lessons observed during the inspection these three elements combined into a coherent whole with opportunities for

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

new learning, consolidation of what had been learned before and application of basic skills to solving problems. The Year 2 lessons on doubling and halving numbers gave very good examples of pupils moving from simple questions based on the two-times table to solving problems using the same strategies involving large numbers and including, units of measure. Where teaching was satisfactory rather than good or very good, the gains in learning during the main activities were not as great as during the introductory session when direct teaching methods were used very successfully. This was usually because the worksheets and extension activities were not sufficiently demanding.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

20 Pupils have more work to do at home than most pupils of a similar age. It includes reading practice, learning spellings, tables and number bonds. In addition pupils regularly write book reviews and from time to time carry out surveys at home to furnish the raw data from work in the classroom. Parents say that their children are keen to do their homework and the parents themselves provide high levels of support at home. Parents are particularly successful in helping their children to read many books of different kinds. This gives pupils a strong familiarity with the conventions of story telling and scope for their imagination. Pupils are able to draw on this wide experience when they are writing their own stories. The homework pupils do has a positive impact on the very high standards they attain in English St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 18 and mathematics.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Pupils’ attitudes to learning and behaviour are good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

21 Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour in lessons seen varied from satisfactory to very good, but are good overall.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

22 Parents believe attitudes are very good. They say that their children are very enthusiastic about coming to school and note that they do their homework willingly. Inspectors found that almost always pupils started lessons with very high levels of interest. They settled quickly on the carpet and were ready, alert and eager to learn. They listen attentively and are confident in sharing their ideas and answers. They have a well developed capacity to work independently and teachers have given them good strategies for helping themselves. For instance, in many lessons pupils find, use and return the materials they need. They turn naturally to word-books and displays around the classroom to find spellings that they need. Their positive attitudes have a positive impact on their learning.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

23 Behaviour around school and at break and lunchtimes is good. There was no evidence of oppressive behaviour or bullying seen during the inspection. The school is an orderly community with few rules where adults give pupils very good models of the behaviour they expect pupils to follow. Pupils are taught to think of others and about the impact their behaviour has on those around them. They are quick to help when friends return to school after an illness or need to find materials or spellings. In lessons they know and maintain rules and routines without undue intervention from adults. Pupils are naturally friendly, confident in initiating conversation and build good relationships with adults and each other. Their skills in listening and speaking help them to co-operate effectively with each other when opportunities are offered. Example of this were seen where pupils engaged in role-play in

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

the home corner in reception classes and in the ‘Travel Agency’ set up in the mixed Year 1 and Year 2 class.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

24 When lesson seen were conducted at a good pace and teachers ensured that pupils were not kept listening in class discussion for overlong periods, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour were never less than good and were sometimes very good. For example, very good behaviour was seen in the warm up session of mathematics lessons given to Year 2 pupils and to pupils in the mixed age class for Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. Similarly, in the geography lesson on the migration of swallows to Year 1 pupils, the teacher used shared reading as a very effective way of involving pupils actively in the introductory part of the lesson before sending them to a range of tasks. In these lessons teachers’ delivery was brisk, the question and answer sessions involved every pupil at their own level before pupils moved on to their own tasks. There was a good balance between the time allocated for pupils to sit and listen and that given to pupils to be active on their own tasks. Pupils

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responded with rapt attention and maintained concentration throughout these lessons.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

25 However, in the seven lessons where pupils’ behaviour was judged to be only satisfactory, pupils spent too long sitting and listening to the teacher. Often there were only limited opportunities for them to contribute their own ideas because the teacher had planned to St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 19 deliver too much content through direct teaching. Pupils’ initial high standard of behaviour wavered as they became restless and impatient to move on to other tasks. Teachers’ discipline became more overt as they tried to complete the planned direct teaching component of the lesson. A greater balance between the time given to direct teaching and that allocated for pupils to be actively involved in their learning would raise the good standards of behaviour seen in the school even higher.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

26 Providing increased opportunities for pupils to learn actively and exercise initiative and choice.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

27 The school offers a sound curriculum with strengths in the provision for English, mathematics and for pupils with special educational needs. The provision for pupils in the Nursery and the Reception class broadly meets the requirements of Early Learning Goals set out in the National Foundation Stage Curriculum. In Key Stage 1 the curriculum covers all the subjects of the National Curriculum and is particularly sound in covering the content of the National programmes of study. It includes very detailed plans for teaching literacy skills, and the national Numeracy Framework is fully implemented. There are schemes of work in place for all subjects and in this respect the school has made good progress since the last inspection. The school also provides for religious education, but as it is an aided Catholic school, a separate inspection is required for this aspect of provision and a separate report

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

28 Teachers plan most conscientiously in year teams and this ensures that all pupils in the same year group have access to the same learning opportunities. Activities and targets for learning are appropriately tailored to match the needs of all pupils. An enthusiastic and knowledgeable co-ordinator for special educational needs works with class teachers, writing good quality individual educational plans and annual reviews. Special educational needs provision takes account of pupils at both ends of the ability spectrum. Where the curriculum is of good quality, it provides a good basis for teaching and pupils make very good progress and attain very high standards. These high standards are seen in all aspects of English, mathematics and information technology and in the pupils’ knowledge in science, geography and history.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

29 However, whilst achievement is good overall, there are areas where pupils’ standards of work are typical of those achieved by the age of seven nationally. This does not reflect the pupils’ true capacities and capabilities, as demonstrated in their English and mathematics. For instance, in twelve of the 31 lessons observed during the inspection standards were recorded as being in line with those seen nationally for pupils of similar age. Similar standards were noted on displays around the school. There is a direct link between these lower levels of achievement and weaknesses in the quality of curriculum plans. Often activities are every closely structured by the teacher and pupils have very little opportunity to exercise initiative, to make choices or to express themselves creatively. For instance, the display on swallows by Year 1 pupils is based on templates prepared by the teacher. Although each piece of work is completed to a high standard, pupils have produced very

p.19

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 20 similar pieces of work, all the same size and using identical materials. Similarly, the jointed figures produced by pupils in Year 2 are based on a template with use of a paper fastener as the only technique for joining the different pieces. The crayoned decorations provide the only element that makes the finished model unique to the pupil who made it.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

30 Although there are examples of pupils producing very high quality pieces of work in all subjects on their own, the use of unchallenging worksheets and extension activities sometimes prevents pupils demonstrating their skills and understanding. For instance, in science lessons for pupils in Year 2, pupils showed in class discussion that they had a secure grasp of the links between natural resources, raw materials and how they result in man-made products. Pupils also had the skills to sort materials practically according to the raw materials from which they were made, such as metal, wood and plastics. However, they carried out a sorting task using this knowledge and recorded their findings by means of colouring a prepared worksheet. Neither the task nor its recording fully used their knowledge and skills, nor challenged them to achieve further. Although there has been some increase in opportunities for pupils to design, carry out and record their investigations

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

independently as called for in the last inspection report, progress has not been sufficient. Therefore, whilst pupils have high levels of knowledge and understanding in science their skills in conducting investigations are much less well developed. The curriculum also lacks balance in that too much time is allocated to direct teaching methods when pupils sit and listen to the teacher and too little time given for pupils to be active learners. Although pupils are attentive listeners, they often lose interest when they have been sitting for too long and become impatient to settle down to a task. In the Nursery and Reception classes, the teachers’ plans do not yet fully embrace the principles that underpin the Early Learning Goals outlined in the National Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. Pupils lack sufficient opportunities to explore, experiment, investigate and express themselves creatively.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

31 There are no extra-curricular activities provided in the school. The headteacher is aware that the curriculum is sound but is in need of further development so that the standards pupils achieve in all subjects can match the very high standards they attain in areas where the curriculum is already strong.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

32 Providing additional information about what pupils will be learning at school and suggesting activities so that parents can support their children at home more extensively.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

33 Parents have positive views of the school. They are particularly pleased with standards of attainment and the progress their children are making. They think standards of behaviour and pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. Parents find the staff easy to talk to and say their ideas and comments and complaints are treated seriously, explored thoroughly and where necessary action is taken. Teachers and the headteacher are readily available to talk to parents at the beginning and end of the day. A few parents and grandparents work in the classroom or help in others ways in the school.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

34 The school’s links with parents are satisfactory with some established strengths, particularly in the efforts made by the English and mathematics co-ordinators to involve parents in their childrens’ learning. For instance the English co-ordinator has given parents useful guidance St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 21 on helping their children at home with reading, speaking and listening and there is a home/school reading record. The mathematics co-ordinator has sought and used funding to set up a parent’ room and to provide mathematics workshops to help parents understand how mathematics is taught in the classroom and to give them opportunities to work alongside their children. Evaluations by parents showed how enjoyable and helpful they found these workshops. The programme is to be extended this year and include opportunities to create number games and materials.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

35 However, until very recently there were very few opportunities for parents to join their children in school, for example, in collective worship. Similarly there were no formal procedures for parents share share ideas or opinions with the school staff.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

36 The recently appointed headteacher is very aware of the need to increase opportunities for parents to be involved in the life of the school and in supporting their children’s learning. The existing school/home links are steadily improving in response to her initiatives to build a closer partnership between school and home. For example, parents have now been invited to join their children in assemblies and to meet in the school at coffee mornings when they can exchange information and views with the headteacher. In addition a Parents in Partnership course is planned for this academic year.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

37 Parents receive good information about the school and its activities through regular newsletters, a sound annual report on the school’s progress to all parents and a prospectus that gives helpful information to parents who are thinking of sending the children to the school. Parents receive clear reports about their own children’s attainment and progress over the academic year. There is no parents’ association at the school.

p.21

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

38 Some parents are concerned that the amount of work given to pupils at home is too little. However, inspection findings are that homework is neither too little nor too much. It includes regular reading practice, writing book reviews, tables, number and spelling practice. Also, there are occasional home/school surveys like one on size of feet which provided the raw data for lessons on comparative size . It is more than most infant schools provide. Homework has a positive impact on learning in the classroom and this is reflected in the very high standards pupils attain in English and mathematics.

p.21

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

39 Nevertheless, parents are very keen to be more actively involved in their children’s learning at home. At present parents have only brief information about what their children are going to study in the coming term or half term. With more information about what their children are going to study in the coming term together with more ideas for how they could support their children’s learning, parents could be more involved in their children’s education. Additional information about specific skills that the school intends to teach, for instance in information technology, would enable parents to share their own expertise with their children.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

40 The school is aware of the areas for development within the context of this good school and St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 22 steps are already in hand to bring about improvement. To improve standards further the headteacher, staff and governors should :

p.21

initiative and choice by:

• Carrying out an audit of the amount of time each day when pupils are learning passively and when they are active learners; and using this information to achieve a balance that better reflects an understanding of how young children learn.

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initiative and choice by:

• Monitoring and evaluating the frequency and value of the worksheets used in each class; and where necessary replacing these with tasks that allow pupils to demonstrate their full capacities in recording their work independently.

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initiative and choice by:

• Identifying activities in the existing curriculum plans that are strongly but not effectively teacher-directed and take steps to substitute these with opportunities for pupils to design, carry out and record their investigations and express themselves creatively.

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b) Increase opportunities for involving parents in their children’s learning by:-

• Raising parents’ knowledge of what their children are learning by making regular plans for the work to be done by each class easily accessible to parents.

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b) Increase opportunities for involving parents in their children’s learning by:-

• Highlighting specific targets for learning that will be taught in each term.

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b) Increase opportunities for involving parents in their children’s learning by:-

• Providing further ideas for activities that parents can do with their children at home to support learning in the classroom. St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 23

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 33 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 8

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 5 14 14 0 0 0

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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

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 187 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 25

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1 St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 24

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Attendance

Authorised absence % Unauthorised absence % School data 6.5 School data 0 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.

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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 27 28 55

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at Girls 26 27 27 NC level 2 and above Total 50 51 54

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Percentage of pupils School 91 (88) 93 (94) 98 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (79) 83 (83) 87 (86)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at Girls 28 28 28 NC level 2 and above Total 53 55 55

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 96 (93) 100 (98) 100 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (82) 86 (86) 87 (87)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 25 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

No of pupils Fixed period Permanent Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 212 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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.25

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y2

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9 Financial year 1999 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 212 Average class size 26 £ Total income 375,134 Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total expenditure 378,247 Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1,845 Total aggregate hours worked per week 75 Balance brought forward from previous year 17,494

p.25

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y2

Balance carried forward to next year 14,380

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y2

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y2

Total number of education support staff 1 Total aggregate hours worked per week 32

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y2

FTE means full-time equivalent. St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 26 St. Mary’s Catholic Infant School - 27

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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. 59 32 0 0 9

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 40 1 0 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 52 4 4 9

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 21 60 12 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 38 6 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 30 0 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 27 56 9 2 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 47 44 1 0 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 41 0 1 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 10 37 27 6 20

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