St Philip's Church of England Primary School

ST PHILIP’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mr. David Carrington

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ST PHILIP’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th – 19 th September 2000

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ST PHILIP’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND 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 PHILIP’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND 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. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hampton Road Southport Merseyside

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Reverend John Burgess

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21 st October 1996 St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 4

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Team members

Mr. David Carrington Registered inspector Mrs. Christine Field Lay inspector Mrs. Jennifer Dickins Team inspector

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Team members

Cherry Trees Wenlock Road Tasley Bridgnorth Shropshire WV16 4QB

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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. Philip’s Church of England 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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 19

St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Philip’s Church of England Aided Primary School is located a little to the east of Southport town centre and draws its pupils from the town. The school’s Christian heritage forms the centrepiece of its aims and it has strong links with the local Anglican and Methodist churches. There are 114 boys and 113 girls aged from four to eleven at the school. Most pupils are white, very few speak English as an additional language and just under a quarter have special educational needs, with four pupils having a statement. The school is similar to most other primary schools in all these aspects. About ten percent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, a proportion that is well below the national average. Pupils start the reception class at the beginning of the year in which they will reach the age of five. The attainment of pupils when they start school is wide ranging but largely above that found in most primary schools.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Philip’s Church of England Aided Primary School is popular and oversubscribed. Parents are keen for their children to attend the school because the quality of teaching and learning is good, the school is managed and led well by the successful headteacher, and all staff are committed to the best interests of the pupils. Standards have risen well over the last few years, especially in Key Stage 2, and stand good comparison with other primary schools, both nationally and those of similar background. In all, it is a good school and deserves its reputation for providing a well balanced education.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are above average by the age of eleven • The overall quality of teaching is good and this ensures that pupils make appropriate gains in knowledge, skills and understanding. • The school is well managed and led by the headteacher who has combined the skills of staff and governors to bring improvements to many of the things the school does. • There is a family ethos in school in which everyone is valued and pupils develop as mature and responsible young people. • The school has clear priorities for continued future improvement, supported by good pursuit of best value.

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What could be improved

• Standards in Key Stage 1 English, particularly writing, and in information and communication technology through the school are not high enough. • The level of challenge provided for different groups of pupils, especially high attainers varies in different classes. • Ways to ensure that pupils learn to work independently are not consistent from class to class. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress with improvement overall since the 1996 inspection. All documentation expresses policy and practice clearly and is well understood by staff and governors. Subject coordinators have a greater role in the management of their subjects though not all have had opportunity to observe the work of colleagues in their classrooms. All subjects have thorough schemes of work and long term planning that ensures pupils’ progress is systematic through the school, and assessment provides valuable information about standards in core subjects. The school has developed better ways to check its own St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 7 effectiveness and continues to refine and extend these. Standards have also risen since the last inspection and the school is well placed to maintain these improvements in the future.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Similar schools are those schools with between 8% and 20% of the pupils entitled to free school meals.

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Key

In the 1999 Key Stage 2 national tests standards in English, mathematics and science were above those found in schools nationally and in those with a similar proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals. These results were not quite as good as those in earlier years, but mark an overall improvement since the last inspection. Standards in the Key Stage 1 national tests in 1999 in reading and writing, although satisfactory, were not as high as in mathematics where they were good. Preliminary results from the 2000 national tests indicate that the school’s results have improved on previous years.

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Key

Pupils start school with above average levels of skill and knowledge. During the inspection it was judged that overall standards are good by the age of eleven. There was not enough evidence to judge standards in information and communication technology.

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Key

The school is not complacent about standards and has set appropriate and achievable targets for attainment in future years. In general, pupils make the expected progress in building knowledge, skills and understanding though some groups of pupils could be challenged even more. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and they settle well to their work. They show good effort in class and achieve a lot during their time in school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. St Philip’s School is settled and orderly and work and play are usually uninterrupted. Pupils behave well and show courtesy and consideration for others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils get on well with other children and with the adults in school. They show good levels of maturity and responsibility and they work effectively on their own when necessary.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Levels of attendance are better than found in most primary schools and pupils arrive well in time for the start of the school day.

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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

Inspectors observed 32 lessons during their two days in school and judge that the overall quality of teaching is good at St Philip’s school. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed and a higher than usual percentage of lessons were judged to be of good teaching quality. Particularly effective teaching is accelerating learning in Year 6; and English and mathematics are taught well which ensures pupils build knowledge and skills in these subjects effectively. Particular strengths of teaching include the range of methods used, the good choice and use of resources, control and discipline, the purposeful relationship between teachers and pupils and the effective work of support staff in ensuring pupils make appropriate progress. Aspects that require enhancing are the degree of challenge given to high attaining pupils and subject knowledge in information and communication technology. Overall, the school meets the needs of all pupils in the quality of its teaching.

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

Because lessons are interesting, pupils are committed to their learning and they often produce work of high quality. Behaviour is good and the degree of concentration and effort shown by pupils ensures that they make the necessary progress in their learning. The degree of independence in learning shown by pupils could be higher. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum covers the necessary range of subjects and is planned to include all the necessary elements of each subject. The school offers appropriate experiences to enable pupils to make systematic progress from year to year and to prepare them for secondary education. There is not enough use of information technology to support and extend learning in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The work for pupils with special educational needs is well planned and managed by a committed and successful coordinator. Pupils with special needs are taught well and they build knowledge and skills at a good rate.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. The very few pupils who speak English as an additional language are supported soundly and they speak and write English as effectively as other pupils by the time they leave school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. A key element of the school is the Christian background to its work. This filters into all aspects of learning and leisure, and pupils develop as well-rounded individuals who appreciate and understand the special qualities of life and the contribution made by artists, writers and musicians of different cultural backgrounds.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. Pupils are well looked after in school and matters relating to health and safety and child protection are pursued rigorously. Procedures to ensure good attendance are satisfactory and assessment of standards and progress is effective in the core subjects, though requires sharpening in foundation subjects. There is not enough setting and sharing of targets for learning in lessons and comments when marking are not always used to indicate ways to improve.

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Aspect Comment

Partnership with parents Good. Parents have a central role in the partnership to ensure pupils make the necessary strides in their learning. The quality of information provided is generally good, though there could be more detailed advance information about the topics to be studied in their child’s class each term. The provision of homework could be better in most classes. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The school is led by a determined and successful headteacher who motivates the staff well. He is well supported by the deputy headteacher and other senior staff. There is a clear sense of team-work in the management of the school and most policies are implemented consistently and fully.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors have very good understanding of the working and achievements of the school and they use appropriate indicators to judge whether the school gives best value for the investment made in it. Governors fulfil all statutory information and procedures.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The tracking of progress and standards has improved since the last inspection, though there is room for continued effort in this. There is an ongoing programme of checking and evaluating the school’s effectiveness.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Finance is well managed and money spent wisely. There is very good budget planning, linked carefully to the chief priorities of the school and time, learning resources and staff are all used well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like coming to school • They are comfortable approaching the school with questions or concerns • Teaching is good • Expectations are high • School management is good • There is not enough homework set • There could be more activities outside lessons

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with all the positive views held by parents. Inspectors find that the amount of homework set is not enough but judge that the quality and range of activities outside lessons is satisfactory. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 11

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are good by the age of eleven

1. Over the last few years, standards in most subjects have improved and they are now better than is expected in English, mathematics and science by the time pupils are eleven. The headteacher has made sure that all members of staff focus their efforts on bringing improvement to standards and this has paid off.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are good by the age of eleven

2. Pupils read fluently and with good expression. They take a lively interest in books and are able to use them to find information for use in their work. Teachers ensure that pupils read a wide range of books and that they are able to make good attempts to read difficult words. Because pupils read well, the quality of their written work is good by the end of Year 6. As shown below, writing takes longer to develop than reading, though the standards achieved by the age of eleven are above those expected. Speaking and listening skills develop well. Inspectors observed on many occasions that pupils at St Philip’s Primary School speak with clarity, expression and intelligence. They also use standard English well. Listening skills are rather more variable, again this is discussed below, but overall, pupils listen carefully to explanations, discussion and story telling and show good understanding of what they hear.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are good by the age of eleven

The literacy hour has been introduced and refined well, and is used well on the whole as a springboard for pupils to use their knowledge and skills in other subjects.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are good by the age of eleven

3. Standards in mathematics are rather more consistent than for English. Pupils make rapid strides in mathematics in their last year in school and in the 2000 national tests one pupil achieved level six and a good number reached level five. This is good improvement on the proportion achieving these levels in earlier years. When inspectors studied the work completed last year in mathematics, the gains made by pupils in Year 6 stood out clearly. In other parts of the school, standards are also good. There is a little variation from year to year, but it is evident that pupils learn to count, answer arithmetic problems and master their tables well. In some cases, speed of computing mentally could be faster, but, overall the numeracy hour is showing good impact on standards and pupils have good problem solving ability.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are good by the age of eleven

4. The science curriculum is well judged to focus not just on knowledge but also on ways of working. This means that by the end of school nearly all pupils have built good basic knowledge of science and can set up their own investigations, make predictions, check the outcome and explain what they have observed. There is a liveliness to work in science that make it involving and motivating. The youngest pupils in school (reception) were seen to take great pleasure in watching what happened when they dropped food colour on to damp paper. “Wow!” was a common response, but the pupils also talked about the colours spreading, mixing and growing. They identified the new colours produced and were fascinated by the gradations of colour between, say, red and blue.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are good by the age of eleven

5. Standards in other subjects are generally good as well. Work in information and communication technology is not yet at this level but skills and knowledge in art and music stand out as something that the school builds very well. The standard of art on display is very good, as was the work collected from last year. Standards in physical education are held back because space is cramped in the hall and the bigger pupils, in particular, do not have enough room to practise all the necessary forms of movement safely. Teachers are good at overcoming the limitations of space in the hall, and outdoors at least, pupils show good development of skills. Standards in physical education are as expected by the age of eleven, but they could be even higher if there was more room for manoeuvre. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 12

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The overall quality of teaching is good and this ensures that pupils make appropriate

gains in knowledge, skills and understanding.

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The overall quality of teaching is good and this ensures that pupils make appropriate

6. Much time and effort has been put into the improvement of teaching and learning since the last inspection. The headteacher is proud of the teaching and learning policy that forms the basis for the teaching style in school. This looks to teaching being something that produces interesting and motivating learning experiences for the pupils rather than just a performance from the teachers. Teachers have worked hard to follow the guidelines set out in the policy and, although there are still one or two things remaining for completion, the quality of teaching is now substantially better than it was at the last inspection. The teaching and learning policy is clearly having the good impact intended.

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The overall quality of teaching is good and this ensures that pupils make appropriate

7. Since this is a short inspection, it is harder, though not impossible, to make total judgements of the quality of teaching. What is very evident however, is that teaching was even better on the second day of the inspection than it had been on the first and that there is some very good teaching in school. Overall, of the 32 lessons observed, two thirds were of better than usual teaching quality. No lessons showed unsatisfactory teaching. In both these statistics there has been a marked improvement since the last inspection. Teaching is judged good in all three stages in school and in English and mathematics.

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The overall quality of teaching is good and this ensures that pupils make appropriate

8. When judging teaching, inspectors recorded much more evidence about what is done well than about what requires strengthening. In some lessons noise is intrusive and teachers’ management of this is not as effective as is usually found. Lesson and longer term planning is not always as focused as it could be on the exact knowledge, skills and understanding to be learned in lessons and there is not much setting and sharing of targets for learning in lessons. Nonetheless, teachers show satisfactory command of these elements of teaching.

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The overall quality of teaching is good and this ensures that pupils make appropriate

9. The strengths of teaching include the good level of subject knowledge (but see below for information and communication technology), high expectations and lessons that move learning on briskly. Basic skills, especially of literacy and numeracy are taught well, teachers use a good range of methods and they put resources to effective use in supporting learning.

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The overall quality of teaching is good and this ensures that pupils make appropriate

10. Because the quality of teaching is good, learning is often fun, enjoyable and is usually motivating. Most pupils work hard and complete a lot in lessons. The work sample from 1999 demonstrated very well just what the pupils are capable of. The work completed then showed that pupils took good care with their work, finished the tasks in good time and understood the key points that had been taught. There is still a need to develop more independence in learning, a point covered later, and because few targets are set and shared in lessons, pupils do not have enough information to judge how well they are learning.

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The overall quality of teaching is good and this ensures that pupils make appropriate

11. In the best learning, as in a Year 4 art lesson, pupils are buoyed up by the enthusiastic approach to teaching, the flow of the lesson and the careful attention given to skills development. In this case, the pupils were working at four distinct tasks most of which were related to their study of the Tudor ship Mary Rose . The pupils’ imaginations were very well captured and excited by the work and they “…hung on to every word of the teacher..” (inspector’s notes). There was a clear buzz of activity in this lesson and the standard of work produced was good for so early in the year. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 13

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of staff and the governors to bring improvements to many of the things the school

12. The headteacher has had a substantial task in raising the morale and motivation of staff since taking charge of the school. He has done this very well and has shown tact, sensitivity and determination when faced with external factors that may have impacted harshly on the work of the school. It is very evident that the school has moved on well since the last inspection and this is due to the close teamwork that prevails. The headteacher is at the heart of this and he knows his school, its staff and pupils very well. He is well liked and respected by parents and governors as well as the whole staff.

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of staff and the governors to bring improvements to many of the things the school

13. Everyone is committed to raising standards. There is careful analysis of trends over time in standards and well focused tracking of pupils as they move through the school. Standards have improved greatly because of this good quality self-evaluation but improvements made to teaching and learning have also contributed markedly to the way the school has moved ahead.

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of staff and the governors to bring improvements to many of the things the school

14. Governors are very knowledgeable and have a firm grasp of the school’s strengths and aspects for development. There are good links between staff and governors and this contributes much to the family atmosphere in school. The governing body shows firm command of all aspects of its work and is very successful in this.

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of staff and the governors to bring improvements to many of the things the school

15. Firm, consistent and reliable systems and procedures are in place to underpin all aspects of school life. Financial planning, management and control are a particular strength. There is a good sense of care in school; managers and governors have made sure that although space is at a premium, it is used wisely and is in exceptional decorative order. The caretaker and his staff keep the buildings in spotless condition. It is a pleasure to work in such surroundings and the pupils and parents show that they appreciate this care.

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There is a family ethos in school in which everyone is valued and pupils develop as

16. Because the headteacher and key managers show they value the effort of all staff, people work hard to make things better for the pupils. Staff also get a lot of enjoyment from their work; there is a cheerfulness and spirit about the school and a determination to succeed. Everyone is focused well on raising standards but are also committed to building the ethos of the school.

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There is a family ethos in school in which everyone is valued and pupils develop as

17. Parents prize the small size of the school and they value very much the family feeling in school. They know their children are well cared for and that they are happy in their work. Pupils know each other very well. Older pupils are often seen looking after the younger ones. All talk amiably to each other, they treat each other well and behaviour is good. Pupils know they are fully a part of the school and by the time they are eleven they accept responsibility well. On most occasions pupils show a level of maturity that is good for their age.

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There is a family ethos in school in which everyone is valued and pupils develop as

18. The school maintains very good links with its mother church next door but also with another Anglican church and a Wesley Methodist church nearby. The school has a strong Christian tradition, of which it is very proud. This promotes the harmonious, tolerant and benevolent ethos in school very effectively. Pupils show good moral and spiritual development and their cultural education is taken care of well. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 14

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The school has clear priorities for continued future improvement, supported by good

19. Following the last inspection an appropriate action plan was put in place and the school has made good progress with improvement since that time. The current school development plan is well focused on what matters now for the school and it is used well to match spending to priorities and to make sure that there is a consistency of effort in completing the necessary work.

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The school has clear priorities for continued future improvement, supported by good

20. The development of writing at Key Stage 1, inequalities in performance of boys and girls and provision for information and communication technology are three of the key priorities of the school. In addition, continuing improvement to teaching and learning is flagged for attention. These are the right priorities and the school is making good progress with them. There are still some things to be done, as shown below, but there is total commitment to success and staff are not afraid to acknowledge and discuss areas of relative weakness and work hard to address them. There is much evidence to show how successful this approach has been in the past. The much improved quality of teaching and learning is a prime example.

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The school has clear priorities for continued future improvement, supported by good

21. In pursuing improvement, governors ask the right questions at the right time to ensure that the school gives best value for what it does. They have taken up the challenge of ensuring that the school does at least as well as other good schools in the area and governors are very well informed about the priorities of the school and the progress made with these. Spending is checked carefully to show it is bringing the desired improvement, especially in relation to better standards.

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The school has clear priorities for continued future improvement, supported by good

22. The sense of determination stands out in school and this is a direct result of the headteacher’s purposeful leadership.

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Standards in Key Stage 1 English, particularly writing, and in information and

communication technology through the school.

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Standards in Key Stage 1 English, particularly writing, and in information and

23. Whilst standards are generally good, there are pockets where they could be even better. Over the last few years, standards achieved by seven year old pupils have not been quite as good as those for older pupils. In particular, attainment in writing has lagged behind. The school has recognised this situation and has introduced a number of measures to correct the imbalance. These have had some impact but there is still evidence that writing is not to the same standard as reading.

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Standards in Key Stage 1 English, particularly writing, and in information and

24. In seeking improvement there are a number of tasks for the school to tackle. The consistent development of handwriting skills is not guaranteed because different teachers approach the task in different ways. Pupils only develop a neat joined handwriting style slowly. Pupils are capable of neatly presented work, but even older pupils tend to print their writing and there is too much use of pencil later in the school. In the earlier years there is not the necessary focus on the correct and consistent use of capital and lower case letters. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 15 25. Secondly, although spellings are practised and tested, this is inconsistent through the school. Additionally, there is not enough emphasis on encouraging pupils to hear the sounds when spelling more difficult words.

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Standards in Key Stage 1 English, particularly writing, and in information and

26. The range of writing tasks could be wider by the age of seven. In doing this, the appeal of the work to boys is an important factor for the school to take into account as boys are nowhere near as effective in their writing as girls in school, especially in the infants.

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Standards in Key Stage 1 English, particularly writing, and in information and

27. The marking of all forms of written work, in English and other subjects, lacks clear focus on ways to improve style, spelling, handwriting or grammar. Also, not enough targets are set in learning, rarely, for example, do teachers say “I expect three sentences to be completed in the next four minutes.”

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Standards in Key Stage 1 English, particularly writing, and in information and

28. Information and communication technology is not much in evidence in pupils’ writing. The use of word processing software to help pupils develop and extend their writing is not as advanced as in many other primary schools. There is little drafting, editing and rewriting of text using such packages and not much work on display shows pupils use of the computer to compose and present text in lively and interesting ways.

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Standards in Key Stage 1 English, particularly writing, and in information and

29. In general, the use of computers is at a relatively low level. The school is in the process of setting up a computer suite to give pupils more practise in essential skills in information and communication technology. This resource holds good potential to contribute to the improvement in standards in the subject but also in enhancing work across the curriculum. At present, there is an evident need for further staff training in computer use in order that they can put the new computers to best use. At present, standards in information and communication technology are at the expected level in all classes, but they could quite easily be better than this and match the best standards found in other subjects.

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The level of challenge provided for different groups of pupils, especially high

30. Standards are good in school and last year a good number of pupils gained the higher levels in national tests at the age of eleven. However, it is evident that the proportion of pupils getting to such levels varies from year to year.

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The level of challenge provided for different groups of pupils, especially high

31. In some classes, higher attaining pupils have work that is little different from that set for the other pupils. This does little to tax them. Elsewhere, teachers match very carefully the work for each group and higher attainers do well in the face of challenging tasks. On the whole, higher attaining pupils make the expected progress, but, given greater consistency in the match of demanding work to capability, the proportion could easily be so much greater.

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The level of challenge provided for different groups of pupils, especially high

32. It is evident that on occasion, the school has gifted pupils in its classes. These pupils are catered for soundly and do well. Last year, for example, a pupil gained level six mathematics in the national tests. At present there is no policy for the education of gifted and talented pupils, though the school is now contemplating provision for higher attaining pupils as part of its good special educational needs work.

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The level of challenge provided for different groups of pupils, especially high

33. Mention was made above of underachievement of boys compared to girls in writing and in general, there is similar difference in most subjects between the two genders through the school. At the top of the school there is a significant imbalance in the number of boys and girls. In Year 6 there are just seven boys to twenty-eight girls, but in Year 5 the situation is completely reversed. This presents staff with particular challenges in catering for the needs and interests of the different genders and in ensuring that the majority does not swamp the minority. On the whole this is managed effectively. In other classes, inspectors observed that St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 16 a greater proportion of boys were likely to lose interest and this affected the progress they made with their work.

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The level of challenge provided for different groups of pupils, especially high

34. The school has begun to focus on ironing out differences in the attainment of boys and girls, especially in writing in the infants. Progress with this has been steady to date but it is clear that there is room for sustained effort in all classes.

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Ways to ensure that pupils learn to work independently are not consistent from class

35. On some occasions there is a restlessness in learning that means that what is achieved is not as good as it could be. Some pupils are too talkative and noise levels are too high. This is magnified by the poorly proportioned rooms and lack of solid doors to class rooms. This noisy working is usually witnessed during times when pupils are expected to work in groups away from the close supervision of the teacher or support assistant. Whilst teachers hold high expectations academically, this does not always extend to expectation of calm working conditions.

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Ways to ensure that pupils learn to work independently are not consistent from class

36. There is also evidence that, sometimes, pupils are given all the information they need, told how to complete a task or provided with all the resources necessary to do the work. Older pupils in particular do not have enough chances to make their own decisions on these things, and to sort the work out for themselves. This limits their ability to solve problems.

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Ways to ensure that pupils learn to work independently are not consistent from class

37. Individual research and study is also not as frequent in school as it is in some other primary schools. Pupils are quite capable of finding things out for themselves but they need more chances to do this. Homework does not figure enough in developing pupils’ capabilities to take charge of their own learning and the use of computers in such work is at a comparatively low level, though the school is determined to use the new suite to correct this.

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Ways to ensure that pupils learn to work independently are not consistent from class

38. There is a need to develop the necessary independence in learning. Teachers and pupils are ready for this challenge and prospects of success look good. The school has made improvements to much of what it does and there is little reason to suggest that the case is different in relation to independent working. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

39. Many improvements have been made in school and standards, teaching, learning and management are all good. There is no doubt, either in school or in evidence from the inspection, that things can be even better. Some of what the school does is very good indeed.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

40. Given this, and to make an already good school even better, managers and governors should:

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information and communication technology

q Introducing consistent measures to develop a good handwriting style

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information and communication technology

q Emphasising the need for accurate spelling and methods to check that words are spelled correctly

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information and communication technology

q Checking that there is a wide range of writing across all subjects as well as English itself.

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information and communication technology

q Making sure that writing tasks have appeal for boys as well as girls.

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information and communication technology

q Using marking, particularly the use of comments, to flag ways to improve writing.

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information and communication technology

q Setting and sharing targets for learning in lessons, and checking with the pupils at the session end that they have been accomplished.

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information and communication technology

q Boosting the use of information and communication technology in all subjects.

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information and communication technology

q Providing the necessary staff training to ensure that all staff can use the available technology effectively to enhance learning across the curriculum.

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can, and iron out differences in attainment between boys and girls

q Matching the work as closely as possible to the needs and aspirations of each attainment group in every class.

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can, and iron out differences in attainment between boys and girls

q Introducing a policy for the education of gifted, talented and higher attaining pupils.

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can, and iron out differences in attainment between boys and girls

q Investigating the suitability of providing for the highest attaining pupils as part of the support programme in school.

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can, and iron out differences in attainment between boys and girls

q Checking that all boys are just as motivated as girls and that they put in as much effort.

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can, and iron out differences in attainment between boys and girls

q Planning tasks that appeal to boys as much as girls (and in some cases the other way about). St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 18

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3: Make sure that all pupils develop the skills of working more independently as they

q Ensuring that there is a settled atmosphere to learning and that noise is at reasonable levels.

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3: Make sure that all pupils develop the skills of working more independently as they

q Giving pupils planned opportunities to take responsibility for their own work and to make choices themselves.

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3: Make sure that all pupils develop the skills of working more independently as they

q Providing research tasks that encourage pupils to find out things for themselves.

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3: Make sure that all pupils develop the skills of working more independently as they

q Provide consistent, and increasing, levels of homework through the school that include things for the pupils to discover.

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3: Make sure that all pupils develop the skills of working more independently as they

q Using computers and other technology, as well as books, to assist pupils to work independently and research information for use in a range of subjects. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 7

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 227

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 22

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 54

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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 7

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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 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 18 13 31

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 13 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 87 (86) 83 (86) 91 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 13 16 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 84 (89) 94 (92) 100 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 22 13 35

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 16 17 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 10 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 80 (74) 77 (74) 86 (74) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 15 17 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 11 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 77 (68) 80 (62) 80 (62) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 21

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.6 Financial year 1998/1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 29.9

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 383 112

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7.0 Expenditure per pupil 1 696

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 148 Balance brought forward from previous year 22 555

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 28 378 St. Philip’s Church of England Primary School - 22

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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. 43 40 13 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 36 52 10 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 33 19 4 13

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 42 42 13 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 76 20 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 53 43 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 39 47 6 0 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 45 49 2 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 33 56 6 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 37 20 0 18

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Percentage of responses in each category

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and even where they have concerns, most still identify far more strengths than weaknesses in the school. All the parents who attended the meeting with the registered inspectors said that they were pleased that their children attend St Philip’s school.

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