St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

Dates of inspection: 25 – 28 September 2000

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St Anthony of Padua Catholic 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 Anthony of Padua Catholic 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 Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Sands Road Mossley Hill Liverpool

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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: Father Brendan Blundell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: July 1996 St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Michael Cahill Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? John Acaster Lay inspector Attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? John Kerrane Team inspector Equal opportunities Mathematics Design and technology Music Physical education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Lynda Parkinson Team inspector Under-fives Special educational needs English Art Geography History

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough PE4 6QZ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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 Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM AND SUBJECTS 26

St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school serves the parish of St Anthony of Padua in the well-established Mossley Hill district of Liverpool. Around 12 per cent of pupils travel to the school from outside the local area. There are 200 pupils on roll and they are taught in seven single-age classes. Around 18 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure that is close to the national average. The vast majority of pupils are of white, United Kingdom heritage. There are 18 pupils on the school’s register of special educational need, including two with full statements. At the time of the inspection the school was coming to terms with the recent and sudden death of a member of staff who was a class teacher and the co-ordinator for special educational needs. Another member of staff was absent through illness. Two classes were, therefore, being taught by temporary teachers.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Anthony of Padua School provides an overall education of good quality for its pupils. The school is extremely well led and more than three-quarters of the lessons observed were of good or better quality. National test results and assessments at seven have been well above the national average for the last four years. Over the same period results at 11 have shown a clear overall upward trend when compared with the national averages. The school provides sound value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The leadership, management and forward planning of the headteacher are excellent. • There is a strong, shared commitment to further improvement on the part of the governing body, headteacher, staff and parents. • There is very good financial planning and management. • The overall quality of teaching is high. • The pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development are promoted well. • The school successfully promotes good attitudes towards work, and enthusiasm for school among the great majority of pupils; attendance is very good. • National test and assessment results in reading, writing, mathematics and science at seven and in English at 11 are well above the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved In the context of its existing strengths and the priorities for development already agreed, the school recognises the need to attend to the following matters: • Pupils do not receive their full entitlement in information and communication technology and overall standards in this area are not high enough. • Planning in subjects such as geography, art and design and technology does not ensure that pupils build on what they have learned in previous years and so attainment and progress are only satisfactory. • Whole school procedures for assessment and its recording are not carried out consistently and assessment information is not used as much as it should be in future planning. • The Foundation Stage is not identified as such and there is no policy for the Early Years or a scheme of work clearly based on the Early Learning Goals. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in July 1996. At that time, the standards achieved by pupils, the management and efficiency of the school and the quality of education it provided were judged to be requiring some improvement. The school’s climate for learning was good. There has been very good improvement since the appointment of the present headteacher in September 1998. The leadership and management of the school are now major strengths. The standards achieved in national tests have improved, particularly in mathematics, and the overall quality of teaching has improved enormously. Many well-considered strategies and procedures for bringing about further improvement in many areas are in place but have been in operation for too short a time for evidence of longer term benefit to be available. This very good planning combined with the shared vision and good partnership between the headteacher, staff, parents and the governing body provides a good

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

foundation for further improvement. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on National Curriculum test results.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English A B A A well above average above average A B Mathematics C D B B average below average C

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STANDARDS

Schools are described as similar when they fall in the same group with respect to the proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals, in this case between 8 and 20 per cent (the present figure in the school is around 18 per cent). Over the period 1996 to 1999 the school’s results have improved at a better rate than the national average. The school sets appropriate targets for pupils and has more than achieved them in English and mathematics. The science results have not been as good as those in English and mathematics. This has mainly been due to the fact that until quite recently there has been insufficient experimental work and recording of their findings by the pupils themselves.

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STANDARDS

Inspection evidence indicates that standards in the current Year 2 are above the national average in English and in line with it in mathematics and science. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are also above the national average in English and in line with it in mathematics and science; the national test results for 2000 support this judgement. On the evidence of the work seen, pupils’ attainments in art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education are in line with those expected for their age. Overall standards in information and communication technology are below national expectations, largely because many pupils have not covered the full curriculum in this subject.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good; children enjoy coming to school and the great majority work with high levels of interest and enthusiasm in their lessons.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good; most pupils behave well in lessons and concentrate on their work. Behaviour around the school is frequently very good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good; most pupils enjoy their school life fully and take pleasure in contributing responsibly to it. Pupils work and play together well and get on well with the adults in the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good; attendance is significantly higher than the national average and few pupils are late for school. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

In total, 98 per cent of lessons were at least satisfactory; only two per cent were unsatisfactory. One- third of lessons was judged to be very good or excellent and more than three-quarters were graded good or better. This is high quality teaching and is the main reason for the pupils’ good attitudes to their learning and for the improvements in their achievements. The teaching of English and mathematics, including the skills of literacy and numeracy, is always at least satisfactory and in one- quarter of lessons it is very good or excellent.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Particular strengths of the teaching throughout the school include the good questioning skills that teachers use to help pupils consolidate and extend their learning. In many of the best lessons seen, the teachers’ knowledge and enthusiasm, good preparation and organisation played an important part in enabling the pupils to learn well and make good progress. In most lessons, teachers used a good balance of whole class, group and individual work in order to maintain interest and concentration. All teachers, including those new to the school, are creating a pleasant and purposeful working atmosphere in their classrooms. They are encouraging pupils to work together as well as, when appropriate, independently. Because of this, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, are confident that they can learn. The overall quality of learning for pupils is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory; the school meets National Curriculum requirements and the curriculum is enriched by extra-curricular activities, including residential experiences.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory; classroom support assistants help pupils, particularly in literacy lessons. Pupils with full statements of educational need are well supported and helped to experience the same curriculum as other pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good; the school actively promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development through assemblies, lessons and out of school activities. There is satisfactory provision for cultural, including multi-cultural, development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory overall; all members of staff care for their pupils and are effective in encouraging good attendance and attitudes to learning. Assessment and using the information obtained in order to plan further work is underdeveloped.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has a good partnership with the vast majority of parents. Written reports on pupils’ progress do not always provide sufficient information about what children know, understand and can do and what they need to do to improve. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides excellent leadership that is sharply focused on improving the quality of education that the school provides and on raising the levels of achievement of the pupils. He is very well supported by the acting deputy headteacher and, to an increasing extent, by other members of staff who are now taking on more responsibility.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is knowledgeable and committed to the development of the school. Members have worked very well with the headteacher and staff in creating a new and very appropriate mission statement. All statutory requirements are met.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good; the headteacher has made a perceptive and accurate analysis of the school’s performance. Monitoring of the quality of teaching and of pupils’ work has led to improvements.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good; the school makes good use of its current resources and specific grants are targeted well on raising standards. The school actively seeks to get the best value for money.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory overall. The particular strengths of the leadership and management of the school are the vision, drive and commitment of the headteacher and the good and developing partnership between him, the staff and the governing body.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved The quality of teaching. Their children like coming to school. They find the school very approachable. The school has high expectations of its pupils. The good progress their children make. Their children become mature and responsible. The leadership and management of the school. The amount and regularity of homework. The range of activities outside lessons. Opportunities for parents to work closely with the school.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team wholeheartedly supports the positive views of parents. Homework is regularly set in Key Stage 2 and throughout the school pupils take their reading books home. The school is planning to talk with parents about ways in which they can help their children at home and what might be included under the heading of homework . For the size of the school there is a reasonable range of extra-curricular activities offered by staff and parents. The school welcomes and positively encourages parental involvement in its work. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Children are assessed on entry to the school and their attainment is, for the most part, above national expectations. In the recent past pupils have not made satisfactory progress through the early years. However, as a result of recent improvements in provision and teaching the judgement of the inspection team is that most children will exceed the national expectations for them by the time they are five.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The school’s 1999 national test results show that at the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ attainment was well above the national average in mathematics and very high in reading and writing. Teacher assessments of work in science were also very high in comparison with national expectations. When compared with those of pupils at similar schools the results at St Anthony’s are well above average in mathematics and very high in reading, writing and science. The provisional results for 2000 indicate that very high standards are being maintained.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Inspection evidence indicates that that levels of attainment are in line with national expectations for seven year olds in art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education and pupils make satisfactory progress. Attainment in information technology is below national expectations. Taking into consideration the attainment of the pupils now in Year 3 as well as those now in Year 2, attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is judged to be above the national average in English, including literacy, and science and in line with the national average in mathematics. However, the standards of many pupils are above average in the numerical aspects of mathematics and in those aspects of English and science that are assessed in the national programme.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. The school’s national test results in 1999 show that, at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment was in line with the national average in science, above it in mathematics and well above average in English. When compared with those of pupils at similar schools these results are below average in science, above average in mathematics and well above average in English. Over the four years from 1996 to 1999 the upward trend in the school’s results was better than the national trend. Provisional results for 2000 indicate a continuing improvement.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Inspection evidence shows that pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is above the national average in English, including literacy, and in line with it in mathematics as a whole, including numeracy, and in science. Levels of attainment in art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education are in line with national expectations and pupils make satisfactory progress. Attainment in information technology is below national expectations. For further details of pupils’ progress and achievements in the subjects of the National Curriculum see paragraphs 69 – 147.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. In the recent past, progress throughout the school has been inconsistent, most notably in the early parts of both key stages. This explains why achievement across the curriculum has not been as high at the end of Key Stage 2 as might be expected from the attainment on entry to the school. National test results at the end of Key Stage 1 have improved to be consistently very good since 1996. Provisional results for Key Stage 2 in 2000 indicate that good teaching at the end of both key stages have led to an overall improvement in standards. The school has set realistic targets St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School for improvement in national test results at Key Stage 2 for the last two years and has exceeded them.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. The small number of pupils with special educational needs are well known to their teachers and receive satisfactory support. They make satisfactory progress in relation to their targets but their attainment is generally below national expectations.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. The school is very successful in winning the approval of its pupils. Levels of enthusiasm are, in most cases, very high. Pupils enjoy the work provided, especially when they really feel challenged by it, as in the case of a mathematics lesson in Year 6. Many pupils enjoy taking part in activities outside lessons. There is a family feeling to the whole community that promotes a real sense of participative pleasure. There has been improvement beyond the mainly positive note of the last inspection report.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. This is most clearly evidenced in the attendance statistics. These have improved and are now much better than the national average. The school has no unauthorised absence, the school day starts promptly and very few pupils are late.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Almost all pupils are interested in their lessons. They listen well and address their tasks with interest and conscientiousness. Behaviour in classrooms is thus generally good. Occasionally in lessons, when the pace of teaching is slow, or when the content is not sufficiently well pitched so as to develop what most pupils already know, levels of concentration flag and restlessness begins to show. Most teaching is good, however, and this restlessness does not occur often. Sometimes, however, even when teaching is very good a few individuals have difficulty in sustaining concentration and self-control. Teachers pick up on this well, generally ensuring that little harm is done to the overall progress of learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Behaviour outside lessons is often very good. Pupils conduct themselves in a responsible way in the corridors, and assemblies are very orderly. Lunchtime behaviour in the hall is exemplary. Playtimes are lively and fun, characterised by a friendly vitality. No oppressive behaviour was observed or reported during the inspection week. No pupils have been excluded during the past year. The large majority of parents agree that behaviour is now good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ relationships with each other are good. They take pleasure in their social times together and enjoy, for instance, the mutual sharing and munching of toast at break time. Pupils also relate well to their teachers, other staff and to visitors, whom they treat with politeness and respect.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils show increasing maturity as they move through school. Their personal development is good. In the reception class very young children are alertly guided and encouraged into the good social attitudes of listening, sharing and befriending. They are given the responsibility, in pairs, of taking the register to the office, which they do with becoming earnestness and, at the beginning of the year, in some spirit of searching.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Older pupils are often expected to collaborate together or work independently. Most do this readily and well. By Year 6, pupils are pleased to help in the routine running of the school. In pairs, for instance, they perform the valuable job of overseeing the welfare of each year group of younger pupils, especially at wet break-times. When given such tasks they exercise appropriate initiative and responsibility. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The overall quality of teaching is high. Of the lessons observed 33 per cent were judged to be very good or excellent, a further 43 per cent were good, 22 per cent were satisfactory and only two per cent were unsatisfactory. This represents an enormous improvement since the last inspection when five per cent were very good and nine per cent were unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Examples of very good or excellent teaching were observed in all three key stages. In the Foundation Stage, teaching was never less than good; in Key Stages 1 and 2 the proportions of lessons that were judged to be at least good were 50 and 80 per cent respectively. This overall high quality of teaching makes a substantial contribution towards promoting the pupils’ very good level of enthusiasm for school and their positive attitudes towards their work and learning. It is also the most significant factor in raising the levels of achievement, most notably in English, mathematics and science, and in improving the quality of pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching of the Literacy Hour is never less than satisfactory in either key stage. In Key Stage 2, five out of six lessons were good or better, one being very good and one excellent. In mathematics, including the National Numeracy Strategy, teaching is also never less than satisfactory. Two-thirds of lessons in Key Stage 1 and three- fifths in Key Stage 2 were good or very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The school, under the leadership of the new headteacher, has made substantial efforts to improve both the planning and the presentation of lessons. Where lesson planning can be further improved is in the detail and clarity with which teachers decide precisely what they intend pupils to learn and the use to which they then put this analysis. At best, the very clear learning intentions determine the teaching methods, tasks and activities and provide a benchmark against which teacher and pupils can see how successful they have been. Where teachers display the learning objectives or otherwise make them known to the class, focusing on them in the introductory part of the lesson and returning to them at the end, learning and progress are improved. Elements of this best practice were observed in many lessons but rarely was the full benefit achieved. The school’s developing programme of classroom observation by curriculum co-ordinators is well designed to promote the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Pupils with a statement of special educational need are supported very well. Other pupils with special educational needs have individual education plans and are taught alongside their peers. There is little evidence that the work given to them is well differentiated but teachers give them good individual support. As a result, these pupils make satisfactory progress in relation to their peers and their individual education plans.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. There are a number of features common to the good or better teaching seen

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during the inspection and these include:

• good relationships between adults and pupils and good working routines; • the good use of questions to help pupils to consolidate what they already know and to challenge them and extend their learning; • a good pace to the lessons, with a good mix of whole class, group and individual work that helps to keep pupils’ interest and concentration; • teachers have high expectations of work and behaviour. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School 21. Areas for further improvement, in addition to that related to learning intentions,

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include:

• making sure that work is well matched to pupils of differing abilities, including those with special educational needs or particular gifts and talents; • keeping track of pupils’ progress, recording some of this information and using it in subsequent planning; • developing the use of information and communication technology in supporting and extending learning across the curriculum; • making sure that the time allocation is appropriate for the subject and the learning objectives – in some cases it might be better to have two shorter lessons rather than one long one; • achieving a consistently high standard of display throughout the school in order to stimulate and celebrate pupils’ work.

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include:

22. As a result of the high quality teaching pupils show a real interest in learning and become confident in their own ability to learn. This is an important basis for further learning. Pupils’ progress in individual lessons was good or better in 71 per cent of the lessons observed and this figure closely matches the proportion of teaching that was judged to be good or better (76 per cent). This is a definite improvement on what has been the case in some year groups in the recent past.

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include:

23. The quality of marking is variable. At best there are examples of marking in both key stages that provide very good feedback to pupils. Some teachers take a lot of trouble to make sure that pupils understand why what they have done is good (or not) and what needs to be done to improve further. In some cases, with older pupils, a written dialogue is established between teacher and pupil. These practices support further learning and progress. On the other hand there were examples in the work seen from previous years where the marking was restricted to ticks and no direction was given to pupils in terms of improving either the content or the presentation of their work.

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include:

24. Homework is now regularly set and is making a contribution to raising standards. During the inspection there were examples of homework that extended what pupils had been doing in class and that which involved research in preparation for future work. In addition, spellings were set and pupils in most year groups were observed taking their reading book and record home. Some parents expressed reservations about the amount or quality or regularity of homework. The inspection team recognises that many of these comments refer to a previous school year but that the school does still have the job of agreeing a homework policy with parents and implementing it consistently. The inspection team agrees wholeheartedly with the very large majority of parents who said that the quality of teaching is good. Further information about teaching and the learning and progress of pupils can be found in each of the subject sections (paragraphs 69 - 147).

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include:

St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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PUPILS?

25. As at the time of the previous inspection, the overall quality of the curriculum is satisfactory. However, there is no written policy or scheme of work for the Foundation Stage. The school successfully follows the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies in the teaching of English and mathematics and literacy and numeracy standards have improved. These are particular strengths of the provision and lay the foundation for pupils to use these skills in all aspects of learning. Opportunities to learn important basic skills are frequent and of a high quality. This contributes significantly to standards achieved in all subjects.

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PUPILS?

26. Teachers’ overall plans for the whole year, and for each term, are good as are their daily plans for English and mathematics lessons. In other subjects, teachers’ daily planning does not always identify clear lesson targets, or what the teachers are going to appraise during and after lessons. Sometimes, teachers follow national guidelines too closely, for example when planning design and technology and geography lessons. The school recognises the need to adapt these guidelines to serve their pupils’ needs better.

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PUPILS?

27. The school teaches all the subjects in the National Curriculum. An above average amount of time is spent on numeracy and literacy in both key stages. The balance in terms of time allocation is unsatisfactory, with not enough time given to science in both key stages. In addition, some lessons in some subjects last for well over an hour and the school recognises the need to consider whether two shorter lessons in, for example, geography, might meet the pupils’ needs better.

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PUPILS?

28. Pupils do not receive their full entitlement in information and communication technology. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to use computers and improve their learning in other subjects. For example, the school does not have any software which could help pupils to make quick gains to their knowledge, skills and understanding when they are learning about two- and three-dimensional shapes.

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PUPILS?

29. The school’s efforts to see that every pupil has equal opportunity, and follows the full curriculum, are satisfactory. Class teachers and learning assistants provide careful and diligent support for pupils with statements of special educational needs, and this enables them to follow the full curriculum. Able and talented pupils have not been identified clearly and the school recognises the need to do this so that appropriate opportunities for extending their learning can be provided.

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PUPILS?

30. Homework contributes to learning satisfactorily. Some teachers give different homework to pupils of different ability and this is good. Good examples of this are when twins are not given the same homework and when class homework is adapted for pupils for whom English is not their first language. A more structured approach to this provision is needed, however, so that pupils and parents know when homework is to be given.

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PUPILS?

31. The curriculum is socially inclusive and provides equality of access for girls and boys. Nevertheless, a small number of boys at the end of Key Stage 2 have a biased view on boys and girls participating together. This could be seen in a Year 6 dance lesson where a few boys were unwilling to partner girls. Overall, however, Year 6 pupils appreciate the opportunities offered to them. They particularly comment on mathematics and the Literacy Hour, the out-of-school activities, the friendly way they are treated by all staff and the pleasant surroundings. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School 32. The school makes satisfactory provision to extend pupils’ learning through its programme of extra-curricular activities. These include after school clubs, visits to places of interest, competitions against other schools and a residential visit. Older pupils speak enthusiastically about how the residential visit developed their social,

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PUPILS?

physical and computing skills. A geographical study of Widnes improved map- reading skills and prompted pupils to produce their own guidebook. The school runs teams for football, netball, athletics, cross-country and quiz. There are opportunities to learn to play musical instruments but some instrumental tuition regrettably takes pupils away from other subjects in the curriculum. That which takes place during lunchtimes or after school is clearly more appropriately timed.

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PUPILS?

33. The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development and satisfactory provision for cultural development. Since the last inspection, there has been an improvement in multi-cultural awareness amongst the pupils.

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PUPILS?

34. Acts of collective worship enrich the school’s curriculum. During assembly, for example, the headteacher and pupils consider the value of emotions in life and the need to work hard when young to reap success as an adult, like the Olympic athletes. Well-ordered resources, such as a video camera showing live pictures of pupils, television pictures from the Olympics and a projected image of the headteacher as a child, keep pupils’ attention. Seeing themselves on television brings a sense of wonder and delight. An attractive table, holding the lectionary and candles that serve as a prayer focus, creates an atmosphere of spirituality. Gentle music contributes effectively to the prayerful mood. The school has a good policy for worship that gives clear guidance on how to encourage spirituality. Pupils enjoy good work assemblies, house points and ‘Star of the Week’, which encourage hard work and good behaviour.

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PUPILS?

35. Discussions with pupils reveal their growing awareness of spiritual values. Within the curriculum, pupils have studied the painting styles of a number of artists including Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Renoir and Picasso. They have reflected on artists’ styles of painting and observation. Pupils know about composers, such as Mozart and Beethoven, and can talk about their preferences in music. In the reception class, the teacher creates such interest and anticipation that the simple task of feeling shapes in a ‘Feely Bag’ becomes exciting. A lesson on listening with Year 1 brings feelings of joy and contentment that brighten pupils’ moods.

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PUPILS?

36. The provision for moral development is good. The mission statement and school aims stress good behaviour. Pupils are made aware of what is right and wrong in lessons and at playtime. They discuss class rules and these are displayed around the school. Older pupils discuss pollution, vivisection and aspects of justice. They are motivated to react quickly to sudden disaster appeals. Harvest Festival donations are passed on to the needy. Pupils consider the elderly and sing carols for them at Christmas. Members of staff set good examples by their consideration for pupils and other staff, and are good role models. The general ethos promotes care for property as well as for individuals.

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PUPILS?

37. The school’s provision for social development is good. There is a good range of after-school activities. Pupils undertake an appropriate, though not extensive, range of responsibilities and duties in the classroom and around the school. For example, they act as prefects and lunch monitors, tidy the library and arrange the computer room. The Parent Teacher Association organises family discos. A curriculum evening on literacy, for example, gives pupils and parents the opportunity to work, learn and have fun together. Family Masses and class Masses encourage a good sense of community. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School 38. Provision for cultural development is sound overall and good in relation to teaching about pupils’ own cultural heritage. As a result, older pupils know about Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill. They talk knowledgeably about the Tudors and the Stuarts and other periods of history. Year 6 pupils know the main events in Dickens’

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PUPILS?

“Christmas Carol”, “Oliver Twist” and “Nicholas Nickleby”. A visiting Shakespearean group worked with Years 5 and 6 on scenes from “Macbeth”. Pupils were prompted to find out more about Shakespeare’s works. Now they have knowledge of “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Tempest” and some of the sonnets. They are fascinated by the sounds of Elizabethan language.

p.16

PUPILS?

39. Provision for multi-cultural education is satisfactory. This is a great improvement since the last inspection and in an attempt to improve further the school has given a member of staff responsibility for developing multi-cultural education. Pupils’ knowledge of other faiths and cultures is not extensive, however, although children do study other faiths as well as their own in religious education. Assemblies on festivals, such as “Rosh Hashanah” and “Tub’shevt”, increase pupils understanding of other cultures. A wall display in the entrance hall gives “Welcome” in languages of past and present pupils for whom English is an additional language. A vast mural in the main hall reflects the multi-cultural, multi-faith world in which we live. This is an excellent example of pupils working with parents and linking with a local design and art centre. Recent additions to the library strengthen multi-cultural provision.

p.16

PUPILS?

However, not all aspects of the good action plan for improvement following the last inspection have been carried out. Full implementation of the plan is needed in order to bring about a greater improvement.

p.16

PUPILS?

40. The school has established good links with the business community and these contribute to pupils’ learning. An international company has donated computers and improvements to the building and the grounds have been achieved through collaboration with community service agencies. Pupils benefit from the strong association with the parish that also provides a good sense of community. Strong links with feeder nurseries and secondary schools give pupils a smooth passage through the phases. A musical Mardi Gras parade, with other schools, is a splendid example of schools working together to raise funds for charities.

p.16

PUPILS?

41. Provision for health education provision is satisfactory. The school has satisfactory programmes for sex education and drugs’ awareness.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school provides a generally satisfactory standard of care for its pupils. Some features, for instance, the encouragement of good attendance, have improved since the last inspection and are particularly good. Others, for example the assessment of pupils’ work and the subsequent use of this to tailor what should be taught, is less developed and need further improvement. Overall, the school is a caring and very supportive community, with a shared commitment to do its best by and for all its pupils. Parents speak particularly positively of this aspect of the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The improving quality of teaching, and the school’s warmly communal ethos, are important factors in promoting good attendance and behaviour. Pupils very much enjoy school and respect their teachers as a result of the challenge and care they receive. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good, and the educational welfare officer supports the school closely. The school’s behavioural guidelines include emphasis on praise, with celebration through a weekly reward assembly and ‘Star of the Week’ certificates. Teachers generally manage behaviour St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School well. Incidents of poor behaviour are logged so that support and, as necessary, the early involvement of parents can be arranged. The school has produced a very thoughtful and detailed anti-bullying policy. Behavioural support and monitoring are good.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. All teachers have copies of the local child protection guidance, and the school has had cause on occasion to initiate procedures. Appropriate awareness has not, however, been extended among all staff. Pupils’ knowledge of health and safety is satisfactorily promoted within the curriculum and when undertaking lessons such as physical education. The school has recently carried out a risk assessment, and a committee of the governing body oversees safety matters. It is recognised that some elements of the health and safety provision would benefit from further attention.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Since the previous inspection the standard of attention given to the academic and personal needs of the pupils has improved. Work provided is now more frequently matched to the varying abilities of the children present in the classroom, and parents praise the particular efforts of teachers to support the progress of those who are struggling. The Code of Practice 1 for pupils on the school’s register of special educational need is now being observed. Pupils with full statements of educational need are being well supported and statutory requirements are met.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school has an overall framework within which pupils’ work may be assessed as they progress through the school. Assessment opportunities are, however, not always planned for and taken, and practice across the school currently lacks consistency. Teachers have a good general knowledge of the stage to which individual pupils have reached, but this is sometimes not sufficiently recorded. In particular, assessment results are not consistently used for the purpose of adjusting future work in the light of what has been successfully, or less successfully, learnt.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school works hard to encourage good learning attitudes and social confidence among all its pupils. Teachers and other staff provide good role models, knowing their pupils carefully and treating them with respect. Pupils are generally aware and pleased when they are making progress. The ethos produced, and shared over mid- morning toast, is effective in promoting pupils’ overall achievements.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Parents think the school is improving. They are very appreciative of the friendliness and approachability of its staff. They are glad to have been consulted concerning its new mission statement and closely support its values. They approve of the school’s good teaching demanding high standards from their children. They see this leading to good progress, as reflected in the improving results in the national testing programme. There is strong agreement that their children like school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents are less positive about the clarity and consistency of the school’s arrangements for homework. Some also believe that the range of activities outside lessons could be improved, particularly if more teachers were involved. A similar number think that scope exists for the school to do more to work closely with parents.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The inspection agrees with all the positive comments made above, and can see many areas where improvement has been made. The team confirms that homework arrangements could usefully be reviewed so as to produce a clear and agreed

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

1 Code of Practice – this gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School structure through the school for the guidance of teachers, parents and pupils. The team believes that the school’s extra-curricular activities are broadly similar to those provided in most primary schools of its size, but agrees that scope exists for their adjustment and improvement. The inspection team considers that the school has laid secure foundations for expanding its liaison with parents.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The quality of information which parents receive is satisfactory overall. The recently re-styled prospectus is a comprehensive and attractive document. Parents are satisfactorily informed about general school matters and events. The school has arranged meetings outlining its arrangements for the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. These were well attended. Parents do not, however, routinely receive much prior information on what is to be taught each term. Almost all parents attend the two meetings held annually to discuss children’s progress, and they generally consider the standard to be satisfactory.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Structured opportunities for parents to track and help their children’s learning are, however, fewer than in many primary schools. A system of whole-school reading records has very recently been introduced. By this means pupils, parents and teachers can frequently see and comment on what enjoyment and progress is being made with books. Homework is not generally recorded in this way, and sometimes pupils and parents are not certain as to what is expected. Parents rightly feel the absence of a consistent pattern for the setting and marking of homework through the school, though what is set is often thoughtfully designed to meet the differing needs of individuals. The written end-of-year academic reports do not incorporate a section for pupil or parental comment. Their quality is broadly satisfactory. Teachers’ comments are frequently rather generally written, rather than being sharply focused

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

towards what pupils know and can do in the subject, and on what they might concentrate in order to improve.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Most parents and their children have completed home-school agreements confirming their support of the school and its expectations. Many parents help their children’s learning at home and several assist in classrooms. The school has provided various opportunities for parents to share in learning. Two workshops, for instance, have been run for parents and pupils in Years 4 and 5 under the Family Literacy Project. A Parents as Educators course has been run. Through links derived from a Parent School Partnership initiative, several parents have taken courses and received appropriate accreditations. This has reflected back to the benefit of pupils when these new skills are applied within school, for instance, in the reception classroom.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The support of parents is often visible, particularly on the walls and windows! Parents are encouraged to help and have recently been involved, with others, in mounting displays of quality, for example an ‘art gallery’ in the main corridor. Some classrooms are enhanced by expressionist window painting, originally conceived to cut down glare. The hall currently bears a large and imaginative mural. This was planned by a parent to stimulate Year 6 pupils in the period following last year’s national tests. Another parent used contacts to secure the support of Liverpool Hope Art and Design Centre in its construction. A third worked on the elaborate preparations required for mounting.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Less visibly, many parents have an important role in the encouragement and running of extra-curricular activities, as well as in providing transport. They are similarly active in the parent-teacher association, which runs many social activities and events. The money raised has made a valuable contribution to the facilities in the school, for instance in much-needed decoration and in the furnishing of the computer St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School room. Parents and the community also contribute importantly through the parish to the school’s overall resources.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. During the past year, through being offered opportunities to comment, parents have been invited to share in the process of developing the school. Both the mission statement and the home-school agreements have been amended in the light of parental suggestion. Individual parents play a conscientious and influential role within the work of the school’s governing body. This speaks well for further development of the school’s partnership with parents. The impact of parents’ involvement with the work of the school is good, and is promoted by an equal effectiveness of the school’s links with parents.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The leadership and management of the headteacher are excellent. At the time of the last inspection the management of the school, the quality of education provided and the standards achieved by the pupils were all judged to require some improvement. In the two years that the new headteacher has been in post significant improvements have been made to all the weaknesses that were identified. The major factor in achieving this success is the quiet, yet determined and effective leadership of the headteacher. He has carried out an accurate and perceptive analysis of the work of the school. With the support of the governing body and the majority of members of staff, he has revitalised the school and given it direction.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school has an effective management structure, although in the past some members of the senior management team have not made the contribution expected of them. At present the headteacher is ably and enthusiastically supported by an acting deputy headteacher. The senior Key Stage 1 teacher is also now effectively taking on more senior management responsibilities. The school is now extremely well managed on a day-to-day basis with very good systems and procedures in place.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. A key factor in the headteacher’s strategy for taking the school forward has been involving the governing body, staff, parents and, to an appropriate extent, the pupils, in formulating and adopting a new mission statement. In the words of one experienced governor, this has been an incredible process . It is also a very good example of the headteacher’s excellent management of processes. The concluding sentence of the mission statement reads, “ Staff, parents, governors, priests, parishioners and people of the local community are all members of one team with the common purpose – to develop a school where, through the highest expectations, we pursue nothing less than excellence”. The statement is displayed throughout the school, sometimes interpreted to make it more accessible to pupils, and informs the work of everyone.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The governing body is knowledgeable and committed to the development of the school. Members of the governing body, through their involvement in constructing the mission statement and school aims, are clear about the priorities for development and relate expenditure very closely to these. The governing body plays an active role, through its finance committee, in monitoring expenditure. Through its practice of full consultations within the school community and its careful consideration when setting the budget and its monitoring, the school is applying the principles of best value well. Specific grants are used well St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School 61. Day-to-day financial procedures and school administration are very good. The school administrative officer is very efficient, enabling the headteacher and staff to concentrate on the educational work of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school development plan is a comprehensive document, covering the current year. Action plans in the areas of Planning and Assessment, Teaching and Learning, Monitoring and Evaluating are very clear and appropriate. The document is a very good agenda for improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Overall the school has a satisfactory number of trained teachers and support staff. Provisional job descriptions and delegated budgets are now in place and there are well considered plans for developing teachers’ knowledge and expertise. There is an appropriate programme of in-service training and the headteacher has benefited from personalised professional development as part of a national programme. Induction procedures for new staff are thorough and the school is a successful partner in initial teacher training with local providers.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Curriculum co-ordinators are now taking a more proactive role in leading the development of their subjects. There have been clear benefits following monitoring of teaching in literacy and from monitoring of pupils’ work in science. There are clear and appropriate plans for developing the classroom observation role of all co- ordinators and thereby raising standards of achievement further, particularly in the ‘non-core’ subjects of the National Curriculum.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school has made good progress in the recent past in implementing the Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs. There is now a register and the necessary procedures have been put in place. This is an improvement compared with the time of the last inspection. The governor for special educational needs has been very supportive and helped a great deal. Pupils now have individual education plans where necessary and staff awareness of special educational needs has been raised. However, the individual education plans are variable in quality and monitoring of this area of the school’s work is very limited at present. The creation of a policy for gifted and talented pupils is included in the development plan and this is good.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The school’s accommodation is good. There are classroom bases of a good size and useful corridor areas. The school hall is big enough for whole school assemblies and for physical education lessons although the storage of various items of furniture limits the usable space. Recent improvements to the fabric of the building, including new windows and repairs to the roof, and the creation of a computer suite have improved the accommodation considerably. The school is generally well maintained and attractive and the internal decoration has also been considerably improved as a result of the work of people on Community Service. Most classrooms and corridors feature pupils’ work attractively displayed. This makes an important contribution to creating a stimulating and encouraging working atmosphere.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. Learning resources are adequate overall. The school has rightly thrown away much that was no longer useful and has embarked on a programme of improvement. Though there is a shortage of books, recent purchases are of good quality and are being used well. Improvement in computer facilities has been striking. However, there is more to do in this respect, including the provision of class-based machines, especially for the youngest children. The school does not yet make satisfactory use of the new technology available, either in teaching and learning or in administration. It recognises the need to improve in this respect. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

68. In order to achieve the targets that the school has set itself in its continuing

p.21

improve standards of attainment in information and communication technology by:

• making sure that all pupils are taught the full National Curriculum in this subject; • making sure that all pupils have enough time and opportunity to develop and practise skills; • providing staff training to improve the overall level of expertise; • making sure that all teachers use information and communication technology to improve achievement in other subjects; • regularly monitoring the quality of planning, teaching and learning throughout the school; (see paragraphs 28, 136-143)

p.21

improve achievement and progress in the foundation subjects by:

• adapting the existing guidelines to meet the needs of the school and the pupils; • implementing the plans for curriculum co-ordinators to monitor planning, teaching and learning in their subjects; • making sure that learning objectives for individual lessons and units of work are crystal clear and made known to the pupils; (see paragraphs 18-21, 26-27, 64, 127, 133-134)

p.21

improve assessment and the use made of it by:

• making sure that assessment, based on clear learning objectives, is an integral part of lesson planning and teaching; • developing simple, manageable and useful ways of recording the information gained from assessment activities; • using the information obtained to make the curriculum and teaching better matched to the needs of the pupils; (see paragraphs 18-21, 26, 46, 105)

p.21

develop further the work of establishing the Foundation Stage by:

• constructing a policy for the Early Years; • developing a scheme of work clearly based on the Early Learning Goals. (see paragraphs 25, 69-81)

p.21

develop further the work of establishing the Foundation Stage by:

In addition, the governing body should indicate in its action plan how it intends to improve the quality of individual education plans and the quality of monitoring of all aspects of the provision for special educational needs (see paragraphs 65, 104). St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 48

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

12 21 43 21 2 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 200

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 33 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 18

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

p.22

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 2000 14 14 28

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 96 (96) 100 (93) 93 (100) at NC Level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 88 (87)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 13 13 12

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 17 16 33

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 15 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls 15 10 13

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 91 (78) 79 (80) 88 (78) at NC Level 4 or above National 74 (70) 73 (69) 85 (78)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 15 16 15 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls 12 9 12

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 82 (84) 76 (87) 82 (89) at NC Level 4 or above National (68) (69) (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

p.23

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 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 4 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 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.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.6 Financial year 1999/2000

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.3

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 379,321

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1,686

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 60 Balance brought forward from previous year 3,090

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 20,963 St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 41 48 11 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 30 52 13 2 3

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 47 20 2 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 28 52 17 2 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 35 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 46 4 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 28 48 22 2 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 37 50 9 2 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 37 52 9 0 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 22 50 24 4 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Other issues raised by parents Parents commented favourably on improvements in literacy and numeracy since the introduction of the national strategies. They were also pleased with improvements in the physical appearance of the building, commenting particularly on the computer suite, new windows and doors, and outdoor equipment.

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM AND SUBJECTS St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

p.25

Areas of learning for children in the foundation stage

69. The inspection took place at the beginning of the academic year when a new reception teacher had been appointed to the school. There have been very considerable improvements in the current term in provision for children in the reception class. At this early stage of the term, however, the organisation that would enable full benefit to be gained when there are three adults available to interact with the children is not fully in place. This is because one member of the team is also on call to supporting a pupil with a statement of special educational need in another class. Resources have been improved and reorganised. There is, however, no early years policy or scheme of work that is specific to the school and based upon the Early Learning Goals 2 .

p.26

Areas of learning for children in the foundation stage

70. Children start in the reception class with prior attainment which is above that expected for children of this age. This is confirmed by the initial assessments conducted with these young children. Most of the children have attended pre-school provision before attending full-time education. All the children begin school on a part- time basis for a short period of time before attending full-time.

p.26

Areas of learning for children in the foundation stage

71. Pupils who have just entered Key Stage 1 in Year 1 have achieved standards in line with the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning. This is below what they should have achieved given their attainment on entry. Progress was less than satisfactory. The work seen in the present reception class, however, is above that expected for children under five. The current good quality teaching is already having a positive impact on children’s learning and in the lessons observed good progress was made.

p.26

Personal and social development

72. In the reception class, all children are on course to achieve beyond the Early Learning Goal. This reflects the good teaching that they receive. The children experience and show obvious delight and expectation in the imaginative activities provided for them. The activities, such as using the feely bag to identify shapes or taking their paintbrush for a walk are well matched to their needs. The children are beginning to know what is expected of them. They know the clear rules provided, such as no more than three in the water play and are prepared to follow them.

p.26

Personal and social development

73. Children respond well to the class teacher’s cheerful, firm manner and to the music teacher’s gentle and imaginative class management. The enthusiasm which comes from both these teachers positively impacts on children’s learning of new skills and attitudes. The children are quickly learning to use resources independently and to work independently. They are learning to choose activities and are very willing to explore. When they are given less opportunity to choose resources within a structured, directed activity, this limits their progress in being able to select and make choices. For example, in an activity when they enjoyed taking their paintbrushes for a walk they were only given black paint rather than a choice of colours. The potential for ‘finding out’ was limited, although improved brush control did result. All adults promote children’s personal development effectively and support assistants are

p.26

Personal and social development

usually well deployed. However, the children become noisy and do not work quite as well in activities such as the construction and water-play, which at present are undirected and unstructured. This sometimes affects the working atmosphere.

p.26

Personal and social development

Early Learning Goals – these are goals for learning for children by the end of the reception year. They refer to personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy skills, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical and creative development. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

74. By the time children are five years old most achieve the Early Learning Goals in language and literacy. In the current reception year group most children are likely to exceed expectations. All adults value and encourage the children’s efforts at communicating in differing situations and forms, either in whole activities, group activities or individually. When children were in the role-play area acting out Jack and Jill, the classroom assistant was very well deployed in prompting and supporting children’s learning in this area. The little boy acting out the doctor’s role was every inch the patient practitioner and there was some discussion as to what could be used for a bandage. Staff provide good opportunities for children to imagine and recreate experience developing communication and language. There is, however, sometimes not enough intervention and interaction with adults to steer these developments

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

along. This means that progress is not as good as it could be.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

75. Children’s know how books work and their confidence in using them is increasing. They know that pages and print go from left to right and that the print is about the pictures on the page. They can already recognise some of the letters of the alphabet. Appropriate activities are provided to develop children’s manipulative skills and this in turn helps their writing. Some children are already learning to form letters correctly. There is, however, insufficient attention paid at present to writing for a purpose from which the teaching of letter formation can arise. As a result, some children are finding it very difficult to hold writing tools in the correct way and this hampers their progress. The classroom is being developed so as to immerse the children in print and to provide rich contexts to extend conversation and language. Children are already given good opportunities to hear and take part in music, sing

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

songs, hear and say rhymes and share stories.

p.27

Mathematical development

76. This area of learning is particularly well taught and by the end of the reception year most children are likely to have exceeded the Early Learning Goals for mathematics. The teacher’s manner generates enthusiasm. Children are quickly learning that squares and rectangles have four sides and four corners. Many children can count to 20 and the majority recognise numbers to five. The children are making progress in ordering numbers from 1 to 5. Activities are well thought out to reinforce the work on shapes and number, such as singing number rhymes, counting on fingers and the use of big books.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

77. The children build on the general knowledge they have already acquired before coming to school and are likely to exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the key stage. They plant cress. They show their curiosity and are encouraged by the teacher to forecast how long it will take for the cress to grow. They are quickly learning to use tools and equipment correctly, for example spatulas for gluing. Adults are very careful to insist on good safety routines. For example, the children are taught to carry scissors correctly around the classroom. Children are very careful in the folding of paper and extremely careful not to put too much glue on when they construct patterns from strips of paper. Time is made for exploratory play in the role- play area or with construction materials. All children are encouraged to take part in these activities. The children use these resources confidently and independently as

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

they do other table activities. However, there is sometimes not enough intervention by adults to respond to children’s ideas and encourage discussion. Once again, this means that progress is not as good as it could be. Children’s use of the outdoor play area teaches them some knowledge of the world when they reach the sign for Paris but provision is nevertheless limited at present. During the inspection children were not observed using information technology. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School 78. The teacher’s planning is conscientious and detailed. Planning, however, is under the areas of learning and National Curriculum subjects together. This means that activities are too influenced by individual subjects rather than by the skills underpinning the subjects.

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Physical development

79. The large outdoor equipment that the school has just purchased is the start of good provision for the development of imaginative play and physical development. The children run, jump, balance and climb and are developing a good awareness of space. This is very evident at playtime. Routines for using and supervising the use of the new outdoor equipment need further development. Finer movements and control of small tools within the classroom are developing well. Children are generally making satisfactory progress and can be expected to exceed expectations for their age at the end of the key stage.

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Creative development

80. The children are making sound progress and are likely to exceed the Early Learning Goals in creative development by the time they are five. The children are exploring and joining in with role-play with enthusiasm. The fact that support staff are deployed to extend these opportunities is good. Children use the equipment and resources with imagination. They sustain and develop characters for decent amounts of time. Children at the classroom easels explore painting freely using a range of colours. Children explore shape, colour and line and are totally engrossed in taking their paintbrushes for a walk, creating intricate patterns in the process. These were further developed by using pencils to fill in other imaginative patterns. The lack of a choice of size of paper and colours, however, limited the usefulness of this otherwise excellent activity.

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Creative development

81. The enthusiasm of the adults in music lessons impacts very positively on the children. The children enjoy moving to the music. The imaginative way that the lessons are taught ensures children learn to listen for and follow the beat of the music. They learn about some percussion instruments and are able to recall their names. They sing in tune and with enthusiasm.

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National test results

82. National Curriculum test results for 1999 at the end of Key Stage 2 are well above average. The proportion of pupils gaining the expected Level 4 is close to the national average and the proportion achieving the higher Level 5 is well above average. The test results have fluctuated over the four years from 1996 to 1999, but the overall trend has been upwards. The results for 1999 and the very recent results for 2000 show a continued substantial improvement. The school has met its targets and improved upon them. This trend of improvement is also very evident at Key Stage 1 particularly in writing. By the end of this key stage, results are very high in comparison to national averages in both reading and writing.

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National test results

83. The school’s performance is also well above average in relation to similar schools nationally by the end of Key Stage 2 and is very high by the end of Key Stage 1. Over the period 1996 to 1999 girls and boys performed to the same very high standard in reading. In writing boys slightly out-performed girls. In Key Stage 2, girls slightly out-performed boys in English. The overall level of attainment by the end of the key stages, when matched to attainment upon entry to the school, which is generally above average, indicates that the school is enabling its pupils to achieve St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School well and adds significant value to their education during their primary years. The work of the oldest pupils at both key stages observed during the inspection indicates that standards this year are at a similar level to those attained in 1999.

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Reading

84. In Key Stage 1, the majority of pupils make very good progress overall in acquiring literacy skills. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in relation to their peers. All pupils develop a good sight vocabulary needed to make them independent readers, and recognise the letters of the alphabet by sound and name. The majority try to sound out and build unknown words, although occasionally in Year 1 pupils need prompting to do this. Some above average pupils in this year group are not yet able to blend letters such as ‘cr, br’. Other strategies, which the pupils use throughout the key stage, such as the use of context and prediction of words and use of illustrations, vary significantly between all pupils. Lower attaining pupils’ language is usually immature and pupils substitute their own words for those in the book. These pupils particularly need prompting to use a variety of strategies to

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Reading

enable them to work out unknown words. Most pupils can talk about the main characters and express opinions about the plots of their books. Over the key stage, pupils develop the ability to write independently. Some pupils in Year 2 widen their interest and read non-fiction books for pleasure.

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Writing

85. By the end of the key stage, writing is well organised and imaginative. Pupils in Year 1 begin to use punctuation correctly and effectively, which is an improvement since the last inspection, and ideas are developed logically and in sequence. Progress in Year 2 in writing is particularly good. It is noticeable that the pupils’ written vocabulary is widening and that they are beginning to use language for effect. In long, well constructed stories, words such as ‘whispered’ and ‘shouted’ are used instead of ‘said’, and words are used to create atmosphere, for example, ‘Bang, the ogre was flat on the ground’. A few pupils are also using different print for visual effect. Spelling is good and punctuation is developing well. Average attaining pupils use question marks. Higher attaining pupils are beginning to use commas in lists; speech marks are used confidently and correctly. Handwriting is variable but usually

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Writing

neat and tidy improving over time. Progress in reading and writing is affected when activities are not well matched to pupils’ needs or when the pace and rigour of the lesson is slow.

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Speaking and listening

86. By the end of Key Stage 1, attainment in speaking and listening matches national expectations with speaking being better than listening. Many pupils answer in full sentences and provide extended responses and sufficient detail showing understanding of the topic under discussion.

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Reading

87. At Key Stage 2, the majority of pupils continue to make good progress in reading. Those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. The majority of pupils are quick, confident and accurate in reading, understanding the content and concepts. They begin to develop the skills of finding information from books. Pupils are knowledgeable about indexes and glossaries. The development of the skills of locating books in a library are less well developed with pupils sometimes at a loss to explain how they would go about this. Many pupils are aware that books are colour- coded according to subject in the school library but have little awareness of other library classification systems. A good number of pupils belong to a local library and St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School read their own books at home. Equally a good number do not belong to a library and do not read much at home.

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Writing

88. Pupils develop the ability to write for a range of purposes. In this they are helped by the school’s good attention to providing a wide range of work. Pupils are taught grammar, writing for different purposes such as character description and the analysis of appropriate language for use in report writing. Higher attaining pupils use adventurous vocabulary for effect; for example ‘She had a face so radiant, it looked as if there was a 70 watt bulb behind it’ and ‘I felt myself crackling like satellite television in bad weather’. Overall, however, there is less free, creative, imaginative writing in this key stage and so the development of rich language used for effect slows down. Pupils are taught to write complex sentences and use connectives but they do not use a wide range of connectives at this stage in the year. Handwriting and presentation improve significantly over the key stage. Spelling and punctuation

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Writing

are usually good but the impact of teaching upon pupils’ basic punctuation in the upper part of Key Stage 2 is ineffective. There are examples of carelessness especially where approximately a third of middle and higher attaining pupils repeatedly do not apply capital letters correctly. Lower attaining pupils throughout the key stage improve their spelling but still have difficulty with both spelling and handwriting.

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Speaking and listening

89. Skills in speaking and listening continue to develop well. Pupils in all year groups develop confidence in answering questions and teachers give pupils good opportunities to speak in differing situations, such as play reading to the class.

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Pupils and English

90. Teachers in both key stages implement the literacy strategy well. This results in the majority of pupils having good attitudes to learning and behaving well. Pupils’ work shows that all pupils including those of lower attainment try hard and take pride in their work. Teachers mostly provide work that challenges pupils to learn. A minority of pupils, however, become restless and lose concentration in lessons when the level of rigour and challenge does not match their needs. In a Year 5 lesson judicious praise keeps pupils’ interest and motivates them to pay attention to punctuation. Relationships between adults and pupils are good. Pupils have the confidence to ask questions and offer opinions in lessons. A child who had made a mistake in her writing book wrote, ‘Mrs Quinn, this is wrong, sorry! Sorry!’, and drew a sad face next to each ‘sorry’. The teacher replied, ‘OK!’ This example evidences the secure

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Teaching

91. Over 70 per cent of lessons were good or better of which a fifth, in Key Stage 2, was very good and one lesson in Year 4 was judged to be excellent. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of literacy is sound. Teachers’ expectations are high and they set good standards, impacting on pupils’ attitudes in a very positive way. For example, in a Year 3 lesson when the teacher modelled reading with expression and used motivating questions and responses such as ‘You had expression’, ‘You read it carefully’, ‘You used different voices’. In the excellent lesson with another class, the teacher also modelled reading with expression and both teacher and pupils delighted in the experience.

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Teaching

92. Teachers in all lessons share their lesson objectives with their pupils. This is done, though, in an almost incidental way rather than clearly and boldly at the beginning of the lesson so that at the end pupils and teachers together can check if they have St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School achieved those learning goals. Very good progress is made when teachers develop a skill coherently throughout the Literacy Hour. This was the case in a Year 5 lesson on poetry where work on the theme of the lesson was taken right through to the plenary session.

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Teaching

93. Pupils’ ability to work independently is very variable in both key stages. Year 4 pupils made good progress when working outside the classroom in a group. All took the task very seriously and were well behaved. In some lessons teachers ask pertinent questions to ensure pupils realise they must work independently, for example, ‘Is there any reason why anyone should interrupt?’ In other lessons, pupils interrupt the teachers when it is guided reading or guided writing time because they are not used to working without the teacher’s help. There was very little collaborative work observed during the inspection. This was also pointed out in the last report. Teachers assess pupils’ knowledge and progress informally and continuously, but there is no whole school method of recording this and of using it to affect planning. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory in

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Teaching

both key stages. Pupils with a statement of educational need are well cared for. Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs do not have a sufficient range of strategies to help them to read confidently and to make good progress.

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The range of the English curriculum

94. The school provides a wide range of activities in literacy and this is an improvement on the last report. Literacy is very well used to support other areas of the National Curriculum. Planning is satisfactory but teaching and learning objectives are sometimes confused and lead to lack of sharpness, thereby hindering good assessment. Some areas of the wider English curriculum, however, are given less attention. There are good examples of teaching about poetry but the amount and quality of poetry appreciation and drama taught is insufficient to support the development of a rich and varied spoken and written vocabulary. Poetry is often used as a tool to teach another skill rather than an entity in its own right. Information technology was not observed being used in any lessons during the inspection, but pupils use word-processing sometimes to write pieces of work. The lack of word- processing for drafting was highlighted in the last inspection.

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Leadership and management

95. The co-ordinator for English and literacy was only appointed recently but has achieved much in a very short time. She works very effectively with senior management and other colleagues in order to identify areas for improvement. This has resulted, for example, in the reorganisation of existing resources and ordering more in order to support effective teaching. The subject is well resourced other than within the school library which has now been thoroughly audited and awaits development. The co-ordinator has significant plans to further improve the subject, particularly in the area of assessment and monitoring. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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National test results

96. In the 1999 national tests for seven-year-olds, all pupils reached the expected Level 2, a very high result in comparison to those nationally. Four pupils out of 10 reached the higher than expected Level 3, which was well above the national average for all schools and for similar schools nationally. At the time of the last inspection the previous year’s test results were below the national average but there were indications that standards were beginning to rise. Since then there has been a good improvement. All pupils reach the required standard and beyond now, whereas then one third of the pupils failed to do so.

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National test results

97. National Curriculum test results for 11-year-olds in 1999 indicate that eight out of 10 achieved the expected Level 4, with three out of 10 reaching the higher Level 5. This was above the national average for all schools and above the results of similar schools nationally. By comparison, only three out of 10 achieved Level 4 at the time of the last inspection and less than one in 10 reached the higher Level 5.

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Standards and progress

98. The inspection judgement is that standards across the mathematics curriculum are in line with the national average by the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In some aspects, including number work, standards are above average as indicated by recent national test results. Progress in the past has been inconsistent, particularly in the early years and in the earlier parts of both other key stages. This has been addressed and progress is now at least satisfactory throughout the school. Improvements throughout the key stages have been achieved by providing good training for teachers, introducing the numeracy lesson and by carefully considering teaching methods and what pupils have actually learned.

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Standards and progress

99. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils confidently sequence numbers to 100. They recognise coins up to one pound and work out answers to simple shopping problems. Pupils carry out practical activities in weighing and measuring. They have constructed simple pictograms that indicate their food preferences.

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Standards and progress

100. Most pupils show care in their presentation and accuracy. For example, in their careful shading and in number formation. These standards are not built on in Key Stage 2. For example, by the end of the key stage, pupils have not developed the skill of connecting points with a straight line, or the discipline of labelling axes correctly in their graph work.

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Standards and progress

101. In Key Stage 2, pupils develop confidence in their rapid recall of number facts during the quick fire sessions that form part of the numeracy strategy. They quickly half and double numbers with accuracy. This strategy is continued throughout the key stage so that by Year 6, pupils have firmly established strategies to aid mental computation. For example, they add 100 to three-digit numbers and then count back 3, when asked to add on 97. They find the difference between numbers by adding on in small stages from the lower number to the higher number, rather than by subtraction methods.

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Standards and progress

102. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have an appropriate knowledge of number. Most pupils add, subtract, divide and multiply numbers accurately up to 1,000 and can apply these operations to problems with money and units of length. Most average and higher attaining pupils have a good knowledge of multiplication tables and their quick mental recall is accurate. They understand square numbers and know the St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School difference between area and perimeter. They correctly calculate percentages and know how to work out discounts.

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Standards and progress

103. However, pupils’ ability to use mathematics in practical situations is not secure. Some pupils whose work in fractions seems secure do not understand fully how to find fractions of a cake, for example. More practical activities lower down the school and when the topic was reintroduced are needed to prevent this. Too much emphasis is placed on learning rules before proper understanding has occurred.

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Standards and progress

104. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. As yet, there are not any individual plans for improvement for these pupils in mathematics. Lessons cater for the lower attaining pupils as a group. Sometimes, the needs of these pupils are not considered fully in plenary sessions, where teachers generally consider the needs of the majority. This could be seen at the end of Key Stage 2 in a lesson on fractions. The plenary session dealt with ways of adding different fractions. The lower attaining pupils found this activity too challenging. Pupils with physical difficulty are fully integrated into activities with the help of their carers. Higher ability pupils are not always stretched. These pupils complain that the work is too easy for them and they want it to be harder. There is no policy for identifying able and gifted pupils.

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Teaching

105. The overall quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is good. Lessons have a clear purpose that is conveyed to the pupils and are planned well. Teachers control their classes very effectively to ensure that misbehaviour or inattentiveness does not disrupt the learning process. They give clear instructions and emphasise new vocabulary throughout their lessons. Teachers insist that pupils use correct terminology and this helps understanding. Brisk presentation of ideas and well-chosen activities and resources enable pupils to achieve good levels of confidence and competency. The quality of learning is good. Pupils listen, observe and pay attention. They join in enthusiastically and willingly offer answers. For example, one pupil in Year 1 immediately offered ‘flat’ as a definition of a two-dimensional shape.

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Teaching

106. In Key Stage 2, the overall quality of teaching is good with half of the lessons observed being very good. All the teachers in this key stage adopt a lively approach to the initial part of the lesson where mental and oral activities take place. A homemade bingo game in Year 5 served to stretch the pupils’ competence in halving and doubling. In Year 6, the teacher timed responses and so challenged pupils to achieve higher levels in thinking. Teachers have good subject knowledge that they use to demonstrate difficult vocabulary. For example, the Year 3 teacher helped her pupils to remember the term ‘face’ by drawing her hand over her own face. Teachers successfully employ ways of keeping children’s attention. The Year 4 teacher read a stimulating story to introduce metric measurement and the pace of the lesson in Year 5 ensured that pupils were always thinking. The approach to lessons is business-

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Teaching

like. Pupils are told that they must work. Teachers have high expectations and value every minute spent in learning.

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Teaching

107. The school has introduced the National Numeracy Strategy well so that pupils develop a secure understanding of what they are taught. Professional training is managed effectively so that the staff works together well. There is a clear understanding of current standards in school and the strategies being used to improve them. Teachers are provided with an excellent policy that covers teaching, learning and assessment. The school has invested in attractive teaching and learning resources, and this has improved the quality of lessons. Some teachers in St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School Key Stage 2 give their pupils mathematical games, such as those featured in a popular television programme, to make wet playtimes purposeful and enjoyable.

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National test results

108. The results of the 1999 teachers assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 indicate that all pupils achieved the national standard and this is very high compared with the average for all schools and for similar schools. Half of the pupils exceeded the national expectation by achieving the higher Level 3 and this is also very high compared with the average for all schools and for similar schools. Attainment was particularly high in experimental and investigative science and in knowledge of life and living processes.

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National test results

109. The national test results for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in 1999 show that attainment was in line with the national average for all schools but below the average for similar schools. The proportion of pupils exceeding the national expectation by achieving the higher Level 5 was in line with the average for all schools and for similar schools. The overall trend over the last five years has been upwards in comparison with the national average (which has also improved).

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Standards and progress

110. At the time of the last inspection, standards of attainment were judged to be in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. On the evidence of the lessons observed, examination of pupils’ work from last year and discussions with them, it is now judged that attainment is above the national average at the end of Key Stage 1 and in line with it at the end of Key Stage 2. Both literacy and numeracy skills are promoted and used well during science lessons.

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Standards and progress

111. Progress throughout the school has been inconsistent, notably in the early part of both key stages. This, coupled with pupil movement in Key Stage 2, is why the very good results at the end of Key Stage 1 have not been followed by equally good results at the end of Key Stage 2. However, progress in the lessons observed during the inspection was invariably good or better in both key stages. Some of this improvement can be attributed to staff changes and some to the introduction of effective monitoring of the curriculum and pupils’ work by the co-ordinator. As a result of her monitoring the amount and quality of experimental work has improved and pupils have also been given more responsibility for recording in their own way.

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Standards and progress

112. Pupils in last year’s Year 2 show above average all round knowledge of living things, using a wide range of scientific language, for example ‘predator’, ‘prey’, ‘wingspan’, correctly. The work in their books shows that they know the names of parts of the body, plants and insects. Work on light and shadows and on sound shows a good level of understanding. There is a strong and very appropriate emphasis at the end of Key Stage 1 on observation, carrying out experiments and recording the results through pupils’ own words and pictures. Marking positively reinforces this emphasis and pupils make good progress in all aspects of science.

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Standards and progress

113. Pupils in a well-taught science lesson in the present Year 2 made good progress in developing their observation and recording skills and in increasing their knowledge and understanding of the variety, importance and effects of exercise. The good learning and progress in this class is due to the teacher’s very good subject knowledge and use of the relatively small amount of time devoted to science in Key Stage 1. The work was made more interesting by being related well to activities undertaken in a physical education lesson the previous day. The lesson was well St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School planned and presented and everything done contributed directly to what the teacher intended the pupils to learn. There was a good pace to the lesson with changes of activity to maintain interest and the teacher circulated well to check on progress and to support individuals. Pupils worked well at their tasks in a cheerful and

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Standards and progress

114. Pupils in Year 3 benefited from an excellent lesson that was sharply focused on learning about the different types of teeth. Because the activities that the teacher selected were interesting and practical, the pupils made very good progress and the quality of their learning was very good. For example, as well as chewing and biting a piece of apple, pupils worked in pairs, as dentists, to make a chart of each other’s teeth. They were active learners and what they were learning was skilfully related to health matters. The teacher has a good understanding of how pupils acquire new knowledge and understanding and of the important role of language in this. Her continual reinforcement of what she intends the pupils to learn makes an essential contribution to their progress. The pupils responded very well and there was a very high level of purposeful activity in a very pleasant working atmosphere.

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Standards and progress

115. Pupils in the Year 5 class demonstrated that they have good knowledge and understanding of the heart as a muscle, its location in the body, the role of veins and arteries and the effect of exercise. Their learning was extended well by their teacher as she led them to consider how they could take their pulse and ways in which the data obtained could be made as reliable as possible. Progress and learning were good both in terms of understanding of the scientific method and in terms of knowledge and understanding of the heart and its role.

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Standards and progress

116. In this lesson the teacher promoted good learning and progress through very good use of questions to assess, consolidate and extend understanding. Both the introductory and concluding parts of the lesson were used well, the one to revise existing knowledge and the other to consolidate what was done during the lesson. Because of the very good classroom routines and the interest of the lesson, pupils behaved well and kept their attention on their work.

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Standards and progress

117. Pupils in the Year 6 class showed at the start of a lesson on light that they had a good all round level of understanding and knowledge about, for example, light sources, sun and moon. Their teacher has a good questioning technique and as well as helping pupils to consolidate their existing knowledge, challenged them to explain, for example, how they know that light travels in straight lines. The lesson was practically based and the resources and activities for learning about reflection have been well selected. This lesson, with a large class and in a room without blackout, was well presented and managed. Because of this the lesson promoted good learning and progress and pupils were interested in their work. The lesson was, however, on the long side, and the teacher is rightly considering whether a different time allocation facilitating a revisit to the topic a day or so after the main practical

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Standards and progress

activity, might lead to even better consolidation and progress. The overall attainment of these pupils is well in line with national expectations for their age.

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Pupils and science

118. Pupils’ enjoyment of science is evident throughout the school. They respond well to the good classroom routines and organisation being established by their teachers and their behaviour and attitudes to their work are good. Pupils carry out practical work sensibly and responsibly, working well together when required to do so. They take care, in response to the expectations of their teachers, when recording their observations and in most classes take a good level of responsibility for their own note taking and diagrams. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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Teaching

119. The quality of teaching is never less than good. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject and communicate enthusiasm for learning to their pupils. Other strong features of the teaching, contributing to good learning and progress, include: • good questioning skills that help pupils to both consolidate and extend their learning; • a good mixture of whole class, group and individual work and a good balance of practical, speaking and writing; • a good brisk pace, with frequent changes of activity to maintain interest and concentration; • good classroom organisation and routines and good relationships between teachers and pupils; • developing correct use of scientific language from the early years onwards.

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Teaching

120. As a result of the good quality teaching and the resulting good behaviour and attitudes of the pupils, classrooms take on the atmosphere of pleasant and purposeful laboratories during science lessons. There is now a good foundation for improved progress throughout the school as well as in individual lessons or year groups.

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ART AND DESIGN

121. No art lessons were observed during the inspection as the subject is taught in half- termly blocks and this was not an ‘art’ half term. Examination of completed work indicates that progress is satisfactory throughout the school and that attainment is in line with that expected of pupils in both key stages. There is a suitable range of activities to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills. Pupils have looked at the work of other artists and produce carefully executed and very effective work in their style, such as the Van Gogh, Rothko, Picasso and Renoir. When discussing art, pupils in Key Stage 1 use appropriate terminology to explain how they painted shadows and how they sketched using viewfinders. In Key Stage 2, pupils explained in detail how to make papier-mache masks and ancient looking clay pots. They are knowledgeable about the qualities of different colours and how colour can be used to

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ART AND DESIGN

represent feelings and emotions. Displays of artwork showed that pupils’ skills develop steadily over time. Pupils use pastels successfully and their good use of paint was shown to advantage on a very large mural in the school hall.

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ART AND DESIGN

122. The school makes very good use of the local community to support the development of art. A local college was very supportive when pupils designed and drew the figures and characters for the very effective mural which they wanted to represent the different cultures of the world. The college transposed the drawn figures onto hard board and cut them out and then the pupils painted them. Art is used to support the development of other subjects. In the designing of this very large project, pupils researched using books and information technology in order to make sure their design was accurate. There is no whole school approach to assessment in this subject.

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ART AND DESIGN

123. Pupils unanimously say they love to do art and obviously have good attitudes to the subject. The school has very recently adopted the national scheme of work for the subject but has not yet had time to make it pertinent to the needs of its staff and pupils. Resources are being improved slowly. Sketchbooks have very recently been ordered and introduced to the school and this is an improvement upon the last inspection. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. During the inspection week there were no opportunities to observe design and technology lessons. However, from the analysis of pupils’ work available, and from photographic evidence and discussions, it is judged that pupils’ attainment and progress is in line with expectations in both key stages. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. In Key Stage 1, pupils gain skills in cutting, fixing, painting and designing. They work with clay, wood, card and fabric. Year 1 pupils look at pictures of different vehicles before making their own using boxes, wooden doweling and card discs. In Year 2, pupils draw simple plans and make lists of materials they need to make three- dimensional models and, after applying a coat of paint to improve their models’ appearance, check the products against their original designs. By cutting out figures from templates and making paper-fastener joints, pupils discover how our bodies could become animated. This leads to a display on movement that generates good discussion and language development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. There is satisfactory progress throughout Key Stage 2. Pupils in Year 3 produce attractive birds employing strips of card, feathers and curled paper to improve their work. In Year 5, design and technology helps pupils discover more about the Egyptians. They produce very good artefacts that are carefully designed and considered, even to how they can get a stone effect on their pyramids

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

127. Teachers have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the topics they are required to teach. A useful policy document gives appropriate guidance and the teachers follow national guidelines. These are, however, not adapted to meet fully the needs of the pupils. Planning is not extended to include more investigation and evaluation of existing products. Practice of skills is not given enough emphasis. The co-ordinator plans to increase resources when funds are available. The school has adequate resources for this term’s activities.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

128. During the inspection, it was only possible to observe a few lessons in history and geography. However, evidence from the inspection indicates that pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making satisfactory progress in both subjects throughout the school. Attainment in both key stages is in line with national expectations. This is the same situation as during the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

129. In Key Stage 1, pupils develop fieldwork skills when they take trips to study the local area. They know about simple maps and learn to record on simple charts. They learn to use geographical vocabulary correctly. They learn about different types of transport and their uses in different situations. They learn that some types of transport would not be found on an island, for example, and know that an island is surrounded by water. From their own travels on holiday, pupils can describe what places are like, for example whether there are nice beaches and what animals can be found.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

130. In history, pupils are developing a good sense of time and of the past. In their work on famous people they learn why events happened. For example, they know about Florence Nightingale and have learnt why and how Florence Nightingale improved hospitals. They know about the distant past because of their interest in dinosaurs. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School The links to other subjects supports their learning. In art they learn about Van Gogh and associate him correctly with the past.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

131. In Key Stage 2, pupils use atlases, globes, and maps on a range of scales and plans when studying the environment. They understand about cycles of weather and how the land formation affects the water cycle. They know about the river cycle and its effect on the land. Pupils know how water is used to make electricity and kinetic energy. They learn about factories and how they affect patterns of living and the environment. In Year 5 pupils investigated the water supply in the school, developing correct vocabulary and geographical enquiry skills.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

132. In history, pupils have gained knowledge of ancient peoples such as the Anglo– Saxons, Romans, Greeks and Ancient Egyptians. They know that the Romans built straight roads, had games with lions and had slaves, and that those born in Rome were paid more than foreigners. The pupils have definite opinions as to whether they would have liked to have lived then. In both history and geography, pupils develop literacy skills when researching from books and information technology.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

133. Pupils in Key Stage 2 enjoy their lessons especially when they are practical such as the excellent lesson in which they moved around the school with the caretaker who explained about the storage of water in school and answered their questions. Most pupils filled in their recording grid with interest and aplomb. Pupils in Key Stage 2 talk about history with enthusiasm and have good recall of facts. Pupils in Year 2 speak about the subjects with less enthusiasm other than when talking about their own holidays. There is some confusion in pupils’ minds between geography, history and religious education. Pupils at Key Stage 1 are not growing in understanding of the particular natures of history and geography.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

134. The overall quality of teaching in history is good and in geography it is satisfactory. There was one excellent geography lesson. In the excellent lesson teaching was purposeful and enthusiastic and this was communicated to the pupils. The focus on the learning objectives and a very good pace were maintained at all times. There was very good use of the plenary at the end of the lesson. Where lessons are too long and slow pupils become restless and lose interest. At present the school alternates the teaching of the two subjects half-termly. Large displays of history and geography around school ensure that pupils’ awareness is maintained during the half term when that particular subject is not being taught. The subjects develop pupils’ knowledge of other cultures. In geography, festivals from around the world are celebrated such as Mardi Gras and Penata. Both literacy and numeracy are well

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

linked to support development in all four subjects. Pupils write good accounts about Henry VIII and numeracy is used in when looking at the Egyptian number system. The school has adopted the national schemes of work for both history and geography to support the teaching of the new National Curriculum 2000. The school has not yet had time to make them specifically relevant to the needs of the pupils and staff and so the quality of teaching and learning is adversely affected.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

135. Resources are adequate and improving. The school makes very good use of visits to extend and reinforce pupils’ knowledge and uses local experts well. For example, in geography, a speaker from North West Water was invited into school and the caretaker is very helpful in talking to pupils about local matters. In history, Key Stage 1 pupils learnt ‘How We Lived in the Past’ from joining in with a performance by a drama group invited into school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School 136. At the time of the last inspection attainment in both key stages was judged to be satisfactory although it was noted that information technology was not being used fully as a resource to support teaching and learning in all subjects across the curriculum. It is still the case that information and communication technology is not being used effectively across the curriculum. There are examples of attainment, chiefly in word-processing, that is in line with national expectations but overall levels of progress and attainment at both key stages are unsatisfactory. This is largely attributable to the fact that little was done until comparatively recently to develop an appropriate course and to provide the necessary hardware and software. The new headteacher, with the support of the other members of the information and technology team and members of the governing body, has improved resources and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

ensured that the subject appears on the timetable for all classes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. The school now has a dedicated computer room and this represents a big improvement compared with last year. Unfortunately, several classrooms do not have a computer and this is a major obstacle both to skill development and to using the resource to support and extend learning in other subjects. The school is well aware of what needs to be done and the action plan is very soundly based. Some necessary developments wait on action by agencies outside the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. The small number of lessons observed during the inspection were all of at least good quality. In Year 3, for example, a well-planned and presented lesson promoted good learning of basic keyboard skills. The teacher gave good, clear instructions about hand position and where to place fingers. Because there are too few working computers for even half a class the teacher had organised two related activities for the rest of the class. The lesson was well organised and managed and those pupils whose turn it was to use a computer demonstrated correct and confident use of the return and back delete keys and of the space bar. They also moved confidently between capital and lower case letters and printed their work out. During the lesson pupils made good progress in speed and accuracy, moving from typing three-letter to five-letter words and using thumbs and index fingers correctly. The teacher used the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

concluding part of the lesson well to consolidate and extend the work into varying font and size. Opportunities for developing literacy skills, for example in relation to ‘qu’ words, were taken well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. A similarly well planned and organised lesson for pupils in Year 4 led to good progress in cutting and pasting by those working at the computers. The introduction to this lesson was well done in that all pupils benefited from direct teaching at the computer by the teacher. Appropriate pencil and paper tasks relating to alphabetical sorting were then set for those pupils not using the computers. Most pupils had no difficulty in switching on the computer, navigating to the word-processing package and then carrying out the task. Some pupils confidently changed fonts and size to suit their preference. Pupils successfully cut and pasted to place sets of five words in alphabetical order. There is a wide range of previous experience of using computers in this class and the teacher gave good focused individual support where it was needed.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. A very good lesson for Year 6 pupils was characterised by the teacher’s very clear learning intentions and by the way in which all aspects of planning and organisation served these. Pupils were given a very clear explanation of what a spreadsheet is and the correct vocabulary of cell, column and row was introduced. The teacher made effective links with numeracy, reinforcing what was already known about co- ordinates. Follow up activities were well planned so that all members of the class were engaged on learning tasks directly related to the learning intentions and all had a reasonable length of time at a keyboard. This ensured that the whole class would St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School subsequently be able to move ahead together on this work. Very thorough and effective teaching, based on good planning and organisation, led to good learning and progress. A homework task, designed to encourage further computer work

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

either at home or at school, was well chosen to encourage design skills, use of clip art and lettering.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. Throughout the school there are pupils, often with access to a computer at home, who are familiar with the Internet. Some, for example, have downloaded pages about the weather as their contribution to a display in the computer room. Elsewhere in the school are good examples of word-processing used for labelling or descriptions of artwork. Pupils are also often knowledgeable about the uses of technology such as video recorders and cameras, play stations and electronic mail. Their knowledge of control technology, however, is often limited to choosing directions in adventure games and they know little of, for example, using a computer-controlled sensor to measure and record temperature.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are very positive. They enjoy the subject and are eager to learn. They behave well, recognise the need to take turns and support each other’s learning. The level of concentration on the tasks set is good. Pupils respond well to the improved provision of facilities and to the good preparation and planning of their teachers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. The school recognises the need to build a scheme of work based on both current practice and national guidelines to enable teachers to build progressively on what pupils have learned in previous years. The teaching seen during the inspection represents a positive start to this and the urgent implementation of the development action plan is the next stage in ensuring full entitlement and raising standards of attainment.

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MUSIC

144. Pupils achieve the standards expected for their age both when they are seven and eleven. Progress in individual well-taught lessons is good and over time is satisfactory. At the time of the last inspection, there was insufficient evidence to judge attainment and progress.

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MUSIC

145. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils sing tunefully and recall sounds and rhymes from memory. Year 1 pupils listen attentively to identify sounds of the seaside, of the church and farmyard. Periods of silence act as good contrast. They join in enthusiastically with the “juggedy-clutchety” movement of the tractor. “Down in the deep blue sea” stimulates the pupils to move in time to the music and respond individually to this unusual environment.

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MUSIC

146. In Key Stage 2, music supports assemblies and children’s Masses, and is taught as a subject to all classes. In assembly, pupils show effective breath control, phrasing and articulation. Pupils listen carefully and the majority join in enthusiastically. In Year 3, pupils copy simple rhythms successfully. They improve their knowledge and awareness of rhythm and develop the skill of keeping the beat. A few boys in Year 3 spoil other pupils’ performance.

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MUSIC

147. A music specialist carries out the majority of teaching in both key stages. The standard of teaching is very good, with some excellent features. The teacher has good subject knowledge. She chooses appropriate resources to match lesson objectives. A warm, gentle, yet insistent manner brings a sense of joy in achievement to the pupils. At assemblies there is good collaborative teaching with St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School the headteacher. The teacher uses good strategies, such as lowering her voice to a whisper, to hold attention. Pupils realise that they must practise to improve the quality of their performance.

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MUSIC

148. Pupils enjoy making music and their attitude to the subject is good. There are opportunities for learning to play instruments but unfortunately tuition sometimes takes pupils out of lessons in other curricular subjects. Pupils with special educational needs are integrated well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. At the last inspection, standards in physical education were good, now they are satisfactory overall. Physical education has not received an appropriate amount of development time. As a result, pupils’ standards by the end of both key stages are only just in line with those expected nationally. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, makes satisfactory progress in games, dance and gymnastics at both key stages and in swimming and athletics at Key Stage 2. In the reception class, children make good gains in listening, space awareness and control in a dance class. This is achieved through the teacher’s appropriate challenges and her encouraging way.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils plan and perform simple sequences of movements. In Year 2, pupils use space well and develop an understanding of highering and lowering movements. Their overall attainment, however, is only satisfactory. This is because there has not been enough challenge in physical education in previous years. The taped lesson observed was not stimulating enough. The curriculum at this key stage covers dance, gymnastics and games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards are broadly those expected for 11-year-olds. The curriculum covers, dance, gymnastics, games, athletics and swimming. A good range of games activities occur, including tennis and hockey. Pupils understand the need to warm up before exercise. Ball skills are satisfactory. Pupils throw, pass and intercept. Teamwork is satisfactory. Pupils understand the rules for netball, football and throw and catch games. They know that rules must be obeyed and accept teachers’ decisions. All pupils in Year 6 swim 25 metres by the end of most school years.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. Attitudes to physical education are usually positive but variable. Poor attitudes were seen in Year 6 when a small percentage of boys were unwilling to accept girl partners in a country-dance lesson. Pupils in Year 5, by contrast, were keen to respond as well as possible. They offered perceptive, yet constructive, criticisms to their peers and wanted to improve their own work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory, with very good teaching in one-fifth of lessons. Recent training, based on the TOPS programme, has been beneficial. Some teaching has unsatisfactory features, lacking enthusiasm and challenge. The best teaching, for example that seen in Year 5, placed high expectations on pupils and these were made clear. In such lessons, teachers’ observations and guidance to groups and individuals ensure progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. The newly appointed subject co-ordinator has good subject knowledge. Resources are organised efficiently in a central store. The resources are generally sufficient and they support teaching and learning. Special resources have been bought for pupils with physical difficulties that allow them to have full access to the curriculum. St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

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