Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 – 17 October 2000

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HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC 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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HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC 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. Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lytham Road Warton Preston Lancashire Postcode: PR4 1AH

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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: The Revd. J. X. Gibson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1996 Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Mr Robert Robinson (21024) Registered inspector Mrs Tina Bradley (1234) Lay inspector Mrs Debbie Kerr (19916) Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Yorkshire Educational Services Ltd 16 Burn Hall Darlington Road Croxdale DURHAM DH1 3SR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a small Roman Catholic primary school for boys and girls aged 4-11 years. It serves the Parish of Holy Family, which embraces the villages of Freckleton and Warton to the west of Preston. It has 100 pupils, 45 boys and 55 girls, who attend full time. There are no pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and no pupils learning English as an additional language. Eighteen pupils (18 per cent) are on the register of special educational needs which is about the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational need is very small. Children’s attainment on entry to the reception class is above average. Children start school in September of the academic year that they are five. At the time of the inspection there were twelve children in the reception age group and they were taught alongside Year 1 pupils in a mixed reception and Year 1 class. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

about ten per cent which is below the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school which has maintained high academic standards during the last four years. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and very good for seven and eleven- year-olds. Pupils’ learning is very well supported by parents, and assisted by pupils’ very good attitudes to work, their high standard of behaviour and positive relationships with other pupils and members of staff. The leadership and management are very effective. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils’ attainments by the age of eleven in English and mathematics have been well above the national average consistently for the last four years, and well above the national average in science since 1998. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and very good for seven and eleven-year- olds. • A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after school. • A strong partnership with parents is fostered successfully. • The school is very well led and managed.

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What could be improved

• The planning and the provision of resources do not meet the requirements of the recent national guidance for the youngest children in the school. • The library is not used sufficiently well to develop pupils’ independent research and study skills. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good progress since the last inspection in June 1996. Higher standards of pupils’ attainment have been achieved, and pupils’ positive attitudes to work and very good behaviour have been maintained. The quality of teaching has significantly improved. Leadership and management of the school have improved. The school has addressed the areas for improvement very successfully as shown below: Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 7 • The guidance for teachers has been improved and follows the national strategies for literacy and numeracy very well indeed; as a result, standards have been significantly improved. • Arrangements for checking pupils’ progress have been improved significantly for five to eleven- year-olds though the procedures for the regular assessment of children’s attainment in the reception year are underdeveloped. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs has improved very well and these pupils

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

now make very good progress in their learning. • The organisation of classes and the strong support within lessons for pupils with special educational needs enables all pupils to have similar learning opportunities. • The improvements to the monitoring of teaching and learning have resulted in the elimination of the high proportion of unsatisfactory teaching apparent at the last inspection.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The particular strengths in the quality of teaching, pupils’ attitudes to work, support from parents and the high quality leadership place the school in a good position to maintain high standards.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

1998 1999 2000 2000 English A A A A mathematics A A* A* A* science D A A A very high well above average above average average below average well below average A* A B C D E

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schools

• As can be seen from the above table, standards continue to be very impressive this year; in both English and science pupils’ performance is well above the national average and in mathematics very high (in the highest five per cent both nationally and in comparison with pupils in similar schools). The school has maintained standards at well above the national average or better in English and mathematics since 1997 and well above average in science since 1998. The reasons for the below average performance in science in 1998 were identified and, as can be seen from the results of later years quickly remedied. • Inspection judgement supports the results of the national tests. • Standards of work seen in the reception class are above average. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress and most achieve the national expected standards by the time they leave the school at the age of eleven.

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schools

• Overall achievement of pupils at the school is good.

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schools

The high quality teaching of seven and eleven-year-olds places the school in a good position to exceed its targets for 2001.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good; pupils have very positive attitudes to their work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good; pupils generally behave very well and older pupils set a high standard for younger pupils. Personal development and relationships Pupils respond very well to the opportunities to take responsibilities. Very positive relationships between pupils exist throughout the school. Pupils collaborate sensibly and work with the minimum of supervision. Attendance Good; attendance rates are above the national average. Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 8

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

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

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

The quality of teaching and learning was very good in 8 out of 18 lessons, good in 5 lessons and satisfactory in 5 lessons. The quality of teaching of the oldest pupils and seven-year-olds was very good. The skilled nursery nurse has a very good understanding of how young children learn and, when employed effectively, has a most positive impact on children’s learning. However, the planning in the reception class does not link clearly to the recent national guidance and there is limited planning to check pupils’ learning.

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

The teaching of literacy and numeracy is very effective. Higher quality teaching and learning occurs when teachers plan lessons very well and challenge pupils with stimulating activities which enable them to learn at a fast pace. The very good support for pupils with special educational needs from teachers and teaching assistants enables these children to take a full part in lessons and build on their previous learning very well indeed.

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

The school caters very effectively for pupils irrespective of their levels of attainment and prepares them well for their next stage of learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is good overall. It is broad and balanced with a strong emphasis on creative and performing arts. The curriculum for the youngest children is limited as they have few opportunities for outdoor physical and creative development. Pupils can take part in a very wide range of activities at lunchtimes and after school. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good; pupils are given very effective support from teachers and classroom assistants. Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school promotes personal development well though gives limited opportunities for pupils’ to engage in personal research and to develop skills of independent study in the library. There is good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school’s Christian foundation is apparent in its work. There are

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Aspect Comment

high standards of relationships between staff and between pupils and staff. Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. The curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils’ knowledge of our own and other cultures. How well the school cares for its pupils Members of staff know the children well and provide a good level of care and concern for pupils’ welfare. How well does the school work in partnership with parents The overwhelming majority of parents strongly supports the school. The high level of involvement of parents in their children’s learning at home, and the assistance of parents who help in school, positively assist pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They work very effectively with the curriculum leaders and other staff to promote high standards. Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 9 How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its statutory duties very effectively. Governors work very well with the staff to provide very clear direction to the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance The quality of teaching and learning is monitored and evaluated very well and there are good systems in place to develop teachers’ expertise further. The arrangements for the induction of new teachers are effective. The school is very well placed to provide high quality training for potential teachers. The strategic use of resources The governing body uses its financial resources wisely for the

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Aspect Comment

benefit of pupils. Financial planning and administration are very good. Staffing is deployed well though occasionally very capable teaching assistants are underused during whole class teaching. Accommodation is good overall; however, there is no suitable outdoor area for children under the age of five. The library is underused to develop pupils’ research skills.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy school and behave well. • The teaching is good. • Members of staff are very approachable and parents are comfortable talking to them. • Teachers have high expectations of their children to achieve well. • The leadership and management of the school are good. • The school helps children to become more mature and responsible. • The amount of homework their children have to do is too great. • There is insufficient information for parents about their children’s progress. • The range of activities outside lessons is insufficient.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with the positive views of parents; however, they disagree with the views of the minority of parents regarding homework, information of children’s progress and the range of activities available outside lessons. Pupils receive a sufficient amount of homework, which is suited to children’s levels of attainment, and most parents appreciate being able to support their child’s learning at home. The school is prepared to listen to parents and discuss the amount of homework and adjust it to meet parents’ requests. Parents gain much information about their child’s progress through homework. Good quality reports about pupils’ progress are sent to parents three times a year, which is well above the frequency normally provided by schools. In addition, there are regular parent consultation meetings. Parents should be well pleased with the very good level and the range of activities in which children can take part at lunchtimes and after-school;

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

members of staff and some parents give time willingly and freely to support an extensive range of extra-curricular activities. Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 10

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the national average consistently for the last four years, and well above the national

1 The national tests for eleven-year-olds in 2000 show the following:

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the national average consistently for the last four years, and well above the national

• pupils’ performance in English and science was well above both the national average and the average in schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. • pupils’ performance in mathematics was within the highest five per cent of all schools nationally and of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds.

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the national average consistently for the last four years, and well above the national

2 These results are very impressive for a small school with an average proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Standards rose from above the national average to well above the national average in English, mathematics and science in 1997, the year after the last inspection. In the following years, the performance of pupils has been consistently well above the national average or higher in English and mathematics; this consistency of high standards is remarkable. In science standards dipped from well above the national average to below the national average in 1998; however, it is to the credit of the management of the school that the reasons for the lower performance were recognised and acted upon to restore high standards in the following years.

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the national average consistently for the last four years, and well above the national

3 The high standards of eleven-year-olds are built upon pupils’ good achievements by the age of seven. Generally, since 1997, pupils’ performance by the age of seven has been well above the national average in English and above average in mathematics; however, in national tests for seven-year-olds in 2000, pupils’ performance was well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. In comparison to the performance of pupils in similar schools, reading was within the highest five per cent nationally and pupils’ performance in writing and mathematics was well above average.

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the national average consistently for the last four years, and well above the national

4 The attention the school gives to planning challenging work for pupils at each level of attainment contributes most effectively to the high performance and good achievements of pupils. Analysis of the recent national tests for eleven-year-olds in English, mathematics and science shows that almost all pupils achieved the level expected of eleven-year-olds (Level 4) and a high proportion reached the higher level (Level 5). Generally, most pupils by the age of seven in reading, writing and mathematics reach the expected level (Level 2) and a well above average proportion achieves the higher level (Level 3); however, in this year’s tests (2000) every pupil reached Level 2 and a good proportion achieved Level 3.

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the national average consistently for the last four years, and well above the national

5 Inspection judgement supports pupils’ performance in the national tests. Pupils on the special needs register make very good progress as a result of the effective teaching and support they receive. Their achievements in national tests show the success of the school’s provision. Similarly, higher attainers achieve well and make good progress in their learning.

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the national average consistently for the last four years, and well above the national

6 The high academic standards are the result of pupils’ very good attitudes to work and their behaviour, the very good leadership and management of school and a well taught and effective curriculum. Parents’ views that their children make good progress are supported well both by the inspection findings and of the results of the national tests for eleven-year-olds.

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and very good for seven and eleven-

year-olds. Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 11 7 The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Teaching and learning in all lessons observed were satisfactory or better. The teaching of five to seven-year-olds was consistently very good. The teaching of the ten and eleven-year-old pupils was never less than good and in almost every lesson was very good. In mathematics and science the quality of teaching was very good for five to eleven-year-olds. The teaching of English was very good for five to seven-year-olds and good for seven to eleven-year-olds. The other lessons observed in geography and history were consistently of a high standard. The quality of teaching and learning of children in the reception year group was satisfactory overall, though it was very good when the children were taught separately from the Year 1 pupils in the class.

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and very good for seven and eleven-

8 Where the teaching and learning of the highest quality occurs, teachers draw the class together very effectively to check pupils’ understanding and to lead them on to the next step of learning quickly; for example, in mathematics, pupils were engaged in discussion to clarify earlier learning of probability and then the teacher skilfully moved the learning on to record probability on a scale of zero to one. Planning is very clear and provides guidance for teachers of the expected learning of pupils at each level of attainment. The planning is shared with classroom assistants and parent helpers who support groups of pupils and individuals very well. The efficient use of capable teaching assistants and parent helpers assists pupils with special educational needs as well as lower attaining pupils to take a full part in lessons and to make very good progress in their learning. Teachers have a very good rapport with the pupils and pupils respond very willingly to questioning

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and very good for seven and eleven-

9 Teachers develop literacy and the skills of speaking and learning very well in other subjects such as in mathematics, science, geography and history. In a history lesson the teacher’s probing questioning provided pupils with many opportunities to express their views and to listen to others as well as to develop their understanding of language connected with history.

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and very good for seven and eleven-

10 Lessons are very interesting and pupils work very productively and behave extremely well. They discuss their work sensibly with partners to develop their learning successfully. This happened in a science lesson linked to work on Newton’s First Law of Motion. The teacher challenged groups of pupils to design a container that would protect an egg when it was dropped from a height. Pupils discussed the best packaging and recorded their agreed design before selecting materials themselves and making a protective capsule for the egg. The pupils were very keen to complete their work and worked at a fast pace as they knew they would have opportunities to test their designs. The pupils were highly motivated and gained much understanding through the observation of the testing of each group’s designs. They accepted the reasons for the failures of their own designs and applauded and understood the reasons for the success of others.

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and very good for seven and eleven-

11 Teachers mark pupils’ work very well and annotate very clearly pupils’ achievements and ways they can improve. The periodic checking of pupils’ books by the headteacher and the comments expressed in writing spur pupils’ progress on. Older pupils are very aware of their own standards and ways that they can improve; they work hard to achieve targets for improvement which the teachers and the headteacher share with them. Homework is used very effectively to help parents to contribute to their children’s learning. It assists positively pupils’ achievements and interest in their work.

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and very good for seven and eleven-

12 Where teaching and learning are very good in the reception class, the nursery nurse, under the direction of the teacher, provide interesting practical activities. The teacher and nursery nurse have very good relationships with the children resulting in children responding with excellent attitudes to learning and making very good progress. This happened in a creative development lesson when children imitated the sounds and movements of animals. They played a range of percussion instruments well and moved imaginatively to represent string beans and baked beans. The children were highly motivated, very well behaved and their very good response was reflected in their increased understanding of how they could represent the sound of an animal using musical instruments. In knowledge and understanding of the world, children gained a much deeper understanding of the attributes of different materials in a lesson that was linked very effectively with

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The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and very good for seven and eleven-

previous literacy studies of a book, ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’. Very good resources, hoops Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 12 and a basket of objects, supported practical activity very effectively and engaged children’s interest very well. 13 A high proportion of the parents who responded to the parents’ questionnaire and attended the pre-inspection parents’ meeting believe, rightly, that the quality of teaching is good and that their children make good progress.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

14 A significant minority of parents considers that the range of activities outside lessons is insufficient; however, inspection judgement shows that there is a wide and interesting range of activities both during lunchtimes and after school. The findings of the inspection should reassure parents that this area of the school’s provision for pupils is very good, particularly considering the small size of the school.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

15 Members of staff and parents willingly and freely provide many opportunities for activities at both lunchtimes and after school. Daily clubs include sports, dance, music and book clubs. In addition, there are clubs that rotate termly, such as art, band, drama, French, science and skittleball. The range of sports clubs is wide and includes athletics and ball games. Pantomime rehearsals, school exhibitions and class visits all contribute very well to the broad variety of activities. There are no charges for any clubs, which is not always the case in other schools. All teachers and teaching assistants run clubs regularly.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

16 The very good range of extra-curricular provision enhances very effectively pupils’ personal and social development as well as their academic studies. Attendance at clubs for seven to eleven-year-olds is high and pupils really enjoy the activities which contribute effectively both to their very positive enthusiasm for school and to their very good relationships with other pupils and staff.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

A strong partnership with parents is fostered successfully.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

17 The partnership with parents is strong and contributes well to the high academic standards and to pupils’ very good attitudes, behaviour and personal development. The response to the parent questionnaire showed overwhelmingly parents’ positive views of the school and the pre- inspection meeting, which was well attended, reinforced parents’ good support for the work of the school. A minority of parents did, however, express some concerns about the provision of homework, information about their children’s progress and the range of activities outside lessons. All of these concerns were investigated and inspection judgements show that each of these areas is very well dealt with by the school. The minority of parents with concerns should be reassured that their worries are not substantiated in practice.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

18 The information the school provides for parents is good. Reports are of a good quality for pupils, including children in the reception year; they identify clearly what pupils can do and areas for their development. Reports for seven to eleven-year-olds include information on how the children compare with national expectations. Parents express the view that the reports help them to be well aware of their children’s difficulties through the frankness of the comments and they welcome the suggestions as to ways their children can improve. Parents appreciate the opportunities to discuss their children’s progress at regular meetings with teachers as well as receiving a written report three times a year.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

19 Homework is organised extremely well and enables parents to make a good contribution to their child’s learning at home. Homework is consistent and is geared to the level of attainment of pupils; if parents consider their child has an inappropriate amount of homework, the good relationship between parents and staff enables difficulties to be resolved quickly and amicably. The homework books enable good two-way communication between teachers and parents. Parents of Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 13 children with special educational needs praise the attention their children are given and are particularly pleased at the way the school involves them in their child’s learning. 20 The school’s good partnership with parents begins before the children start school through home visits and opportunities for the children to spend time in the reception class in the summer term before they start school. Parents are welcome to help in school and a few parents regularly

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

assist teachers by working alongside them with small groups of pupils. Their assistance is valued greatly by the school. Parents’ views are considered carefully before any major changes are made; for example, parents were consulted regarding a new school uniform. There is an active School Association that brings together staff and parents and other supporters of the school to raise money for specific items as well as to organise social events.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

21 It is obvious that parents are proud of the school and the very effective contribution it makes to their children’s academic, personal and social development.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

The school is very well led and managed.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

22 The leadership and management of the headteacher are very good. The headteacher is very experienced and having spent 25 years in post knows most of the families of the children well and is extremely well respected by staff, parents and governors. The headteacher is ably assisted by a hardworking deputy headteacher. The members of staff work very well together and curriculum leaders fulfil their roles efficiently.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

23 The governing body is very well organised. It ensures that its statutory duties are carried out very well. There is a wide degree of expertise amongst members of the governing body. The governors are generous in time and commitment. The thorough minutes of its meetings show that governors know the school very well indeed. The governors receive full and honest reports from the headteacher which they discuss in detail and act upon. They are keen to maintain the high standards of the school and monitor the national test results well. The governors develop their expertise by arranging local training sessions with other schools. Some governors assist in school voluntarily; for example, the governor with responsibility for special educational needs visits the school each week and works alongside groups of pupils as well as having planned meetings with the special needs co-ordinator to discuss the pupils’ progress.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

24 Members of staff and governors work very well to plan the future direction of the school. The school development plan is an effective working document which provides detailed information for the current year and projects priorities for the next three years. The priorities set for this year show that the governors and members of staff are very aware of the areas for development. The governing body receives reports on the progress of its plans during their regular and frequent meetings.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

25 The monitoring of teaching and learning by senior members of staff and co-ordinators is well established and very effective in raising and maintaining high standards. There are good strategies for developing teachers’ skills and teacher appraisal is systematic and feeds into the school development plan when appropriate. The induction of teachers new to the school is good. The governing body has considered recently the school’s potential for the training of new teachers. Inspection evidence shows that the school is very well placed to provide this training.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

26 The expertise of staff is used well though occasionally the very skilled nursery nurse is not used to best effect during whole class teaching of the joint reception and Year 1 class. Accommodation is used well though there is no suitable outdoor area for children under the age of five to enhance further their creative and physical development outdoors. During the inspection the library was rarely used to promote pupils’ independent research skills.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

27 Financial planning and administration are very good. The school administrator, who is also the clerk to the governors, manages the school finances most efficiently as well as capably supporting the finance committee and governing body by providing financial information. The recent Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 14 audit concluded that financial procedures were of a ‘very good standard providing the basis for the efficient and effective management of the resources available’. The governing body spends its allocations wisely for the benefit of pupils; to quote one of the governors, ‘nothing is spent lightly’.

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A wide and interesting range of activities is arranged for pupils at lunchtimes and after

28 Parents’ response to the parents’ questionnaire and comments at the pre-inspection parents’ meeting show that they agree with the inspection findings that the school is well led and managed.

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The planning and the provision of resources do not meet the requirements of the recent

guidance for the youngest children in the school.

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The planning and the provision of resources do not meet the requirements of the recent

29 The curriculum for children who are in the reception year is not yet fully developed to meet the recent national guidance; however, the school development plan, rightly, highlights this as a priority for this year. Children in the reception year are taught alongside pupils in Year 1. The planning of lessons is based mainly on the early stages of the National Curriculum which is appropriate for the higher attaining reception children but not suited to the needs of average and lower attainers who should be following the recent nationally accepted ‘Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage’.

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The planning and the provision of resources do not meet the requirements of the recent

30 The teacher and nursery nurse have the expertise and skills to provide a curriculum suited to the needs of the under fives but the guidance to assist their planning is not yet developed sufficiently. The policy for Early Years is out of date and there is no scheme of work for the youngest children in the school. The composition of the reception and Year 1 class is appropriate; however, there is inefficient use of the very capable nursery nurse during whole class teaching of reception and Year 1. At times when both year groups are taught together as a whole class the quality of teaching is satisfactory whilst when the reception year is taught separately as a group within the class the quality of teaching and learning is usually very good.

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The planning and the provision of resources do not meet the requirements of the recent

31 Assessment procedures for children in the reception year are unsatisfactory. There are few planned activities to check children’s understanding within lessons. Detailed records are only kept of children’s attainments on entry to school and at the end of the reception year. There is no on- going recording of children’s small steps of learning throughout the year to enable teachers to use the information to assist future planning and to move on children’s learning at a faster pace. The management has limited information to monitor pupils’ progress during the reception year and does not set targets for the children.

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The planning and the provision of resources do not meet the requirements of the recent

32 There is no access from the classroom to a suitable area outdoors to enhance further children’s creative and physical development. The governing body has identified this as a possible area for improvement in its school development plan.

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The library is not used sufficiently well to develop pupils’ independent research and study

33 The library is used well to support the selection of books to be read at home, though during lessons it is used rarely. It is an attractive and well-resourced area; however, pupils use the library infrequently to develop their independent research and study skills. The range of books in the library is adequate and supplemented by books loaned from the local education authority’s library service.

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The library is not used sufficiently well to develop pupils’ independent research and study

34 A small number of older pupils take responsibility in turns to maintain the library books in the correct locations. However some pupils in Year 6 believe that they use the library only when they are the ‘library monitors’. Many of the ten and eleven-year-old pupils are unable to locate books using the simplified ‘Dewey’ system; this restricts their understanding of how to access information in a library. Some pupils in Year 2 do not understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 15 books and state that the library is for the older pupils.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

35 The school should enhance the provision for children in the reception year * through the following measures:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• revising and implementing a policy for children in the reception year; • incorporating into teachers’ planning learning objectives based upon small steps of learning; • regularly assessing and recording children’s progress; • setting challenging targets for the further improvements in children’s attainments; • deploying the nursery nurse more efficiently to support teaching and learning when the class is being taught altogether by the teacher. (Paragraphs 29, 30, 31, 32)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Pupils’ independent research and study skills should be developed by better use of the library. (Paragraphs 33, 34)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* This area for improvement had been identified already by staff and governors. Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 18 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 44 28 28 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 100 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 10 Special educational needs YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 18 English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0 Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence % % School data 2.8 School data 0 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.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 6 5 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics Boys * * * Girls * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 11 11 11 School 100 (92) 100 (100) 100 (92) Percentage of pupils at NC level 2 or above National 86 (82) 88 (83) 93 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Boys * * * Girls * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 11 11 11 School 100 (92) 100 (92) 100 (100) Percentage of pupils at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87) Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 17 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * Details of the number of boys and girls achieving Level 2 and above have not been included because fewer than 11 boys or girls were in the year group.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 12 6 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science Boys ** ** ** Girls ** ** ** Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 17 18 17 School 94 (96) 100 (100) 94 (91) Percentage of pupils at NC level 4 or above National 78 (70) 75 (69) 89 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Boys ** ** ** Girls ** ** ** Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 17 18 16 School 94 (78) 100 (91) 88 (91) Percentage of pupils at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. ** Details of the number of boys and girls achieving Level 4 and above have not been included because fewer than 11 girls were in the year group.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 87 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5 Financial year 1999/2000 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20 Average class size 25 £ Total income 193,967 Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 190,188 Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1,922 Holy Family Catholic Primary School - 18 Total aggregate hours worked per week 34 Balance brought forward from previous year 23,905

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 27,684 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Questionnaire return rate Number of questionnaires sent out 100 Number of questionnaires returned 72

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know My child likes school. 44 51 4 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 39 49 4 1 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 44 0 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 43 13 1 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39 41 10 3 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 61 29 7 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 35 1 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 44 45 10 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 61 36 0 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 37 1 0 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 42 17 3 7

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