St Margaret's Lee CofE Primary School

St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School

Dates of inspection: 8 th - 9 th May 2002

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St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School

Short 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. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Nursery, Infant and Junior

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lee Church Street Lewisham London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev. David Gatliff

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 th – 20 th November 1997

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Team members

Jo Cheadle 23233 Registered inspector Vivienne Phillips 9053 Lay inspector Robina Scahill 27654 Team inspector

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Team members

The inspection contractor was: e-Qualitas Limited , Langshaw, Pastens Road, Limpsfield Chart, Oxted, Surrey. RH8 0RE Tel. 01883 723257 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: The Complaints Manager, Inspection Quality Division, The Office for Standards in Education, Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London. WC2B 6SE St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 16

St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School is a voluntary aided school, situated on the outskirts of London, in a residential area that is very varied in its social, cultural and economic context. There are 237 pupils on roll, between the ages of 3-11. This number includes children attending part-time in the nursery class. Standards on entry to the school are very varied, but overall, children begin with average skills and knowledge. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs for a range of learning difficulties is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with supporting statements for their educational needs is similar to the national average. There is a high proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language in comparison to most schools. Of these pupils, 18 are at the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils who receive free school meals is above the national average. In recent times the school has experienced unusually high staff turnover

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

and some teachers have been appointed on long-term, temporary contracts.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St. Margaret’s Lee is a very effective school that provides a very high standard of education for its pupils. Children make an excellent start in the nursery, and learning experiences are rich and broad throughout the school. Pupils achieve very well and attain high standards. The quality of teaching is very good, and pupils demonstrate extremely positive attitudes to their learning. Leadership and management of the school are excellent. Parents work very closely with the school and the contribution they make to pupils’ learning is very highly valued. Everyone is very proud of the school’s achievements and the commitment to continually improve is exceptionally clear. The school provides very good value for money for the funding it receives.

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What the school does well

• At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, results in national tests are high. Pupils make very good progress throughout the school and achieve very well. • Pupils develop a superb sense of personal responsibility as a result of excellent opportunities to develop personal, social and moral awareness • Relationships and racial harmony are excellent • The quality of teaching is very good. Teachers have very high expectations of pupils and this encourages them to achieve very well • The nursery provides an extremely stimulating start to children’s education, and throughout the school, the richness of learning opportunities motivates pupils to learn very well. • The care and support provided for all pupils is excellent • All aspects of the school’s leadership and management are excellent. The headteacher provides unquestionably clear leadership and vision for the school.

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What could be improved

No significant areas for development were noted during the inspection. Those issues where the school should make minor improvements are commented on in the main report. 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 1997. Since this time, the school has very effectively addressed the key issues regarding design and technology (DT) and information and communication technology (ICT). Work in DT is now often good and standards in ICT meet expectations by the end of Year 6. Planned actions to further improve ICT are very relevant and therefore the capacity to raise standards in the subject is very good. In responding to the key issues, the school looked beyond the two subjects highlighted in the report, and applied action for development to all aspects of teaching, with the result that the overall quality of teaching is now very good. This is a significant improvement since the last St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 6 inspection. Similarly, very good attention has been given to making sure that all subjects of the National Curriculum are taught in an appropriate balance and that pupils’ learning opportunities are

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

very relevant, include very good skills and knowledge development and are very rich and stimulating. Leadership and management of the school are now excellent and, as a result, many other aspects of the school’s work have also improved. These include, the provision for pupils’ personal development and procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare, which are both now excellent. The impact of the very good improvement made at the school since the last inspection is that standards attained by pupils are now higher in national tests, pupils produce very good work in class and pupils achieve very well on their starting levels. Despite the school’s high levels of success, there is a strong, shared commitment to improve further and no sign of complacency.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English B B A A* well above average above average A B Mathematics A A A A* average below average C D Science A A* B A well below average E

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Key

Science results in 2001 were lower than in 2000, but the school has clear evidence to show that pupils in this group achieved well on their previous levels of attainment. Pupils’ results are improving better than the national trend in English and in line with the national trend in the three subjects combined. Targets set for attainment in English and mathematics tests in 2001 were well exceeded. The school has set appropriately challenging targets for pupils’ performance in 2002 tests. Children joining the school in the nursery class come with a wide range of skills and knowledge. During their time in the nursery children achieve well, and by the age of 5, the majority of children exceed the expected levels for their age in all aspects of their learning. Very good achievement through Key Stage 1 results in well above average attainment by the age of 7. Very good standards are maintained through all years in Key Stage 2 and pupils continue to achieve very well on their starting

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Key

levels. Standards of work in years 2 and 6 are well above average. The school’s strong emphasis on and very good provision for the teaching of reading is a particularly important feature of why pupils do so well. Because pupils’ reading skills are generally very good, they are able to learn very well in all subjects of the curriculum. By Year 6, pupils use their knowledge of the books they have read to illustrate the opinions they have in discussions. In all situations the majority of pupils speak confidently and clearly. Pupils’ writing is very well presented. They use and develop writing skills in all subjects of the curriculum. In Year 2, many pupils already know their multiplication tables very well. By Year 6, pupils’ have very well-developed mental mathematics skills. In science, the depth and breadth of the curriculum enables pupils to learn skills and knowledge that are well in advance of expectations.

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Key

The recent focus on ICT has already had a positive impact and pupils are now achieving well. In design and technology standards easily meet expectations by the age of 11, and there is clear evidence that in many projects, pupils attain levels that are better than national expectations. This is also the case in music, history and geography. In physical education, pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are very interested in their work and have an industrious approach to all tasks. They are very keen to learn and show this in their enthusiastic response to many lessons observed during the inspection. Pupils are very happy at school and show pride when they talk about their achievements. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils’ behave very well in and out of the classroom because they clearly understand that this is what is expected of them. Those pupils who find it more difficult to behave at times are also very aware of what is acceptable and learn to recognise the effect of their behaviour on others. Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils develop a very strong sense of personal responsibility by Years 5 and 6. They have extremely positive relationships with each other and racial harmony is excellent. Older pupils help and support younger members of the school. Pupils

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Aspect Comment

enjoy taking on responsibility and are sensible and reliable in carrying out duties around the school. They make valuable contributions to decision making in school through the School Council. Attendance Good. Attendance at the school is above the national average. Unauthorised absence is dealt with firmly.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1-2 Years 3-6

Quality of teaching Very good Very good Very 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 in: Nursery and Reception Years 1-2 Years 3-6

The overall quality of teaching at the school is very good and there is a high proportion of excellent teaching. During the inspection, one lesson was observed where teaching was unsatisfactory because learning opportunities were not suitable for the age range of the pupils and as a result they did not make enough progress. This lesson was taught by a temporary teacher. A very strong feature of teaching in the nursery is the excellent teamwork between the teacher and the nursery nurse. Daily activities are superbly managed and the pace of learning is very good in all aspects. Learning is made interesting and fun, and as a result children make very good progress. The nursery classroom is full of life and an exciting place to work and learn. The high quality of teaching throughout the school ensures that pupils make very good progress in the majority of lessons. Teachers have exceptionally high expectations of how pupils will work and

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1-2 Years 3-6

behave, and make very relevant challenges of them to attain the best possible standards in their work. Teachers’ very skilful use of questioning ensures that pupils explain their ideas and understanding fully; when asking questions, teachers do so in a way that really makes pupils think hard about what they know and the best way to express themselves. Teachers’ very good subject knowledge in many areas of the curriculum enables them to use questioning in this very beneficial way. In ICT, teachers’ subject knowledge is developing well and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Teachers’ skills in managing pupils are excellent and there are extremely positive relationships between teachers and pupils. Teachers are very aware of those pupils who need extra support to make sure that they pay good attention and concentrate well in lessons. This is a feature of teaching St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 8

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1-2 Years 3-6

throughout the school, with the impact that pupils develop good understanding, for example, of how their lack of concentration can affect the learning of others in the class. Pupils’ very good attitudes to work and very good behaviour are all promoted by teachers’ ability to enthuse and motivate in lessons. Teachers give a purpose for everything that pupils learn, and basic skills in reading, writing and number are taught very well, so that pupils have the necessary tools to learn in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The nursery provides the youngest children with an exciting and stimulating range of learning activities. Through the whole school, the curriculum is very relevant to the pupils, and learning in all subjects is very appropriately planned, encouraging very good rates of progress. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Early identification of pupils’ particular needs ensures that the support they receive is immediate and very appropriate. Pupils achieve very well compared with their starting points. Specialist teaching is highly effective and teachers plan very well to incorporate the targets set on pupils’ individual education plans in literacy and numeracy lessons. The excellent provision for social, personal and moral development strongly supports those pupils in achieving the targets for their behavioural needs. Provision for pupils with

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Aspect Comment

English as an additional language Very good. A specialist teacher gives very good support to those pupils who are in the early stages of learning English and this is a significant reason for their very good progress. Because the school views pupils’ language diversity very positively, pupils feel proud of their dual language skills, and this is one reason why pupils make the same very good progress as all others. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent overall. Pupils learn to be confident, responsible, determined and respectful. In many lessons, they develop a sincere appreciation of life’s beauty and wonder and the achievements of others. Pupils’ understanding of many cultures is developed well and supports the excellent racial harmony in the school. How well the school cares for its pupils The care and welfare provided for pupils is excellent. In personal issues the

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Aspect Comment

school is extremely caring and supportive. Pupils feel safe at school and are confident that their problems are dealt with seriously. The school supports each pupil’s academic progress because information about the standards they achieve throughout the school is used very well to plan their future learning. The school works in very good partnership with parents, and parents are very positive about the school. Over 50 per cent of parents responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire, which was a substantial proportion and reflective of the interest they take in the school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher’s educational priorities and vision for the school are extremely well shared by all staff and governors. The head and deputy work in excellent partnership. The work of subject co-ordinators impacts very successfully on the quality of education provided for the pupils. There is an enormous sense of mutual respect and a very obvious commitment to continual improvement. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 9 How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Excellent. Governors work in superb partnership with the school and have a very clear understanding of strengths and areas for development. They offer very valuable expertise and support, regularly visiting lessons and meeting with staff. They effectively seek the views of parents and strive to respond to concerns and suggestions in the best possible way.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The school’s procedures for monitoring and evaluating the effect and efficiency of planned developments are rigorous and systematic. The school consistently measures the impact that decision making has on the standards pupils attain.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Excellent. All grants and resources are used wisely and extremely appropriately to make sure that pupils learn very well. The school has excellent systems for making sure that best value is achieved in all financial and all other decisions.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Many parents are confident that their children are expected to work hard, do their best and behave well. • Parents think that the school encourages their children to become mature and responsible. • Parents feel that the school is well led and managed and that the quality of teaching is good. • Parents believe that the school works closely with them and that their suggestions and concerns are listened to and valued. • Parents think that their children make good progress at the school and that they are kept well aware of how well they are doing. • Some parents feel that they do not receive enough feedback on the progress of action taken following their complaints and suggestions. • Some parents are concerned about the arrangements for admission to the school in the reception class. • Some parents feel that there are not enough opportunities for pupils to participate in extra-curricular activities and that the range

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

of sporting activities is limited. • A few parents feel that their children do not have enough opportunities for creative activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with parents that it is essential to think of ways to keep them informed of the progress being made relating to their concerns. Inspectors are confident that the headteacher and governors review the policy on admissions regularly and in relation to each new concern and that resulting decisions are very clearly based on strong educational principles. Inspection findings are that the school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities for pupils, but these are principally for pupils in Key Stage 2. The curriculum for physical education is fully implemented, but inspectors agree with parents’ views that extending sporting activities would benefit the provision. The provision for art at the school is good. The depth of artistic skills and understanding that pupils develop is often in advance of expectations. School displays very successfully celebrate pupils’ achievements. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 10

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At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, results in national tests are high, and pupils achieve very well

1. In the 2001 national tests for 7 year olds, the schools results were well above average in reading and writing and very high in mathematics. In comparison with schools in similar context, pupils’ results were very high in all three subjects. In the 2001 national tests for 11 year olds, pupils’ results were well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science. Once again, these results much higher than those attained by pupils in similar schools. Tests results attained by 11 year olds at the school have improved year on year in English and have been maintained at a well above average level in mathematics since 1999. In science, results at the end of Key Stage 2 have fluctuated, but have never been lower than above the national average. The school’s approach to teaching the subject is very much based on the development of scientific skills as a tool for gaining knowledge. Elements of investigation and research are not covered in national tests. In work samples

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At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, results in national tests are high, and pupils achieve very well

and in lessons, it is very evident that pupils’ attainment in science is equally as good as in English and mathematics.

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At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, results in national tests are high, and pupils achieve very well

2. When comparing the tests results attained by 11 year olds in 2001 with their respective results from tests at the age of 7, achievement on previous levels is very high in English and mathematics. Science test results show very good achievement on the tested aspects of the subject. Those pupils who took tests at the age of 7 in 1998, who are the school’s current Year 6 group are also achieving very well on their previous attainment levels. In the 1998 tests these pupils attained results that were in line with national averages in reading and writing, and lower than average in mathematics. Inspection evidence clearly indicates that the majority of these pupils are now attaining well above average levels in English and mathematics, as well as in science, art, geography and history. Their very good reading skills are fundamental to their well above average attainment in many subjects. Likewise, pupils taking tests at the age of 7 in 2000, the school’s current Year 4 group, are also

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At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, results in national tests are high, and pupils achieve very well

achieving very well on their starting levels. In Key Stage 1 tests in 2000 they attained well below average results in reading, writing and mathematics. Inspection findings are that many of these pupils are attaining above average standards in mathematics, and at least average standards in English. This is a significant achievement when considering that over forty per cent of the pupils are identified has having special educational needs.

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At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, results in national tests are high, and pupils achieve very well

3. In general, although very varied, levels of attainment on entry to the school are average. At the age of 11 when pupils leave the school, they attain well above average results in the three core subjects combined. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection. Pupils at St. Margaret’s Lee now achieve very well compared with their skills and knowledge when they start the school.

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develop personal, social and moral awareness

4. By the age of 11, pupils at the school have an excellent understanding of the impact of their actions on others and their individual responsibility to choose the right course of action in their work and relationships. The school promotes this superb awareness through its Christian ethos, though the examples set by adults in school, and through a highly effective programme of study for personal and social education, including aspects of citizenship. Key stage and whole school assemblies provide excellent opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their developing personal, social and moral awareness. A Key Stage 1 assembly during the inspection exemplified pupils’ very strong awareness of the social and support structure in school, with the central and crucial piece of a large jigsaw puzzle being the pupils themselves. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 11 5. The school’s ethos is based on strong Christian principles. All pupils are respected and cared

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develop personal, social and moral awareness

for, and enjoy equality of access to all the school offers. Pupils understand the expectations of them in terms of their behaviour and conduct with others, and, most importantly, they understand the benefits for themselves and others when they learn and work in this positive way. All adults at the school work very hard and pupils recognise this. Many parents are also very confident that teachers and support staff give of their best. As role models for the way that pupils should work, the head, teaching and support staff are excellent. Moreover, while developing good working habits, teachers also promote in pupils a sense of pride in what they achieve. Pupils talk enthusiastically, but without being boastful, of how well they are doing and what they know they need to improve.

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develop personal, social and moral awareness

6. The school’s very effective curriculum includes clearly planned opportunities for social, personal and moral development, making very good use of cross-curricular themes in various subjects. By Year 6, pupils set targets for themselves, collate information about their personal achievements and complete self-evaluations on their annual reports. They are involved in numerous activities that develop their confidence, promote their skills in creating successful relationships and prepare them to play an active citizenship role. Through the school council, pupils learn to be very responsible in representing the views of others. In discussion, they clearly stated that bullying was definitely not an issue at the school, but had once been a minor problem. They carefully explained how this problem had been dealt with and were very happy to report a successful conclusion as result of their actions. The school council representatives view their role very positively. They take pride in

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develop personal, social and moral awareness

the fact that they have been chosen by their class, and explain the reasons why they think they were selected; because they were responsible, fair, would work hard and do the best they could. These wonderfully responsible attitudes are attributes of nearly all pupils at the school.

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Relationships and racial harmony are excellent

7. Relationships at the school are built on understanding, respect, high expectations and trust. It is very evident that the governors, headteacher and all staff want the very best for all of the pupils in their care. They work with parents of all cultures and backgrounds in the same very positive way, encouraging great support for pupils’ personal, social and academic progress. Diversity at the school is valued very highly, and the very good progress that pupils make in learning about cultural differences is a key element of why relationships are so positive. Pupils learn to be interested in each other and delight in finding out about cultural traditions. This awareness is set in the context of pupils sharing the same faith, but coming from backgrounds where families live in different ways. Cultural diversity is celebrated through displays of work, assemblies and special event days, such as participation in International Day. In art, music and other subjects, pupils develop an excellent

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Relationships and racial harmony are excellent

awareness of cultural issues and the contribution of traditions and lifestyles to the creative arts. Newsletters and the Home-School agreement are very clear on the school’s policy to foster racial harmony. During the inspection, there was no sign of the slightest racial tension; pupils worked in excellent harmony.

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The quality of teaching is very good, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils,

8. The overall quality of teaching has improved since the time of the last inspection and is now very good. In all but one lesson observed, teaching and learning was at least good. In a high proportion of lessons, almost twenty five per cent of those observed, teaching and learning was excellent. One lesson was graded as unsatisfactory. In this lesson, the teacher, who was teaching the class on a temporary basis and very new to the school, did not plan appropriately for the age range of the children and her teaching style was not suitable. In particular, the teacher did not use the best management strategies to help pupils to settle quickly and concentrate on their work. This was particularly noticeable due to the fact that some children were very new to the class and did not have a clear idea of what was expected of them. The headteacher very carefully monitors the work of all teachers, particularly, when there are new members of staff. Procedures are very good for supporting

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The quality of teaching is very good, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils,

new staff, and this has meant that there has been no significant impact on pupils’ learning during the St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 12 recent period of high staff turnover. The headteacher and deputy are very aware of where improvements in individual teachers’ performance are needed, and are rigorous in their approach to ensuring consistency in practice.

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The quality of teaching is very good, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils,

9. Teachers’ very high expectations of how pupils’ will behave, the quality and amount of work they will produce and their contribution and effort in lessons are an exceptional strength of teaching. Teachers have a very clear understanding of pupils’ previous attainment levels, and without exception, plan new learning based on this information. In a Year 2 science lesson based on electricity, the range of questions used by the teacher, the activities planned and the level of independence expected from pupils were all very clear signs of her good knowledge of pupils’ starting levels. Higher attaining pupils were challenged to think for themselves and explain their decisions in a well-organised way. Very good demonstrations of circuits, using the pupils themselves, meant that the lower attaining pupils had a very clear understanding by the end of the lesson. The teacher’s organisation and use of resources were excellent. Pupils were highly enthused by the electrical

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The quality of teaching is very good, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils,

equipment they were able to handle and test. The pace of the lesson was brisk and pupils were totally absorbed by their work. They made excellent progress in their learning during this session.

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The quality of teaching is very good, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils,

10. In a Year 4 mathematics’ lesson, similar excellent practice was observed. In a few lessons observed during the inspection, teachers talked for too long during introductions and some pupils found difficulty in concentrating. However, during this Year 4 introductory mental mathematics session, developing agility and speed with the six times table, the teacher kept very good pace, varying the activities from whole class to groups, as a result of her very good knowledge of pupils’ needs. For example, at one point, lower attaining pupils worked in a group using cards with multiplication facts to help them pose their own questions and think of viable solutions together. Pupils with special educational needs were asked very appropriate, planned questions that not only involved them fully in the work of the class, but also ensured that they made the same progress in their learning as everyone else. The teacher consistently checked that all pupils had understood each

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The quality of teaching is very good, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils,

stage of new learning about Venn and Carroll diagrams, and the tasks set for pupils to apply their new learning were very well matched to their ability levels. The teacher’s superb attention to the needs of all pupils in the class, including those who found concentration more difficult and were therefore provided with additional support from learning assistants, ensured that all pupils made excellent progress during this lesson. In a few lessons, the way in which teachers used the adult support available to them was not always as effective. In one lesson, which was graded as very good overall, the teacher talked for too long to the whole class at one point, and the highest attaining pupils became restless to begin their independent work. The teacher did not make use of the adult supporting class to supervise the pupils in starting their planned activity, rather than them listening to further explanations

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The quality of teaching is very good, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils,

of how to tackle the work that they fully understood.

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The quality of teaching is very good, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils,

11. In a Year 6 English lesson, the teacher’s excellent planning and subject knowledge, in conjunction with her very clear understanding of pupils’ previous attainments, encouraged very good learning. Almost all pupils confidently highlighted those elements of writing that created a sense of dilemma in an example text. The teacher challenged them to recall their personal reading to provide exemplifications for the class to consider. They gave very relevant examples from “The Hobbit”, “Lord of the Rings”, Harry Potter books and Sherlock Holmes stories. Standards attained in this lesson were well above average. Pupils demonstrated their knowledge as they gave very good examples of how adverbs could be used at the start of a sentence to immediately create atmosphere. The teacher’s very calm, well-organised, confident delivery during the session ensured that pupils’ behaviour was very good, despite the fact the some pupils in this group have particular behavioural

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The quality of teaching is very good, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils,

needs. Pupils were attentive, responsive, enthused and eager to contribute at all times. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 13

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The nursery provides an extremely stimulating start to children’s education, and throughout

the school, the richness of learning opportunities motivates pupils to learn very well.

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The nursery provides an extremely stimulating start to children’s education, and throughout

12. The quality of education provided for the nursery children is excellent. The nursery curriculum is very effectively based on the recommendations from national guidance for the Foundation Stage. Day to day planning is extremely well organised to ensure thatchildren continually build on their previous learning through enjoyable, interesting and very relevant activities. The classroom is a lively and stimulating place to learn. It is full of exciting things to look at, play with, talk about and be involved in. Each classroom display involves the children in a very active way supporting their learning in all areas. The outside area is very secure and used highly effectively to extend not only children’s physical skills, but also their literacy, numeracy and social skills. During the inspection, teaching was consistently very good or better in the nursery class. One very obvious strength of the teaching observed was the excellent working relationship between the teacher and the

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The nursery provides an extremely stimulating start to children’s education, and throughout

nursery nurse. Their seamless partnership ensures that all children are given equal attention, the needs of individuals are very carefully met, parents feel welcomed and supported and children of all abilities make very good progress, despite the great variations in skills and knowledge with which pupils start. The two adults use consistent methods to reinforce good behaviour, teach social and personal skills and consolidate learning. Children are very happy, and the vast majority are eager to join in with activities.

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The nursery provides an extremely stimulating start to children’s education, and throughout

13. While excellent attention is given throughout the school to teaching literacy and numeracy skills, there is an overwhelming recognition that these skills are tools with which to learn from the broader curriculum. The school places great emphasis on providing learning opportunities for pupils that are stimulating, extremely relevant, rich and varied. In history, for example, pupils learn facts, but also talk about cause and consequence in a very sophisticated way. In learning about Ancient Egypt they understand how and why people used hieroglyphics to record their experiences. They take on the role of archaeologists to decipher the meaning of hieroglyphic paintings, drawing conclusions and explaining their reasoning. Pupils apply their good literacy skills in lessons, but in turn, learning in other subjects extends and promotes their speaking, listening and writing skills. Likewise, numeracy skills are very well developed through geography and science work, and personal and social skills are

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The nursery provides an extremely stimulating start to children’s education, and throughout

very well developed through many lessons. In a physical education lesson, Year 5 pupils learned to use the strengths and weaknesses of individuals to make their team most effective. In a Year 6 science lesson, pupils develop in-depth knowledge about harmful substances that lead them to make decisions about personal choices. In design and technology, pupils work is often better than the expected levels, because pupils have a very good understanding of materials and their characteristics, enabling them to make effective choices when deciding on the resources they will use. This was demonstrated in a Year 6 art and design lesson, where pupils were involved in making Morrison and Anderson shelters using resistant materials. The major strength of the curriculum is that learning is given a purpose and in some lessons pupils actually talk about why they need to learn what they are learning. In an ICT lesson, pupils worked liked detectives, unravelling the information from a database to find the prime

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The nursery provides an extremely stimulating start to children’s education, and throughout

suspect for crime. Understanding the reason why they are learning is paramount in encouraging pupils to make very good progress.

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The nursery provides an extremely stimulating start to children’s education, and throughout

14. One development area within the school’s curriculum is to provide further opportunities for sporting and competitive activities through the physical education programmes of study. The limited opportunities for such activities was commented on by parents and supported by inspection findings. At the meeting for parents prior to the inspection, parents acknowledged that they could also support the school in facilitating after school competitive sports.

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The care and support provided for all pupils is excellent

15. The school has highly effective methods for tracking pupils’ progress. Procedures are inclusive of all groups of pupils in the school, and during the inspection information regarding the progress and targets for specific groups of pupils, such as those speaking English as an additional language, were immediately available for inspectors. The headteacher very effectively collates St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 14 information from baseline assessments, optional standardised tests and statutory assessments to ensure that pupils are making sufficient progress year on year. She tracks the progress of pupils who join the school at times other than in the nursery and reception classes and there is very useful information about those children who have been at the school through the entire Foundation Stage and those who have not. Teachers regularly assess the standards that pupils attain and make excellent use of this

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The care and support provided for all pupils is excellent

information to plan for future learning. All subjects have very suitable procedures for recording attainment information. The culmination of this work is that the school has excellent evidence of every pupil’s attainment levels and the progress that pupils make through the expected levels, at each stage of their education. This information is used to set very realistic, but appropriately challenging targets for pupils, and from this point teachers can effectively plan lessons, adapting the programmes of study for subjects suitably within each year group, to ensure that pupils achieve as well as possible. At times, teachers’ assessments for projected performance in national tests are lower than actual results. This is often because their expectations of pupils are very high, and they expect pupils to show extremely strong evidence of attainment within each level. They recognise that sometimes they are

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The care and support provided for all pupils is excellent

too harsh in their assessments and are planning ways to ensure that moderation of work is consistently in line with national curriculum levels. Overall, the support provided to ensure pupils’ academic progress is a strength of the school, and results in the very good standards of work evident at the time of the inspection.

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The care and support provided for all pupils is excellent

16. The school is equally effective in the pastoral support and guidance it provides for pupils. Pupils are offered a high level of care and their safety and welfare are taken extremely seriously. Child protection procedures are very firmly established. Improvements since the last inspection have resulted in standards of care and welfare that are now exceptionally high. Pupils’ regular attendance is maintained through rigorous monitoring systems, immediate follow-up on unexplained absence and very firm handling of unauthorised absence from school. Pupils are encouraged to attend regularly with rewards and certificates. Most parents state that their children are very happy to come to school. Since the time of the last inspection punctuality at the beginning of the school day has improved and during the inspection lessons started promptly. The schools excellent provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education ensures that all necessary guidance is available for pupils. A very

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The care and support provided for all pupils is excellent

important factor is the great emphasis that the school places on ensuring that each pupil has equal opportunities to learn as well as they can. Highly effective relationships with parents ensure that if there are obstacles to learning, all can work in partnership to ensure that pupils’ consistent progress is maintained.

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The headteacher provides unquestionably clear leadership and vision for the school; leadership

and management at the school is excellent in all aspects .

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The headteacher provides unquestionably clear leadership and vision for the school; leadership

17. The headteacher’s vision is that all pupils at St. Margaret’s Lee achieve the best possible standards in both academic and personal aspects of their education. This vision is exceptionally well embedded in all school work, shared by staff and governors and very well communicated to parents. The most valuable attribute of her leadership qualities is that she shows no hint of complacency, despite the very good standards that many pupils are now attaining. She is highly respected by staff, governors and parents, providing an extremely appropriate balance of support and challenge that ensures the maintenance of high standards. As such, the school’s shared capacity for future improvement is very good. As a manager, the headteacher is very well organised, making good use of the excellent administrative support provide by the secretary. She effectively ensures that systems and procedures are efficiently carried out by staff, and that all pupil information is very well collated to

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The headteacher provides unquestionably clear leadership and vision for the school; leadership

inform target setting and action planning. She is highly aware of her accountability to the governing body and parents in ensuring that pupils attain the standards expected of them. The different skills and experiences of the headteacher and deputy compliment each other extremely well. The deputy provides committed and very strong support for the headteacher and is a very good role model for teachers in terms of her classroom practice.

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The headteacher provides unquestionably clear leadership and vision for the school; leadership

18. After a long period of very stable staffing, the school has experienced recent difficulties due to teachers leaving. This has caused concerns for the headteacher, governors and parents. When the St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 15 school has employed temporary teachers, there has been very careful monitoring of their work and they have been given excellent support. As a result, pupils very good levels of achievement have been uninterrupted in most classes. The school has made recent appointments to address staffing concerns.

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The headteacher provides unquestionably clear leadership and vision for the school; leadership

19. The work of the school is supported by an outstanding governing body who work in excellent partnership with the headteacher and staff. They provide a very good balance of know-how and active support, ensuring that the school’s aims are achieved and that improvement plans are successfully implemented. Parents are confident that their suggestions and complaints are fully listened to and acted upon. However, some parents would like more information about how governors and the school are addressing highlighted issues, and the governors acknowledge that they need to keep parents very well informed. In listening to parents’ concerns, particularly in relation to admissions to the reception class, the governors approach each new parent’s concern with an equally committed approach to reviewing the situation in its new context. The admissions policy has been reconsidered on numerous occasions and generated much debate among governors. On each occasion, governors’ policy

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The headteacher provides unquestionably clear leadership and vision for the school; leadership

decisions are based on strong educational principles. Governors fulfil each of their statutory obligations fully, carry out their duties with great sense of responsibility and hold the school to account for the standards attained by pupils. In collaboration with the headteacher, school finances are excellently planned and decisions about spending are without exception related to the impact they will have on pupils’ attainment. The school now achieves very good value for money in relation to the funding it receives and this is an improvement since the last inspection.

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The headteacher provides unquestionably clear leadership and vision for the school; leadership

20. All staff with roles of responsibility work very efficiently and effectively to ensure that standards are maintained and improved. Since the last inspection a new co-ordinator for ICT has been appointed. Improvements to the provision for ICT have been very good. Standards in design and technology have also improved and the new co-ordinator has begun sampling of pupils’ work to ensure that standards are in line with expectations. All co-ordinators offer excellent support for their colleagues, keep very up-to-date with new initiatives and resources and attend regular training in order to extend their own skills and knowledge. As yet, not all co-ordinators have had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching in their subject, but all have excellent knowledge of the standards pupils’ attain and the strengths and weaknesses within the subject. As result of the excellent relationships at the school, all teachers feel comfortable to ask for support, and work together very

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The headteacher provides unquestionably clear leadership and vision for the school; leadership

effectively to improve the quality of provision. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 6 31 36 0 6 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than five percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR- Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 21 237

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 45 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR- Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 39

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 39

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 17

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 17 13 30

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 17 17 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 11 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 93 (77) 93 (73) 97 (80) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 17 17 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 11 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 93 (77) 93 (73) 87 (80) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 11 14 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 7 9 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 13 14

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 84 (72) 88 (93) 96 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 7 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 13 14

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 64 (72) 88 (93) 92 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 18

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 7 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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 31.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR- Y6 Total income 616947

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 613549

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 156 Expenditure per pupil 2484

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 41616

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 45014

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 35

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 7.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 2.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1.0 FTE means full-time equivalent. St. Margaret’s Lee CE Primary School - 19

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 54 43 1 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 44 4 1 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 41 12 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 36 14 0 0

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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. 57 29 11 0 3

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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. 74 22 1 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 55 33 8 2 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 60 32 6 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 63 32 2 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 30 34 20 7 9

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